Category: Image of God

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

The expression, “Can’t we all just get along?” was first spoken by Rodney King, a black motorist who was dragged from his car in 1992 by Los Angeles police officers, and beaten by the officers severely. When those officers were acquitted of charges in their trial, South Central LA erupted in riots, resulting in numerous deaths and massive property damage. Apparently, the answer to Rodney’s question was, “No.”

Still, it was a good question, and has been quoted many times since then. even becoming a humorous internet and movie meme.

This week, the intent of the question, if not the actual words, has come to the fore, following the presidential election results. The campaign had been brutal, with all kinds of charges and insults flying both ways. The heat became so intense that a gunman even fired on Donald Trump, wounding him in the ear. Because of the intense division in the country, many people have anticipated actual violence erupting, whatever the election results might be.

In an attempt to reduce the “temperature” of the electoral passions,  leaders of both parties have called for “getting along” now that the election is over. President Biden promised a peaceful transition of power. President-elect Trump promised to help our country heal, and to be a President for all the people. In their pronouncements, they have followed in the footsteps of a previous president, Abraham Lincoln, who during a failed Senate campaign in 1858, spoke about the growing division between North and South, saying,”A house divided between itself cannot stand.”

Of course, Lincoln didn’t invent that phrase. He was quoting Jesus’ words from Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, and Luke 11:17. The context was a question about how Jesus was casting out demons: was it by the power of Satan? Jesus said if Satan was casting out demons, then Satan’s kingdom was divided and would fall. Lincoln took that teaching of Jesus and expanded it to be true of our country that was half-slave and half-free. He said the issue had to be resolved or the house, the United States, would fall.

I think Jesus’ words, though spoken in the context of spiritual warfare, do have more universal applications. A marriage won’t last if husband and wife are divided in essentials. An army will be defeated if it wars against itself instead of united against the enemy. A company will fail if employees don’t work together or sabotage the owner.

As I thought about this question of division versus unity in our country, I wondered what other things the Bible says about us “getting along.” I found that Scripture actually teaches both – unity and division – depending on what we are talking about.

When are we to get along?

    1. First, we recognize that all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and are due respect for that reason.
    2. The commandments require us to love our neighbor in several ways: not to steal from them, not to mistreat them sexually, not to lie about them or defame them, not to covet their possessions nor their relationships with others. In fact, Jesus summed up all God’s law into two commands: to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
    3. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Restoring peace through reconciliation is good.
    4. Jesus said, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Loving those who we agree with is easy; loving our opponents is hard.
    5. Jesus taught us what we call the Golden Rule: “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. (Luke 6:31). I don’t think any of us wants to be mistreated, so we should treat others well.
    6. As we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask our Father in heaven to forgive us, as we forgive those who sin against us. Then right after teaching us that prayer, Jesus goes on to say: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15). We may not want to forgive others who hurt us, but Jesus himself requires it of us.
    7.  In Matthew 5:22-24, Jesus gives further commands to us to seek reconciliation with others: “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”.
    8. Paul said,”Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32), and, similarly, “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive” (Colossians 3:13).
    9. Finally, remember that like our enemies, we are sinners too, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Ultimately, God’s will is that all who are in the Church, be one in Christ and be known as his disciples by the love we show each other (John 13:35 and 1 John 3:1). This was one of Christ’s final prayers at the Last Supper, when he asked the Father that we may be one, even as he and the Father are one (John 17:21). So in summary, God desires for all people to be united in love, respect, and service to each other (even our political adversaries), especially in the Church with our fellow believers.

So, if unity is so desirable, are there occasions when scripture commands us to be separate from others?

When we are to be divided?

  1. When the other person teaches heresy or blasphemy against God. We should separate ourselves from them and not affirm their opinion just to maintain a relationship. Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;”
  2. When the other person is sinning, we are not to participate or excuse it. Ephesians 5:11 teaches us, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.“
  3. Separation from ungodly people and their works is commanded by 2 Corinthians 6:15, which asks, “What agreement does God have with Belial?” (Belial is another name for the devil.)
  4. We are not to compromise our faith, even if causes discord with other people, even those we are closest to. Jesus said  “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Matthew 10:35). Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) said he came not bring peace, but a sword, meaning division between his followers and the world.
  5. 2 John 1:10 warns against tolerating or allowing false teachers to teach their falsehoods: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.” The term “house” may mean either, or both, your home or the church.
  6. James 4:4 warns, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
  7. Finally, we are warned not to be conform to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, in order to do the will of God (Romans 12:2). This will put us out of step with what the world approves and does.

Therefore, the answer to the question, “Can’t we all just get along?” depends on how we respond to God’s commands to love both him and our neighbor. The command to love our neighbor requires us to show love to all people, whether we agree with them,dislike them, or consider them to be our enemies, personal or political. At the same time, if unity with them means disobeying God and his commandments, then separation is required. In fact, the act of separation alone may be a testimony to our faith and cause the other person to reconsider their beliefs and actions. And if our witness, whether spoken or acted, causes them to come to Christ, then we have shown them the greatest act of love.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 5:20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; James 5:20.

 

The Debates Go On: #4, the Final Chapter!

As we move through the history of the Christian Church, we now come to the present day. Fortunately, since all the controversies over the doctrines of the Church have been resolved over the preceding centuries, we no longer have any debates to consider. No, wait. . . there may be one or two debates still unresolved, just a few issues that are new to modern times that divide Christians today. In this, the last of my series about debates in the Church, I will present just a few current issues. Because any one of these could take entire books to discuss fully, they will just be summarized here.

  1. The Return of Christ. Beginning in the early 1800s, people began to try to calculate when Christ will return. Using biblical prophecies about Christ’s return, a popular preacher named William Miller predicted 1844 as the time of the return. There was widespread anticipation of that date, but when it came and went with no return, it was called the Great Disappointment. Some sects interpreted Miller’s theory in news ways, leading to groups like the Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since that time there have been many date-setters, but none have been right (“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” Matthew 24:36) The various views today agree on the biblical texts, but interpret them differently in the following ways:
    • Pre-millennials: After a period of Great Tribulation, Christ will return in the future, then rule on earth a 1000 years. After 1000 years Satan will be released to deceive the nations, leading to a final battle before Christ wins and issues in the eternal reign.
    • Post-millennials: The Gospel will spread, the Church will rule over the earth in peace for 1000 years, then when Christ returns, the Church will present the world to him as his kingdom.
    • Amillennials: The 1000 years refer to the Church Age, when Christ rules over his people. Christ will return at any time to end history and rule eternally. This is the general Lutheran view.
    • Preterists: Christ already returned in judgment in 70 AD, destroying Jerusalem (by way of the Romans) and ending Israel, which had rejected him. Jesus warned the Christians to flee when they saw the battle coming; they did, and survived the destruction. There may be a second coming when the unrealized prophecies will be fulfilled.
    • Pre-tribulation: Christians will be raptured out of the world, followed by seven years of the Great Tribulation, then return with him to rule during the Millennium. During the Millennium, the Jews will accept Christ in mass. This is the popular view espoused by the Left Behind books and movies, but was only introduced in the 1830s through purported visions.
    • Mid-tribulation: Christians will be raptured out of the world half-way during the Great Tribulation, sparing them from the worst of that period. Jews will convert, and Christians will return during the Millennium.
    • Post-tribulation: Christians will go through the Great Tribulation, then be raptured to be with Christ to rule during the Millennium.
    • Pan-millennials: A made-up term meaning, “I don’t care which view is right; it will all pan out in the end.” Trust God for his timing!
  2. Liberal vs Conservative. These terms refer to views of the Bible and doctrines, not to political terms (though in practice, there is much correspondence). Conservative theologians and pastors believe  the Bible is God’s word, inspired, infallible and inerrant, and therefore the only rule for faith and life. Liberal pastors teach that the Bible records what people wrote about God, but must be interpreted by modern understanding and science to find what truth it may contain. Thus, for example, a conservative pastor teaches that God restricts sexuality between one man and one woman in marriage. A liberal will interpret that because God is love, he accepts all kinds of sexuality as long as people “love” each other. This debate has caused splits in every major denomination over “gay” marriage and ordination. To a liberal, truth is relative and may be found in all religions.
  3. Charismatic Gifts. The historical understanding of the spiritual gifts (charismata) is that the sign gifts (tongues, prophecy, and healing) ended with the death of the apostles and their immediate disciples in the first century. On the other hand, gifts like hospitality, love, and faith have always been active in Christians. This view is called cessationism. But a different view called continuationism became popular around 1900 with the start of Pentecostalism, which taught a second baptism of the Holy Spirit. In that second baptism, gifts such as tongues, prophecy, and healing miracles were said to be bestowed on all Christians; implied by this teaching was that the lack of speaking in tongues meant a person was not really saved. Since the early days of Pentecostalism, there have been several waves of charismatic revivals. Today we are in the “Third Wave” which teaches miraculous signs and wonders to reach unbelievers with powerful acts. Some in this group claim to be like the original apostles, speaking words of God with the same authority and power. Churches opposed to this, claim the power of God is in his Word, which the Holy Spirit uses to convict the heart without flashy signs and wonders. A middle view is that while the Spirit may endow a person with a supernatural gift, the Spirit gives as he wills, and no gift is required as a sign of salvation. (Hebrews 2:4 – “gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” and 1 Corinthians 12:11 – “All these [gifts] are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”)
  4. Egalitarian vs Complementarian. One controversy which has ties to the liberal/conservative dispute is the question of the roles of women in the church. While everyone agrees that men and women are both created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”), that Jesus died to save both, and both are called to minister in various ways, the disagreement is whether women are called to be pastors in the Church.
    • Egalitarians point to Galatians 3:8 (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”) and to the example of women in the Bible who had some leadership role (Deborah, Priscilla, and Anna). They want the Church to be in line with modern feminism.
    • Complementarians teach that while both men and women have roles in the church, their natures and roles are complimentary, and not identical. Specifically, only men are allowed to be pastors. They point to Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 2:12- “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” They also point to the instructions for elders and overseers as being male-specific (“Husband of one wife” -1 Timothy 3:2) and that the 12 Disciples were all men. They also point to once a church adopts women pastors, they soon will be open to gay ordination and marriage. The AALC holds to the complimentary view.*
  5. Creation vs. Evolution. For millennia, Jews and Christians accepted the first words of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 and the chapters that followed). There were occasional skeptics, but the Church taught creation ex nihilo, that God created everything in six literal days out of nothing by the power of his word (Christ) and therefore all creation belonged to him and was sustained by his will. But beginning with the publishing of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859), the theory of evolution grew to dominate the scientific world and many churches as well. Churches’ “old time religion” was rocked to its core, because it was evident that a recent, six-day creation by God could not be reconciled with the theory of millions of years of evolution of man and the animals. As Christians wrestled with the contradictions, several ideas were adopted:
    • Theistic evolution: God created everything, but did so using evolution over vast periods of times. (This was my view in junior high, when I “thought like a child” – 1 Corinthians 13:11).
    • Day-age creationism: the days of Genesis 1 are not literal 24 hour days, but are much longer periods. (But how could green plants created on Day 3 survive for ages before the sun was created on Day 4?)
    • Gap theory: there is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, which gave the earth a long time to evolve before God intervened to create man. In Genesis 1:2 the earth was made chaotic (“without form and void”). From verse 3 everything was put in order.  God chose one hominid to be given special intelligence and spirit.
    • Apparent Age: God created everything with apparent age. If he intended for us to see the stars, for example, their light had to be created en route even if they were set at astronomically great distances.
    • Scientific Creationism: Uses information collected by creation-believing scientists to disprove evolution and confirm the biblical account. Some are new-earth creationists (the earth is really only 10,000s of years old), while some are old-age creationists (accepting millions of years as per secular scientists). I believe the new age creationism is correct, having read much of their literature and data.**
    • Finally, some churches accept the secular theories of evolution as being true, while saying “the Bible is not a scientific text” but just tells of man’s spiritual development by encounters with God. By this choice, these churches lift the current theories as the authority above the Bible; where a conflict exists, they choose evolution as the real answer.

There you have it! No more debates. Just one church, united in every way. (Not!) But Paul tells us what we have is “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,”   (Ephesians 4:4-6). Therefore, let us proclaim the one true Gospel that saves us all – “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Let us have unity where possible, and charity where we disagree. But in all things, let Christ be proclaimed!

Now may the Lord bless you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Your choice of passages listed above!

* The complementarian view is supported by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood at CBMW.org for more information.

**The scientific creationist position is presented by several organizations, including: The Institute for Creation Research which has an awesome museum in Dallas, TX (ICR.org); and Answers in Genesis, which as a museum and a life-size replica of Noah’s Ark in Kentucky (answersingenesis.org).

 

The End of Pride

Today is the end of the month of June, or as it has come to be called, Pride Month.

Though many people celebrate this month to show pride in their lifestyle, I am glad it’s over. For one, it’s a public celebration of sins which God calls abominations (Leviticus 18:22, Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthians 6:9, etc.). But second, the very name, “Pride Month,” gets something very wrong; it exalts that which the Church has long considered to be one of the “deadly sins,” namely: pride.

What is pride? The dictionary has two different definitions. The first one sounds good: “A sense of one’s own proper dignity or value; self-respect.”* This is the kind of pride used in the country song, “I’m Proud To Be An American” or in expressions about a sports victory, a good test score at school, or raising happy and successful children. This kind of pride rejoices that God made us in his image as the pinnacle of creation, and sent his Son to die for us. Pride in this sense is better than its opposite: shame.

Unfortunately, pride has a second definition, which is “Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness.”* This is overweening pride, the kind in which a person thinks of him or herself as better than others, or even better than God. This is the kind of pride that God detests.

The Bible is full of condemnations against sinful pride. Here are just a few of the many pronouncements:  Proverb 8:13 – “Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”; Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”; Proverbs 29:23 – “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”; 2 Samuel 2:28 – “You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.” Jesus himself warned in  Mark 7:21-23 -“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Take note that pride is ranked with murder and immorality as defiling a person.

The Bible gives us examples of people who let pride puff themselves up and paid the price for it

1.  Adam and Eve. Why did they disobey God’s one prohibition and eat the forbidden fruit? The tempter framed it as able to make them “be like God,”   (Genesis 3:5). 1 John 2:16 calls this sin, the pride of life.” And what was the penalty for the pride of wanting to be like God? Only banishment from paradise, suffering, and death.

2. Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 4, the Babylonian king learns the pitfalls of pride the hard way. He begins by surveying his magnificent city and says, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” God immediately rebuked him, and caused him to go mad, crawl like an ox and eat grass. Finally, after being duly humbled and restored to sanity, the king summed up his ordeal by saying, “and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (4:37).

3. Theudas. In Acts 5:36, the Pharisee Gamaliel, spoke of a false Messiah who paid the price for puffing himself up: “For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.”

Truly, these example prove that Proverbs 16:18 is correct when it proclaims: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

But why does God treat pride so harshly? Because we sin when we look at ourselves as not needing God. Basically, we put ourselves in God’s place, attributing our accomplishments to our own wisdom and strength, rather than praising God for what he has done for us. Psalm 10:4 says, “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.'” In his Large Catechism, Martin Luther explained the First Commandment as meaning we are to recognize that all good comes from God. To look elsewhere (such as to ourselves), is to make a god out of that other thing.

Paul warned against this sinful pride when he wrote, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight” (Romans 12:16″ and “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). He affirmed that true Christian love seeks what is good for the other person in humility: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” (1 Corinthian 13:4).

Today, the world is full of pride, whether celebrated in parades, boasted in the number of “likes” on social media sites, or shown by conspicuous consumption of high priced things. Isaiah warns that the day will come when all our markers of self-exalting pride will be stripped away. He says, “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (2:11), and “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless” (13:11).

Fortunately, we sinners – who are also guilty of pride – have a way out. The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk point the way in his book: “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” And what is the faith by which we shall live? Simply this: faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, who did not grasp onto the pride which he deserved as the eternal God, but humbled himself to become man and die for our sins. By faith in him all our sins- even pride – are forgiven.

One day, all human pride will end as we stand before the throne of God at the final judgment. We will hear proclaimed the name of our Savior, and then “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Some will bow in joy, others in terror. but all will bow humbly, as we realize that we can boast of nothing in ourselves before the Almighty God (1 Corinthians 1:29). That’s when pride shall meet its final end.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen

Read: Daniel 4:28-37; 1 Corinthians 1:28-31; Ephesians 2:8-10.

*American heritage Dictionary, 5th Edition.

**Also known as “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood, 1983.

You Are a Chimera!

A faithful reader of this blog responded recently to my article, “Male and Female,” which I published on September 25. Having worked in the medical field, she had witnessed individuals who were born with both male and female organs, and wondered how that fit in with God’s creation of us as male or female (or pertinent to her question, male and female).
 The condition she spoke of is called a  chimera (kī-ˈmeer-ə), named after a mythical beast that was part lion, part goat, and part serpent. It happens (the human condition, not the mythical beast) when fraternal twins begin forming in the womb, but one dies and the other absorbs its DNA. The result is a person with two sets of DNA, which can mean both a female and a male in one body. (I first heard of this on an episode of the TV  show, House, when a female cheerleader came down with testicular cancer.) This can certainly cause social and emotional issues for an individual who has two sets of sexual organs. But spiritually, I think the concerns are the same as for any person. As with all people, a chimera is a sinner in need of forgiveness, and Christ died for him/her as well as for you and me.
Several things came to mind when I read her question. There are the sayings of Isaiah 29:16 and 64:8 and Romans 9:21, which speak of God as the potter and us as the clay, and that he has the right to make us as he wishes. We are all different and yet are all his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and all in his image (Genesis 1:26-27). Also, we know that God loves each of us, no matter how we are born, and therefore we must in turn love each other. No accident of birth, or defect, can change God’s love or our duty to love and respect. Certainly, we must be especially compassionate to people born as chimeras, for they will face social and physical challenges. Another reality is that we live in a fallen world where we all suffer, all  have handicaps (some visible, some hidden), all face illnesses and injuries, and all die. We also know from Jesus’ own words that someone born with a defect is not being punished by God for his or her (their) sins. neither the twin that died nor the one who was born is being punished (John 9:3).
At this point you might by thinking, “Okay, this is interesting, but what has it to do with me? I’m not a chimera.” To which I answer, “Oh, yes you are!”
Maybe not a chimera in the medical sense (or mythical sense), but there are two ways that anyone can be considered a chimera in the spiritual sense.
1. First, all people incorporate in their one being, two opposite natures and sets of characteristics. On the one hand, we were created in the image of God and retain much of the glory which he instilled in us: the ability to love, to create, to give, to help, and to fellowship with God and with each other, among other lofty traits. Unfortunately, because sin entered into the world and into us, we suffer under its curse, and therefore embody all that is bad in human thought, attitudes, and actions: we hate, steal, harm, kill, cheat, and deny the God who created and loves us. Because of this, everything we do is tainted; even the most altruistic acts can carry the blemish of pride and self interest. (I’m especially proud of my humility!)
I’ve seen this many times in our modern world, though this is not a new phenomenon. There is no invention or development so wonderful or beneficial that it can’t be turned by sin into something harmful. Had any spam calls, email scams, or identity theft lately?  This goes beyond the unintended negative consequences that good intentions can have, such as wind turbines chopping up birds that get too close, or oil drilling that leaks oil and damages wildlife along beaches. It involves people willfully using technology to harm others. For example, think of the amazing development of airplanes for long-distance travel, only to see them used for bombing, drug-smuggling, and crashing into buildings.
This dual nature of mankind is clearly seen in today’s “cancel culture,” when people who otherwise do admirable things get caught saying or doing something that is either unacceptable or outright terrible. A sports announcer says something insensitive in the heat of an exciting play; a great teacher loses his or her temper at a student, a pastor butchers Martin Luther’s reputation by dressing up like him and speaking in a fake German accent*. Every person we respect or admire is capable of, and has already done, something that is cringe-worthy. Think of Kate Smith, who inspired millions of Americans over the decades with her rendition of the song, “God Bless America”; but also recorded several blatantly racist songs. Or of Martin Luther himself, who both restored the true Gospel to the Christian Church, and advocated burning synagogues. Two natures, indeed.
The problem is that everyone does things that are good and things that are bad. If we cancel everyone who has ever said or done something stupid or nasty,  there won’t be anyone left. Even Robespierre, a leader of the French Revolution, went to the guillotine when the mob turned against him.
So then, all people struggle with this dual identity as both exalted and fallen beings. But what about us Christians? Does this struggle also apply to us? Or are we better than that?
2. This brings us to the second way in which even Christians are chimeras. As believers in Christ we are reborn children of God and inheritors of eternal life (Romans 8:6-7), but while we are still in this body, we retain our fallen natures as well. We are both saint and sinner. We have been redeemed by Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, yet we cling to the old sinful nature, even when we abhor it. The Apostle Paul lamented this duality in Romans 7 when he said,
” 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
Paul does not use this as an excuse to go on sinning. He doesn’t give the lame excuse, “Well, I’m only human, after all!” No, instead he admonishes us not to keep on sinning, even though God forgives us by his grace. He wrote in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
The Apostle John put it this way, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). See similar teachings in Hebrews 10:26 and 1 Corinthians 15:34.
The point is that even as Christians who are born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3), we struggle to be faithful to the new spiritual life which God has given us in Christ. The old nature clings to us, tempting us and going against what we know God desires for our lives. We backslide into the old ways, due to social pressures or our own sinful desires, and fall short of God’s will and the new man or woman God has created in us. Then we get discouraged, with Satan whispering in our ear that we are failures, and that all this “God stuff” just isn’t for us.
So, what do we do about this chimeric split personality within us? First, we recognize it exists, so we don’t get blind-sided when we or someone else disappoints us. Second, we thank God for his grace, by which the sinner in us is forgiven, and the saint in us is proclaimed by his righteous decree. Third, we study the Scriptures to know what behavior and thought is consistent with God’s nature and the image he desires in us. Fourth, we seek out others who also strive to be faithful disciples of Christ -in church, Bible studies, charitable ministries, and other common places. Fifth, we pray for God’s strength, knowing that he has given us his own Holy Spirit to convict and guide us, to strengthen and comfort us for our life’s journey. He has promised to provide us a way out from the temptations to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13), even if it means giving us to the strength to run away from it! (1 Corinthians 6:18).
So, my fellow chimeras . . . let us thank God for blessing us with his own image, and for forgiving that other side of us. For in Christ, we are all being made whole again.
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Romans 7 – 8:11; 1 Corinthians 10:12-14
*Hypothetically, of course.

Male and Female

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 ESV)

Quick quiz: What do “ze, ne, ve, xe, zir, hir, nirs and eir” have in common? Answer: they are pronouns invented to refer to people who no longer want to be classified in the traditional and so-called “restrictive binary” designations of “he and she.” After all, if your gender identity is fluid, and you can be whatever you want to be on any given day regardless of your physical attributes (and thereby have the right to choose which bathroom you use), why not make up a word to go along with your self-understanding?

When I read articles and hear stories about such developments in our society, and about governmental units threatening fines and lawsuits against those who don’t go along with the most extreme attacks against traditional gender identity and sexuality, I have to ask, “What is our world coming to?”, “Are people crazy to take this seriously?”, and “What do I do about this . . . get angry or learn some new vocabulary?”

The answers begin with setting aside my own feelings and attitudes, because they can be flawed, culturally influenced, and sin-tainted. Instead, I need to go to the Scriptures to see what God has to say on this subject, and let His Word guide both my attitudes and my response. While a full exegetical study of everything the Bible says is beyond the scope and space limitations of this blog, there are a few key passages that are very helpful.

We begin in the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. His final act of creation is summarized in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This one verse is loaded with important lessons. First, God is the Creator, and he determines what we are. Second, God made us male and female – the “restrictive binary” categories are from God; he did not make us with the 56 different gender options used by Facebook. His design was for intimate, complimentary companionship  (Genesis 2:18, “It is not good that the man should be alone. I shall make a helper fit for him.”), and for making babies (Genesis 1:28 “Be fruitful and multiply.”).

Third, God made us, whether male or female, equally in His image: “in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This is important to remember, for no matter how flawed we become through sin and the curse, we still retain some of that image. All people, male and female, have been made in God’s image even if they deny God and His creation categories.

Other biblical passages make it clear that God’s male/female designations are important to Him and are not to be confused: He prohibits cross-dressing (Deuteronomy 22:5); detests homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27); and limits certain roles in the church to men (1 Timothy 2:12). We do well to hear what God has to say about what it means to be a man or a woman, and about how we express our God-given identity.

But having considered aspects of the Law – that God expects us to uphold his sexual standards – I would like to consider what the Gospel teaches us about what God has done for us in this area. First, inasmuch as we are in God’s image and God did send His Son to die for all of us, we will extend His grace to those who disagree with us. Therefore, even gender-benders are to be treated with love and respect. As Luther said in the Small Catechism, the Eighth Commandment’s prohibition against false witness means: “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, think and speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” Christ came to call sinners to repentance, and he died for all of us because we are all sinners; none of us can boast in our own righteousness.

Second, rather than feeling upset and angry with what the world is doing, let us rejoice and proclaim the gift which God has given us in making us male and female. Let us celebrate every biblical wedding, every marriage, every anniversary, and every birth as fulfilments of God’s loving plan for our lives here on earth. And let us agree with God who pronounced as he looked upon his finished creation, which included his “restrictive binary” man and woman, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

There remains one more question regarding gender, and that is: what gender is God? This question was first posed to me back in the late 1970’s when one of my camp counselors questioned our calling God “he.” In her view, that made women second class by identifying God as male. Her assertion shocked me, because everything I had learned about God was that he was our Father, not our “Mother and Father” as the counselor preferred.

As I’ve considered this question over the years (decades) since then, I have come to two basic conclusions. First, God is above and beyond our human concepts of sexuality, and embodies in his person all the good attributes that we normally associate with both men and women. He is strong and powerful, a warrior and a judge (Psalm 7:11). He is also compassionate and nurturing, one who would gather the children of Jerusalem as a mother hen would gather her children (Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34).  God is love, which knows no gender, but is true of both make and female identities. No person, male or female, should feel in the least inferior because God is our Father.

Second, the main reason we use male pronouns and titles for God is because that is what God says about himself. God’s own Word refers to himself as “he, him, and his.” Gender is a grammatical term, and in both Hebrew and Greek grammar, God’s pronouns and titles are male. It is the way he wants us to speak of him. Unlike many pagan religions, our Godhead is one (Deuteronomy 6:4), and not a gathering of male and female deities who give birth to people and more gods and goddesses. He creates outside of himself like a father, not birthing us as a mother. Add to that the fact that Jesus was born literally a male, and you can see that God wanted no confusion about the Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all spoken of as male in their gender, though again, their qualities embody both male and female goodness.

Amidst our present day confusion and conflict over “gender issues,” we can take comfort and assurance that with God, there is no confusion. Let us rejoice in who God is, and in the fact that he loves and died for all of us, male and female alike.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 1 and 2; Romans 1

A Skunk in the Works

There is a skunk in the works.

I mean that literally. We have a skunk that has decided our back yard provides a handy path for it to travel from its den to our back-fence neighbor’s yard. Karen discovered this not long ago when she stood on our back patio one evening. As she looked around at our yard, suddenly a large (she emphasizes large) skunk came sauntering around the corner of the house, just a few feet from her. She stepped quickly into the house, then watched the critter (also known as a polecat) calmly make its way across the yard. The next day, we checked the fence line, and found the places where it had dug underneath the fence.

This began a series of efforts to keep the skunk out of our yard: spreading so-called skunk repellant at the entry points, blocking the holes with hard and heavy objects, and driving tent stakes along the fence line. But after all these efforts, the skunk just keeps digging new holes and getting through. There’s still a skunk in the works.

And, because skunks are famous for their ability to spray a horrible stench, the idiom, “skunk in the works,” refers to something that messes up a situation that is otherwise good. But, as I pondered the situation with our cute, but persistent, furry critter, it occurred to me that the term, “skunk in the works,” also has a deeper meaning.

When we look around us at the world, both the natural creation given to us by God, who proclaimed it “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and mankind itself, created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26-27), we have to admit that things are not as good as they once were, or should be. There is a skunk in the works. Or rather, two skunks, both which begin with the same letter as skunk.

The first skunk is sin. It’s almost beyond comprehension how badly sin has infected and distorted the world ever since the first act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. The effects on mankind have been devastating, in the way our attitudes, desires, words, and actions have brought so much misery to ourselves, to other people, and to the natural world. Crime, wars, lying, stealing, racial and tribal animosities, adultery, and sexual perversions have brought sorrow, division, and death on a massive scale. It had become so bad in the past that God once sent a great flood to wipe the earth clean: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord  regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6). The way things have gotten these days in this country, and around the world, the fact that God hasn’t yet acted similarly is amazing! It must be as Peter explained, that the Lord “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

We have to remember that sin is not just bad things we do or think, but is an innate part of us. We are tainted by sin from the moment of our conception; as David wrote in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” It’s like a birth defect that stays with us our entire lives; in fact, birth defects, sickness, injuries, and death are all consequences of sin. Not every sickness or injury is from us committing a sin, but all are part of the curse which God pronounced on us and all his creation as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin and disobedience (Genesis 3:14-17). But note that we can’t just blame our first parents for the consequences of sin; The Apostle Paul explained in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

Sin has such a natural hold on us that Paul says we are slaves to sin. Only through faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in us can we be freed from that bondage to be free indeed. And for those who are in Christ but are troubled by the hold that sin still seems to have on them, we are comforted by the Prophet Joel: “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster” (Joel 2:13). Sin need not control us; even though the stink of sin is all around us, we need not fear this skunk, for in Christ, all our sins are removed from us, as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) . . . which is a lot better than we’re doing with our furry friend so far!

The second skunk is Satan. I know it was a serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden, but it could easily have been a skunk, for the devil has certainly played a huge role as a “skunk in the works” to mess up our lives. Not only did he lead that first couple into the sin that brought them hardship and death, he also continues to plague us. As 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He crafts temptations in ways that make sin appealing and not so terrible. He knows each of our weaknesses, and seeks to exploit them to separate us from God. His desire is to sear our consciences, alienate us from Christ, and cause us to despair by accusing us of the very things he led us to do.

What should we do about this evil, spiritual being, whose name literally means accuser or adversary?

  1. First we recognize that such a being exists, and that he is powerful and very skilled in deception.
  2. Second, we avoid having too much fascination in him; rather, our focus should be on Christ our Redeemer, and not on our enemy. The Christian writer C.S. Lewis wrote in the  preface to his 1942 book, The Screwtape Letters, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”
  3. The devil does not look like the red-suited, pitch-fork-carrying, horned goat-like monster so often depicted in comics. The Bible tells us that he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). How often do the temptations of the world appear so deceptively attractive to us?
  4. Satan is a liar, and “the father of lies” (John 8:44). As the saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Satan’s lies may sound good, but they lead only to destruction.
  5. Through faith in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can resist Satan and his lies. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
  6. Last, but not least, Christ defeated Satan. Christ beat his temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), he defeated him when Peter suggested Jesus avoid the cross (Mark 8:33), and he finally overcame Satan in the crucifixion and resurrection. You might say Christ “skunked” the devil. Christ has been exalted and glorified, and will be forever, while Satan and his demons will burn in the lake of fire for all eternity (Revelation 20:10). Because you are in Christ, you share in his victory, and need not fear the evil one.

Yes, when we consider life in this fallen world, we recognize that there are “skunks in the works.” But fortunately, life’s skunks of sin and Satan have been overcome through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As Luther wrote in his Small Catechism, Jesus has “saved us at great cost . . . from sin, death, and the power of the devil.”

Now, if only Karen and I can overcome our polecat, we’ll be just fine!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 1:6-12; Matthew 4:1-11; Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 20.

P.S. The phrase, “skunk in the works,” is not to be confused with Lockheed-Martin’s secretive, advanced airplane development operations known as “the Skunk Works,” in Palmdale, California. 

My Wife Is a Karen

My wife is a Karen, my father was a Dick, and one of my best friends is a John. No, I’m not insulting them – those are their real names. Contrary to some current memes and connotations, my wife is not a self-centered, privileged woman who treats people condescendingly; my father was not a jerk (nor a private detective nor something else); nor does my friend frequent practitioners of the “world’s oldest profession.”*

How is it that perfectly good names take on such offensive meanings? How is it that a name such as Karen, which comes from a Greek word meaning “Pure,” came to be used as a put-down?

Sometimes, it happens because a certain person who bore that name did something bad, causing people to forever associate that name with wrong-doing. For example, if you call someone a Judas, a Benedict Arnold, or a Quisling (Norwegian traitor in World War II), you are calling them a traitor who has betrayed someone’s trust. There is even something called a “Judas goat,” a goat trained to lead sheep to the slaughter while not itself being killed. And would anyone name their newborn son, “Hitler”? (Actually, a couple in New Jersey did just that, and lost custody of their child for it!)

Sometimes, characters in books or movies are so stereotyped that their names become synonymous with certain characteristics. Someone (especially a girl) who is always cheerful and sees only the good in everyone and everything is a “Pollyanna.” Someone who is good at everything without training or experience, such as the character Rey in the Star Wars sequels, is a “Peggy Sue.” An African-American who relates well with whites gets called an “Uncle Tom” after the elderly slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 anti-slavery novel of the same name. And would you buy a dog whose name was Cujo?

Whatever the reason for using names as insults, I think we need to stop doing it. A person’s name is tied to their identity: to who they are and where they came from. They may be named for a beloved relative, for an honored historical figure, for the parents’ favorite place, or just because the name sounds good. They may bear biblical names, such as David, Mary, Adam, Martha, or yes, even Jesus (or do you say, “hay-soos”?). Whatever the name given to the child, they grow up with that name as part of who they are. For example, I was always proud of the name, Richard, as my dad’s namesake and for sharing the name with three kings of England – especially Richard the Lion-hearted, hero of the Robin Hood movies.

Last names especially point to a person’s ethnic heritage or family history, of which no one should be ashamed.  Whatever national clues show up in a person’s name, such as O’, Mc, -son or -sen, -ov or -ova, de- or d’, or ki-, we should treasure them as indicative of the journeys our families took.**

When I was the leader for local Y-Indian Guides programs, I told the new recruits to select “Indian” names for themselves and their sons. Yes, this is horribly not politically correct these days, but I instructed them to choose, carefully and respectfully, names that honored Native Americans. I told them that while they had no choice in naming themselves at their birth, they now had a chance to pick a name to be proud of. I reflected on how my dad had chosen Indian Guide names for us when I was a child: Apalachee (Helper) for himself, and Neekanah (Friend) for me.

There is no greater argument for the value of a person’s name than the examples we find in the Bible. There, names are indicators of people’s natures and importance, especially to God. Virtually every name has special meaning, for example: Adam=”man,” Eve=”mother of all living,” David= “beloved,” Abimelech=”my father is king,” Daniel=”God is my judge,” and Elijah=”my God is Yahweh.” Names were so important that God actually changed certain people’s names to reflect his interaction with them, or his new purpose for them. Some of those changes were when he renamed Abram “high father” to Abraham “father of many” (Genesis 15:5); Sarai “my princess” to Sarah “princess of Yah[weh]” (Genesis 17:15); and Jacob “grasper of the heel” to Israel “striver, contender” (Genesis 32:28).

In the New Testament, there were two significant name changes: Jesus called his disciple, Simon “he has heard” by the name, Peter “stone” when the latter professed the faith on which Christ would build his Church. (Matthew 16:18); and another great apostle, Saul “prayed for,” became known as Paul “small, humble.” Interestingly, when Paul wrote his letter to Philemon, he asked him to welcome home graciously his former slave, Onesimus, a name which means “useful.” Paul actually told Philemon that Onesimus was formerly “useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me” (Philemon 1:11).

But of all names, in the Bible or elsewhere, the ultimate significant naming was when God told Joseph and Mary to name her spirit-conceived Son, “Jesus.” Why? “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus, or Yeshua, mean “the Lord saves” or “Savior.” It was the same name belonging to Joshua of the Old Testament, who led the Israelites into the Promised Land, a foreshadowing of what Jesus does for those he has redeemed. How important is Jesus’ name? Philippians 2:9-11 tells us, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I rest my case.

God has told us to treat his name – and obviously, the name of his Son – with respect and reverence. The Second Commandment tells us , “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). It grates on my spirit, and saddens me, when so many people today use the name of Jesus as a curse word, or flippantly say OMG when they are not actually calling on God in prayer. As Christians, those who will one day receive new names in heaven (Revelation 2:17), let us honor God by using his holy name with the love and reverence he deserves.

Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But he was wrong, at least as far as the importance a name has for the person who bears it. So let’s treat each other’s names with respect, and by doing so, bring honor to the One who calls us to himself by name (John 10:3).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Luke 1:31 and 2:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 2: 17 and 3:11-12

* Actually, the oldest profession was gardening, because, in the beginning, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15

** Can you identify the origins of the indicated national name clues? Hint: one of them is Zulu for “son of.”

Just Plain Nuts

Just plain nuts!

No, I’m not ordering a snack of cashews, almonds, or peanuts; nor am I doing a little maintenance on my car, and asking Karen to hand me small threaded metal pieces to go on the end of some bolts. No, when I say, “Just plain nuts!” I’m referencing an old Far Side cartoon* in which a psychiatrist is writing “Just plain nuts!” in his notebook while listening to his patient ramble.

I used that cartoon a few years ago during a training session I taught to our church’s new Stephen Ministers, to emphasize that their work as Christian caregivers was not to diagnose or treat psychological problems. But now, I have found a new use for that cartoon’s phrase: for I have come to the conclusion that the words, “just plain nuts,” apply to me.

Oh, I wasn’t always this way (though there are some who might disagree with that assessment); I used to be rational and level-headed, a “rock” of stability and calmness, a living fulfillment of the phrase,”If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs.”** Yes-siree, I was the poster-child for mental stability and common sense (not to mention, humility). But then something happened: eight months (and counting) of coronavirus shutdown have driven me nuts.

Now, I know that many people are suffering mentally, as well as physically and financially, from this pandemic and the ensuing shutdowns across our country. What I am saying in no way is meant to minimize or mock their very real sufferings. But in my case, I find that my sense of humor has always helped me deal with many of life’s stresses. Such as:

  1. The time I went in for a colonoscopy, and the nurse came to the waiting room to fetch me. She apologized for the delay, saying that “the doctor is a little behind in his work.” You can guess my reply. We walked another ten feet before the nurse got it and started laughing.
  2. The time I rode in a tow truck while my car was being towed. The chatty driver went on and on, telling stories laced with profanities, until he asked what kind of work I did. I smiled and said, “Pastor.” We rode in silence for the next five miles.
  3.  Or the times when I was in my wheelchair, and would look for down-ramps where I could let it roll while singing out, “Wheeee!”

Now, after all these months of shutdown, I see similar signs that I am indeed becoming, “just plain nuts.”

  1. I thought of pasting photos of the coronavirus on my face mask to ensure six feet (or more, maybe a lot more) of social distancing.
  2. Among my late sister’s belongings we found a Christmas tree ornament, a little nurse doll complete with stethoscope and face mask. I wrote 2020 on the face mask and set it aside for this year’s tree .
  3. I want to wear my Darth Vader mask next time I go to the store.
  4.  I got the idea of giving out oranges for Halloween. Not so crazy, except I wanted to stick golf tees in them sticking out in every direction.

I have had other, even more wonderful ideas, but fortunately, cooler heads (i.e., Karen) have prevailed, and I have behaved myself. But you get the idea: sometimes we just have to laugh at our troubles to prevent being over-whelmed by them. I am not alone in this view: The American novelist, E.W. Howe, said, “If you don’t learn to laugh at troubles, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you grow old.” So, knowing that I will one day grow old, I am learning to laugh at my troubles while still young.

The problem with my laughing during times of trouble is that other people think I’m not serious about life, that I take things too lightly, or don’t care that others are hurting. I might even be considered a fool, someone with no idea of the seriousness of a situation. You may agree, and think this about me because of my (sometimes) slightly warped sense of humor. You may be right. But, in my defense, let me offer the following:

  1. Humor and laughter can be escape valves to relieve the natural stress that builds up in us when faced with difficult situations. Like the safety valve on a hot water heater that can prevent a catastrophic explosion when the pressure gets to be too much, it’s better for us to “let off a little steam” by laughing than to “blow a gasket” in anger.
  2. Sometimes, if we step back and look at ourselves as others see us, what we see can be genuinely funny.
  3. Mistakes, injuries, and embarrassing situations just show we are human and that we share the same challenges of life with every other person who has ever lived. It is a humbling check on our egos to recognize our short-comings and to be able to laugh at them. (That doesn’t mean it’s good to laugh at other people’s problems; that can be just plain mean!) Also, the ability to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously is one of the traits which humans share, something that sets us apart from other creatures.
  4. Why be miserable, dwelling on every problem, real or imagined, when our lives can be so much more enjoyable? Shakespeare wrote, “A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once.” (Julius Caesar, II, 2).
  5. God has a sense of humor. Where else did we get our sense of humor than from the One who created us in his own image? The Scriptures have numerous examples of humor, for example:
    • When Elijah mocks the priests of Baal after nothing happens in response to their calling upon their pagan deity to send fire from heaven; Elijah tells them to yell louder, in case their god is sleeping or busy relieving himself in the bathroom (1 Kings 18:20-40).
    • Or when the non-believing seven sons of Sceva try to exorcise a demon in Jesus’ name, only to be overpowered and run away naked from the encounter (Acts 19:11-17).
    • In Jonah, the reluctant prophet refuses to go overland to the east to Nineveh, instead fleeing to the west by sea to escape God’s call, even though Jonah admits that God made both the land and the sea! (Jonah 1:10).
    • According to 2 Chronicles 21:20, “Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.” I think we get the not-so-subtle message: Jehoram was not popular!
    • In Job 40:15, God gives Job an example of his majestic creative power when he says, “Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you.” When I behold the platypus I see an example of God’s sense of humor as well.

There are plenty of other examples, such as 89-year-old Sarah laughing when she heard that she would have a child, only to have the child a year later, a boy whose name, Isaac, means “Laughter” (Genesis 18:10-15). Some of the Bible’s humor is more evident in the original languages, due to puns and other plays on words. And much of it comes when people try to take themselves too seriously.

I think one source of our taking everything too seriously is the devil, who constantly tries to accuse, frighten, distract, and ruin our lives. He tells us to forget all of God’s blessings, and focus on the judgment we deserve. Or, he turns us against each other and builds up our own pride so that we take offense at everything and everyone who we think degrades us. With such attitudes, how can we laugh at misfortune?

The cure is not to give in to such spiritual temptations and fears, but to have the right attitude regarding our problems. That means to trust in God, to believe his promises, receive his grace and forgiveness, and to look for the many blessings he gives us even in this fallen world. This is more than just looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds; it is about having a truly biblical perspective that ultimately, God is in charge, and that we will spend all eternity with him in a heaven when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). That should encourage us, no matter what we are going through during this pandemic, or afterwards.

And if the devil still won’t leave us alone, remember what Martin Luther said: “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.” So shall I laugh in the devil’s face, even if the rest of the world thinks that I am “just plain nuts!”?

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Acts 19:11-20, 1 Kings 18:20-40, Job 40, Jonah 1

*(c) 1990 by Gary Larson

** From the poem, “If”, circa 1895 by Rudyard Kipling

 

Statues of Limitation – Part 2

Last time I began addressing the issues surrounding the current smashing and toppling of historical statues, and made the first two of four points: First, that such statue smashing is wrong, and second, that all the people represented by such statues were flawed sinners (with feet of clay) who overcame their flaws to accomplish significant things (whether we like what they did or not). Now, I continue with the final two points:

3. Should we erect any statues at all? While I recognize the value of holding up certain people as examples to us of flawed individuals who nevertheless accomplished great things in their lives, my musings have led me to ask the question, “Should we erect any statues at all?”

My question is based on the commandment given by the LORD on Mount Sinai: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8).

The reactions to this commandment have varied by religious communities over the centuries. The Israelites broke it even before Moses delivered it to them when they made a golden calf and worshiped it as their deliverer from Egypt. Later, the Jews prohibited any statues as idolatry, and rose up in armed rebellion against their enemies who put idols in the Temple: first against the Greek rulers in the days of the Maccabees (167-160 BC) and then against the Romans in 66-73 AD. During the Exile in Babylon, the captive Jews refused to bow down to the golden statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had erected on the Plain of Dura; the story of faithful Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is told in Daniel 3. Today, orthodox and some conservative Jews practice what is called aniconism (from “an” meaning “not,” and “iconism,” meaning the use of images). They prohibit any 3-dimensional representations of people, animals, or God, but allow pictures that are 2-D. Additionally, strict Muslims prohibit use of any images, which is why their mosques are decorated with geometric figures and “arabesque” swirls.

Christians have varied their observance of this commandment. Some have propagated such statues as honoring saints and instructing often illiterate populations in biblical and Church history, while others, known as “iconoclasts,” have forbidden and destroyed any such human forms for being “graven” or carved images and thus prohibited.

Today, the idea that statues are forbidden by God seems to have faded away among Christians in this country. We look at the verses following God’s prohibition against carved images and read the ban in context: “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God. . . ” (Exodus 20:5a). I think we have generally reasoned that as long as you don’t worship the image and call it a god, you’re okay. (Even though we watch television competitions that tout their winners as “American Idols” – something I’ve never been comfortable with.)

I understand God’s commandment to be against worshiping anything or anyone but him, but I still think we should be careful not to invest any hero-worship in our heroes, whether “statued” or not. This applies to all famous people, celebrities of all kinds: athletes, movie stars, musicians, politicians, pastors-emeritus, etc. This concern came to mind in 1990 when I stood in front of the Novosibirsk State Polytechnic University in what was the Soviet Union. Standing with me was a Russian student who pointed to the huge statue of Vladimir Lenin that rose before us. The student leaned toward me and said, “Our last idol.” I hoped right then that I would never consider any statue to be an idol of mine.

4. Finally, what about statues of Jesus? What about the crucifixes that bear his form on the cross? Since we do worship Jesus as Lord and Savior, as the Son of God and the Second Person of the Trinity, are such images prohibited? I actually have mixed feelings and thoughts about this.

On the one hand, we must not worship the image, whether as a crucifix, a statue, or a drawing/painting. We worship the One that such art represents. We don’t know what Jesus looked like for sure, and I think that was God’s intention. Therefore people around the world have pictured him as looking like them, whatever their race or ethnicity. We can worship Christ without any artistic rendering, and must realize that whatever image we have in mind when we think of Christ will be inadequate. How can we describe the risen and glorified Christ in mere human terms? The Apostle John tried in Revelation 1:13-16, saying, “one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.”

On the other hand, I don’t want to criticize the faith and devotion of those who adorn their homes with pictures of Christ or crucifixes that bear the dying form of our Lord. They see his face or form daily, and are reminded of his sacrifice for their salvation. Like crossing oneself or wearing Christian jewelry, their faith is on display, and I commend them for it – as did Luther when he returned to Wittenberg. In defense of such images, while God cannot be confined to any finite image, Jesus did come to earth and become one of us, taking human form and life (Philippians 2:7-8).

I remember as a child (and later as a Sunday school teacher) using the old flannel graphs to tell Bible stories. Some of the flannel figures represented Jesus – walking on the water, healing the sick, sitting with the children. It’s hard to think that those pictures were idolatrous, since they presented visually what we were learning and teaching verbally. Even today, there are non-literate people who cannot read Bible stories in their language who can benefit from such visual representations.

So where do I stand after all these considerations? I think my title for these blogs, “Statue of Limitations,” says it pretty well. God’s prohibition against carved images is to prevent us trying to represent him by anything he has created. As Paul said, wicked men have exchanged true worship of the Creator with worship of his creation: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:22). Therefore, we who worship the true God must not hold up any statue or image as sacred; Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Our God is greater than any thing we might use to represent him. That is our limitation. But, if a statue or other image can be used to instruct, inspire, or encourage faith, then let it be used for that purpose, for God knows we need it!

And as far as a statue of me is concerned: God knows we don’t need that!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5; Romans 1:18-32; Philippians 2:5-11.

Thanks, I Needed That!

This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving, that holiday when we take off work, get together with family and friends, cook meals, stuff ourselves along with our turkeys, watch the big game, nap, and oh yeah . . . give thanks. For some of us it means worshiping at church, and hopefully for everyone, it includes moments to pause, consider our blessings, and thank the One who is the Giver of all good gifts (James 1:17 – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights . . .”).

For the many across our land who attend Thanksgiving services or read Thanksgiving Day devotionals, they will be challenged and encouraged to list the many blessings for which they should be grateful. Those lists often include such things as: family, friends, food and other material provisions, home and work, health and happiness, our country, our pastors 🙂 and life itself, both now and in eternity. I have included such blessings in my own sermons and in the prayers of the church during our Thanksgiving Day services. These blessings are in a sense as traditional as the meals (and naps) we enjoy over this holiday.

But today, I would like to offer additional thanks to God for one other blessing that often gets overlooked, and that is this: I thank God for giving us a sense of humor.

As my wife said just today, she is grateful that I make her laugh, and that she can still laugh at me, I mean, with me, after 43 years of marriage. Actually, I think I give her more things to laugh about now than in our early years, since we have experienced more funny things over all those years, which have accumulated like gray hairs and “love handles.” (Now, if we could just remember all of them!)

Certainly, there is humor to be found in puns, in jokes, and in the routines of stand-up comedians. There is slap-stick humor and prat-falls, and even the barbed witticisms of insult kings like the late Don Rickles. But even though I have laughed at humor expressed in all those varied forms, the sense of humor I’m talking about is not contrived by someone to make others laugh, but rather is found in our ability to find humor in our life events and circumstances. This sense of humor provides a relief valve that protects us from being overwhelmed by frustrations and difficulties that come from living in a fallen world. It allows us to laugh in the face of danger or disappointment, and to endure pain and poverty. It keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously, and can’t help but keep us humble when we can laugh at ourselves and our own foibles. To quote The Joker from the Batman movies, “Why so serious?” We are told by the Lord to remove the log from our own eyes before we criticize someone else’s speck (Matthew 7:5), but shouldn’t we laugh at our log, too, when we find it?

Certainly, I have been blessed with the gift of being able to laugh at myself (maybe because the Lord knew I would need it so much!) and at many of the circumstances which I have faced. This has lessened disappointments, softened insults, and helped keep me balanced in a world (certainly, not me!) that often seems so crazy. It doesn’t mean that I have laughed out loud at everything, but that I have seen the events from a different perspective. I offer you the following as examples of what I’m talking about:

  1. This last week, I had some dental surgery that involved a tooth extraction and a bone graft in my jaw. Not what you would consider a funny situation (though I could tell you it left me in stitches!). But add to that the fact that the oral surgeon used bone from a cow for the graft, and the possibilities are almost endless. When the surgeon asked how I felt afterward, I said, “Moo!” (Which from his reaction, I guess he’s heard before). Then they gave me post-op care instructions which advised cold, soft foods the first couple days, progressing to grass and alfalfa by day four. Even though I am sore and bruised from the surgery, I’m not mad (no mad cow here) at the surgeon, because after all, “To err is human, but to forgive is bovine.”
  2. Then there was the time one Sunday morning when a fellow pastor and the men’s choir set me up. Having established early on that I am not skilled at singing, I decided not to sing with the men at either morning service for their traditional Super Bowl Sunday anthem. During the announcements at the first service, I commended the men for singing, but apologized for not joining them at rehearsal, which meant I couldn’t sing with them that day. Knowing my quality of singing, most people chuckled and I went on with the rest of the announcements. Came time for the second service, the other pastor encouraged me to make the same announcement again. But when I did, I realized why he asked me to do so. Between the services, the men had prepared a little surprise: as soon as I said I wouldn’t be singing with them, they broke out in the Hallelujah Chorus, leaving me speechless and the congregation roaring in laughter. The pastor who did that to me has since wisely moved to Tanzania.
  3. One time I took a flight where I was sitting next to a man with a prosthetic leg. We had purchased the “Cheap seats” and found ourselves sitting with our backs to a bulkhead, so we couldn’t recline our seats. This was fine until the seats in front of us leaned back, which left us no room; also, his prosthesis got jammed by the now-reclined seat. We looked at each other’s discomfort, and began to discuss the preference of sitting anywhere else in the plane, which led to our dreaming about moving to first class. We chuckled about it, and then he asked, “I wonder how much it costs for a first-class seat?” To which I innocently replied, “Probably an arm and a leg.” Which I instantly regretted saying, especially as he got up and found a vacant seat elsewhere in the plane.
  4. On another flight, my sense of humor got me in trouble. It was a packed plane, and being the last to board, I was forced to sit between two guys as big as me. They frowned as I squeezed into my seat, and once the plane took off, we all three took out paperback books to read. There we were, all three holding up books in front of us, crammed together in those small seats. The situation struck me as funny, so wanting to lighten things up I said, “Why don’t I just hold up one book and we can all read it?” Apparently, they failed to appreciate just how hilarious I was, as they continued to read their books and sat in stony silence for the entire flight.
  5. Finally, there is an incident from my early twenties which I will now share with you, but you must NEVER TELL anyone else! I went to the doctor for a routine checkup, and after the usual poking and prodding, the doctor sent me to get a urine sample. The nurse directed me to the bathroom, which I entered and prepared to “collect” the required sample. Only there weren’t any cups or vials in the bathroom, just a sign above the toilet that read, “Aim to Center of Bowl.” I looked around again, but still there was only that sign. So I figured, they must have a collecting device in the toilet, that would trap the sample as long as I “aimed to the center of the bowl.” So I did, washed my hands, and returned to the exam room. The nurse looked at me kind of funny and asked where my sample was; I told her how I had followed the instructions. With a big grin, she led me back to the bathroom and opened a little sliding window, behind which was a nice little collecting bottle. As she walked away, I am sure I heard her laugh and I knew that I would be the subject of their next staff meeting. I blame it on the inexperience of youth, but though I almost died of embarrassment at the time, now I just laugh at it.

In Umberto Eco’s book, The Name of the Rose, the plot revolves around a monastery that houses a secret collection of writings that present God as having a sense of humor. This is considered so scandalous and threatening to the Christian faith that the monks will even kill to keep the books hidden from view. This is similar to ancient Greek dramas which were of two types: comedies, which were about people, and tragedies, which were about the “gods.” To many, the very idea that God could laugh or find humor is considered heretical. But if that is true, where does our humor come from? Is having a sense of humor part of the image of God in which we were created? And why can good, clean Christian comedy be so funny, if God is not the source of our sense of humor? Is humor a sin? A vice, or a virtue? A blessing or a curse?

I believe our ability to find humor and laugh is like other human abilities: it is God given, but like our other gifts, it can be used for good or evil. If we deride other people, make “fun” of them before others, or mock them, we have sinned. If we laugh at someone’s misfortune, guffaw when they trip and fall, or chuckle at their embarrassments, then we have broken the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. But if we can use humor to entertain people positively, defuse tense or embarrassing situations, help people improve behavior by pointing out ironies, and keep ourselves humble, then humor is a good thing. So I say to God for his gift of humor, “Thanks, I needed that!”

I also believe God does himself have a sense of humor, though the evidence for it will have to wait for another time. For now, let me just offer one word: platypus.

In the meantime, have a great Thanksgiving celebration, and remember the reason for the day, which is to give thanks to God for all his blessings. May God continue to grant you those in abundance!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read and enjoy: Numbers 22:1-35