The Balance Perspective

I think it’s appropriate to comment here on the shooting incident that occurred at a Church of Christ in Texas last week.  This should not be a political issue, but rather a human issue.  As Bud Norman said in his daily column last week, Churches of Christ are “blessedly apolitical and focused on more eternal matters.”  There is, however, a truth that cries out to be heard.

Those of the church family who were killed by the shooter are surely to be greatly missed by the church and blood families as well as friends.  The trauma inflicted on the survivors in the congregation will be deep and long-lasting.  The deacon who shot the intruder will face and confront life-long after-effects of his action.  No one emerged from this a winner.

There was also another victim here.  The shooter.  He has been described variously as “evil,” a “threat,” or in some other neutral terminology by the media.  Those descriptions may well be correct; however, we need to remember most of all that he was a human being.  He had a father, mother, and possibly other blood relatives.  He may have had friends.  He had a soul.  He was loved by God.  He was one of whom it was said in II Peter of God, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  He was indeed one of whom Jesus said that we are to, “Love your enemy.”  He had a name:  Keith Thomas Kinnumen.

But please don’t misunderstand.  Even though the above is true, it is also true that Mr. Kinnumen, and only Mr. Kinnumen is responsible for the deaths of two people, and his own demise at the hands of another.  Only he is responsible for the trauma and stress.  Only he is responsible for the grief and heartache. 

As Christians it seems we are balanced between two poles, if you will.  On the one hand, we are to love as Christ loved; on the other, the reality of this fallen creation demands that we sometimes do things that seem to fly in the face of this overarching love.  We may be called to make, in a split second, decisions regarding our love for God, love for fellow-man and how that is to be lived out in our lives.  Sadly, those that responded did what they had to do.  That has been the case in innumerable places and situations before that, and regrettably will continue to be the case.

May we always understand that no matter where we as Christians may be on the political spectrum, or what our opinion is regarding the Second Amendment and gun control, we dare not dehumanize those whom God loves and desires that they come to repentance.  Let us be thankful for those who “stand in the gap,” protecting and serving.  And may we always long for The Day when all will be restored, evil will be forever defeated, and God’s people will forever be with him and with each other.

Jay Plank

God and Inspiration

When we Christians say that the writers of the Bible were inspired, we are saying that the words they penned, although they were their own based on their own recollections, experiences, or knowledge, came as a result of some kind of prompting, nudging, or other means of helping the writer write what was written.  And that nudging or prompting came from the Holy Spirit of God, guiding (in whatever ways and means he saw fit) the writers in what they have written.

So, we believe that the words of the Bible are essentially God-breathed, and as such are inerrant and worthy of being read, understood, and followed.  We know that sometimes things are lost in translation, and we also know that there are some minor variations in the various Greek texts, but those variations and translation issues don’t change the fundamental teaching of what was written.

But what about now?  Are people inspired now when writing or speaking?  Or was inspiration only a gift for the Old and New Testament writers?  Most Christians would say that inspiration has ceased, at least as far as the inspiration of Biblical material is concerned.  But does God not play any role in human speech and writing anymore?  Are we totally on our own?  I think not.

I have only anecdotal evidence…things that I myself have experienced…to lean on, but I know that there have been times in my life where I was prompted to write or to say something that, when I thought about it later, asked myself if I really said that…and if so, where in the world did it come from.

I know that when I write, I sometimes can flow words and sentences such that the only way I can express it is that I get lost in what I am writing.  Then later, I read what I said and wonder where the words and thoughts they express came from.

The same has happened when talking with someone else.  Especially in counseling or mentoring situations, I have found myself listening to what I am saying, wondering if I am really saying it or if someone else has taken over.

I don’t pretend to believe that these incidents are at all miraculous in nature.  However, I do believe that the hand of God works through my thoughts and abilities to help me to not only create thoughts I otherwise would not have apprehended, but put them to words either written or spoken that convey those thoughts accurately.  I also believe God works through the latent talents and abilities of others to produce the result He desires, whether those abilities are in art, music, drama, writing, carpentry, food prep, accounting…the list could go on endlessly.

I believe God IS interested in our daily lives.  I believe God IS interested in how we use the abilities he has given us.  I believe God DOES guide us at times to fulfill His will in whatever ways he sees fit.  And to that end, I need to dedicate whatever abilities I have to his service, and allow him to work with me, alongside me, and through me.

Yesterday and Today

I've spent some time the last few days on YouTube watching various videos of Peter, Paul, and Mary. For those who may have been living on a deserted island for the past 60 or so years, Peter , Paul, and Mary was a folk singing group organized in the early 1960's and continuing on most of the next fifty years until Mary's death in 2009. The group was, and continues to be an icon of the boomers as well as generations since.

Their concerts were wholesome and heartfelt, as were their songs. Suitable for children of all ages, Peter, Paul and Mary will be enjoyed by music lovers in generations to come, just as Sinatra, Martin, Glenn Miller and others of the earlier eras continue to be enjoyed by the generations of today.

But I don't write this to extol the virtues of the group or the individuals in the group. Sometimes as we age, we think back to earlier days and times. We sometimes wistfully wish we could transport ourselves back to those times. We long for the innocence of those times. And we do things like listen to those old songs indelibly imprinted in our conscience by groups and individuals we will never forget. The songs themselves sometimes take us back to specific times of our lives in ways that are unique to each of us.

God knew what he was doing when he created us with the capacity to remember, reminisce, and lose ourselves at times in memories of days and years gone by. Those memories evoke emotions and thoughts that help keep us grounded and give us a respite from the struggles of the present. They help us sort things out and appreciate what we enjoy now in life and living.

However, there is a danger in dwelling too much on the past. It's one thing to enjoy remembering and recounting one's life from time to time. It's quite another to live in that past as an escape from the present.

Nothing remains the same forever. Things change. The world changes. We change. Our thoughts change. Our opinions change. Our relationships change. Like it or not, time marches on, and we can either stay up with it or lose ourselves in the past. And to do that is to live in a reality of one's creation...not the reality that truly is.

So, put on those vinyl records of PP&M, The Carpenters, The Moody Blues, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Julie Andrews, The Righteous Brothers, or whoever else you enjoy. Enjoy them for a time. Remember. Recall.

Then, put them away and go out into the present. Live in the reality that is yours today. And as you do, remember the God who put you here and has given you the life you now enjoy.