Pater Noster Chapel, Jerusalem, with multiple translations of the Lord’s Prayer on chapel walls, Author Magrietha Knight (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
My prayer life is no model for anyone. Prayer can bring me to tears. But I sometimes abandon it altogether, overwhelmed by the emotion it can evoke. Other times, I avoid prayer out of a feeling of abject unworthiness.
Snippets
During the day, I pray most often in short snippets: “Jesus, bless those boys over there with the basketball. Keep them from harm.” “Would You help me find my glasses, Lord? I’ve managed to lose them again.” “Draw their hearts back to You, Lord. I beg You.” “Father, forgive my impatience, my anger. Will I never learn?” “Oh, my God!? Please, protect the Syrian refugees, and civilians being bombed. Please, please, watch over our troops.” “Tell me what to do, Lord!”
I do not know what the Lord makes of these pleas. However, if I delay in addressing Him, I fall immediately prey to perfectionism. That only serves as an obstacle, interfering with prayer.
Confession
Growing up in the Catholic faith, I could confess my deficiencies to a priest, and be absolved of them. God, of course, knew them already.
But an examination of conscience is as necessary as weeding. It roots out the thoughts and behaviors competing with God for our time and attention, the thoughts and behaviors gradually drawing us away from God.
Brokenness
I pray when the world has taken its toll, and I am broken. I pray when old, familiar demons plague me – anxiety, depression, migraines to name a few.
Night Watches
Most of my profound communication with God takes place during the stillness of the night watches. It helps that I have insomnia (LOL).
I pray for friends and loved ones, and for those who write to me. World events frequently move me to pray about people or issues. And inspiration, for which I have no way to account, at times flows through my pen (these days, my computer). Read more…
Statue of St. Andrew by Camillo Rusconi (c. 1714), Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Author Marie-Lan Nguyen (PD, Art-100; CC-BY 2.5 Generic)
Google has made it easy to compile lists. Go online, and you can find all kinds. The top 10 horror flicks, the top 10 gadgets in history, the top 10 songs of all times, the top 10 cities for liberals (!), the top 10 government boondoggles. The lists go on and on.
One list that comes in countless varieties is that of the top 10 people who changed the world. A few of the names that frequently come up include Leonardo da Vinci, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, and Mother Teresa. And fine names they are.
Christians though have a top 10 of their own – a baker’s dozen, in fact. At the very top of our list, of course, would be Jesus Christ. That goes without saying.
But there were only 12 apostles, at the outset (11 after Judas Iscariot committed suicide). Apart from John, all were martyred including Judas’ substitute, Matthias, and the 13th apostle, Paul. Many Christians today do not so much as remember their names.
As a refresher, there were three sets of brothers:
Simon Peter and Andrew – These two, we know, were fishermen. Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus. It was Peter who stepped out of the boat on the Sea of Galilee, when Christ walked on the water (Matt. 14: 27: 30). It was to Peter that Jesus said, “…and upon this rock I will build My church…” (Matt. 16: 18) [1]. Peter betrayed Jesus three times before the crucifixion. But it was Peter whom Jesus instructed, “Feed my lambs…Feed my sheep” (John 21: 15-17).
The sons of Zebedee, James and John, whom Jesus called the Sons of Thunder for the hot-tempered disposition they shared – John, known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13: 23), was one of the Gospel writers. James was the first of the apostles to be put to death; John the last to die, in old age.
The sons of Alphaeus, James and Matthew – James is referred to as “the Less” to distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee. Matthew was a tax collector, therefore, considered a collaborator with the Romans. He, too, was a Gospel writer.
The “other” Simon held political views diametrically opposed to Matthew’s. Simon, referred to as “the zealot” or “the Canaanite”, believed the Romans had to be overthrown by force. Read more…
“Martyrdom of St. Stephen” by Bernardo Cavallino (c. 1645), Prado Museum (Accession No. P07466), Source Web Gallery of Art (PD)
There is a popular series on the History Channel called “Vikings”. Historical fiction, the series attempts to re-create the Viking worldview, as it existed before the adoption of Christianity.
The series treats the pagan beliefs of the Vikings with respect. It goes to great lengths to portray pagan rituals (including human sacrifice) accurately, and in a positive light. By contrast, scripts tend to portray Christian characters as weak, hypocritical and/or corrupt.
Interestingly, Ragnar, a central character, privately describes himself as an atheist toward the end of his life. This is far outside the Norse sagas from which the series claims to derive.
It should come as no surprise that Christian beliefs are often attacked by non-believers. On the scale of offense, “Vikings” barely registers. We are routinely labeled as ignorant, backward, foolish, and deluded; our beliefs as derivative, misleading, even cruel [1].
Our Existence an Offense
Why should it matter to atheists what Christians believe? What would it matter, if we believed in “little green men” [2]? Yet our very existence is offensive to atheists.
“For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life” (2 Cor. 2: 15-16).
The answer, of course, is simple. Satan attacks the truth. He does not bother to attack the lies he, himself, has fostered and spread.
The Reason for Our Hope
Many of those responding to such public attacks on Christianity are knowledgeable; their arguments, intelligent and well-reasoned. All this is to the good.
We should be ready to defend our faith, when needed:
“Always be prepared to articulate a defense to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But respond with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you will be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ” (1 Peter 3: 15-16).
A Superior Attitude
Unfortunately, a superior attitude often creeps in. This may feel justified, in human terms. There may be Christian readers cheering on the sidelines. But that is not how it should be. Read more…
“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’
But the thing displeased Samuel…So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people…for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me…However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them’ “ (1 Sam. 8: 4-7, 9).
When the nation of Israel demanded a king, it got the petulant ruler, Saul – a man who was rash and mercurial; vain and jealous; suspicious and insecure.
The United States has elected a president who is remarkably similar. Many voters felt they had no other choice.
Economic Motivation
For some, their reasons were economic:
These voters felt overlooked by Washington insiders, their feckless representatives; excluded from the table, when trade deals and treaties were negotiated for the benefit of corporate giants.
These Americans were left out of the equation, when the benefits of technology were calculated – mere numbers on a page, when jobs were outsourced; casualties of globalization, so that fortunes could be made by a select few.
Racist Motivation
“Before the election, I went to Pennsylvania…and sat in the homes of Trump voters…I saw mixed motives and some blind spots…But I also found incredible…decency and honor among the Trump voters. Many of them were holding their nose to vote for Trump. They were not endorsing every crazy thing that he said…There are definitely some Trump voters who are energized by…the inflammatory comments against Muslims and Mexican immigrants and black protestors. But there’s a much larger group that find those comments distasteful, just not disqualifying.”
– Esquire Magazine, “Van Jones Refuses to Give Liberals a Free Pass” by Britt Julious, 12/6/16, http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a51206/van-jones-interview/
The majority of those who voted to elect Pres. Donald J. Trump may not hold racist beliefs [1]. But the campaign disclosed a deeper racial rift among Americans than had previously been acknowledged. Read more…
“The valley of the shadow of death” (1855), Photo of Crimean War by Roger Fenton, Library of Congress (Reproduction No. LC-DIG-ppmsca-35546) (PD)
“For the resolutions of the just depend rather on the grace of God than on their own wisdom; and in Him they always put their trust, whatever they take in hand. For man proposes, but God disposes; neither is the way of man in his own hands.”
– Of the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis (c. 1425)
There are those who will loudly proclaim we have only to ask for God’s blessing on our plans to see them fulfilled [1]. I am not among these.
Those who hear God audibly or on a regular schedule have led very different lives from mine. I do not doubt their experience; I do not contest their claims. I can only say that some of us have known the valley of the shadow [2].
Impassable
Despite the best of intentions, despite the most sincere prayers, we may start out with Plan A only to find the road impassable, our way blocked. To our surprise, we learn that God has Plan B in mind for our development.
How we respond will determine our progress on the path toward sanctification.
Detours
The Apostle Paul understood that his mission was ultimately to witness in Rome (Acts 23: 11). But during his ministry Paul was shipwrecked at least four times, stoned, beaten three times with rods, and five different times received 40 lashes (2 Cor. 11: 23-28).
Surely, the will of the Almighty was not thwarted when these events occurred. One must assume that these “detours” were part of God’s plan – events subject to what some term His permissive will, if not His perfect will (Rom. 12: 2) [3] [4]. They have served as inspiration to the faithful for the past 2000 years.
At great personal risk, Corrie ten Boom and her family courageously aided Jews in escaping the Holocaust. Corrie, also, watched her beloved sister, Betsie, die in a concentration camp.
Surely, that was not the outcome this great woman of faith would have chosen, either for her sister or herself. Yet Corrie ten Boom continued to trust her life to God.
God’s Silence
Many of us have longed for God’s voice, and His direction for our lives. Most of us have cried out to Him in our distress.
We may occasionally have been tone deaf; may have overlooked the signs. But that was not for lack of trying. God is, at times, simply silent. He may choose not to reveal His plans to us, or choose not to reveal them in all their fullness.
This does not mean that He is absent from our lives. Read more…
“Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery” by Nicholas Poussin (1635), Location Louvre Museum, Paris, Source https://useum.org/, (PD-Art, PD-Old)
In flagrante delicto (adverb): In the very act of wrongdoing, especially in an act of sexual misconduct.
The Latin phrase in flagrante delicto is a legal term used to convey that a criminal was caught red-handed. The woman caught in adultery, and brought before Christ for judgment, was caught in the act (John 8: 3-11).
We do not know her name or what she looked like. We do not know the name of the man caught with her. He seems to have escaped the consequences of his actions, at least as far as the Scripture story is concerned. Perhaps the crowd let him go. Yet his guilt was equal to hers, and should have merited the same punishment.
“The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 20: 10).
This woman must have thought her lover would defend her, if their secret were ever revealed. Not only were they caught in the act of what she may have mistaken for love (a relationship for which she had risked her life); she was abandoned at the very moment of intimacy, and cruelly left to her fate.
Perhaps initially defiant, she must have been terrified by the time the crowd reached Christ.
The First Stone
What we should remember from the story is the mercy Christ extended to this woman. You will recall that He said to the crowd bent on stoning her, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8: 7).
One by one, the members of the crowd drifted away, convicted of their own sins. Read more…
“Bald Eagle” sculpture by David Turner, Newport University, Newport News, VA, Author Tony Alter (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
Eagles are powerful birds, capable of flying to heights of 15,000 feet or more. They can achieve speeds of 30-35 mph in flight. Adults have a seven foot wingspan. Fierce and strong, eagles are not afraid to share rising thermals with hang gliders.
The bald eagle was selected as the emblem of the United States in 1782 when the Great Seal was adopted. That a great nation would choose such a symbol is understandable. How we — who struggle with daily trials, large and small — might gain wings like those of eagles is more difficult to comprehend.
The car refuses to start the morning of a badly needed job interview. The children have outgrown their shoes again. Desperate for help, she sits on hold for an hour with some agency. He is suddenly coughing up blood. The list of trials is endless. We can begin to feel as insignificant as dust motes in a hurricane. Read more…
Homeless in Brazil, Author Henrique Pinto, Source Flickr (CC Attribution 2.0 Generic)
At Christmas, we like to think of Christ as an infant – cute, cuddly, and harmless. No confrontations with the Pharisees. No challenges for us.
The glossy pictures on our Christmas cards do not, however, tell the whole story. Christ was born to save us from sin. He took on flesh and a human nature for that lofty purpose. But He chose to be born into poverty, when the riches of the world were available to Him.
Not much has changed for the poor, in the interim. I ask that you keep them in mind this Christmas, and throughout the coming year. Christ does. He was one of them.
We know from the Bible that both shoes and sandals were in use in Jesus’ day. Ordinary people might go barefoot at times, but the absence of shoes could, also, be symbolic – whether of respect, deprivation, shame, or the transfer of property, depending on context.
These are the words God spoke to Moses, as he approached the burning bush:
“ ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground’ ” (Ex. 3: 5).
Compare them with the words of the prophet, Amos, regarding the sins of Israel:
“Thus says the Lord: … ‘[T]hey sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes’ ” (Amos 2:6).
Amos lived over 700 years before Christ, but his words still resonate with us [1].
Designer Shoes
What do shoes say about our own culture? Modern designer shoes can cost as much as a house or car payment – this when homes are in foreclosure, and “reality” shows depict repossession by way of entertainment [2]. Shoes have been wrapped in platinum fabric and studded with actual rubies or diamonds, running into the millions.
Shoes and Crippling Illness
Nearly half the world’s population exists on less than $2.50 per day. Many will never own a single pair of shoes. Two billion of our brothers and sisters suffer from painful, crippling, and potentially fatal parasitic diseases that could have been prevented (or their frequency reduced) by shoes alone.
Here are a few:
- Podoconiosis (a form of elephantiasis) arises when silica penetrates the skin of barefoot farm workers. It is found in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and elsewhere.
- Tungiasis penetrates the skin of those wading, washing, or swimming in infected water. The parasite, found in tropical Africa, causes painful swelling of the toes and feet. This can progress to gangrene and death.
- Hookworm causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss (in children, often retarding growth). Hookworm can be found in South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
- Schistosomiasis causes cough, muscle aches, fever, and chills. Repeated infections can damage the liver, lungs, bladder, and intestines. The disease is particularly prevalent in school children.
The relationship of poverty, limited access to education, and illness has been widely documented by UNICEF and other organizations. Samaritan’s Feet International http://www.samaritansfeet.org/ has taken on the ambitious mission of providing shoes to destitute children and adults worldwide. Read more…
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen – a great speaker and profound Christian writer, since passed on to his reward – said of paganism that it created idols out of man’s burning desire to see the gods face to face, to “force” them into this broken world of ours and hold them accountable.
As Christians, we know that man’s desire to see God in the flesh was at last fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ. We know that sin is the result of human action, but that the penalty for sin was paid through God’s action. The difference in viewpoint is crucial.
Jesus, Himself, explained that the righteous will ask at the Final Judgment:
“Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” (Matt. 25: 37-39).
And He will reply, “…inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to Me” (Matt. 25: 40).
This then is the crux: we glorify God by serving others, for God is already here.
That this is a broken world is no indication we have been abandoned to it. Rather, we see His image in the face of every child left home alone by a working single mother. We see Him in the face of an injured laborer, as well as that of an abused woman.
We see Him through anguish and tears. We see Him despite fear, embarrassment or shame.
We need no idols. Our God is here, among us, in this fallen world. No stench of sin is great enough to keep Him away. He extends His hand of mercy, as no lesser god could.
May He use us as His instruments.
Originally posted 3/8/12
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
This is an update from Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia (CLCP), a non-profit I had a small part in launching years ago. The volunteer attorneys who continue to serve the poor of Philadelphia are amazing. Here are just two of their stories [1].
…To preach good tidings to the poor…to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives…” (Isaiah 61: 1).
The Men and Women We Serve
“Ms. Eva Rodriguez came to us for help. Earlier this year, she became entangled in a case where her aggressor filed a criminal complaint after she had responded in self-protection to his hostility. Through our attorneys’ involvement, the criminal charges were dropped.
For Mr. Luiz Rivera, family is his number one 
priority, and a matter with child custody hindered him from being involved consistently. ‘First and foremost, I am a father,’ he said. ‘My boys are everything.’
From a son without a father-figure to a dad who has chosen to leave a different legacy for his teenage boys, Mr. Rivera found legal help through several of our attorneys.”
—
[1] These clients gave permission for their names and images to be used.
Donations may be made to CLCP at http://www.clcphila.org/ or mailed to Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia, 4455 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 