The Tension Between Art and Excess

 Writer, wife, mom, and my friend Kendra Broekhuis, in her monthly newsletter called “Present Tense,” writes a piece called, “The Tension Between Art and Excess.”  In it, she speaks of the great disparity that is often seen between those who “have,” and those who “have not,” and what the Christian response should be in those situations.

I have edited some of the post and will read it for you.  I’ll then discuss it briefly following my reading of her text.

 

Twelve years ago, I told my friend I couldn’t imagine painting our house.  Buying paint, rollers, and tape for the sole purpose of making a few rooms look pretty was just too frivolous.  A waste of money that could be given to the poor. 

My husband and I were living in Guatemala at the time, and for us, part of expatriate life was constantly processing how some people in this world lived with so much while others suffered with so little.  We wanted solutions, ones as simple as a math problem.  If we would only subtract excess from our lives and add it to the needs of the people around us, maybe we would finally scratch the surface of some of the world’s ills.

The house I was talking about painting with my friend was theoretical until seven years ago when we bought the one our family lives in today.

The reason I force myself to think about the tensions of my faith in this newsletter every month is because my brain tends to jump to extremes.  I believe that’s partly from the conditioning of living in environments with varying levels of poverty.  When the need around you is extreme, a lot of possessions, activities, opportunities, and yes—even the art of painting walls—start to seem like unnecessary excess.  Like an Ecclesiastes mantra: “Everything is meaningless!”

In Guatemala, for example, our elderly friends lived in a tin shack on the side of the hill next to the school where we worked, but back in the US we need homes with 1,000 square feet per person?  A man at our bus stop in Guatemala sold orange juice for a living to support him and his young son, but back home we need yearly, sometimes quarterly, vacations?  A woman once knocked on our door for bread and money for medicine, but a $30 million Mormon temple was built mere miles from our apartment?

It’s here in the United States too.  Three weeks ago, I came home from the grocery store to find a man eating discarded fast food from my neighbor’s garbage can.  It was the day before my book released into the world—a novel.  How dare we write novels.  How dare we paint rooms.  Is it all excess? Frivolous?

This is perhaps the tension I think about the most in regard to my faith.  On the one hand, we live in a world with both excess and suffering.  And as followers of Jesus, we’re told to not ignore that.  He said to not send a naked neighbor away with mere “hopes” if we have an actual coat to cover him with (James 2).  He warned us to guard ourselves against all types of greed (Luke 12).  He highlighted the peace that comes with contentment. (Philippians 4, 1 Timothy 6).

On the other hand, God’s first act of love for this world was to create it.  And what He created wasn’t a colorless, artless place, but. . .wait for it. . .a garden.  I imagine the first visual arts of that garden—flowers and fruits, vibrant and luscious.  I imagine the first arts of work and movement—the joy of sweating under the sun with my hands in the dirt, ending the day fully satisfied with my work instead of anxious from toil.  I imagine reaching the seventh day and experiencing the art of being completely at rest in mind, body, and soul in the rich depths of God’s love.  It’s all a reminder that the world God envisioned went beyond food and clothes.

This is Jay again.  I too, like Kendra, often wonder about the great chasm that seems to exist between those of us who are blessed with relative security and our needs being met…and yes, beyond our needs…and those who struggle to find an overpass to sleep under at night and make a daily trip to the Lord’s Diner for a meal, all the while suffering both physically and mentally.

I also know that just throwing money at a problem won’t necessarily fix it.  I know of people for whom $50,000 cash wouldn’t fix their issues.  And I certainly don’t have that kind of money.  What can I do?  How can I help meet the incredible need that is, as we say, “out there?”  And what is my responsibility as a Child of God to these people?  Just how far does loving one’s neighbor go?  Am I guilty of sending a naked neighbor away with mere “hopes” if I have an actual coat to cover him with (James 2).  And as Kendra said, Jesus warned us to guard ourselves against all types of greed (Luke 12).  And, he highlighted the peace that comes with contentment. (Philippians 4, 1 Timothy 6).  Just what does Jesus expect of me?

I’m not going to answer that question for you.  I’m struggling to find an answer for myself, and may never find one in this life.  The tension that exists between want and plenty is one each of us must wrestle with as we strive to become more and more like our savior and Lord.  May God bless you as you go forward “in tension” from this day.

Truth

 Good morning!

 Earlier this week, many of us saw one of the great celestial sights ever…an eclipse of the sun.  For those fortunate to be in the totality path, we witnessed darkness in the middle of the day, and were able to see the “atmosphere” of the sun…the corona…in all of its splendor.  Even those of us who saw only a partial eclipse were awed by the oncoming darker environment, the cooler temperatures, and the sight of a sun mostly covered by the moon.

Of course, there were those who said the eclipse was somehow connected to the occult, or to the seconding coming of Jesus, or the overthrow of the United States, or that God was trying to tell us something…and, of course they knew exactly what God was trying to say.  I’m not buying any of that.  Eclipses have been happening for millennium after millennium.  And should the universe survive in its present state, will continue to happen for many more.

It’s what is called a natural phenomenon.  That is, it happens because of the way the universe is wired.  It’s like a transit of the planet Venus across the face of the sun, which I also witnessed some years ago…or an eclipse of the moon, the appearance of a comet or the conjunction of heavenly bodies.  These things happen because of the way the universe is ordered, and because the laws of physics are what they are.  Not because of some attachment to the occult or some other rationale.

Good luck, however, trying to convince some of that truth.  Some folks are so set on believing what they want to believe regardless of the truth of the matter that they create their own version of the truth…alternative facts, if you will.  Alternative facts by definition are those which have been proven to be false either in part or in their entirety.  They are spread, however, by people who are not concerned about truth, but rather are bent on spreading an agenda of some kind, and will openly lie in order to do that.

The problem for these folks is that the message of truth is not changed into the message they want it to be just because they say so.  Truth is truth even if no one believes it.  Truth stands on its own.  It doesn’t need anyone to help it prevail.  In a post on a blog called “The Socratic Method” the author says this about truth.  “Truth, in its inherent nature, does not require the support of government or any external entity to hold sway over public opinion.  It is self-evident, resilient, and capable of prevailing against the waves of falsehood that may threaten to dislodge it.”

I don’t know your social or political world view.  And, for the purposes of this thought, it doesn’t matter.  It seems that many of the people who grab the headlines in the media today, regardless of their beliefs or political bent know how to, shall we say, “Massage” the truth in such a way that they can’t be accused of outright lying, but nevertheless they say something that is beneficial for them or their cause by providing just the right “twist” to the truth.  One has to be extremely careful in listening to ANY of these folk…read between the lines…determine what was NOT said as well as what WAS said…and even check for things like singular versus plural, present tense versus past tense, and other subtleties in order to determine if something may be the whole truth, partial truth, or a lie.

As one President of the United States famously said under oath some years ago, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is,’ is.”  Nuancing speech in this kind of way is something politicians and others in the public sector are well-aware of and practice regularly.  The media, who ask the questions, often are not thinking about the nuances of either the question or the response, and fail to ask questions, or follow-up questions, in the proper, nuanced way in order to gain the most truthful answer.

It is sad that we are this way.  However, it is nothing new.  Humanity has been a lying humanity for millennia, and will continue to be so as long as the lies work to our advantage.  But you can change that in your corner of the world.  Telling the truth…the whole truth…may be extremely difficult at times.  Hearing the truth may go against your current world view.  However, telling the truth, and aligning your world view with the truth are the right things to do, and must be done in order to preserve any sense of order and stability.

Be a truth teller.  Be a truth believer.  Be a truth supporter.  Whether politics, religion, societal issues, or just in relationships with one-another, be a champion of truth.

 Blessings.

Potpourri II

 Good morning!

 Today I’ll just share some thoughts and things that are on my mind this week.  There’s nothing earth-shaking in this post, but you might find something interesting.

Today, I will meet with a first cousin whom I haven’t seen for about 60 years.  I was a teen the last time we were together, and time and distance have kept us apart ever since then.  She’s coming to Kansas this week, and we will meet in Hesston for lunch and get re-acquainted.

Her dad was my mother’s older brother.  I know that in our brief visit we won’t be able to go through all sixty years of separation, but it will be good to see her and visit for a time.

Some of you may be wondering why I would want to visit a cousin I hadn’t seen in six decades.  Well, if you are familiar with my Mennonite heritage, you may know that Mennonites are known for keeping track of relatives, family histories, and maintaining relationships with even what many would call “shirt-tail” relatives.  It’s just kind of a “thing” that we do.  Second cousins once-removed are family, just as are aunts and uncles.  And first cousins…well…they’re part of the “close family” that we claim.  So, when this opportunity arose to meet up with my cousin, I jumped at the chance and she agreed.  I think it will be a great visit.

The first of next week, a celestial phenomenon will take place…a total eclipse of the sun that will be visible through the heart of the US.  Happening on Monday, the eclipse has received more publicity than the Super Bowl, and will be viewed by millions.  The totality path just happens to pass over several large population centers, and is quite extensive and long-lasting, compared to other eclipses.

If the weather is good, we will go to the Dallas area where my brother lives…his home is in the path of totality.  However, early forecasts are saying that area will be covered with clouds and the eclipse will not be visible.  We will wait until probably Saturday for the updated forecast, then decide whether or not to make the trip.  But even if we stay in the Wichita area, we will be able to experience an 85% or so partial eclipse, which in itself will be special.

And, I’ve seen an eclipse…the one in 2017 that passed through Nebraska.  If I don’t see this one, it won’t be the end of the world.  It would just be nice to be able to see one more in this lifetime.

On a more serious note, as you may know, I handle most of the benevolence requests that we receive at RiverWalk Church.  We have policies and procedures in place to operate that program in ways that we believe will provide the most benefit and do the most good.  There are many churches and agencies that work with those who are in need.  Food pantries, places that serve hot meals, agencies that help with rent, basic medical needs, clothing, laundry, and other needs are available.  We decided we didn’t need to re-invent the wheel, so we have tailored our benevolence to help in ways that not many other programs do.  We like to  primarily help those who are housed, but may be in danger of losing their housing because of an inability to pay a utility bill or purchase fuel for a vehicle so they can go to work, medical appointment, or school.  Our resources are limited monetarily, and we can’t help everyone with everything.  We do what we can with what we have.  And, although we have some leeway in our benevolent help guidelines, we try to adhere to them as much as possible.

One thing we insist on is that the person requesting help come to the building for an interview.  It is important for us to meet them, and for them to know where the assistance is coming from.  It is also an opportunity for us to dig a little deeper into their situation and perhaps offer some guidance, and even spiritual help if they are agreeable.

So, it happens that sometimes we hear of a benevolent need which is certainly genuine, but we have to decline because the need is not in accordance with our guidelines, or the need is much greater than we are able to help with.  That decision is usually mine alone to make, and is not a decision I make lightly.  I know something of the real world these people are living in.  I am well aware of the daily struggles to just find a meal or a place to stay for the night.  I am cognizant of the high cost of utilities, food, and transportation.  And I often hear defeat and tones of yet another rejection in the voices of those I’ve had to decline.  So, it’s not something that I approach with a cavalier attitude.  Nor is having to decline help something I enjoy, especially when children or physically or mentally challenged individuals are involved.

Those kinds of interactions…the ones when I have to decline help…happen regularly.  And each time they happen, I mentally review the situation and ask myself if I did the right thing.  I know that I will be held to account for what I do in these situations…if not from the church, I know that I will ultimately have to answer to God for my decisions.  It is an awesome thing, and also a bit scary, to know of the responsibility I carry for the decisions I make.

Take care the rest of this week.  Don’t look at the sun without eye protection.  Check up on relatives you may not have heard from in awhile.  And above all, be kind one to another and love your neighbor as yourself.  As the Jackie Deshannon song says, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”

Maundy Thursday

 Today is Maundy Thursday, 2024.  This is the Easter week for this year, and Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday lie ahead of today.  Our family and our faith tradition normally do not celebrate Maundy Thursday, so I had to look up some information about the day.

The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning commandment, and references the words of Jesus as he said to his disciples, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  The day commemorates the washing of feet and the last supper of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.

 For those of us who are Christ-followers, this entire week as special significance.  We may not all celebrate each of the days of this week in the same way, but the culmination of the week on Easter Sunday is special for us all, as it commemorates the risen Lord, and with it the promise of grace, forgiveness, and life everlasting.  Now, I know that for those who are uninitiated in the tenets of the Christian faith, this whole thing seems to be so far-fetched and implausible that we often are branded as insane idiots who choose to be carried off into a fairyland where God and eternal life are front and center.  We are told that we are delusional.  We are told that the Bible, our source of all that we believe, is itself a fairy tale.  And we are dismissed as a people who willingly follow along in a sort of lemming-like way off the cliff of reason and logic and into the morass of fable and fantasy.

 I don’t know what you believe about all of this.  Many of my friends have similar beliefs.  Some do not.  This post isn’t the place to argue those points.  I’m not a Christian apologist.  You can believe whatever you wish to believe.  I only ask that you give me the same grace as I give you, without the name-calling or the put-downs.  That behavior is not necessary and is non-productive.  I’ve heard it all before, and whatever you may say will be nothing new.  And I promise I’ll not harass you with “religion” unless you are interested in what I have to say.

 The Easter week, and especially Easter Sunday, is also a symbol of the coming of spring, the renewing of the earth, and an awakening of life.  Easter eggs, flower arrangements, bunnies & chicks, and all that goes with those things are symbols of that awakening.  Easter is a moveable holiday, celebrated anywhere between March 22 and April 25, depending on the date of the first full moon following the spring equinox.  Just how that came to be is a long story that I’ll not re-tell here.  You can look it up in the fountain of all information, Wikipedia, if you want more background.

 I don’t know how you celebrate Easter.  Maybe you have a special Sunday dinner for the family.  It may be that you take in an Easter Sunrise service or participate in a special Easter service that your church offers.  You may make a special time for the kids in your family by hiding Easter eggs or taking them to a park.  You may just consider it to be an ordinary Sunday and not do much of anything.  Whatever you do or don’t do, I encourage you to at least read the account of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in one of the Gospel accounts in the New Testament.  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all have the story within them.  Doing this will give you a better idea of the reason for the holiday and why Christians the world over celebrate it.

 And if by chance you have a question after you’ve read the story, I also encourage you to find what many call a “spiritual advisor” to help you better understand the account you read and answer any questions you may have.  That advisor could be a Christian friend or the minister or pastor of a church.  There is much more to the Christian faith than just this story;   however, without the death and resurrection of Jesus, there is nothing left upon which the Christian faith can “hang its hat,” so to speak.  The Easter story is the foundation…the crux…the basis of all that we believe and practice.

 This Maundy Thursday, the day of foot-washing and the last supper, the day of the giving of a new commandment to love one another…today is a day of reflection…reflection on life and living, death, and relationships one with another.  May your day today be one of blessing.

Daniel

 These past two weeks, our church has been having our auditorium pews re-upholstered.  The old upholstery is original, as I understand it…50 years old.  I know many churches are going with chairs in their auditoriums.  We also had the choice to do the re-upholstery or go with chairs.  We chose the upgrading of the existing pews.  The entire project is expected to be finished by tomorrow evening.

We hired a company who manufactures, repairs, and re-upholsters pews to do the job for us.  They have, as I understand it, three teams who do nothing but re-upholster and repair church pews, sending those teams out to churches all over the country for however long it takes to get the job done.  Our team has rented an Air BnB for the two weeks they are here, and have put in long hours getting the job done.

Of course, no job of any size will always go the way it is supposed to go.  There will always be things that crop up which were unforeseen…things that get in the way of efficient and timely completion of a job.  And those unforeseen things have been present in this job as well.

But the thing that I noticed when these things came up was the demeanor of the foreman of the crew.  Daniel has taken everything in stride.  He doesn’t get upset, at least outwardly.  He remains calm.  He has ideas and apparently the ability to fix the unforeseen.  He seems to be the epitome of calm in the storm of deadlines in danger of being missed and many plans disrupted by failing to complete the project on time.

Now, I don’t know Daniel, other than our interaction on this project.  But I enjoy working with him and know he will be a calm presence, and a resource for ideas that are practical and well thought-out.  His crew seems to respond well to him, and they continue to make progress even as the deadline for completion looms ever nearer.

I’m sure you’ve known of people who, when faced with the unforeseen, whether in work or in life, seem to come apart at the seams.  They fret and stew.  They moan and groan.  They make sure everyone knows about the difficulties they are facing at the time.  And, it seems, they have trouble coming up with a solution that will manage or remove the issue at hand.  Worry and drama seem to be their modus operandi.  They attempt to stir up everyone else into the same worry and drama as they themselves are in, and seem to want to live in that kind of environment.

And then there are the others…those like Daniel.  Those who, in a calm and collected manner, approach the unforeseen with what to me is no less than grace combined with resolve.  They quietly analyze, plan, and execute what they believe will be a solution to the problem.  The atmosphere they create is one of quiet competence and optimism.  They are a pleasure to work with and to be around.

I am reminded of many places in the Bible where worry is addressed.  Proverbs 3 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  Psalms 46 reads this way: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”  In Psalm 94, David says this:  “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”  And last, but certainly not least, in Luke, Jesus says this about worry:  “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” 

I know everyone is wired differently.  I know some of us are more demonstrative of our emotions than others.  I know we all have different ways of coping with the unexpected…the unforeseen…the roadblocks, if you will, that come our way.  But when those things come into our lives, it might be good for us to look at the bigger picture…to see beyond the here & now and lean on our God for guidance and help in these times of trouble.  It seems to me that would be a much better plan than expending energy on worry and drama, getting everyone else worked up and worrying, and generally causing commotions rather than solving problems.

Daniel is someone we could and should emulate when it comes to worry and dealing with the unforeseen.  And Jesus is the one we need to hear when he tells us that we can’t add a single hour to our lives by worrying, so why are we worrying about all the other things in life.

 May you be blessed this day with peace and contentment.

"Worth It All"

 “Seeing that right there…that’s worth it all.”  So said a woman who was standing beside me on the deck of a cruise ship in Alaskan waters last summer.  We were about a mile from Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park.  This glacier was actively calving…house-size and up to ten-story building size chunks of ice were calving off of a three-hundred-foot high wall of ice into the Arctic Ocean, producing a delayed thunder-clap-like sound about as loudly as I’ve ever heard as the ice chunks fell into the sea.

I’m not exactly sure what the woman was talking about when she said “that’s worth it all.”  We both were so engrossed in what we were witnessing that we didn’t converse with each other at all.  But I suspect she may have been speaking of the expense of the cruise, the difficulty she may have had in travel, or some other kind of problem that made that moment…that moment when we were privileged to witness one of the great spectacles of nature in a remote part of the earth…worth whatever difficulty she may have had to overcome.

We, too, had some things happen in the whole trip process that, while they may not have been extreme difficulties, they could have easily become a roadblock of sorts.  We had multiple conversations with our travel agent to be sure we were both on the same page.  We had to have our passports renewed, as part of our trip was in Canada.  We went through customs, had to wear masks, be vaccinated against COVID and show proof of the same.  Our bus didn’t show up at the airport to take us to our hotel, so we had to make alternate arrangements.  At times, we felt like we were sort of herded like cattle.  We went in June, so the air was rather crisp at times.  Our room on the ship was really small for the four of us.  A red-eye flight back to civilization over several time zones.  Beyond tired.

Yet those were really small inconveniences compared with the magnificence of what we experienced in the Arctic Ocean a mile or so from a huge wall of ice.  Yes, seeing that right there…that indeed was worth it all.

Paul, the apostle of Jesus, had something to say about whether or not the difficulties we encounter in life were worth it.  This is a man, you recall, who endured arrests, dungeons, beatings, shipwreck, and other “inconveniences” for the privilege of telling others about the risen Lord and a new covenant God was giving His people.  Yet he insisted on calling these things he experienced…these beatings, arrests, and other troubles “light and momentary troubles” compared with what he knew he would experience in eternity with his Lord.  Here’s what he said about that.

 

 We do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

 

Life seldom goes the way we would like.  Most of us haven’t had the kind of troubles that Paul had in his ministry.  Yet we do experience things that are part of life and living which make it more difficult, it seems, to be the kind of people God would have us be.  Sometimes we get so discouraged that we consider just giving in and giving up.  We determine that the end we envision isn’t worth all the trouble we are experiencing in order to get there.

I know that we can’t physically see the reality that God says he has in store for us if we remain faithful.  It can be incredibly difficult to be in the midst of trial and trouble, yet know, believe, and anticipate that ahead lies something that will make all of the difficulties in this life worthwhile.  I know that because I am just like you…I sometimes wonder if it’s worth it all…if something I cannot yet see, feel or comprehend in any physical way makes the trials and problems of life worth it.  The temptation to just give up and give in is real.

And to add insult to injury, Christians are often accused of believing in a fairy tale…a pie-in-the-sky, unbelievable, and preposterous tale of a god who became human, lived a human life, was killed by the Romans, and that that death somehow makes it possible for anyone who believes that story to have a life after death that is glorious beyond description.

I get it.  The logic in me says to be wary.  Any other story that seems too good to be true, we are told, usually is.

“Seeing that right there…that’s worth it all.”  I often go back to that statement by the woman who was standing next to me on the ship as we watched the calving of the glacier.  I may not physically see God or the future time, but with a kind of sight that bypasses the eyes in my head, I see the truth of what I am told.  I see the God of the universe.  And I too am convinced that these troubles are really “light and momentary,” compared with what I comprehend is ahead.  And I hope and trust that you also will understand that yes, it indeed is “worth it all.”

 

Blessings.

"Between the Lines"

 A good friend and fellow minister writes a pretty much daily article to post on his social media pages.  Today, he was writing about helping those in need and that he would much rather see the church and people of faith helping rather than the government.  Here is an excerpt of what he wrote.

I would rather help the poor directly.  The less the government takes, the more I have to give.  I am not sure how effective government programs are, though we certainly get whatever assistance we can for those in our community of faith.  I think it is better when I give to those I know and can directly help.  Of course, this assumes we will all give generously to those in need.

 He goes on with his main point in today’s writing:

 I want Jesus and God to get the glory/credit/praise for any help given.  I do not want the resources I have being used for the glory and praise of the government or any politician.  I want to help in the name of Jesus.   

I am always thankful when people are helped.  If God wants to use the government to do that, well... that is certainly His business.  But I just don't see working in earthly kingdoms as fulfilling my real Kingdom responsibility.

 OK, this is Jay again.  I have no issue with what he said.  It IS the responsibility of Christ-followers to help those in need, and to do so with compassion and dignity.  And that help needs to be more than a couple of dollars we might give to the man at the street corner asking for money, or a few cans of green beans given to the food pantry.

However, I believe the issues are much greater, more ingrained, and more intractable than what many people understand.  I wrote this in response to his post.

 Reading between the lines of your post, I see the tension of relying too much on government versus the faith community's charge to care for the needy.

The needs, however, are greater than what any individual church or person can provide.  And, although certainly necessary, needs go far beyond a meal, a coat, or a room at a motel for the night.  Mental health, generational poverty, physical health, depression, legal issues, addiction, affordable housing, and other issues loom like unconquerable mountains over the lives of many of these people.  It’s as if they are looking at a path ahead that is so blocked that there is no conceivable way through or around.  Despair, surrender, and exhaustion become the norm.

However, as my friend Jennifer White and many others have said, and I've often quoted, "I can't do everything, but I can do something." Just because the problem seems intractable is no reason to sit back and relax. We can ALL do something, even though knowing we won't ever "fix" the issues entirely in this fallen creation.

 This is Jay again.  I don’t know what your thoughts are regarding the poor, the impoverished, the unhoused, the mentally ill, and those with other types of issues that keep them from what many of us consider to be a “normal” lifestyle.  You may be one of those who has a very black-and-white view of them and you say, or think, “Why don’t you just get a job and get back into life?”  Others of you may be very engaged in these societal issues through your work as a social worker, therapist, counselor, medical provider, or other similar vocations.

Still others of you may be helping in some way by volunteering at a food pantry, a soup kitchen, or by handing out clothing and other needs to the unhoused.  The responses to the issues of poverty, homelessness, and all the rest are many and varied.  However, the responses of the Christian…the one who is a true follower of Jesus Christ…must be more narrow in scope.

Christians don’t have the option of dismissing someone’s misery by telling them to “Just get a job.”  And Christians do have, in my opinion, an obligation to try to understand at least some of the below-the-surface issues that manifest in homelessness and poverty.

I believe we also have an obligation to not only begin to understand the issues, but to help alleviate those issues ourselves, AND work alongside non-profits, government, and communities of faith…supporting them as we can and are able.

It’s a big issue…one that we will always have with us, I believe.  And it’s one that we as Christians need to not only be aware of, but “dug in,” so to speak, in some way to help alleviate it…renewing the creation One. Person. At. A. Time.

 Blessings

God Is Big Enough

 I think many of us, as we go about our days, at least at times are aware of some of the headlines that are in the news of the day.  It seems that the news goes in cycles.  We hear about something the news orgs believe to be important one day…then hear about it again the next day…and the next.  Then, when something else “new and newsworthy” comes along, the old news topic is dropped, many times never to be heard from again even though that same situation or event is still happening.

Sometimes the news people insert a “good news” story into the mixture.  It’s usually about some good deed done by someone, or perhaps it’s a look at some kind of special relationship between people, or perhaps it involves an animal in a feel-good way.  These stories are bountiful, but don’t seem to get the air time that the disaster and bad behavior stories receive.

And if you’re like me, some days you look at the headlines and wonder if the world truly has gone over the edge.  It’s so bad some days you don’t even want to read or hear the story itself.  And you’re sorry you even looked at the headlines, because they just ruined your whole day.

Today was such a day for me.  I will often go to one of the local television station web pages in the morning and just briefly look over the headlines.  Here’s what one station had on its page today.

 Wildfires kill livestock in Texas and Kansas.

Man charged with capital murder in East Wichita motel shooting

Extra security at USD 266 due to unsubstantiated threat.

Putin threatens nuclear war if troops sent to aid Ukraine

Kellogg’s CEO criticized for “Cereal for dinner” comment

Man allegedly causes $550,000 in damage to rail cars

 And last, but certainly not least

 Utah study reveals the best place for UFO sightings.

 Now, I know these headlines aren’t unusual.  These types of stories come out in the news every day.  But today, for some reason, I took a quick look at them, went “UGH” in my mind, and decided to close the web page without any further perusal of the stories.  I also woke up today with the beginnings of a headache, and had some additional aches this morning from some more strenuous activity yesterday than I normally engage in.  So, I wasn’t in any great frame of mind anyway, and probably should never have looked at the news from overnight.

Now, I could, given my frame of mind, the absurdity and depravity of some of the headlines, and a general malaise, let today just continue to go downhill…OR, I could see what I could do to make some lemonade, so to speak, from what is left of my optimism and positivity.

I have to admit that I have to work to keep myself from getting too riled up over the headlines.  Political headlines especially are sometimes a real issue for me.  I believe that I need to have some understanding of what is happening in political circles, yet I also need to not get so worked up over those things about which I can do nothing.  I have no control over what Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden say or do.  I cannot vote for or against a certain bill or resolution in the Congress, the state legislature, or the county commission.  I believe I need to be aware, and I can and do communicate with my representatives, but once that is done, I need to let it go.

And as far as the other headlines go, people are going to do bad and stupid things.  People are going to say things they ought not have said, at least publicly.  The environment, the weather, and the natural world will not always be rainbows and unicorns.  So, what can I do?

The one thing that I can do, but many times forget to do, is talk with the ONE who is the ultimate authority...the ultimate power...the ultimate control.  I can speak with him regarding the situations here, petition for relief, and do my part to bring a renewed creation into my sphere of influence.

You may think that prayer…communication with God…is a cop-out and an abdication of my responsibility somehow to try to effect real change.  You may think that instead of prayer, I need to join a political party, be part of a protest in front of City Hall, contribute to a political action committee, or some other thing.  You may think that I am just “checking out,” so to speak, and am not being realistic about how things really are.

I assure you that I know what goes on in the real world.  I’m very familiar with death and dying.  I see poverty, and daily work to help alleviate it.  I know all too well what it means to be homeless.  I know of the struggles of single parenting.  I’ve spent years in public service of one kind or another.  No, I’m not an expert in every social ailment, but I’ve been around enough to have some comprehension of many aspects of society and the world situation which make the news from time to time.

And I’ve found prayer to be an effective tool, if you will, as I continue in life.  I think you might also find it beneficial and effective.  Nothing else has worked for you, has it…it can’t hurt to give it a try.  Give your anxiety, your anger, and your fears regarding the news headlines over to God.  He’s big enough to take it all on.

 Blessings,

Some Questions

 Good morning and welcome to this Thursday’s thought.

 Scot Pollard had a heart transplant last week.  For those of you who are in the know on things KU Basketball, Pollard was a big part of the KU basketball program in the mid 1990’s, and played for eleven seasons in the NBA following his graduation.  Due to a viral episode a few years ago that weakened his heart, it was decided that the only way out was to receive a transplant.  That happened last week.

Pollard is up and around, and is recovering well.  There had been some difficulty in finding a heart of the proper size, as Pollard is a big man at six feet eleven inches.  One was found, however, and he is getting a new lease on life, thanks to a donor whose identity has not been made public.

I’ve not had a transplant.  So I don’t know the answers to the questions I’m about to ask.  But I have to wonder if these thoughts go through the minds of those who HAVE received a transplant, whether a heart, a kidney, or some other body part.

In the midst of the joy of a new lease on life must surely come the realization that someone else has died, at least in terms of a heart transplant.  And that were it not for that death, the recipient of the transplant may well not be alive or have much of a future.  One life traded for another, so to speak.

Yes, I know that the life that ended did so inevitably.  That there was no cure…no recourse…no chance for survival.  But I have to wonder how the transplant recipient thinks about that reality, and if she or he does, to what extent.  And if so, how that reality colors the joy of a new life.  Are there periods of reflection, sadness, gratitude?  Does the recipient really understand the gravity and “life-and-death” of it all?

I also have to wonder if the recipient has a greater sense of service and “paying it forward,” as it were, knowing that either the donor or his family made a conscious decision to give…to give something a precious as life…to another whom they would never know.  I know that acts of service and generosity many times trigger at least a temporary increase of the same in the lives of those served.  I have to wonder if a transplant changes how a person thinks regarding service and generosity, especially the kind of generosity that demands extraordinary sacrifice of some kind, such as organ donation.

In short, does a transplant cause a fundamental change in the recipient’s outlook on life?  Is that person different in ways that are not only easily noticed, but permanent in nature?  And what are the recipient’s views on meeting the family of the one who gave the organ?  What would one say to the family, or to the person who donated, should that person be living?  What kinds of emotions would course through one’s soul at that moment?

I am grateful that I have not had to experience that kind of thing.  And in any event, I am old enough that such a thing would not be a medical possibility for me.  But Scot Pollard is not yet 50 years old.  He has a lot of life left, if his new heart keeps working without being rejected, and all else is good.  And he is not alone.  Transplants of various kinds…hearts, lungs, kidneys, livers, and so on are more and more common.  And there are better anti-rejection medications now than there were some years ago, resulting in fewer complications.

Medical science has come a long way over the years, and I’m sure will continue to progress in ways we can only imagine now.  But along with that progression, we need to keep in mind that we are treating human beings…people…individuals.  These people have another side to their makeup besides their physiology.  People are emotional, thoughtful, and cognizant.  We have hearts (not of the physical variety, but of the emotional kind), souls, and minds.  What is done in a physical way affects other areas of life and living.  And I would think that the recipient of new life through a transplant gift would be especially affected.

Thanks for listening.  Life can be complicated, even without all of the externals of politics, the world situation, and the various trials and tribulations that we see.  But that’s also one of the great things about life and living.  We aren’t robots.  We aren’t just existing.  Life has meaning and purpose.  And for that, I am most grateful.

I never answered my questions, but that’s OK.  Good things to think about even if you have never experienced something like a heart transplant.  Humanity could use a good dose of humility, gratefulness, and generosity about now.  Thanks for listening.

 Blessings,

Eeyore

 Good afternoon.

 As some of you may know, I have a “wall of heroes” in my office just opposite my desk.  I can see it at all times when I’m at my desk, and I receive many blessings from the photos that I have there.  Most of the photos are of people who I am honoring by placing their photos on the wall.  I have a photo of the now-former planet Pluto and one of the earth.  I also have a photo of a couple of therapy dogs that have been in my past.

And, I have two photos of Eeyore, the donkey in the Winnie The Pooh stories.  Eeyore, as you may know, comes across as a pessimistic and gloomy character who seems to have bad things happen to him.  Yet he always gets up, so to speak, dusts himself off, and goes on with life and living.

One of the photos I have shows Eeyore with his head between his front legs, looking back toward his tail.  The other shows him with Pooh and the caption, “Any day spent with you is my favorite day,” spoken by Pooh.

Eeyore is described by Wikepedia as physically one of the stronger animals of the series, and is often treated as a pack animal whenever a plot calls for one.  His house is regularly knocked down, but he always rebuilds it.  He usually expects misfortune to happen to him, accepts it when it does and rarely even tries to prevent it.  His catchphrases are "Thanks for noticin' me" and "Ohhh-kayyy.

I can certainly relate to Eeyore.  In fact, I’m sometimes referred to by that name by my family.  I suppose that’s because I’m just not the bubbly type.  I rarely show a lot of emotion, and have been told that I sometimes come across as angry or upset when I’m nowhere close to those emotions.  I don’t know that I always have bad things that happen to me, or that I don’t try to prevent those things from happening.  But, I’ve always thought that I go on with life and living when bad things happen, preferring to look ahead rather than continuing to live in the past.  And, as I said, I’m nowhere near the bubbly, outgoing type.  I’d much rather stand over in a corner in a crowd or not even be there in the first place.  Even if the crowd is people I know and love, I do better when I’m on my own, or at least separated somewhat from the crowds.

I don’t avoid crowds at all costs.  I attend concerts, visit zoos, parks, and other places where there is likely to be others gathered, and have gone on cruises, flown commercially, and enjoyed several vacations in places where there were crowds.  At our church, I teach classes, visit with other congregants, and enjoy my time there.  But I just seem to be more relaxed and “at home” when I’m alone or with my wife.

I know everyone is different.  I know there are the personalities that seem to relish being around others and do well at absorbing the energy that is found in crowds.  These are the ones who seem to be those we notice right away…that when they come into a room, everyone takes notice of their presence.  I’m not one of them.  Crowds don’t feed my energy level…I consume energy and am tired when I’ve been in a crowd for a time.  I’d prefer that no one much notice that I’m there, and let me just stand in the corner, so to speak, and observe and listen.

My friend Eeyore is on my wall of heroes.  Not because of his pessimistic and gloomy nature, but because of his resilience.  When his house is knocked down, he rebuilds it.  When he’s asked to be a pack animal, he does his job.  When he loses his tail, he has Chrisopher Robin pin it back on.  And he goes on about life and living, looking ahead rather than stewing and fretting about the past.    Blessings…

The Surgery

 Almost three weeks ago, I had to have a couple of teeth removed.  One had broken off at the gum line.  The other was cracked up inside the gum and was aching.  I decided to have both of them removed and have implants later on this year after everything has healed.  That process consists of having “posts” implanted sometime in April, waiting for that to heal, and having the final restoration done sometime in June.

I tell you this because I went into this pretty much dreading the after effects of the removal surgery.  The last time I had any teeth removed was when I had wisdom teeth extracted some 50 or more years ago.  At that time I had just local anesthesia, and the after-effects were less than pleasant for a couple of days.  I also had an extended time of having to eat soft food, and was single, so I was on my own.

This time, I asked to be put under general anesthesia…conscious sedation, I think they call it.  Yet I wasn’t at all looking forward to the days following the surgery, knowing there would essentially be a couple of holes in my gums that I would have to keep clean, and I would have to be careful what I ate and how I chewed my food.

The surgery went well.  I don’t remember anything.  The discomfort following the surgery was minimal.  I took only two or three of the pain pills I was given, and for the next two or three days just took over the counter medications.  I did have to watch what and how I ate, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it might be.  My mouth has now pretty much healed, and I can eat practically anything.

I tell you these things because there is a larger principle here.  So often when we see something ahead of us that is an unknown, we tend to think the worst.  We dwell on the negative aspects.  Our brains immediately think about all that can go wrong.  We get worked up because of all of the possible problems, issues, and yes, I’ll say it, CHANGES that we will need to make in our daily routines because of what we think may be coming our way.  We are, after all, creatures of habit, comfort, and sameness.

Sometimes we are correct in our notion that things can go badly.  Our lives are upended.  Things go drastically wrong.  Permanent changes take place in our lives and in the lives of those we know and love.  But often, we become agitated and upset about a future event only to experience very little disruption, very little change, very little that we previously were dreading.

Jesus said this about worry in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel.

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?   Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Most of us tend to fret and worry entirely too much.  We worry about things over which we have little or no control.  I’ve spoken before about how some of us get all worked up about national and international politics; yet we have virtually no control over anything that happens in those venues.  Things such as who becomes elected as President.  The various wars and conflicts over the world.  What the Congress will or won’t do.  Floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.  Who wins the Super Bowl.

These are things we can’t influence in any meaningful way.  Yes, we need to cast our votes.  Yes, we need to communicate as best we can with our elected representatives.  Yes, we need to be aware of what’s going on in the world.  But to worry, get upset, lose sleep, lose friends, and generally work oneself into a frenzy over these things is not only unproductive.  It is unhealthy.

So, like my interactions with the oral surgeon, and later on my regular dentist, it is not productive for me to worry.  It can even be unhealthy for me to get upset over something I need to do.

Life is much better when we take a moment to just breathe and relax.  Wind down and enjoy the time we have.  As was said in the old Alka Seltzer commercial, Try it.  You’ll like it.

Political Theater

 It’s time for another Thursday Thought…Good Morning !!

 I’d like to venture into the world of politics for just a moment.  Now, don’t tune me out or turn me off.  It won’t be what you think.  I’m not going to rail against one person and extol the virtues of another.  I’m not going to talk about conservative versus liberal, Democrat versus Republican, or any of that.  Rather, I’d like to give you my take on how I cope with what goes on in the fantasy world otherwise known as political theater.

There are several political theaters in our culture.  There’s the national and international theaters.  Then we come closer to home with state politics, and finally local politics of various stripes…city, county, school districts, and so on.  Each of these theaters vies for our attention as citizens, voters, and supporters.  And each of these theaters has its own modus operandi, so to speak, regarding how, when, what, and why it communicates with us.

We in turn have a relationship with each of these political theaters.  For example, for the vast majority of us, our relationship with national and international politics can be described as distant at best.  Yes, we may have intense opinions about this or that regarding the national and international political scene.  Our world view may be such that we coalesce around one or another dogma, issue, or human political figure.  We may even participate in protests, marches, or other civic activities in order to express our opinion.  But the fact is that for the most of us, what we say or do in no way changes what happens in the national or international political scenes.

Our individual voices are seldom, if ever heard.  Instead, the communication is the other way around…the political interests talking to us.  Their primary job, it seems, is keeping us stirred up about this or that perceived failure of the other side, asking for money to “fight the good fight,” to keep the bad guys out of power, promising rainbows and unicorns if the “good guys” are in power, and letting us know that our nation as we know it will cease to exist and the apocalypse will commence if the other side wins.

However, with local politics, and to a somewhat lesser degree state politics, if we approach it in the right way, we will be heard.  The local politicians will listen.  We can have a productive dialog with them.  And we can effect change.

Additionally, we can engage ourselves in our community.  We can make our corner of the world a better place for our having been here.  We can partner with others to effectively make changes that we alone could not do.  As my friend Jennifer White says, “I can’t do everything, but I can do something.”  We may not be able to move the mountain that is national and international politics, but we can certainly put our shoulders against the hill that is local and state politics, and begin to facilitate a move toward a better local society.

“How?” you say.  I don’t know how you will gain a local politician’s ear, but for me, reaching out to that person displaying kindness, some knowledge of current events, expressing gratitude for their willingness to serve regardless of their political bent, and a desire for genuine conversations go a long way toward gaining an audience.  I’ve also found out that an offer a lunch date in a place that is relatively quiet so we can just visit over food and drink will often be the carrot for conversation.

I have the ear of my state representative, the person who will be my state senator next year, my city council person, the city council person of the district of where the church is located, my county commissioner, and others in city, county, and state government.  I don’t always agree with them, nor do they agree with me.  I explain my position and they explain theirs.  We sometimes agree to disagree and remain friends.  However, I know I have communicated with them, and I know they take what I say seriously and at least consider it as they deliberate and debate in city hall or the state capitol.

I have found that local and state politics is nowhere near the simple, fifteen-second sound byte or shouted slogan that the media and others would have one believe.  It’s messy, incredibly complicated, and reaches into the most inner workings of society and of individual lives.  It’s where we pretty much live as individuals and local community.

I’ve sort of sworn off of national and international politics.  I can’t change what happens.  I can’t communicate in any realistic way with my national representatives.  I am virtually an unknown, except as a source of money or ideological energy.  But with state and local politics, I can be someone…a person…a human being.  I can, if I approach them in a dignified way, with kindness and a willingness to listen and learn, have genuine conversation with my local representatives.  I can effect change.

And you can too.  Try it.  Get to know those who represent you locally.  It’s well worth the effort.  And don’t allow the media and political machines to rile you up with garbage speech, innuendo, and outright lies that should never see the light of day.  You’ll be healthier.  You’ll be happier.  You’ll be free from the scrum at the bottom of the cesspool.

One last thing.  Pray.  Pray, as Paul says in his letter to Timothy, “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

 

Blessings.