If you're a parent of multiple children, chances are that some days you can't believe the ridiculous things they fight over. A cheap plastic toy. Who got the biggest cookie. Who cleared the table last time. How can anyone be so immature as to think such things worth spoiling family harmony over?
If you've ever gotten involved in settling the estate of someone who left a vaguely worded will--or none at all--chances are you couldn't believe the ridiculous things his heirs fought over. A cheap wristwatch. Who deserves a thousand dollars more. Who really did the most for the deceased. How can anyone be so immature as to think such things worth ruining family relationships over?
If you've ever been a bystander in a church split, chances are you couldn't believe the ridiculous things people fought over. Accusations of closet Satanism and counteraccusations of Pharisaism fly over differing tastes in music. Thirty-year members storm out the door over gym renovation budgets. The color of choir robes becomes a matter worthy of the Inquisition.
How can anyone be so spiritually immature as to think such things more important than Jesus's clear command in John 13:34-35: "Love one another.... [so that] everyone will know that you are my disciples"?
Some love the ancient hymns so proud and grand,
But some would rather sing a newer song.
The first say "pop" is of the cheapest brand;
The second say "outdated words" are wrong.
Some want their Bible texts like normal speech;
Some say we should go back and use King James.
While one calls "slang and such" a major breach,
One says that "thee" and "thou" are foreign names.
Some wouldn't touch a "drink" at point of gun;
Some say the Eucharist is best with wine.
Some think that dance and cards are harmless fun;
Some say our character is on the line.
And while we all proclaim our ways are right,
And scorn our brothers with "Heretic!" jeers,
Our Lord, Who longs that we in love unite,
Looks down upon it all--and sheds His tears.
Showing posts with label unity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unity. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Perfect Unity
Loneliness has been called the great disease of our age. Ironically, the worst of the epidemic is where people are most crowded together--the cities where that other great modern illness called workaholism runs rampant and steals time needed to introduce oneself to the neighbors, where everyone is presumed to have a hidden agenda and few dare strike up a casual conversation on the street. And where the single people come by the thousands: those fresh from school, to find jobs; those newly single, to forget or hide; all, leaving behind the friends and family they knew. Many a one-night stand, many a cohabitation, and many a bad marriage owes its start to utter desperation for human contact.
Perhaps this phenomenon is partly responsible for the blow that marriage's reputation has suffered in recent decades. For many people, the fear of being alone forever is matched by the fear that giving one's whole self to another will ultimately lead to an even more painful loneliness. Practically every week, we hear of someone--often someone we know personally--for whom "till death do us part" proved empty words or came considerably sooner and more painfully than expected. We may well have been that person ourselves. Small wonder that many opt for the "solution" of settling for physical intimacy without commitment, or for a "trial period" that stretches on for month after uncertain month. It can take years to realize that the "solution" is really the worse problem, by which time irreparable damage is already done.
Thankfully, in God's Kingdom no damage is ultimately irreparable. This applies especially to the first great damage, done on the day of the Fall when loneliness first entered the world, when human beings became alienated from God, from Creation, and from one another. All marriage problems have their root in the day Adam let Eve coax him into trying just one little bite. Hardly surprising that God's final redemption of His people is frequently compared in Scripture to the consummation of a marriage: it will be akin to what that first marriage originally was, with no barriers of selfishness to cause misunderstandings or arguments.
In the meantime, if you're blessed with a happy or even decent marriage, remember to thank God rather than whining that your spouse isn't everything you wanted. And, if you aren't married, to look to God for fulfillment rather than demanding He deliver your life partner immediately. Marriage--and all human relationships--are only a reflection of the perfect relationship we were all meant to ultimately find in the Lord.
God made one man and one woman
When the human race He began;
The man was there for the woman,
And the woman made for the man.
That day, all earth's sin was future
And the pain of doubt was unknown,
And love was perfect in beauty,
No one needing to feel alone.
God made us all for each other,
And us all His own family;
So hearts still long for the coming
Of uniting Eternity.
Perhaps this phenomenon is partly responsible for the blow that marriage's reputation has suffered in recent decades. For many people, the fear of being alone forever is matched by the fear that giving one's whole self to another will ultimately lead to an even more painful loneliness. Practically every week, we hear of someone--often someone we know personally--for whom "till death do us part" proved empty words or came considerably sooner and more painfully than expected. We may well have been that person ourselves. Small wonder that many opt for the "solution" of settling for physical intimacy without commitment, or for a "trial period" that stretches on for month after uncertain month. It can take years to realize that the "solution" is really the worse problem, by which time irreparable damage is already done.
Thankfully, in God's Kingdom no damage is ultimately irreparable. This applies especially to the first great damage, done on the day of the Fall when loneliness first entered the world, when human beings became alienated from God, from Creation, and from one another. All marriage problems have their root in the day Adam let Eve coax him into trying just one little bite. Hardly surprising that God's final redemption of His people is frequently compared in Scripture to the consummation of a marriage: it will be akin to what that first marriage originally was, with no barriers of selfishness to cause misunderstandings or arguments.
In the meantime, if you're blessed with a happy or even decent marriage, remember to thank God rather than whining that your spouse isn't everything you wanted. And, if you aren't married, to look to God for fulfillment rather than demanding He deliver your life partner immediately. Marriage--and all human relationships--are only a reflection of the perfect relationship we were all meant to ultimately find in the Lord.
God made one man and one woman
When the human race He began;
The man was there for the woman,
And the woman made for the man.
That day, all earth's sin was future
And the pain of doubt was unknown,
And love was perfect in beauty,
No one needing to feel alone.
God made us all for each other,
And us all His own family;
So hearts still long for the coming
Of uniting Eternity.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Every Piece Is Part of the Puzzle
I enjoy jigsaw puzzles, though a big one can give you occasional moments of wondering whether the picture will ever be recognizable--or if all the pieces are really there. Nearly always, on a puzzle of 1,000 pieces or more, I have at least one moment where a section is finished except for a single missing piece; all unfitted pieces are laid out in plain sight with not one seeming the right shape and color for the hole; and I become firmly convinced that whoever packaged the puzzle must have left that one piece out.
Almost invariably, one of the odd pieces turns out to fit after all, which is always a relief. Uglier far than a half-finished puzzle is a "finished" one that has lost one or two of its pieces. There's something about that tiny hole that draws the eye, that shouts, "Something vital is missing.... Something vital is missing!"
If missing pieces are rare, at least in new puzzles, almost unheard of (except with a few novelty manufacturers whose customers like things really challenging) is a puzzle with extra pieces. I have, of course, on occasion found myself staring at a piece that, by itself, doesn't seem to remotely match any section of the picture on the box; but I have never finished a puzzle and found I had pieces left over. Ninety-nine out of a hundred jigsaw puzzles come out of their boxes with exactly the right number of pieces: not too few, not too many.
If we can trust human, fallible manufacturers to give us the right number of pieces for perishable toys, isn't it foolish when we treat human beings--the creations of an infallible God Who uses everything to accomplish His ultimate purpose (cf. Rom. 8:28)--as though they were superficial or dispensable?
Every piece is part of the puzzle,
Though mere blotches when seen alone:
When the picture is put together,
Any gap is a cause to groan.
Every thread is part of the garment:
Any missing strand leaves a hole
That exposes a fatal weakness
And can soon the whole thing unroll.
Every brick is part of the building:
Every part gives strength to all;
Every rivet helps hold up the structure
And ensure that it will not fall.
Every act is part of a lifetime
Made of small works false or true,
And the God Who gives us all our talents
Will judge all by the good they do.
Each saved soul is part of God's family--
Old and young, black, white, rich, poor--
All have places to fill in His service,
All will enter in Christ's own door.
You are only part of God's picture,
Though vital--so hear His call,
And despise not a one of your brothers,
Nor yourself: Christ has place for all.
Almost invariably, one of the odd pieces turns out to fit after all, which is always a relief. Uglier far than a half-finished puzzle is a "finished" one that has lost one or two of its pieces. There's something about that tiny hole that draws the eye, that shouts, "Something vital is missing.... Something vital is missing!"
If missing pieces are rare, at least in new puzzles, almost unheard of (except with a few novelty manufacturers whose customers like things really challenging) is a puzzle with extra pieces. I have, of course, on occasion found myself staring at a piece that, by itself, doesn't seem to remotely match any section of the picture on the box; but I have never finished a puzzle and found I had pieces left over. Ninety-nine out of a hundred jigsaw puzzles come out of their boxes with exactly the right number of pieces: not too few, not too many.
If we can trust human, fallible manufacturers to give us the right number of pieces for perishable toys, isn't it foolish when we treat human beings--the creations of an infallible God Who uses everything to accomplish His ultimate purpose (cf. Rom. 8:28)--as though they were superficial or dispensable?
Every piece is part of the puzzle,
Though mere blotches when seen alone:
When the picture is put together,
Any gap is a cause to groan.
Every thread is part of the garment:
Any missing strand leaves a hole
That exposes a fatal weakness
And can soon the whole thing unroll.
Every brick is part of the building:
Every part gives strength to all;
Every rivet helps hold up the structure
And ensure that it will not fall.
Every act is part of a lifetime
Made of small works false or true,
And the God Who gives us all our talents
Will judge all by the good they do.
Each saved soul is part of God's family--
Old and young, black, white, rich, poor--
All have places to fill in His service,
All will enter in Christ's own door.
You are only part of God's picture,
Though vital--so hear His call,
And despise not a one of your brothers,
Nor yourself: Christ has place for all.
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