Though both are gone now, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers remain one of the most famous dance teams in all of motion picture history. They made ten films together between 1933 – 1949, including the classic “Swing Time”.
Fred was a perfectionist at his craft, and worked his partners hard. Every dance required hours upon hours of practice, and multiple film takes. At the conclusion of one dance sequence, Ginger’s feet bled through her shoes.
In ballroom dancing, one partner leads, and the other follows. The joke was always that Ginger had to do the same steps as Fred – only backwards and in high heels. Still, the two were so well matched, the end result appeared effortless.
The comparison is meant to be lighthearted. But Jesus, too, asks that we follow His lead. At times that can be painful. However, the result is worth it.
“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also” (John 12: 26).
Lord Jesus, You make Your home among the homeless. You minister to the destitute. You comfort the grieving. You reach out to the lonely. You seek out the rejected and abandoned.
We desire to follow wherever You would lead, Lord.
Remove pride from our hearts, that we should consider nothing beneath us that would accomplish Your will. Remove fear from our hearts, that we may go wherever Your work should take us. And fill us instead with love, that those who know us may see You.
Amen
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“They [who have abandoned their faith in Jesus Christ] are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 1: 12-13).
Ours is an age of apostasy – if not the formal renunciation, then the effective abandonment of Christianity by those who were once believers. We see around us the institutional church being weakened from within, and doctrine corrupted.
Evangelization at a time such as this is a daunting task. While non-believers may not be familiar with Christian beliefs, they can form strong opinions about those beliefs. And there is something more insidious at work.
Catholic Church Sex Abuse Scandal
Consider, for instance, the subject of forgiveness. There are non-believers adamant that forgiveness fosters child abuse. This stems largely from the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.
The Catholic Church hierarchy argued for years that believers had to be protected against the knowledge molestation existed, as if their faith were fragile; that priests were a limited resource, to be conserved at all cost; and that predators were entitled to retain their office, once “forgiven” by the institutional church. It took no action to report predator priests to police, insisting on the right to deal with criminal acts by these priests internally.
Needless to say, this ignored the plight of child victims, and the biblical mandate that the behavior of ministers of the Gospel be above reproach (1 Timothy 3: 2-5; Titus 1: 6-8; 1 Peter 5: 3).
Most Christians understand that the practice by Catholic Church officials of retaining predator priests in the clergy was not a by-product of forgiveness. At best, it was a misguided attempt to shield the institutional church from bad publicity. Non-believers do not see matters that way.
Predators were again and again let loose on unsuspecting populations, wrecking incalculable havoc with the lives of victims. Believers and non-believers can agree that was a perversion on a par with the molestation, itself. Forgiveness requires genuine repentance…not just lip service, and the completion of a rehabilitation program.
Questions still remain as to whether funds which might have gone toward the monetary compensation of abuse victims were deliberately hidden by so called “princes” of the church.
Christianity, Witchcraft Accusations, and Child Abuse
News from England indicates that accusations of witchcraft and spirit possession are widespread among the African fundamentalist Christian communities there [1]. The evidence of child abuse stemming from this is appalling [2], evoking the Salem witch trials of 1692. Exorcism can involve beating, burning or starving a child, and suggests African religious leaders have incorporated tribal practices into what appears on the surface to be a Christian belief system [3]. Read more…
“Lazarus at the Rich Man’s Gate” by Fedor Bronnikov (PD Art / Old-100)
Upscale New York City housing lately has a poor door [1]. Condominium owners and those who rent at market rates are allowed access to a posh lobby; renters occupying more affordable apartments are required to use a separate, inconspicuous, side entrance. This is the so called “poor door”.
Ironically, many of these buildings were designed to include less expensive apartments, specifically so that developers would qualify for government incentives, including tax abatements and zoning variances.
Amenities are, also, being rationed. In some cases, rent stabilized tenants (whose rent is regulated by the state) may not be permitted use of a rooftop garden or on-site gym, though willing to pay a fee for the privilege. About one million New York City apartments are covered by rent stabilization.
Developers argue that they will be unable to find tenants willing to rent at market rates without such incentives. Condominium owners argue that they should be entitled to benefit for absorbing the lion’s share of building expenses.
Whether the deferential treatment constitutes bias had not yet been litigated.
Jesus told a parable about the beggar, Lazarus, who lay covered with sores at the gate of a rich man. When the two men died, Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom (a reference to the peaceful place in Sheol, where the righteous were thought to await the Judgment Day), while the rich man burned in Hades. Read more…
Taken from the headlines, these stories reflect the wide variety of moral and ethical issues facing the world today:
• Brittany Maynard, a 29 y.o. woman with brain cancer has arranged to commit the physician-assisted suicide permissible under law in Oregon [1]. Ms. Maynard has publicized her plight on social media.
• Alabama preacher, Juan McFarland acknowledges having slept with female parishioners at the Shiloh Baptist Church, despite having AIDs [2]. By his own admission, McFarland has, also, engaged in drug use and mishandled church funds. He has been removed as pastor.
• Uruguay, a South American country with a population less than that of Los Angeles, is accepting former detainees at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo, and refugees from the Syrian civil war (most of them children) [3]. According to Pres. Jose Mujica, “We wanted to earn the right to tell the rest of the world that there are other solutions, that we can take care of these children in other countries.”
• A Hindu Indian and an Islamic Pakistani have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize [4]. This has astounded observers which, itself, speaks volumes. Kailash Satyarthi has protested for decades against child slavery and the financial exploitation of children in India. Malala Yousafzay – at 17 y.o. the youngest ever winner – was shot in the head by the Taliban two years ago for advocating the education of Pakistani girls. She has since spoken on the importance of education at the United Nations.
Once the majority of these issues would have been assessed within a Judeo-Christian framework. Those days are gone. Fewer and fewer Westerners adhere to a Christian worldview. Standards have become fluid, if they exist at all. Even Christians are likely to be short on discernment, and long on ignorance about the Scriptures.
This should trouble us. We were called to love our neighbor; we were called to evangelize the world. There are lives – earthly and eternal – at stake.
“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another…” (1 John 3: 10-11).
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[1] Yahoo! Health, “One Woman’s Quest to Die with Dignity – and What It Means for Us All” by Ryan Wallace, 10/7/14, https://www.yahoo.com/health/one-womans-quest-to-die-with-dignity-and-what-it-means-99374572007.html.
[2] Fox 8 Cleveland, “Pastor Admits to Having Aids, Sleeping with Church Members” by CNN Wire, 10/9/14, http://fox8.com/2014/10/09/preacher-admits-to-having-aids-sleeping-with-church-members/.
[3] USA Today, “Tiny Uruguay Plays Big Role in Syria” by Alan Gomez, 10/10/14, News, p. 5A.
[4] CNN World, “Malala Yousafzay and Kailash Satyarthi Share Nobel Peace Prize” by Laura Smith-Spark, 10/10/14, http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/10/world/europe/nobel-peace-prize/index.html.
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The news these days can be discouraging, even for Christians. We hear of wars and rumors of wars, as the Lord predicted we would (Matt. 24: 6). He, of course, instructed us not to be troubled. Still, with terrorism a reality and thousands made refugees, we can feel very small.
God, however, remains in charge. Whatever the dangers around us, whatever the trials that befall us and our loved ones, we remain safely in His care.
This must not be confused with a guarantee of safety, as the world understands the term. As Christians, we are promised suffering. This is a war on evil in which we are engaged. We must be prepared to take up our cross and follow Christ.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42: 5).
Lord God, these are dark days. Evil is on the increase everywhere. We look to You for comfort and protection.
Remove fear and discouragement from our hearts. Help us to be patient when trials afflict us, that Your glory may be revealed.
Keep Your loving arms around us, for we know that You have overcome the world.
Amen
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A father and son with their catch, Photo by Carl Zitsman of US Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain)
A woman wants very much to become a missionary. She prays over the matter; plans for the prospect of heading overseas, but is struck down by illness and dies. Loved ones mourn her loss. Yet God has fulfilled her desire. She was a light in the darkest of places, where death stalked the halls.
We cannot always see the larger purpose God has for our lives. But soldiers, lawyers, nurses, teachers, janitors, cab drivers, and all the rest have been put in place by God. The battlefield, the courtroom, the hospital, the classroom, the media, the legislature, and the street matter.
All of us have appointments with God. We may not realize the countless ways He can use us. But He knows already the roads we will travel, the people we will encounter, and the trials we must endure.
To be clear, God does not require our involvement to accomplish His ends. He can manage without our assistance. But loving Father that God is, He allows us to play a part in accomplishing His will.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2: 9).
Father, we long to be of use to You, but cannot always perceive Your will for our lives.
Help us to recognize that You are with us, even when we cannot feel Your presence. Help us to trust that You will guide our footsteps, even when we cannot see the road ahead. And help us to keep our “appointments” that Your will may be actualized through us.
We ask this in Jesus’ Holy Name.
Amen
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Rolls Royce hood ornament, Pebble Beach, Photo by Brendel (CC A-SA 3.0 Unported)
“ ‘He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly’ ” (Job 20: 15).
Our society celebrates extravagance.
We have television programs about the sale of multi-million dollar homes, and the lives of the famous or would-be famous. We have programs showcasing remodeling projects running into the hundreds of thousands and houses so choked with material goods that their owners seek out professional help.
The actress, Cate Blanchett, was slated to carry a $100,000 designer handbag at the 2007 Academy Awards. The handbag was made of alligator, and framed in 18kt gold with black and white diamonds. That was paltry compared with the $1 million diamond encrusted flat iron used to style celebrity hair. There had already been $2 million shoes (studded with 565 platinum-set diamonds) worn by singer, Alison Krauss, to the 2004 Oscar ceremony. Presumably the price has gone up since.
What is reputed to be the world’s most expensive chocolate was selling for around $90/lb when last I checked. Another brand of chocolate identifies itself by “vintage” year. A third comes with instructions that suggest “pairing” with spring water.
Facial powder with 24kt gold flakes sells for about $97/oz. Spa treatments followed by a sprinkling of gold dust (“to give the face and body a natural luminescence”) can be had for a mere $125/hour or so.
Meanwhile, the woman at the checkout counter $10 short on food stamps causes an intolerable delay to those standing behind her on line. Read more…
The United States is currently seeking allies in the fight against ISIS. Nations prize strong allies. Israel, Canada, Turkey, Great Britain, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Australia, Poland, both Germany and Japan (once fierce enemies of ours) have all been called strong allies of the United States.
But the strength and allegiance of allies can vary over time. Leadership changes. Economies shift. Resources dwindle. Interests alter. Politics have been known to make strange bedfellows.
With God there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1: 17). If He is for us, who can be against us (Rom. 8: 31)? If He is for us, we need no other allies, no matter how many our foes. But God’s allegiance and support cannot be turned on like a faucet. We must follow His laws, even when crises do not loom. We must trust in Him, even when it appears our cause is lost.
The prophet, Elisha, knew this. Surrounded by the horses and chariots of a great Syrian army, Elisha calmed his servant with the words below. Elisha then prayed…not for assistance, but that his servant’s eyes be opened to the supernatural forces already allied with them.
“…‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them’ ” (2 Kings 6: 16).
Lord God, we come once again to Your throne.
Still our hearts, Lord. When the weight of the world is too much upon us, quiet our minds, and help us remember that You are God. Before You, the mountains tremble. The nations rise and fall as You ordain.
Open our eyes when we feel besieged, that we like Elisha may know Your constant presence, and draw upon Your strength. Place Your shield about us, Lord. Your protection far exceeds what any man may do to us.
Amen
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The Huffington Post reports that the persecution of Christians by Muslims in the Middle East will be resolved only by genocide, particularly in Iraq and Syria [1].
Predating Islam [2], Christianity was initially granted “dhimma” status by Islam, i.e. standing as a minority religion with the right to exist, though with restrictions. Christians and Jews have traditionally been considered “people of the book” by Muslims who believe the Bible was corrupted with time and, for that reason, superseded by the Quran.
Persecution is not a new experience for Middle Eastern Christians. Well over a million Armenian Christians were victims of ethnic cleansing by the Turkish Ottoman Empire during World War I. By some estimates, the two thousand year old Christian community in Iraq has been reduced from 1.5 million to 200,000 since America’s first military intervention there in 2003.
ISIS views Christians as primary targets of its hatred and rage. At first, ISIS was satisfied allowing Christians to flee their homes, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Conversion at the point of a sword followed. Even that is not likely to satisfy ISIS bloodlust for much longer, not if the videos posted of Shiite beheadings are any indication.
Our persecuted brothers and sisters cry out to us. Not seeking vengeance. Asking rather that we speak for them…while we yet can.
“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are in the body also” (Heb. 13: 3).
Lord Jesus, ours is a lost world. Those of us who know You are few; those who can worship and remain faithful to You without fear of reprisal, fewer still.
Help us keep our persecuted brothers and sisters constantly in mind, Lord. Remember them when we do not. Protect them from harm, comfort them in grief, carry them home to glory at the appointed time, in Your loving arms.
Amen
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[1] The Huffington Post, “Christian Persecution: The Final Solution of the Christian Arab Question in the Middle East” by Sheldon Filger, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/christian-persecution/.
[2] Today’s Mosul is the ancient city of Nineveh to which the prophet, Jonah, was sent. ISIS in July 2014 destroyed the mosque built over a site long considered to be Jonah’s tomb.
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Junior Peregory bringing out food at soup kitchen, Our Community Place, Photo by Artaxerxes (CC A-SA, 3.0 Unported)
We may be embarrassed to admit it, but – deep down – alot of us want to do great things for the Lord. Grand things. Preferably with background music.
We critique everything from Noah’s carpentry to Joseph’s wardrobe, from Moses’ negotiation skills to David’s aim. Surely, we would have suspected Delilah’s motives. Unlike Jonah, we would have gone straight to Ninevah, bypassing the whale altogether.
Our desire to excel stems less from devotion, of course, than from a misplaced sense of pride in our own abilities. Yet God asks us for love and obedience in the small things.
Dealing charitably with cold sales calls, overseas tech support, missed deadlines, store clerks unable to make change, and drivers unable to see over their steering wheel may not seem “heroic” on your part.
But to the engineer now employed making those cold calls; the computer technician covering the midnight shift; the secretary distracted by worry over a sick child; the single mother at the register; and the war veteran who fought his way up Omaha Beach your civility is confirmation of their dignity.
Take the time to look. In each face you will see Christ.
“…And what does your Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6: 8).
Lord God, we are so easily discouraged when our grandiose plans go awry or worldly approval is not forthcoming. Yet You do not seek monuments from us. You simply ask that we love You with our whole heart and whole mind.
Help us remember that You value small, daily acts of kindness and service to others more than lavish public sacrifice. May we build our monuments of these…to Your everlasting glory.
Amen
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A Lawyer's Prayers 