Maya Angelou is credited with saying that, “You can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things - a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
Her words came to mind for me again this week as I was observing Florence while she attempted to put some Christmas lights up. I don’t do Christmas lights normally. I love them up, but lack the patience to work with them. My sweet wife on the other hand amazes me with her patience. I only observed a short while, then I had to walk away. It was just too painful to watch.
I agree that these types of things have a lot to say about us, but what is it that they are in fact saying? I think all of these types of minor frustrations (for they are far too insignificant to be referred to as trials!) are a general indication of a lacking in our faith. When you consider that Jesus admonished the disciples for worrying about things like food and clothing (see Matthew 6), what does that say about my attitude when it comes to the little inconveniences in my life? It isn’t good.
The Bible says that the trial of our faith creates patience in us (see James 1). All I can say at this time is that I am a slow learner for sure. I feel like I’m still in preschool!
A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday morning I made reference to one of my favourite pieces of literature - John Donne’s Meditation XVII, ‘No Man Is An Island’.
The passage begins with that classic statement that ‘no man is an island’ and ends with another classic line that almost everyone has heard but few have made it their task to understand – ‘Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee’.
John Donne lived in 17th century England and the bells he was writing about were the church bells which marked various events and were a common feature of daily life in that day. More specifically though, he was writing about funeral bells. This is made clear by the preceding line of the poem - “Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind”. It is said that Donne wrote those words from his sick bed which makes it even more poignant.
Here is the piece:
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
MEDITATION XVII Devotions upon Emergent Occasions John Donne
I have a personal affinity for this line of thought. It draws me in, as with all good poetry. But I also have a very specific practice that I engage in that ties me to it; a habit if you will.
Church bells are not such a common thing anymore, but I’ll tell you what is – ambulance sirens! I’ll share just a little secret with you. Whenever I hear an ambulance siren, I pray for the person for whom that siren is calling out. And I always pray with the recognition that it could be me and one day it will be.
We are bound together by our common humanity. The Christian faith (yes, Donne was a Christian) elevates man to the dignity afforded to those made by God in His image. It also endows every single individual with great personal worth for the same reason. I love that about Christianity. It makes us all equals and informs us that every life matters; every person is to be valued; every death is to be mourned; everyone is connected somehow in this great story of life. To really come to the place where ‘any man’s death diminishes me’ is to come to a place of understanding of the value of human life, made in God’s image. It becomes the grounds for real compassion and genuine care for others.
In a day and age when life has for many become so apparently cheap, it is encouraging to remember that God doesn’t think so. And it is His opinion that matters after all.
I often think about the people that got to engage directly with Jesus during His lifetime on earth. A couple of weeks back I drew attention to one such individual during the Sunday morning message when we were considering some of the Bible’s important teaching about gratitude.
Jesus was invited by a man named Simon, who we are told was a Pharisee, to his home for dinner. And while they were there together at the dinner table, a woman comes into the house, positions herself behind Jesus as He is reclined at the table and begins to weep and to wet his feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she proceeds to kiss his feet and pour expensive perfume on them.
There is a lot that could be said about the significance of this act itself but what follows is most likely Luke’s purpose for including the story. Simon is indignant and is sitting there thinking how this Jesus can’t be much of a prophet or else He would have known about this woman, for we are told that she ‘had lived a sinful life’ (Luke 7:37). Not only did Jesus know about the woman and her life, but He also knew exactly what Simon was thinking. Simon may well have rethought Jesus’ credentials when Jesus answered his unspoken question. In classic form, Jesus tells a very simple and pointed story, a parable if you will, about two men who owed another man money. One owed him a large amount and the other a smaller amount but the man forgave them both. As is so often the case with the Master Teacher, Jesus pries the life truth of the story from Simon’s own lips with the simple question – “Which of them will love him more?” When Simon answered, “I suppose (note the hesitancy), the one who had the bigger debt canceled”, Jesus affirmed that he was in fact correct.
Let’s pick up the story right at that spot in the text…
“Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” (Lk 7:44-47)
Again, this passage is so rich with implications for our lives but one thing seems to stand out to me. I often hear people talk about how as Christians we allow our passion for Christ to wane and really struggle to know how to get it back when it does. It would seem from this passage that one thing we can definitely do is become more fully aware of our spiritual poverty. We really need to be in touch with just how needy we are so that we can have a fuller appreciation for the mercy of Christ.
The passage doesn’t teach that this woman was forgiven because she loved much. It teaches that she loved much because she was forgiven much. She was aware of just how incredibly awesome Christ’s love and forgiveness for her really was.
The apostle John said it simply like this- “We love because He first loved us.” (Jn 4:19) The truth is that we have no capacity in and of ourselves to love. It is only as we experience love that we are able to love in return. He who is forgiven much loves much. In other words, the one who knows what it is to be greatly loved will have a great love. The secret, if you want to call it that, for loving God is to know the wonderful, matchless, abounding love of God in Christ to us.
If you haven’t been listening to the latest song by the band The Sidewalk Prophets, then you may well want to check it out. Even if you have, you might want to have a listen to it again right now as it is very helpful in this regard.
Remembrance Day is this coming Friday and I hope you’re able to observe it somehow. As many of those who read this blog are aware, my dad was a veteran of the Second World War. He served overseas with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. This past year one of my nieces sent me word that there is now a museum in Amherst dedicated to the North Novies as well as a group on Facebook. I joined the group and receive regular updates. A few days ago the following was posted:
There is an article in the Nova Scotian (the Chronicle Herald insert) today about the North Novies murdered at the Abbaye D'Ardenne just after D-Day. Refreshingly, the article is not about the perpetrators but about these men and the injustice of mistreating prisoners of war. Despite the innuendos which surface in literature about the war, without evidence, that Canadian soldiers mistreated german prisoners in Normandy, the North Novies did not retaliate or in any way emulate the behavior of the SS they fought. This was so because they were decent men who volunteered to fight an enemy trying to spread a dictatorship over Europe and beyond, and who were repulsed by the atrocities they saw and knew about, and had no motivation to replicate or associate with the barbaric acts of the SS. Those who have suggested otherwise have no comprehension of the motivations of these highly trained soldiers, and offer with their comments ‘we were just as bad’ or some other careless leveling aside, the ultimate insult to this regiment and the memory of those who fought. All human behavior is not the same and we need to remember the sacrifice but also the values of our NNSH soldiers. Lest we forget. [posted by Kirby Grant on the Nova Scotia Highlander’s Museum Facebook site]
Not only do I have a personal interest in things pertaining to the North Novies, but I am very interested in the issue raised by Kirby Grant. It seems that it is becoming increasingly common for people to adopt the opinion that there are no real heroes, only villains. The old axiom is true for the most part that ‘history is written by the winners’, however this is no excuse for blatantly rewriting history with no consideration whatsoever for the evidence. Historical details are more often than not documented or verified by multiple sources and often confirmed by objective parties. Furthermore, the assumption that no one is ever honourable and no cause is ever just; that all men, groups or countries ever engaged in conflict have nothing but self interest at the expense of others as their motivation is more than cynical - it is diabolical. It skewers the facts of history, not to mention current events, in such a way as to provide a cloak for evil and it blinds us to noble causes. It frustrates the attempts of good men to address the very real evils that exist in our world. We are not the same as those who throw acid in women's faces or threaten them simply because they want to learn. We are not the same as those who teach their children to blow themselves up in order to kill innocent people. We are not the same as those who seek to convert you to their religion by offering you the choice to be like them or die. We are not.
So, keep your eye out for this type of misguided propaganda because it is very effective. Control the media and you control the masses.
Saw an article on the news this morning about the most recent promises in the fight against cancer. Once again, Canadians are leading the way in this one. Hopes are high as researchers are putting a lot of effort right now into using viruses to fight cancer. It is all quite interesting stuff, and if it works like they hope, it could prolong the lives and increase the quality of life for a lot of sick people. That’s the hope and I pray it happens.
The whole thing got me thinking though about the strategy being employed. They are using one disease to fight another. It’s an old trick and a good one. The OT book a 2Chronicles gives us an account of how this can happen in a military setting. The Moabites, Ammonites, together with some Meunites were moving on Jerusalem, and as usual, Israel was greatly outnumbered and surrounded by her enemies (some things haven’t changed a lot over the past 3 thousand years!) and there was no reason to think that there was any way out for them. But Jehoshaphat, then King of Judah, encouraged by Jahaziel, instructed the people to start singing praise to God. The text goes on to say…
“As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.”2Chron 20:22-24
As we come into the New Testament, Jesus made reference to this dynamic. When accused of casting out demons by the devil’s power Jesus responded with the axiom – a house divided against itself cannot stand.
Of course, the principle not only applies to our enemies but also to ourselves. Any house divided against itself cannot stand. This is why the New Testament writers are so adamant about unity. There are numerous passages that form the body of teaching on unity in the church and far too many to consider here or to begin commenting on. Here are just four examples:
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”Eph 4:1-6
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Col 3:12-14
In his concluding statements to the Romans he urges them to “ … watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them ... The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”Rom 16:17,20
And here is a very direct statement to the point… “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”Gal 5:15
Of course, all four of these are from Paul’s pen but perhaps some of the most compelling calls to unity come directly from Jesus Himself.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”John 17:20,21
Whether we are talking about church, or our homes, or an organization of any kind really, unity is essential for health and well being. That isn’t to say that we always have to agree on everything. We only need agree on the essential things and be committed to each other. It’s the difference between watching each others backs and stabbing each other in the back. And Jesus elevated it to the one sign above all others that we belong to Him and He is who He claimed to be.
Why not consult one more passage – John 13:34,35
Some of you know it by heart. Some of you will have to look it up. I hope you do.
