With Christmas just a month away, one retailer is trying to get customers to shop ‘til their wallets drop is with this advertisement: “All I want for Christmas is everything!” Sorry, I don’t make this stuff up; trained professionals are responsible for that greedy mentality.
In case you’re wondering why this bit of tripe is noteworthy, I direct you to the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus. Jesus was not born to give us everything we want or so that we can give him gifts; He was born to save us from ourselves, that’s it. Yes, Jesus received gifts after his birth, but that was a sidebar story.
I don’t know how we humans managed to turn Christmas into the biggest and most important retail season of the year. I do know that the idea of wanting (and quite probably feeling entitled to) everything is as far from what God intended as could be imaginable. Jesus came to forgive us for our sins and help us get out of our sinful lifestyle.
Greed is a huge sin as. Guilt is pretty big too. Retailers play on our guilt so we will buy more stuff and on our greed by implying we deserve everything. Well, I want everything too, but not the everything that’s in stores; I want everything that Jesus offers: love, peace, mercy, hope, forgiveness. I want it so that I can share it with you and the rest of the world, and I want it for you so that you can share it with me and the rest of the world. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a greater gift, whatever the season might be.
November 18th In-between
Remembrance Day?
Done. Halloween? A memory. The American thanksgiving weekend? over, the
Canadian equivalent? Long since forgotten. It’s not quite Christmas, and
while Hanukkah is close, it’s a few weeks from it’s official start. We
are now in limbo, a state in between states, a moment vaguely defined as
‘Autumn.’
We make a big deal out of special occasions. We cut out decorations, send cards, order cakes and perhaps wear silly hats. Big, national or cultural events merit days off, parades and perhaps media coverage. Smaller occasions get proportionately smaller celebrations. Meanwhile, the in-between days, those boring times when nothing seems to be happening simply pass by, we either remember events just passed or look forward to the next reason to party-hearty.
David, God’s great psalm writer, saw seemingly boring days differently. Rather than let them pass by, he he knew every new day was a cause for wonder. “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy” he wrote. Not just with the new day, but even when the day draws to a close, David knows there is something to celebrate. All creation marvels at the amazing things God has done.
What about us? Does is take a special holiday to recognize God’s wondera or can we see them in every living moment? Is it too hard to take a moment morning and evening (and maybe even in the afternoon!) to celebrate the world in which we live? I hope not. I hope that every dawn, every evening, maybe even every second gives us pause to acknowledge and praise God’s many wonders.
We make a big deal out of special occasions. We cut out decorations, send cards, order cakes and perhaps wear silly hats. Big, national or cultural events merit days off, parades and perhaps media coverage. Smaller occasions get proportionately smaller celebrations. Meanwhile, the in-between days, those boring times when nothing seems to be happening simply pass by, we either remember events just passed or look forward to the next reason to party-hearty.
David, God’s great psalm writer, saw seemingly boring days differently. Rather than let them pass by, he he knew every new day was a cause for wonder. “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy” he wrote. Not just with the new day, but even when the day draws to a close, David knows there is something to celebrate. All creation marvels at the amazing things God has done.
What about us? Does is take a special holiday to recognize God’s wondera or can we see them in every living moment? Is it too hard to take a moment morning and evening (and maybe even in the afternoon!) to celebrate the world in which we live? I hope not. I hope that every dawn, every evening, maybe even every second gives us pause to acknowledge and praise God’s many wonders.
November 11th Happy Lessons
A motivational sign in our local hospital posted a message that said, in effect, sometimes pain teaches us very important lessons. I like that sentiment, not because I’m a big fan of pain, but because of the inclusion of the word ‘sometimes.’ All too often I encounter an attitude within the church that pain is good; that we are meant to suffer and that after our temporary earthly suffering is done, we will receive a heavenly and permanent reward.
As a person of faith I am a big believer in hope and joy right now. Yes, sometimes we learn important lessons through pain, but many times we learn equally important lessons through joy.
A couple of years ago I learned something about the ‘Pay it Forward’ concept at a Tim Hortons drive-through. When it was my turn at the window I was told that the person in the car ahead of me paid for my coffee. That was a wonderful surprise, and I immediately paid for the coffee of the person behind me.
That had never happened to me before. I had never gone to a drive-through place and had my beverage paid for in advance. My lesson was happy and straightforward: do nice things for folks in drive-throughs; I’ve since expanded my learning to walk-in places as well. Sometimes learning happens through joy.
I’m a big fan of joy, whether it’s being on the receiving end or finding a way to share it. Joy is even more fun when it teaches you how to be even more joyful. It’s my prayer that this is a happy lesson for you!
As a person of faith I am a big believer in hope and joy right now. Yes, sometimes we learn important lessons through pain, but many times we learn equally important lessons through joy.
A couple of years ago I learned something about the ‘Pay it Forward’ concept at a Tim Hortons drive-through. When it was my turn at the window I was told that the person in the car ahead of me paid for my coffee. That was a wonderful surprise, and I immediately paid for the coffee of the person behind me.
That had never happened to me before. I had never gone to a drive-through place and had my beverage paid for in advance. My lesson was happy and straightforward: do nice things for folks in drive-throughs; I’ve since expanded my learning to walk-in places as well. Sometimes learning happens through joy.
I’m a big fan of joy, whether it’s being on the receiving end or finding a way to share it. Joy is even more fun when it teaches you how to be even more joyful. It’s my prayer that this is a happy lesson for you!
November 4th Oxymorons
We all know about Oxymorons, those funny word combinations that don’t really make sense when you think about them: Jumbo Shrimp; accurate estimate; criminal cop; definite maybe; original copies. We laugh at them yet we’re happy to use them in our everyday language. We’re adaptable that way, and so too, is the English language.
As technology changes, it seems that the land of the Oxymoron will be forever expanding. This evening my daughter wanted to take a snapshot of our dog and cat being cute together. What did she say, without an ounce of irony? I wish I had my phone so I could take a picture. I withheld my laughter, since an outright guffaw might have been impolite, but I was hard pressed to contain myself. A camera phone. A new Oxymoron? I think so.
Heaven only knows what new wonders science will devise or what strange and wonderful combinations of devices will be assembled. Cars that make breakfast? Toasters that mow the lawn? Driveways that cars can drive on rather than park on and parkways that you can drive on? The oxymoronic possibilities are endless, and quite likely will provide an endless number of smiles, giggles and guffaws if we think about them too much.
As with so many other aspects of God’s creation, God is the master of the Oxymoron. The Word made Flesh. Peace that passes understanding. Dying so that we might live. It doesn’t make sense that God should take human form yet that’s what happened in Jesus. Peace should be a source of comfort and reassurance, yet God’s peace is so intense that it’s almost disturbing: it can’t be understood; it just is. Fine Oxymorons, both of them. Yet they are not the last word in that linguistic art.
Jesus died so that we might live. He paid the price for our sins that we could not pay. It doesn’t make sense that He should have done that for us. Why would He give His life to atone for the very humanity that sent Him to His death on the cross. There is no explanation; there is no logic. It is simply the truth of a love so great that the greatest Human to ever live would be willing to die for all humanity.
Then there is, of course, the other side of the Cross, not quite an oxymoron, but a rather odd combination of words nevertheless: Jesus rose from the dead. He was dead then he came back to life. Jesus didn’t simply go to sleep or into a coma. He didn’t use His godliness to cheat death or fool us. Jesus, God’s living Word, died. Then, after three days, He overcame death and in that one act, defeated sin.
Sin has no power over us, if we believe in Jesus. That’s how great His love was: He died so that we might live, and rose from the dead so that we might live forever. Doesn’t make sense does it? Maybe not, but love, especially God’s love doesn’t have to make sense. God loves us and that’s it. God is, indeed, love, and unlike the oxymorons we love to mock, there is no greater or more fitting combination of words in any language.
As technology changes, it seems that the land of the Oxymoron will be forever expanding. This evening my daughter wanted to take a snapshot of our dog and cat being cute together. What did she say, without an ounce of irony? I wish I had my phone so I could take a picture. I withheld my laughter, since an outright guffaw might have been impolite, but I was hard pressed to contain myself. A camera phone. A new Oxymoron? I think so.
Heaven only knows what new wonders science will devise or what strange and wonderful combinations of devices will be assembled. Cars that make breakfast? Toasters that mow the lawn? Driveways that cars can drive on rather than park on and parkways that you can drive on? The oxymoronic possibilities are endless, and quite likely will provide an endless number of smiles, giggles and guffaws if we think about them too much.
As with so many other aspects of God’s creation, God is the master of the Oxymoron. The Word made Flesh. Peace that passes understanding. Dying so that we might live. It doesn’t make sense that God should take human form yet that’s what happened in Jesus. Peace should be a source of comfort and reassurance, yet God’s peace is so intense that it’s almost disturbing: it can’t be understood; it just is. Fine Oxymorons, both of them. Yet they are not the last word in that linguistic art.
Jesus died so that we might live. He paid the price for our sins that we could not pay. It doesn’t make sense that He should have done that for us. Why would He give His life to atone for the very humanity that sent Him to His death on the cross. There is no explanation; there is no logic. It is simply the truth of a love so great that the greatest Human to ever live would be willing to die for all humanity.
Then there is, of course, the other side of the Cross, not quite an oxymoron, but a rather odd combination of words nevertheless: Jesus rose from the dead. He was dead then he came back to life. Jesus didn’t simply go to sleep or into a coma. He didn’t use His godliness to cheat death or fool us. Jesus, God’s living Word, died. Then, after three days, He overcame death and in that one act, defeated sin.
Sin has no power over us, if we believe in Jesus. That’s how great His love was: He died so that we might live, and rose from the dead so that we might live forever. Doesn’t make sense does it? Maybe not, but love, especially God’s love doesn’t have to make sense. God loves us and that’s it. God is, indeed, love, and unlike the oxymorons we love to mock, there is no greater or more fitting combination of words in any language.
October 28th Oddballs
I love shopping at Value Village. Value Village is a national thrift shop, or what would once have been called a second hand store. Buying gently used items is a great way to keep things out of land fills and to enjoy products that may well last longer than their user. One of the things that strikes me about the available stock is the number of oddball items that you can find.
Oddball items are those things that make you wonder what people were thinking when they either designed them or had them in their homes. They are those weirdly tacky knick-knacks, strangely coloured or styled clothes and bits of hardware or machinery that defy both physics and logical explanation. Of course, you don’t need to go to thrift store to find things like that. As an avid electronic hobbyist I can remember many products that hit the market with a great big thud because they were either too strange or too useless. Or as a child, there were those games and toys that were so bizarre you had to wonder if someone was having a really bad day when they thought of them.
Just as there are oddball objects that give one reason to check their eyes, there are folks who just don’t seem to fit in with the rest of us supposedly normal people. They’re the people that make us feel uncomfortable; the ones that test our patience; the individuals that push our buttons; the outcast that makes us smile even though others might frown at us for doing so. Oddballs are the ones on the edge of acceptability or the fringes of society. One way or another, oddballs just don’t seem to offer what we would define as normal, expected or acceptable behaviour.
God’s expectation of us is not to reject or shun the Oddball. For one thing, I’m sure God thinks we are all pretty weird given how hard we make life for ourselves, so it doesn’t make sense for us to point fingers. The other issue is that whether we’re strange, normal or somewhere in between, we are called to love our neighbour, no matter who or what they may be. We are not called to judge one another. Jesus does not state that we should judge God and our neighbour as ourselves. We are not taught that we are pass judgment unto others as we would have judgment passed onto us. No matter what a person might be like we are to care for them and treat them the best way we know how.
Someone once wrote: “Noah was a Drunk; Elijah was Suicidal; Peter was a Coward; Jacob was a Deceiver; Rahab was a Prostitute; Samson was a Womanizer; Moses had a Self-esteem problem; David was an Adulterer/Murderer; The Samaritan Woman was Divorced--a lot.” God not only loved these people, he used them to great effect even though they’re pretty odd.
So, let’s face the truth of the Oddball: chances are there is at least one person that thinks I’m rather strange. It’s most likely that you are an Oddball in the eyes of someone else. So, fine, none of us is perfect; yet we are all perfectly able to love one another. That’s all God asks of us and that’s more than enough to make a positively wonderful difference in the world.
Oddball items are those things that make you wonder what people were thinking when they either designed them or had them in their homes. They are those weirdly tacky knick-knacks, strangely coloured or styled clothes and bits of hardware or machinery that defy both physics and logical explanation. Of course, you don’t need to go to thrift store to find things like that. As an avid electronic hobbyist I can remember many products that hit the market with a great big thud because they were either too strange or too useless. Or as a child, there were those games and toys that were so bizarre you had to wonder if someone was having a really bad day when they thought of them.
Just as there are oddball objects that give one reason to check their eyes, there are folks who just don’t seem to fit in with the rest of us supposedly normal people. They’re the people that make us feel uncomfortable; the ones that test our patience; the individuals that push our buttons; the outcast that makes us smile even though others might frown at us for doing so. Oddballs are the ones on the edge of acceptability or the fringes of society. One way or another, oddballs just don’t seem to offer what we would define as normal, expected or acceptable behaviour.
God’s expectation of us is not to reject or shun the Oddball. For one thing, I’m sure God thinks we are all pretty weird given how hard we make life for ourselves, so it doesn’t make sense for us to point fingers. The other issue is that whether we’re strange, normal or somewhere in between, we are called to love our neighbour, no matter who or what they may be. We are not called to judge one another. Jesus does not state that we should judge God and our neighbour as ourselves. We are not taught that we are pass judgment unto others as we would have judgment passed onto us. No matter what a person might be like we are to care for them and treat them the best way we know how.
Someone once wrote: “Noah was a Drunk; Elijah was Suicidal; Peter was a Coward; Jacob was a Deceiver; Rahab was a Prostitute; Samson was a Womanizer; Moses had a Self-esteem problem; David was an Adulterer/Murderer; The Samaritan Woman was Divorced--a lot.” God not only loved these people, he used them to great effect even though they’re pretty odd.
So, let’s face the truth of the Oddball: chances are there is at least one person that thinks I’m rather strange. It’s most likely that you are an Oddball in the eyes of someone else. So, fine, none of us is perfect; yet we are all perfectly able to love one another. That’s all God asks of us and that’s more than enough to make a positively wonderful difference in the world.
October 21st Easy Work
As I write these thoughts my brain is working, but not very much. It is simply ordering my thoughts and making sure that I record them correctly. While doing so it is also expending a bit of energy being creative and trying to say things in an interesting way, but it is not stressing and straining and at risk of over-heating. For me, offering you these thoughts is a fun, simple process that is challenging but not extremely difficult.
The major reason for the ease of this task, and for the light load it places upon my grey matter, is that I am telling you the truth. I try to do so in a way that is amusing and interesting, which is the hardest part of this weekly exercise, but because I am neither inventing truth or stretching it, I never build up a sweat during, or fall down exhausted after, the writing process.
If I were to make up truths, or more bluntly, to lie to you, it would take a lot more work. Science has proven that lying actually taxes the brain far more that does telling the truth. You see, when we lie we have to create a new reality. We have to make up a plausible story that fits in with the situation even though it might twist that situation around.
Creating or inventing stories is very hard work. Lying is the process of creating stories on the fly, or covering up reality. It is distorting the truth, twisting it so that it sounds like something else or suggests a reality different from what is actually happening. The brain expends a lot of energy doing that. Lying causes more of the brain to turn on in order to process everything. Then, of course, there is the extra effort it must take in order to soothe the feelings of guilt and shame that arise when we lie. It has to build defences against itself in order not to collapse under the assault of what it knows to be the real truth. Lying, in short, is hard work.
There are times stretching the truth might seem advantageous. We may feel we are sparing people’s feelings or putting ourselves in a better light. It might even spare us from having to own up to a mistake or to face the hard consequences of having deliberately done something wrong. In the long run, however, a lie isn’t just more work at the moment of its creation, it’s a lot more work covering it up and suffering under the guilt and shame that result.
Lying isn’t just hard work, however. It’s plain wrong, too. God started out with only Ten Commandments. Those Ten Commandments are all we need in order to live a life that pleases God and other human beings. The fact that lying (or bearing false witness, as some Bibles state it) is one of those Commandments testifies to how bad lying is in God’s opinion. So, not only is lying hard work, it’s just plain wrong.
It’s taken me about a half hour to write these thoughts. Most of that time seems to have been spent hitting the backspace key in order to correct my typing mistakes. It has been a pleasant, easy thirty minutes. In fact, I hardly feel like I’ve done any work at all! It’s fun to share with you and since I’m telling you only the absolute truth, it’s very, very easy.
The major reason for the ease of this task, and for the light load it places upon my grey matter, is that I am telling you the truth. I try to do so in a way that is amusing and interesting, which is the hardest part of this weekly exercise, but because I am neither inventing truth or stretching it, I never build up a sweat during, or fall down exhausted after, the writing process.
If I were to make up truths, or more bluntly, to lie to you, it would take a lot more work. Science has proven that lying actually taxes the brain far more that does telling the truth. You see, when we lie we have to create a new reality. We have to make up a plausible story that fits in with the situation even though it might twist that situation around.
Creating or inventing stories is very hard work. Lying is the process of creating stories on the fly, or covering up reality. It is distorting the truth, twisting it so that it sounds like something else or suggests a reality different from what is actually happening. The brain expends a lot of energy doing that. Lying causes more of the brain to turn on in order to process everything. Then, of course, there is the extra effort it must take in order to soothe the feelings of guilt and shame that arise when we lie. It has to build defences against itself in order not to collapse under the assault of what it knows to be the real truth. Lying, in short, is hard work.
There are times stretching the truth might seem advantageous. We may feel we are sparing people’s feelings or putting ourselves in a better light. It might even spare us from having to own up to a mistake or to face the hard consequences of having deliberately done something wrong. In the long run, however, a lie isn’t just more work at the moment of its creation, it’s a lot more work covering it up and suffering under the guilt and shame that result.
Lying isn’t just hard work, however. It’s plain wrong, too. God started out with only Ten Commandments. Those Ten Commandments are all we need in order to live a life that pleases God and other human beings. The fact that lying (or bearing false witness, as some Bibles state it) is one of those Commandments testifies to how bad lying is in God’s opinion. So, not only is lying hard work, it’s just plain wrong.
It’s taken me about a half hour to write these thoughts. Most of that time seems to have been spent hitting the backspace key in order to correct my typing mistakes. It has been a pleasant, easy thirty minutes. In fact, I hardly feel like I’ve done any work at all! It’s fun to share with you and since I’m telling you only the absolute truth, it’s very, very easy.
October 14th Little Openings
Our family dog, Mentor, is a fair sized animal; she reaches a bit over my knees when she’s walking beside me. Yet, Houdini like, she can disappear with the greatest of ease. Despite her size, she can squeeze through the tiniest hole in the fence and escape from our yard. You wouldn’t believe how small the opening can be. We once swore she was jumping over the fence rather than going through it, It wasn’t until we found tell-tale tufts of her hair caught in the edges of a small opening that we realized that she was going through, and not over, the fence.
We are now very diligent about ensuring she can’t escape. My weekly work of cutting the lawn includes a very close inspection of the borders of our property. I keep a careful eye out to see whether or not she has tried to forcer her way through the fence, and any possible escape routes are immediately closed up. There is, after all, no point in making things easy for her, especially when she can squeeze through the tiniest of openings.
Just as our dog can easily sneak through a wee little hole, we humans can get into trouble with the tiniest opportunity. Temptation doesn’t have to big big, bold and surrounded by shiny lights; it can appear in the most innocent and innocuous way yet still get us into big, bold trouble. An unkind word here, a few grapes eaten before getting to the cash register there, and before you know it, we’ve managed to get out of the ‘Nice’ column and find our names moved over to the ‘Naughty’ side of the paper.
God has this all figured out. God knows that it doesn’t take much for us to get into trouble and that we’ll jump at the smallest opportunity to go astray. So God gave us the smallest possible list of things to do in order to keep from wandering off onto the naughty column. If it’s so easy for us to get into trouble, it would appear that God took pity on us and made it equally easy for us to stay out of trouble with a little list known as the 10 Commandments.
The 10 Commandments are an easy, logical path to staying in God’s good book. For the most part they involve treating God and our fellow humans with respect. Honour God and your parents; don’t steal; don’t kill; don’t let yourself be tempted by what’s not yours. When you think about it, It’s a pretty simple recipe for success.
Still, as simple as it is, folks still get it wrong, so God simplified things even further. Through Jesus, God taught us that all we have to do in order to be good people is to love one another and to treat one another as we would like to be treated. In one simple law, God shrank the 10 Commandments down to just one.
It’s pretty easy to get into trouble. The tiniest opportunity can lead us far, far away from doing what is right. God loves us so much, He makes it pretty easy to stay away from bad behaviour. Just treat God and your fellow folks the way you would like to be treated. It’s that simple.
We are now very diligent about ensuring she can’t escape. My weekly work of cutting the lawn includes a very close inspection of the borders of our property. I keep a careful eye out to see whether or not she has tried to forcer her way through the fence, and any possible escape routes are immediately closed up. There is, after all, no point in making things easy for her, especially when she can squeeze through the tiniest of openings.
Just as our dog can easily sneak through a wee little hole, we humans can get into trouble with the tiniest opportunity. Temptation doesn’t have to big big, bold and surrounded by shiny lights; it can appear in the most innocent and innocuous way yet still get us into big, bold trouble. An unkind word here, a few grapes eaten before getting to the cash register there, and before you know it, we’ve managed to get out of the ‘Nice’ column and find our names moved over to the ‘Naughty’ side of the paper.
God has this all figured out. God knows that it doesn’t take much for us to get into trouble and that we’ll jump at the smallest opportunity to go astray. So God gave us the smallest possible list of things to do in order to keep from wandering off onto the naughty column. If it’s so easy for us to get into trouble, it would appear that God took pity on us and made it equally easy for us to stay out of trouble with a little list known as the 10 Commandments.
The 10 Commandments are an easy, logical path to staying in God’s good book. For the most part they involve treating God and our fellow humans with respect. Honour God and your parents; don’t steal; don’t kill; don’t let yourself be tempted by what’s not yours. When you think about it, It’s a pretty simple recipe for success.
Still, as simple as it is, folks still get it wrong, so God simplified things even further. Through Jesus, God taught us that all we have to do in order to be good people is to love one another and to treat one another as we would like to be treated. In one simple law, God shrank the 10 Commandments down to just one.
It’s pretty easy to get into trouble. The tiniest opportunity can lead us far, far away from doing what is right. God loves us so much, He makes it pretty easy to stay away from bad behaviour. Just treat God and your fellow folks the way you would like to be treated. It’s that simple.
October 7th Empty Promise
We’ll get together soon. The cheque is in the mail. I’ll never forget you. We all know a thing or two about empty promises. Perhaps you have made the odd one yourself. It’s just part of our nature as human beings. Words cost little. We expend them with the breath of air and form them with a few tiny muscles. Actions, on the other hand, take a lot more effort. I’m not sure that’s a reasonable excuse for our unfulfilled promises, but it’s a big factor.
I could well leave the discussion there; not much more needs to be said about Empty Promises, except for one thing: there is another side to them.
Empty promises are not just the ones we make and never fulfil. Empty promises are the ones made to us but never acted upon. A certain Work Wearhouse that serves as my fashion supplier offers gift cards when you buy something. The gift card can be used when you next go in to buy something. It’s a great thing for everyone. The Work Wearhouse is guaranteed a returning customer and I’m guaranteed an instant bargain.
Unfortunately, it is nothing but an empty promise, because I don’t think I’ve ever used one of those cards. Since I don’t buy clothes that often, the offer has usually expired by the time my closet needs an update. The store would be more than prepared to honour their offer; I just never get around to it, making the gift card nothing more than an empty promise.
Jesus is an offer that is beyond compare. Through Him God promises us new and better lives. No cash is involved. It is a simple commitment made between our hearts and God’s. Unfortunately, it is as empty a promise as it can be. Jesus stands ready to make good on His part of the deal. His heart is open to receive anyone. Yet few people take Him up on His blessed offer. His promise, therefore, is empty. Without action on the part of the would-be recipient, Jesus can promise all He wants, but nothing will come of it.
I’m knocking at your door, He tells us. When the chips are down and help comes from an expected source, He’s making Himself heard; when there’s pain and suffering and a loving touch eases it a bit, He’s reaching out. When we’re overwhelmed with something beautiful or amazing, He’s shouting out God’s praise.
He knocks through blessings, comfort and wonders and when He knocks He restates His promise: “I love you; let me be a part of your life and you’ll never be the same; in fact, you’ll never be better!” Yet when the blessing passes and it’s giver is abandoned, or the pain returns and the source of comfort forgotten, or when the wonder gives way to boredom, the door is slammed in His face and His promise unfulfilled.
Jesus is persistent, however, and His promise has no expiry date. It’s up to us to make good on His offer. It’s up to us to receive His promised love, up to us to answer the subtle call, up to us to commit to Him as passionately as He has already committed to us. Trust me; this is no empty promise.
I could well leave the discussion there; not much more needs to be said about Empty Promises, except for one thing: there is another side to them.
Empty promises are not just the ones we make and never fulfil. Empty promises are the ones made to us but never acted upon. A certain Work Wearhouse that serves as my fashion supplier offers gift cards when you buy something. The gift card can be used when you next go in to buy something. It’s a great thing for everyone. The Work Wearhouse is guaranteed a returning customer and I’m guaranteed an instant bargain.
Unfortunately, it is nothing but an empty promise, because I don’t think I’ve ever used one of those cards. Since I don’t buy clothes that often, the offer has usually expired by the time my closet needs an update. The store would be more than prepared to honour their offer; I just never get around to it, making the gift card nothing more than an empty promise.
Jesus is an offer that is beyond compare. Through Him God promises us new and better lives. No cash is involved. It is a simple commitment made between our hearts and God’s. Unfortunately, it is as empty a promise as it can be. Jesus stands ready to make good on His part of the deal. His heart is open to receive anyone. Yet few people take Him up on His blessed offer. His promise, therefore, is empty. Without action on the part of the would-be recipient, Jesus can promise all He wants, but nothing will come of it.
I’m knocking at your door, He tells us. When the chips are down and help comes from an expected source, He’s making Himself heard; when there’s pain and suffering and a loving touch eases it a bit, He’s reaching out. When we’re overwhelmed with something beautiful or amazing, He’s shouting out God’s praise.
He knocks through blessings, comfort and wonders and when He knocks He restates His promise: “I love you; let me be a part of your life and you’ll never be the same; in fact, you’ll never be better!” Yet when the blessing passes and it’s giver is abandoned, or the pain returns and the source of comfort forgotten, or when the wonder gives way to boredom, the door is slammed in His face and His promise unfulfilled.
Jesus is persistent, however, and His promise has no expiry date. It’s up to us to make good on His offer. It’s up to us to receive His promised love, up to us to answer the subtle call, up to us to commit to Him as passionately as He has already committed to us. Trust me; this is no empty promise.
September 30th Self-Centering
The modern automobile is a technological wonder. There are an amazing number of systems, machines and devices that work together to get you to your destination quickly, safely and comfortably. Many of those devices are very complicated and almost beyond human comprehension. They are the result of years of study, research, development and modern technology.
Other systems are equally amazing but relatively simple and quite old. A car’s steering mechanism is a perfect example of that ‘old but great.’ Not only does the mechanism allow a driver to choose and change the direction of their vehicle, it also helps the driver keep on the straight and narrow. This is called self-centering steering, and while it sounds complicated, it is not. It is simply a very careful alignment of the front tires.
Self-centering steering is both that simple and that complicated; the tires are mounted in such a way that they actually prefer going in a straight line. Thus, when you turn them to the right or left, even just a tiny bit, it is in their nature and design to try and get back on center. It’s all a matter of angle and geometry. I could explain it in more detail, but it’s not worth it. The system is simpler to devise than it is to explain. That’s how clever it really is.
Human beings are pretty amazing devices; far more complicated than cars, we are probably God’s highest design achievement. A brilliant combination of things physical and Spiritual, there is nothing in all of creation that matches the wonder of the human body.
As beings that are designed by and for our Creator, you would think that we have our own self-centering system that points us back to God. After all, having been created for His holy pleasure, one could easily imagine a built in directional system that keeps us on track all that time.
Such a system would make it very easy for us to keep on track. But such a system would also deny one very important aspect of the way God made us. God made us free beings. God gave us the power to stay by Him or to veer away as we choose. The reason for this apparent design flaw is so that we turn to God because we want to, not because we are forced to. God wants us to love Him because of who He is, not just because we belong to Him.
A self-centering system that always keeps us in line with our Creator isn’t needed. Our own Spiritual nature draws us beyond ourselves and redirects us towards our true center. So, while we don’t automatically and infallibly turn to God, we know in the very core of our beings that we need God to be fully complete. It is that innate desire that causes us to seek out the truth and return to it when we find it.
Rather than simply forcing us to turn to Him, God directs us in other ways. He uses Christ-like people to love us and guide us. His written word teaches us about Him. Creation itself points us towards Him through its wonder and majesty. Finally, our own hearts are drawn to Him. Through palpable signs and sensations we are subtly yet firmly directed to God. All we have to do is let our hearts steer us and we will find our way back to God.
Other systems are equally amazing but relatively simple and quite old. A car’s steering mechanism is a perfect example of that ‘old but great.’ Not only does the mechanism allow a driver to choose and change the direction of their vehicle, it also helps the driver keep on the straight and narrow. This is called self-centering steering, and while it sounds complicated, it is not. It is simply a very careful alignment of the front tires.
Self-centering steering is both that simple and that complicated; the tires are mounted in such a way that they actually prefer going in a straight line. Thus, when you turn them to the right or left, even just a tiny bit, it is in their nature and design to try and get back on center. It’s all a matter of angle and geometry. I could explain it in more detail, but it’s not worth it. The system is simpler to devise than it is to explain. That’s how clever it really is.
Human beings are pretty amazing devices; far more complicated than cars, we are probably God’s highest design achievement. A brilliant combination of things physical and Spiritual, there is nothing in all of creation that matches the wonder of the human body.
As beings that are designed by and for our Creator, you would think that we have our own self-centering system that points us back to God. After all, having been created for His holy pleasure, one could easily imagine a built in directional system that keeps us on track all that time.
Such a system would make it very easy for us to keep on track. But such a system would also deny one very important aspect of the way God made us. God made us free beings. God gave us the power to stay by Him or to veer away as we choose. The reason for this apparent design flaw is so that we turn to God because we want to, not because we are forced to. God wants us to love Him because of who He is, not just because we belong to Him.
A self-centering system that always keeps us in line with our Creator isn’t needed. Our own Spiritual nature draws us beyond ourselves and redirects us towards our true center. So, while we don’t automatically and infallibly turn to God, we know in the very core of our beings that we need God to be fully complete. It is that innate desire that causes us to seek out the truth and return to it when we find it.
Rather than simply forcing us to turn to Him, God directs us in other ways. He uses Christ-like people to love us and guide us. His written word teaches us about Him. Creation itself points us towards Him through its wonder and majesty. Finally, our own hearts are drawn to Him. Through palpable signs and sensations we are subtly yet firmly directed to God. All we have to do is let our hearts steer us and we will find our way back to God.
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