An Incredible Presentation

I just witnessed what in my mind was one of the most powerful presentations I’ve ever heard.  The occasion was the wrap-up of a week-long crafts fair for girl scouts held at our church building.  The girls made their own crafts, many of them clothing or articles of bling of some kind.  Several older women mentored them during the week.  At the craft show today where the girls showed off the fruit of their labor, the mentors held a panel forum that consisted in part of the girls being able to ask questions of the panelists.

The questions from these 4^th to 6^th grade girls were pertinent and on point.  The panelists gave what I considered an incredible presentation and answering of questions.  The women on the panel were all academically gifted and had vocations to match.  Engineering, graphic design, microbiology, aerospace engineering and more were represented on the panel.  The women talked at length in answering questions, and gave a lot of advice as well.

“Learn to code,” one woman said.  Coding is the language of today.  If you don’t think you’ll ever use it, learn it anyway.

“What role does dance play in your vocation,” one girl asked.  I thought there would be no answer for that from these women, but two of them talked at some length about how dance played a part in what they did or a project they had worked on.

One woman talked about the challenge of moving from a literal wind tunnel for the testing of aircraft to a virtual wind tunnel, how that transition took place and what was required to do so.  One talked about what happens when, due to no one’s fault, there is a layoff and you’re suddenly out of work.  One spoke of how much she loves getting out and meeting new people in her line of work (she’s now an outreach coordinator for a university).

The women talked about education, goals, challenges, the good and the not so good.  But more than anything, these women demonstrated to the girls (and to the greater audience) that a woman doesn’t need to be a dependent doormat or continually barefoot and pregnant.  A woman can indeed achieve, and do so with dignity and with class.  These women were great mentors, not only in the crafts portion of the week, but especially during the panel presentation.

It is refreshing and energizing to hear such testimony, to know that there are many successful people in the world.  Whether a person (man or woman) has chosen to make a home for children or create the latest wing design for a new fighter jet, there are opportunities.  There are challenges.  There are obstacles.  But there are also the mountain tops and there are the times of great satisfaction at having done a job well.

You'll Have to Decide

My wife says I haven’t written in my personal blog since Thanksgiving.  My, has the time gone by that quickly?  It’s Christmas already??  It seems the calendar just (as my sister says) “whings” by.  With all of the goings-on a the church the past month, it’s been difficult to even think of writing a personal blog, let alone actually doing it.

I looked back on this blog to the beginning.  The first post was in the first part of December, 2005.  That’s eleven years.   And that year, Christmas Day was on a Sunday, just as it is this year.  Much has changed in the last eleven years, and much has stayed the same.  We’ve all aged, of course.  Hopefully, we’ve all also grown a bit wiser, and have settled into a general peace with where we are and who we are.

Christmas is an enigma among enigmas.  Life itself seems to be an enigma.  And Christmas is one of those days that means so much to so many; yet there are so many different takes on the holiday that it boggles the mind.

Some take trips to Mexico, the Florida Keys, Tahiti, or some other exotic place for the holidays.  Some go on trips, but to less exotic places.  They go to Grandma’s home, or go visit the kids.  Maybe they make a once-in-a-few-years trip to Aunt Martha’s.  Or they might just go somewhere where they don’t know anyone and enjoy the holiday in a hotel or resort of some kind.

Still others plan to have family and friends over.  They cook, clean, and prepare.  They decorate and round up extra tables, chairs, and other necessities.  They look forward to having the grandkids over, or to having family over to watch football and munch on goodies.  They make candy and cookies of various kinds.

And yet others don’t do much of anything.  They are alone…some by choice…some not.  They don’t buy, give, or receive gifts.  Maybe they don’t have the money.  Maybe they don’t celebrate for religious or other reasons.  Or maybe they don’t have a home to celebrate in.  They may be on the street or in a shelter of some kind.  Or they are in the hospital or long term care center.

And then there are the various ways and means of celebration in other nations and other cultures.  Time and space won’t permit me to go into any detail, but you have to know that there are about as many ways to celebrate this holiday as there are nationalities and cultures in the world today.

So, what do we make of a holiday that by all accounts is one of the most popular holidays in history, but celebrates not some government or national event or person, but rather celebrates, at its core, the birth of a Jewish baby born to dirt-poor parents in a nondescript village in a forgettable part of the world about 2,000 years ago?  Muhammad never has had such a celebration world-wide.  Nor the Buddha, or any of the great men or women of history.   What is it that makes this birth so special?

You’ll have to fill in that answer for yourself; I can’t do that for you.  You’ll have to decide what you’re going to do with Jesus, the one whose birth we celebrate.  He said he was God Incarnate.  His followers said he was bodily resurrected after suffering death by crucifixion.  Secular history records that such a man existed, and that such a man died on a cross.  It hints that he was bodily resurrected.

Was he God incarnate?  Was he a crazy man?  Was he a bald-faced liar?  You’ll have to decide for yourself…somehow, some way.  Today might be a good day to make up your mind.

Go Figure

Well, it’s Thanksgiving Day.  Celebrated since the Civil War, Thanksgiving has become a national holiday that has evolved in meaning over the years of my lifetime, just as have many of the other holidays on the calendar.

The US Congress decided years ago that some of the holidays on the calendar would be combined, moved to Monday, or some such other thing.  Their fiddling with the holidays probably did more to secularize them and cause them to evolve into what they are today than anything else.

Memorial Day is one example.  It used to always be on May 30, but was moved to the last Monday in May in the late 1960’s by an act of Congress.  Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Washington’s birthday were also changed.  Washington’s birthday is now known as President’s Day.  The days were moved in order to provide federal employees (and by extension everyone else) with a three-day holiday.

Thankfully, they decided to leave Thanksgiving alone.  However, many times it seems that the holiday is overrun by the commercial aspects of Christmas, what with the black Friday and other related promotions.  And now black Friday starts earlier in the month for some and extends through the holiday season.  I’m not sure which I like less…the political ads or the black Friday ads!

But for those who still celebrate the original meaning of Thanksgiving at least somewhat, the holiday is a time to take a breather…to step back from the politics, the commercialism, and the crassness of what the season has become.  To remember our frailty and our reliance upon Someone greater than ourselves is in no small measure the purpose of the day.  Of course, in this society of self-reliance and individualism, it’s difficult for some to realize that they are fallible, fallen, and needy.  But it’s the truth, whether we like to admit it or not, and we would do well to take that truth to heart.

As a side note, we’re now watching the Macy Thanksgiving parade on TV.  The cast of “Cats” is performing out on the street.  Go figure what that has to do with Thanksgiving…

Words of Wisdom

Words of wisdom this election day, 2016 from Kristen Bennett Marble, a dear friend.

I write this devotion on Election Day, having stood in line at my polling place for almost an hour, and now proudly wearing my “My Vote-My Voice” sticker. Around the nation, American citizens are gathering to cast their vote in local, state and national elections. But regardless what is on your individual ballot, it is the presidential race which has clearly garnered more attention, airtime, division, and even hatred than many of us ever remember. And when the polls close, the votes are counted, and the projections made, what will have changed?
Yes, our country will have elected a new president. And given recent poll numbers, half of the nation will be elated. The other half will be devastated. Half will excitedly look forward to the Inauguration in January. The other half will dread that day, sure the world will soon end. There will be rejoicing and tears. There will be mourning and tears.

And yet, the God who created the heavens and the earth - the God who knit you together - the God who loves you - the God who sacrificed His Son for you - will still be on the throne. He will still extend his hand, desiring redemption and reconciliation among His people. And His Word still stands.

That word for today, taken from 2 John, offers us the way forward. The way out of the conflict and hatred. The way toward hope. But it isn’t easy.

God’s ways rarely are.

“And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 5-6)

Walk in love. Toward your neighbor who proudly displayed “that” campaign sign. Toward your friend who shocked you by voting for the candidate you opposed. Toward your family member who never seems to “get it” no matter how often you try to persuade them differently.

Walk in love. Toward the candidate you embraced. Toward the candidate you resisted. Toward the victor. Toward the loser.
Walk in love. And as we walk in love, we reject anger and hatred. We let go of fear and violence. For these things cannot exist alongside love. They cannot. Either we commit to God’s ways or the world’s ways.

The world’s ways are to respond with vile hatred and violent evil. The world’s ways call for rebellion and instill fear. God’s ways respond with unfathomable love and nonviolent grace. God’s ways call for prayers of thanksgiving and bring peace.

You see, the world will be watching to see how we - who call ourselves disciples of Christ - respond to the results on Wednesday morning and beyond. Will they recognize our commitment to God’s ways? Will they see an outpouring of love? Will our witness be one that honors our Savior? Or will they see confirmation that what we profess on Sundays does not apply on Wednesdays? That our beliefs don’t really work in today’s day and age? That Jesus doesn’t offer any true hope for what ails the world?

Half the nation will be hurting tomorrow. The hopes and dreams they placed upon their candidate will be dashed. Yet we know - we have confidence in - the hope and truth that supersedes every election result. That goes beyond any earthly candidate. Demonstrate that hope. Speak of that truth. Model that trust. Strike up a conversation with whom you disagree. Extend kindness to whom you dislike. Listen to new perspectives. Find common ground. Pray - truly pray - for our leaders.

And walk in love.

Snipers and Such

Early today, a Tulsa, Oklahoma police sniper shot and killed a man who was holding a two-year-old girl hostage.  The man appeared outside of the home he had commandeered with the girl, and had for several hours been threatening the girl, the police, and anyone else.

Back in July a police sniper in Florida mistakenly shot and killed a hostage instead of the kidnapper.  The kidnapper would not allow anyone in to get the injured woman and she died from her injuries.  The kidnapper later committed suicide.

Have you ever considered what it would be like to be a police sniper?  If you served in the military, perhaps you knew someone who was a sniper for the military.  More probably, though, none of us has ever known anyone who is specifically trained to surreptitiously kill people.

When I heard the news about the Tulsa incident this morning, I put my spoon down that I had been using to eat my cereal, and I just thought for a moment about the man who shot the kidnapper.  I marveled that there are people willing to do that kind of thing, and was extremely saddened at the same time that sometimes people are put in positions of having to do that in order to protect someone else or maintain societal order.  I also decided very quickly that being in that position (as a sniper) was something that was totally outside of my realm of experience, knowledge, or even thought process.  I couldn’t remotely fathom the notion that I could be in such a position and wondered how anyone could.

As a society, we sometimes put our public servants, whether police, military, fire, or others, into positions that we find revolting and undignified…positions into which we would never place ourselves.  Yet we expect someone…someone…to come to our rescue when we foul up in life and living, and cause their services to be needed.  It doesn’t make much sense to me, and probably not to you either, but that’s the way it is.

Sadly, people whose job it is to kill other people will always be needed in this or any other society on the planet.  We will always have those who have no regard for life, law, society, or living.  We will always have need of the services of those whose job it is to do what we could not do ourselves.

Thankfully, there are such people among us who are willing to take on the hard things.  There are people who are willing to do what we can and will not do.  There are people who believe law, life, and living are worth fighting, and in some cases dying for.  These are the people we entrust with the foundations of our society.

So, while you’re eating your cereal, your bagel, or your bacon and eggs, stop for just a second and think of those who are on duty, alert and ready at a moment’s notice to respond to a need.  And give thanks that they are there.

The NFL Experience

We went to an NFL football game a couple of weeks ago.  We got tickets to the first Chiefs game with San Diego through our daughter in law, whose mother knows someone, etc…  We had a parking pass for THE prime parking spots directly between Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium, and went early to soak in the pre-game stuff.  We also stayed after the game because it would have been fruitless to try to leave given where we were parked until all of the other areas of the parking pretty much emptied out.  In any event, we had great tickets in the club section and could see pretty much all that went on before, during, and after the game.

Let me tell you now; NFL games are choreographed, planned, timed, and executed down to the smallest detail…down to the second…down to the n^th degree.  What you see on television is precisely what the powers that be want you to see.  What you see and experience in the stadium is precisely what the powers that be want you to see and experience.  The NFL goes to extraordinary lengths to create another world…another existence…a fantasy world if you will, that rivals anything Disney can do or has ever done.  No expense is spared.  No stone is unturned.  No detail is forgotten or overlooked.

When you go to an NFL game, you are entering a world that is under the total and complete control of the NFL.  You are seen as a source of income for them; walking dollar signs, if you prefer.  And they know very well how to manipulate your thoughts, feelings, and emotions in such a way that you willingly part with your money not only right then, but in the future as well.  It’s their purpose to “hook” you into the fantasy that is the NFL and submerge you into that culture.  And you are doing that by the multiple tens of thousands.

You paint your face.  You bring big signs.  You yell loudly.  You buy NFL merchandise.  You get a second mortgage on your house to buy season tickets.  You idolize the players and the teams.  You join fantasy leagues.  You dissect each play…each fumble…each pass.  You know game stats, individual and team stats, and you know all about the players.  You may grumble a bit about the enormous salaries, but you willingly pony up ever-increasing ticket prices (virtually 100% of ticket sales go to the players) to support them.

Up until I attended the game, I had moderately good thoughts about the NFL.  It seemed to be a mostly wholesome enterprise that provided good entertainment.  After the game, I see it more for what is, and for what it is not.

The NFL is, like most professional sports, a religion wrapped up in a culture, which in turn is a fantasy bubble in an otherwise mundane, routine, “going to hell in a hand basket” existence.  No wonder we would sell our firstborn for season tickets.  No wonder we consume an entire day going to, attending, or returning from an event that has no lasting value and accomplishes nothing of true importance.  No wonder we spend tons of money to support the dream world that is the NFL and the fantasy that somehow, we belong  to it all along with the players, cheerleaders, coaches, and mascots…and that they might actually wish to have some kind of relationship or kin bond with us (other than taking our money).

Will I attend another game?  Probably.  Will I continue to watch on TV.  Yes.  After all, if the fantasy is there for the taking…

Coincidental??

We went to a Wingnuts baseball game last evening.  If you don’t know, the Wichita Wingnuts are the current tenants of the venerable Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.  We went with a group from church on dollar night and sat in the hinterlands of the stadium.  Of course, being out in the far reaches of the stadium gave us plenty of time to do things other than watch the game, which was going badly for the ‘Nuts.

About 7:45 or so, I caught myself looking around at the people from church that surrounded me, and thought to myself a very spiritual thought in a very secular place.  “We are all on a journey together…a journey in life and toward eternity,” I thought.

And as I looked around, I could think of no one better to take this journey with than those people who were around me, and others that I could think of who weren’t here.  It was one of those “warm and fuzzy” moments that I truly relished.

As I said, the game was going badly for the home team.  We left at the end of the fifth inning with the score in favor of the visitors, 4-0.  After we had been home for a bit, I got a Facebook post from a friend of mine who is the younger brother of a childhood and teenage friend.  His post seemed unsettling, so I messaged him back and asked, “What’s up?”  He messaged back and wanted my phone number to call me.

Turns out, his brother, Roy, had passed away earlier in the evening, about the same time as I was thinking at the Wingnuts game about how we were all on a spiritual journey toward eternity together.  Roy had early onset dementia, and was in the later stages, but we were not prepared for his demise.

Think about it.  Roy had also been on that journey.  He’s much closer to the end, now, in the presence of God, waiting for a redeemed and glorified body that no longer has the signs of sin and decay.  He’s crossed the great chasm that separates the living from the dead, and is waiting for us to make that leap ourselves.

Now, I’m not certain of the exact sequence of events at the close of time.  There are as many opinions on that as there are people who devise those opinions.  But there are some things I DO know, if I read my Bible correctly.  We will meet again.  We will have bodies that are no longer subject to decay and disease.  We will be in the presence of God.

I don’t know if I was thinking about that journey with those who were surrounding me at the Wingnuts game in a coincidental way, or if somehow Someone was prompting me to think about that at about the same time my friend passed away.  Doesn’t matter.  What does matter is that we know we are on that journey.  And we’re on it with others, all around us.  We WILL arrive at the end one way or the other.  Are we prepared for what lies ahead?

(By the way, the Wingnuts rallied and beat their opponents 5 to 4…we should-have stayed!)