Loose Wheels, Half a Cloak, and God's Peace

An Instrument of God's Peace:

There is no use asking, "Why?" Sometimes in this world the wheels just come off. It's one of the things that Job's "friend," Eliphaz observed, "People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire" (Job 5:7, NLT). People mistakenly think that little organizations don't have much trouble. I confess my lack of objectivity, but I think that per capita, little outfits have more trouble than the bigger ones. Often we have to do the same stuff as the big guys, but, by definition, we have to do it with fewer workers. At Pacific Islands University, the school where I am privileged to serve, often one person does what a whole department at a bigger institution does. Sometimes it's even worse. One person has several functions. I'm not complaining. I'm just giving the set-up for the rest of this post. This morning was one of those times:  I happened to be a place so that I could serve as a spare tire, so with minimal planning we proceeded with a prayer chapel. Early in the program I asked the question, "Why do we have chapel?" I was hoping that someone would give an answer that would be a seq-way to this thought, "It is a place where we take a few moments of refuge from our loose-wheel world to meet with God Who is in control and has promised to be with us on this tumultuous globe. My expectations and hopes were way too low. One of our teachers, a Bible Translator said, "Let me give a linguistic answer." Then he proceeded to give a version of this legend "While Martin [of Tours] was a soldier in the Roman army . . . he experienced a vision. . . . One day as he was approaching the gates of the city of Amiens, he met a scantily clad beggar. He impulsively cut his military cloak in half to share with the man. That night, Martin dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak he had given away. He heard Jesus say to the angels: "Martin . . . clothed me with this robe." The half-robe became an object of veneration. Skipping over a couple of steps in the linguistic evolution, "People called the small temporary buildings erected to house the relic "capella", the word for a little cloak. Eventually, such small churches lost their association with the cloak, and all small churches began to be referred to as 'chapels'" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_of_Tours). My friend had no idea I was going to ask that question. I had no idea he would refer to this legend. But, as surely as the story portrays the human instrumentality of God reaching down into this breaking-down world to meet the need of troubled people, God reached down into our chapel and clothed us with His peace. Just as in the ancient tale, he used humans as the instruments to accomplish His work. I can look at my computer screen and the lists on my desk,not to mention the troubles that come to the door, and see the sparks flying upward. Lord, help me to look beyond and see your hand of peace. To quote Francis of Assisi, "Lord make me an Instrument of your peace." It's Something To Think About.

The Good News Reconciles

The Good News of Jesus Brings Folk Together.

There are some things that once they are said, are hard to get over. In my role as pastor, I've been to court rooms on several occasions. I've often been to jail. I'm always struck with the power and finality of words given from the "bench." When the judge says, "I sentence you . . ." she/he speaks as the representative of civilization. "You have done something that we cannot allow in our community. I'm doing what I'm doing because your actions have harmed others. We cannot allow such things to go on without consequences--severe consequences." Usually, unless there is a need for some other hearing, the judge and the person sentenced never meet again. In fact, we provide judges with protection because we know that if the two do meet it could be ugly.  Let me ask you, "Does this picture look ugly?" Wallace, a retired US military technician, is an incredibly kind man who is a member of the same small-group as Kathy and me. The group is a ministry of our church and meets at the home of some friends. Susan is another member of the small-group. She is a judge. Wallace taught the lesson in our last two small group meetings. We are going throughBecoming a Contagious Christian, and Wallace took two weeks to teach the lesson on "telling my story." As part of the presentation, he told his story. You wouldn't believe how often people who know Wallace say, "He must have the gift of helps." He constantly goes out of his way to reach out to others with acts of kindness. He regularly brings ice cream treats to our meetings. He says it's because he can get a good deal on them at the military commissary, but we all know that's not the only reason. One would never know, by seeing Wallace today, that his past includes time in jail. As he told his story the other night, he told us a bit about that part of his life. Then, looking at Susan, he said you were the judge who sentenced me to that time in jail. His statement was without the least hint of bitterness or anger. Rather, he went on to speak of how during that time in jail he met others who discipled him and helped him to move forward in his walk with the Lord. Susan replied, "When I first met you at church I thought I remembered your name." Until that moment in small-group, though, she had never put it all together. So here was a man sentenced to serve time for a crime of which he had been convicted, teaching a lesson about the Good News that changes people's hearts and lives, and he was teaching it to the judge who had sentenced him to spend time in jail. What an illustration of the power of the Good News of salvation in Christ. It not only enables us to be right with God--"The wages (consequences) of sin is death (separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23)--but beyond that, this same Good News brings people together. Even people who would otherwise be enemies become brothers and sisters in Christ. We live in a world that is divided by nationality, politics, class, skin color, race, and more. God's plan is not only to save us as atomized individuals, but in the person of "Christ Jesus . . . to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus2:13–14, emphasis added).  Not many people--former prisoners, judges, black, white, brown, rich, poor, etc. but one people united under the flag of the new life we have in Christ and marching forth to do good deeds in His name. The ice cream at small-group was good, but hearing the story about Susan and Wallace was worth well more than the price of admission. It's STTA (Something To Think About).  Here is a brief video that presents this life-changing message that brought Susan and Wallace into God's Family.

Rules of Engagement:

Whenever the USA is involved in military action, and that has been often in my lifetime, the news media will have reports and commentary about "rules of engagement." I found this brief definition of the term: adirective issued by a military authority specifying the circumstances and limitations under which forces will engage in combat with the enemy. Rules of engagement exist to keep combatants from killing those we don't want to kill and to prevent forces from doing something that will be regretted later. I got to thinking we could use some R. o. E. in everyday life. Avoid jumping to conclusions. Extend to others the same opportunity to explain themselves that you would like for them to give you. Be slow to take offense. Or to put it another way, interpret the actions and words of others with the same grace that you would like to have extended to you. Don't keep grudges. Unless there is a relational reset button, soon everyone will be estranged from everyone else. Let love be the default position. I'm sure my brief list could be added to, but this is a good start. There is nothing original about my thoughts. You'll find them all, better stated, in the Bible, here. I've often come away from a verbal skirmish knowing that I hurt someone who shouldn't have been hurt, or that I had burned a bridge I would need to cross later. Lord, help me to remember Your rules of engagement. It's STTA.

Thoughts from 2,000 years ago that speak to us in the aftermath of the Dallas tragedy:

John the Baptist, & Jesus Christ comment on our current situation:

I was already aware of the shootings that took place in Minnesota and Louisiana.  My son spoke eloquently about the mood of our nation.   Jesus we need you We need grace. We need wisdom. We need the gospel. All solutions fall short of the gospel." I hurt for the state of 2016 America. I hurt for the pressure to pick a side over complex social issues. I hurt for Alton Sterling and his family. I hurt for the officers and their families. I hurt that in 2016 we will judge all parties from both sides on a passerby's 40sec cellphone video. I say, "Amen!" to Chad's words.  After awaking to the news from Dallas I find them even more relevant. This is not the first time that some who are responsible to keep the law have failed to do so, or have enforced the law without respect for the people they should have been protecting.  I don't think I have to convince you that the Roman legionnaires assigned to serve in far off conquered lands sometimes did so with harshness and disregard for basic human dignity.  Perhaps some soldiers had been assigned to make sure that the crowds who thronged to hear John the Baptist didn't get out of hand, or maybe they, like so many others, were simply curious about this camel-hair clad prophet.  At any rate they approached the preacher of repentance.  "Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?”  (Luke 3:14). John's reply retains its relevance.  “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with yourwages.”  (Luke 3:14)  If any readers are police chaplains, John's three exhortations provide great material for men and women in Blue to consider.  For we civilians, especially those of us who live in lands where we have input in our government, this gives a fair description of what we should expect from those who keep the peace. In His best known sermon Jesus spoke to the conquered.  If a reporter had circulated through the crowd, assembled on a hill in Galilee, she/he would have had no problem identifying stories of abuse of power.  A photographer would have been able to snap grizzly pictures of backs that had been beaten, and of wounds needlessly inflicted by over-zealous Roman soldiers--those who paid no heed to John the Baptist's counsel.    Unlike preachers like me, Jesus knew precisely the situation of the people before Him; He knew, and cared, about the contents of their hearts.  When Jesus told the people, “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two."(Matthew 5:41)  He was referring to the right that Roman soldiers had to conscript civilians to carry their equipment.  The law said they could require you to carry their baggage for one mile.  Jesus said to go beyond the requirement into the realm of kindness.  Carry it the extra mile. Check back later at my blog .  I'll share some ideas about how to apply this.  In the mean time . . . It’s STTA.

Look around. It's beautiful.

Something To Think About, BEAUTY:

I am privileged to live in an incredibly beautiful place on God's globe.  It is sad that so often I fail to look.  I took a bike ride in the country, yesterday, then my wife and I went to a local lake and sat on the mirror like surface and enjoyed supper.  The mountains around the water turned from green to black silhouettes, rimmed with the last golden light of day.  A flock of birds moving in amazing unison stretched across the sky like a huge ribbon in the wind, twisting, turning, vanishing, returning.  Then today I took a one hundred twenty mile round trip through the mountains and along a couple of streams.  The morning fog turned to blue skies, but patches of mist still clung to some of the ridges. I don't always look at the beauty around me.  Sometimes I'm in a hurry so I rush by.  Other times I'm looking down so I won't stumble, or my focus is inward on my problems.  In the same way that the"worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things" choke out the good seed of the Word of God before it bears fruit (Mark 4:19), carrying daily worries around--especially beyond their intended one day shelf-life--blinds one to the beauty of God's world. I'm not your doctor, I'm just a guy who tries to write something worth thinking about from time to time, but here is my prescription:      Take a minute, or two, or three, or a whole hour, look around, and thank God for the beauty of the world. In spite of the blight of sin, it is still wonderful to behold. Then, with the wonder still in your heart, say, "Thank You, Lord." It's STTA.

It is good to see my friends getting along.

If you are a regular reader of STTA you have noticed that reconciliation has been a frequent theme.  The Psalmist says it is good and pleasant when brothers dwell together in unity.  Over the past year or so, a major prayer request on my list--I've shared it with some of you--had to do with some people I know, some of whom are good friends, who had not been getting along.
If you gave me a roster of the people involved, I suppose I could go through the list and check off some who were at fault, and others who were largely innocent.  Since I can't see other's hearts and don't know all that is to be known, I'm sure I'd be wrong on some evaluations.  As one of my friends--a guy I'd put on the good-guy list--said, though, "One can always look back and see things that he did that were wrong, that he could have done better."  It will come as no surprise to learn that this man is a big part of the reason that peace is being made.  He approached his formerly estranged brethren with grace and humility.  In this case his approach was well received.
A couple of other friends of mine were involved after the fact.  I'll call them "True Yokefellow" One and

Two.  Lovingly, and firmly they approached key people from both sides.  Where they could they explained the situation bringing greater understanding.  More often they urged both sides to consider that unity is a virtue highly esteemed by our Lord.  He is a peacemaker.  We show our resemblance to our Father when we make peace.  They risked making others angry in order to encourage peace.
There were some, maybe everyone who moved toward peace, who came to the place where they were willing to say, "I was wrong.  Please forgive me."  Some acknowledged that they were the cause of the problem, others admitted that along the line they had reacted badly.  At some point--I'm surmising here, because I've seen it many times before--the need for confession of wrong ceased.  Let's face it, if finding or maintaining peace requires the constant listing, confession, and forgiveness of every wrong ever done, then life will shut down for any other business.  Ephesians 4 begins with tolerance, and ends with forgiveness.  We are imperfect people, living in an imperfect world.  If we are going to get along we need to cut one another some slack.  A point needs to come in reconciliation in which we say, "I see your heart.  I am willing to reach out to you, and relate to you, in that brand of love that covers a multitude of sin."  If we try to start here, jumping over the confession, forgiveness steps, we won't get to this point, but if we insist on dealing with every fault as if it were the problem, we'll just spin our wheels.
I haven't seen any oil dripping off of my friend's beard, but I do acknowledge that it is good to see God's people in unity.
Let's help increase this tribe.

It's STTA.

The Blessing of Having It Settled:

A ministry colleague of mine was badly and cruelly hurt some years ago.  Recently the tables were turned, so to speak, and circumstances very similar to those that had brought such pain to my friend came to bear in the lives of some who caused my colleague pain.

In a conversation I pointed out my admiration for the lack of any revenge, or "get even" mentality.

The response was marvelously challenging and encouraging.

"We dealt with that a number of years ago . . ."

And because of that not only did my friend find great joy, but, vicariously, so did I.

It's STTA