Dropping Stones

Settling in at Café Greco to enjoy my grande Irish cream latte, I picked up the Egyptian Gazette and began perusing its contents. Amidst the headlines noting national conflicts, family strife, ethnic wars and other miscellaneous items, one article caught my eye. "Somali woman stoned to death for adultery." (to view the article, see here [not light reading])

Tit for tat. Our world is full of it. Read history. Watch the news. Hang out with friends. We have deemed Gandhi's warning, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," as idealistic. The words of Jesus Christ to "love our enemies"are labeled figurative or metaphorical. Certainly not literal. We limit the scope of influencing lives to operating within the pre-existing structures of society; rather than embracing the lifestyle of "being the change we want to see in the world."(Gandhi, once again)

The source of the problem, however, is not with this world's political systems, cultural perceptions, economic structures, or religious ideologies. Rather, I would suggest the problem lies in our pursuit of hope. Where we are pursuing hope. From the antipathy and revulsion of my Democratic friends towards the presidency of George W. Bush, to the post-November 2008 fears of the conservative contingency on Obama's move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (aka: The White House), the core issue remains the same. (Do not for a second entertain thoughts that I am apathetic towards these issues. I do not run from the political scene nor avoid taking part.) My hope, however, is not remotely related nor dependent upon the actions of a Bush or an Obama, and thus, my perspective of their actions is mirrored by a different ideology.

Allow me to share one of my all-time favorite stories. Contains wisdom, authority, rebuke, and love. Intertwined. The message? Never more relevant than for today's world. For my world. For your world.

Confronted by extreme opposition by the religious leaders of His day, Jesus took on a touchy situation involving a woman caught in the act of adultery. By the law of Moses, this woman WAS condemned to death by stoning.The question wasn't "Guilty or not guilty?" nor was it, "Is adultery a sin?" Their question was instead, "Jesus, what do you say?" (John 8:5). They wanted to catch Jesus in a trap between mercy and justice.

Rather than responding immediately, Jesus knelt down and wrote in the sand—with the same “finger of God” (Exodus 31:18) that wrote the laws of God’s justice on the tablets of stone on Mount Sinai. "For while the law came through Moses, grace and truth comes through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17) Rising, Jesus declared, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again, He went back to writing in the sand. One by one, they dropped their stones and left the scene until He alone was left with her. Rising, He asked the woman,"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, Lord." With that, Jesus said,"Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." (For the full story, read John 8:3-12)

Let it be noted that Jesus is the only One who has existed in time as sinless, and thus, could have reached down and "cast the first stone." But why did he choose to show mercy to this woman with the words, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin"?

So easily, we find ourselves trapped in a world of classifications and labels. We begin to see affiliations instead of souls. We debate the issue, rather than meet the need.

One by one, we pick up stones.

Note, this is not about sweeping sin under any proverbial rug. Rather,the deepest identification of sin comes through the revelation of what WE deserve in perspective of God's holiness. This must originate in our own lives. Hence, Jesus said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." We must stop and look inside...first.

Jesus openly declared that love is to be the identifying feature of His follower. In fact, he went as far as to say, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you...by this all will know that you are My disciples." (John 13:34-35) Hang on to your seats. It gets hard. God's definition of love? To love someone is to treat them like Jesus treated you--dying for you while you were yet a sinner. While you were still God's enemy. (I John 3:16) Is that my identity before the world? Can they see my extreme love? More bluntly, John shares,"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."(I John 4:8) Period. God does not simply love. He IS love. If we are His children, we likewise will see the world through the lens of God's grace and love.

Time and time again, Jesus reminded His followers that His kingdom is NOT of this world. (John 18:36) If it were, His followers would fight. But it's not. He did not leave the issue ambiguous. It's not a political reign nor is it by popular vote. Rather, it's a treasure to be discovered by the explorer seeking life's meaning and purpose.

Are the outcasts of society drawn to Jesus because we dropped our stones of pride and class to listen to their life story and meet their needs? Do the marginalized acknowledge the love and presence of a Heavenly Father because we dropped our stones of judgment to come alongside and walk through life with them? Are we willing to sacrifice our own life, reputation, and time for the good of that hurting girl and the life of the child she carries and drop the stone of condescension? (Even if she pursues a decision we believe to be out of place? Will we continue to love her?) Do the nations of the world see in us Jesus and His love in the midst of violence and hatred because we are willing to drop the stone of nationalism and acknowledge our common humanity and need for God's grace? That is the life Jesus lived and the message He shared.

Jesus dropped the labels and saw the souls.

No, He didn't sweep sin under the rug. Our sin shows our need of a Savior and the futility without Him. A true follower of Jesus WILL love because he/she has experienced the unconditional love of God. In the words of my Friend Jesus, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, torepentance." (Matthew 9:12-13)

Innately, on my best of days, I am no better than Timothy McVeigh, Osama Bin Laden, or Idi Amin. Rather, it is the love and grace of God that showed me my need for something this world and my goodness couldn't offer. Eternal hope and forgiveness.

We are born into a wicked world. Out of that wickedness, however, a God of love is offering forgiveness and rebirth. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

A new life. Hope.

Are you ready to drop your stones?

"Live in love, as Christ loved you and gave his life for you"
(Ephesians 5:1-2)

A Seat in Business Class

Preparing to board an Emirates flight out of Dubai International Airport, the check-in assistant inquired, "Excuse me, sir. May we move you from your window seat?" Assuming an aisle seat was in my destiny, I agreed, only for her to reveal that it was, instead, a middle seat. At this point, I was boarding my fourth flight on a fifty-one hour journey. Slightly frustrated and fatigued, I suggested this was not ideal due to my 189cm (6'2) frame. She responded, "What if the middle seat is in Business Class?" I consented.

As I enjoyed the spacious legroom, plush seats, fine dining, and top-notch service of Emirates Business Class, my mind drifted to that window seat in Economy. In life, how often are we unwilling to let go of the insignificant when God desires to pour out His extravagant love on us? We wallow in the slums of sin, mediocrity, and self-pity, seeking appeasement in other's pain, the maintenance of the status quo, or the pursuit of self-promotion--all at the expense of finding excellence. We so quickly forget Jesus' mission in coming to earth was to give us life, and life more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Let us not, however, buy into the false assumption that this "abundant life" is packaged by material wealth. Perhaps, in fact, that is very opposite of the truth, for life's extravagances often keep us from acknowledging our need for God's grace and love. Rather, true abundance is discovered in finding the purpose and meaning of life; that we have been created for far more than simple food or clothing. (Luke 12:23) Indeed, our hearts are wrapped with the very threads of the eternal. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The abundance God wants to give us through Jesus is the opportunity to know Him, to love Him, to live with Him forever. To know Him as creator, as our lover, as our God. It is in this relationship that the words are fulfilled, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3)

The greatest sacrifice is found, not in following Jesus, but in rejecting Him. For in the former, you may, at times, bypass certain temporal pleasures or abdicate earthly honors, yet the latter offers no promises but in this present world. Jim Elliot succinctly encapsulated this principle in his famous statement. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

David Livingston, the Scottish missionary and world-reknown explorer of Africa, also expressed this eternal perspective beautifully as he addressed the student body of Cambridge University in 1857. Livingston commented,"People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa...Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink, but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall hereafter be revealed in, and for, us. I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk, when we remember the great sacrifice which HE [Jesus] made who left His Father's throne on high to give Himself for us."

May God open our eternal eyes so that we would not squander the gift of life on earth's fleeting gratifications. Rather, may we find the fulfillment and abundance of life through knowing the very Author of Life." (Acts 3:15)

Are we content to continue clinging to our window-seat in Economy when we are being offered Business Class?

Missing the Moment

The dramatic moments of life often leave us in awe. As a scuba/rescue diver, I have many memories from under the sea: from encounters with Great White sharks in the Indian Ocean, to playing with wild dolphins in the Red Sea, to lying on the ocean floor looking up through 33 meters of crystal clear water at a full moon and majestic starry night sky. Such moments are when time stops and when dreams become memories.

As a novice in the scuba world, a friend gave me good advice that goes far beyond the BCD (buoyancy control device) and regulator. He shared, "If you want to make the most of this sport, you have to learn to appreciate the little things"; the brilliant multicolored coral woven together in exotic patterns intertwined with extravagant plant life, a small clownfish hovering in a crevice seeking refuge from lurking predators; a lionfish boldly displaying his coat of featherlike spines warning any intruder to beware.

Ah, the little things.

Is life any different? Rather than appreciating, absorbing, and learning from the less-noticed components of life, we race through time, rarely stopping to relish the beauty God has placed around us: the blessing of a functioning body, the fragrance and intricacies of a flower, the laugh of a friend, the embrace of a loved one, the opportunity to forgive, or the unity in a family. Annie Dilliard has well said, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

Rather than living in the reality of life's blessings, we dwell on the absence of life's abundances. The author of Ephesians commands us, "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (5:15-16) Literally, this verse is saying, "Buy up the time, or rescue it from loss." Every moment is a gift from God; an opportunity to invest into the eternal. Unfortunately, we miss out on so much of life because we fail to see His hand of love orchestrating life's minute details. In a recent note, a friend reminded me that there are so many things "we take for granted while moving on the highway of life, whizzing past things that truly matter."

The prophet Moses reminded us, "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:10,12) We exist; we die. The question is, "Do we live?" True "living" occurs when we seek the heart of wisdom referred to by Moses; when we learn to live out the image of God in which man was first created—fulfilled in a relationship with God through Jesus (who showed us in human flesh what God is like). Proverbs describes this "wisdom" as a "hidden treasure." (2:4) Not lying on the surface to be disregarded by the passerby, but a buried treasure to be discovered by the exploring seeker. God wants to use the precious moments of our lives to reveal His love to us in unique and innovative ways. Are we looking?

Whether it’s the beauty of the underwater world, the love of a father for his son, or the intrigue of a mathematical equation, do we see the signature of God in the mundane? God's Word reminds us, "You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." (James 4:14) We have today. As eternal beings, God has given us the gift of time so we can express our love to Him and recognize the love He has demonstrated to us in a plethora of ways.

Are we willing to slow down and allow God's love to penetrate the busy pace of our lives? Are we taking the time to reciprocate the love of our heavenly Father in a world which desperately needs to see love in action? Joy Williams summed it up perfectly in her song Every Moment: "Running through yesterday into tomorrow, don't let it just slip away. Forget about tying the hands of time, give every minute to the One who gave us today."

Live for the purpose you were created: to glorify and honor God in the mundane and the spectacular. Learn to recognize meaning where others see pointlessness. To see the eternal when others see only time. To see EVERY person (whether friend or perceived enemy) as an opportunity to show and reciprocate God's love. Are we "making the most" of the time God has graciously given us on planet earth? Do we relish the beauty of the little things?

Sharks may grip our attention, but don't miss the the clownfish!

(blog entry inspired by and dedicated to my friend Batawi)