Already There

One of the biggest reasons, I believe, that unbelievers and skeptics stumble over faith is that the God they conceive of us believing in is just too small. The unbelieving mind passes judgment on God’s existence based on a frame of reference that is totally inadequate because it is completely limited by its own ability to conceive. To put it in other terms, we have a tendency to project our own limitations on God.

One example of this is the Bible’s teaching that God is eternal. So many of the difficulties brought forth by naysayers evaporate in the light of the understanding that God is not bound by time like we are. This is demonstrated in Scripture by how God consistently orchestrates events in a way that depends upon His complete knowledge of the future. And how does God have such a knowledge? Well, to put it in the terms of a popular Christian song, “He’s already there!”

When we begin to develop more of an appreciation for how incredibly great God is, faith is birthed in our hearts. This is why biblical faith is characterized by great humility. And it’s also why the enemies of God in Scripture are consistently described as prideful.

And it’s also why faith is associated with trust and with rest. Think about it. Think about the kind of assurance we have when we begin to understand just how great God is, not only in His ability, but in His amazing commitment to us.

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

‘Already There’ by Casting Crowns

Have a listen

The Verdict Is In

The verdict is in but a lot of people don’t like it. Right from the very beginning the media framed this whole thing. It’s yet one more example of the media making the news instead of reporting the news. I remember seeing the story when it first broke on television and I remember experiencing feelings of disgust and hatred (to be honest) for this sleaze-ball Zimmerman. I think back on this now having learned more of the facts and I realize that this is how they fed it to us. They should be the ones baring the brunt of the indignation because they are the ones who fueled the fires of prejudice.

They started right off the get-go by profiling those old photos of Trayvon Martin showing him as a young boy, maybe 12 or so, while he was actually 17 years old and well over six feet tall when the incident took place. And on it went from there.  

Yes, the US is a gun culture, and yes, George Zimmerman should have stayed in his car, and yes, he was apparently a wannabe. But he was a neighborhood watch captain and there had been 8 burglaries around his neighbourhood in the preceding 14 months. And while we don’t know if Trayvon Martin was engaging in anything illegal that night, he had been suspended from school for being in possession of a “‘burglary tool’ and a bag full of women’s jewelry.”

Then there is the eyewitness John Good. He testified to seeing the younger Martin on top of Zimmerman, pummeling away on him “ground and pound” style. After yelling out to Martin “cut it out” and “I’m calling 911”,  Good ran off to make that call but he testified that Martin was in physical command of the situation and was obviously winning the fight when he ran for the phone.  

Dr. Vincent DiMaio, a former chief medical examiner in Texas, testified in Zimmerman’s defense, saying that Zimmerman “…had at least six injuries after his clash with Martin – including two on the back of his head that appeared to indicate impacts with concrete – one on each temple, one on his forehead and one on his nose… Lacerations to Zimmerman’s head suggested the use of ‘severe force,’ he said, lending credence to his claim that Martin slammed Zimmerman’s head into a concrete walkway after knocking him to the ground with a punch that broke his nose.”

But everyone seemed to want to wade in with their own sentiment. For crying out loud, the President of the United States comes out and says … “If I had a son he would look like Trayvon”!!! Really! And that is relevant how?! I mean what is that?!!!

Anyone who doesn’t think that the kind of prejudice and racism being alleged isn’t experienced every day by various groups has their head in the sand. But Zimmerman wasn’t charged with being prejudiced. He was charged with murder. Why should George Zimmerman, or any other individual for that matter, bare the wrath for all of the social injustice felt by the black population in America?  Zimmerman is Hispanic. What about the prejudice experienced by that group?

People should not have to be subjected to us drawing unwarranted conclusions about them based on their appearance. Neither should people have to live with the violation of having us break into their home to steal their personal belongings. That too is a justice issue.

So what about that? Can you relate to people’s frustration over the state of our legal/judicial systems? Last week, Police issued a warning to residents of Halifax that a violent offender had been released into their community. This is a relatively common occurrence, but the details of this case just seem to accentuate the huge problems in our own justice system.

Just take a look at the facts in this case as they have been reported:

Twenty seven year old Damien Christopher Clyke has just completed a four year sentence for armed robbery which he committed while wearing a ski mask.

He has past convictions for a number of other violent crimes, including assaults on three correctional officers while in custody.

He has more than forty convictions and his victims include family members, strangers and peace officers.

He has been professionally assessed as a high risk to re-offend in a violent manner.

The parole board documents indicate he is likely to commit an offence causing death or serious harm to another person after being released from prison and that “he continues to possess violent tendencies, has gained no insight into his offences and has expressed no motivation for change”. They also say that he suffers from a mental illness.

There is no shortage of blame to go around when it comes to the brokenness all around us. The system is most definitely broken. People are definitely broken. I am definitely broken because I am way too quick to judge when I see a story break on television. 

Good Timing

I don’t know how many of you are awake these days before five, but the robins are. Appropriately enough, they are the first birds up. If you do happen to be awake when they get up these days you will be greeted by their beautiful song. The other day, that amazing song at the break of dawn got me thinking about the old adage of how “the early bird gets the worm”. But then I thought about the wag’s response, “What about the early worm?”. And then how someone else quipped that, “It’s the second mouse that gets the cheese”.

All this got me thinking about the importance of timing. Although being early can sometimes be a virtue, a good sense of timing is also a strong point of wisdom. There are lots of examples. Music and sports are obvious ones but it doesn’t end there. Comedians will tell you that it’s the difference between a good laugh and a bomb.

This past week, most people would really question the timing (and not just the timing) of comments by the chairman of MMAR (Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway) Edward Burkhardt. Burkhardt has quickly become the public face of the company being blamed for the death and devastation in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. And, although he seems to have made a myriad of mistakes, timing is definitely one of them.

1Chronicles speaks of the wisdom of a particular group of King David’s mighty men who were astute because they understood the times and knew how to act accordingly (1Chron 12:32). A person can do all the right things but if he does them at the wrong time, he will come across as a total buffoon, or even worse – heartless.  

This kind of ‘skill’ is part of a larger grouping of abilities. There is a rather new field of study into what is being called ‘emotional intelligence’ (EQ). They actually have workshops where they try and teach this stuff to people! But there is a strong debate as to just how ‘teachable’ these kinds of things are. For my part, I think they are probably learned at least in part, though I question whether they can be learned in an academic setting. I tend to believe that it’s more about paying attention, especially to the people around you, and that is learned more in the context of relationships; not so much cognitive, but more ‘intuitive’ resulting from more experiential kinds of learning. And it helps if you have the right opportunities to develop these types of sensitivities when you are very young. If you have the good fortune of having been born into a family (as I have) where your parents exhibited a strong sense of empathy and consideration of others, consider yourself blessed.

Another problem with seeking to ‘teach’ these types of things is that they are more a matter of character than they are of academic understanding. It’s one thing to be skilled at being acutely aware of what is going on in someone else's heart and life. It is quite another to actually care. Keep in mind that a good shyster can read people and can shed a tear at just the right time. So, like a lot of things, this becomes a matter of the heart. And as a matter of the heart it becomes a matter prayer. May God both soften and strengthen our hearts, please.

These Are The Days Of Elijah

Last week’s post, although it didn’t collect any posted comments, did elicit some reaction. I admit that it

A photo of the Jezreel Valley from Mount Carmel which I took when we were privileged to be there in 2008

sounded more than a little pessimistic. The world is not getting better. It is getting worse. And that in spite of all the popular rhetoric to the contrary. The far left has always insisted on crediting themselves for what they claim to be great progress for mankind. They continue to do so, but they chant their rhetoric with their fingers in their ears and their eyes closed to what is really going on in the world. This always hits a raw nerve with me because it is so incredibly hypocritical, which is doubly ironic when we consider that hypocrisy is one of the chief accusations they always level against the more conservative voices in our society.

Anyway, on a cheerier note, Jesus is still Lord and we know who wins. How do we keep from getting bummed out over all of the bad news we see happening around us? Sometimes it’s not easy because there is a lot going on. But, the news is not really all that new.

The OT account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel is a favourite of many. It is a well known high-point of OT revelation occurring at a very low-point in Israel’s history. Elijah faces down the 450 false prophets and God shows Himself very much in control. But it’s what happens after that scene which I draw your attention to.

Wimpy king Ahab runs off and tells the wicked Queen Jezebel all about her prophets’ disgrace and  demise at the hands of Elijah and she responds by sending Elijah a very threatening message basically telling him that she would have him dead within 24 hours. Elijah’s response was to run for his life, literally. (1Kings 19:3) On the run, Elijah, after many days, eventually finds himself utterly exhausted and afraid, huddled in a cave as far away from Jezebel as he could get and feeling very, very alone. (CF 1Kings 19:10 “… I am the only one left…”) God keeps asking Elijah, “What are you doing here Elijah?”, to which Elijah keeps responding,  “Israel has rejected You … I am the only one left” (See 1Kings 19:14)

There in the cave God gently instructs Elijah, and among other things, His words include the following: “I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Things can seem pretty grim as we look out over our society and see some of the things we see taking place. But, often unseen, are the thousands (millions in our day) who hold fast to the Lord and His ways. We are not alone. Even better than that. Jesus said, “Behold, I am with you, even to the end of the age”, just like God was with Elijah. What we see is not everything that is. There is a whole lot more going on in our world than what makes the news. That’s for sure. In the words of a recent popular song by the Newsboys, “My God’s not dead, He’s surely alive. He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.” These are the days of Elijah.

Newsboys 'Like A Lion'