Forgiveness in the Ashes

Standing by their charred house and the heaps of rubbish piled up in front, a few of my friends (young kids) recounted their story of nearly being burned alive in one of Cairo's slums---just last month. Barred in their house by angry activists, they were able to escape the inferno by jumping from the roof to safety.  A bit later, after leaving them, I was greeted by a neighbor. He immediately asked me why I was visiting this particular family. Despite my saying nothing about the incident, he quickly threw out, “Don’t feel bad for them. They got involved in a situation and one must retaliate. If someone hits me, I must hit him back. That is the way it goes. As often as it happens.”

Is it? Must it be?

Jesus Christ taught a different form of responding to crisis. “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Such words ring absurd to most ears, yet could this be the very liberation for those who would hold onto the past? Could forgiveness be the path to freedom for the hurt and the offender? Is our world trapped in the downward spiral of escalating aggression due to man’s inability to comprehend Christ’s words? Does harboring bitterness and resentment only tighten the grip on unresolved stress, frustration, and anger? Mark Twain put it poetically. "Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”

Yet forgiveness is no mere change of mind. Rather, it’s an action; an action which reverses the trend rather than merely stopping the offense. It reaches out to the miscreant in love. It seeks restoration. It bridges the gap making a way for new life.

This is the message of Calvary. “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) We have offended a righteous God by our sins. Chosen to pursue our own path. Yet God, in true love, bridged the gap to offer us forgiveness and restoration. A forgiveness that brings freedom to those who embrace the gift His Son died to provide and rose from the dead to offer.

So the world will continue to war. True. But for those of us who have tasted Jesus' forgiveness, can we respond with any reply other than that of the apostle John, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 4:11)  Not once, nor twice, but with a love which refuses to count the wrongs of another. (Matthew 18:21-22) With such a love we were forgiven and with such a love the world will see our Savior.

It may be in the ashes of our dreams, expectations, and plans, but there we must find and offer love's response. Forgiveness. For it is there we find freedom and there restoration begins. 

Choosing Love

That four-letter word. Love. Lightly and frequently used today. We "love" everything from pizza, to our favorite clothing brands, to a certain someone. For many, the word has casually become a conversational closer. It's thrown around in our vocabulary as fish in Seattle's Pike Place Market. The media world permeates our society with its broad definition of love. From Everybody Loves Raymond, I Love Lucy, Love Actually, or Elvis' Love Me Tender, the word is used to encapsulate our emotions.  

But is love the feeling painted by Hollywood OR is it a choice of commitment and self-sacrifice? Webster's leaves it as "an intense feeling or deep affection" but could it be something far more? What's the deal? What is love? Paul defines love as an action which is "patient, kind...always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails." (I Corinthians 13:4, 7-8) Always. Consistency. A bit different than the world's portrayal, huh? Are you [am I] actually prepared to "love"?

Interestingly, the Scriptures identify love as much by what it is not, as much as what it is. It does not "envy, it does not boast, it isn't proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps NO record of wrongs...does not delight in evil." (I Corinthians 13:4-6) Such actions are not controlled by our emotions, but by a choice. A choice to submit to the Spirit of God. The chaos, frustration, and stress of life will push us to our emotional limits, but are we choosing to "love one another as Christ has loved us"? (John 13:34) This is NOT a natural response.

Love exposes us. Makes our life vulnerable for the sake of another, and at times, requires our life. C.S. Lewis may have said it best. “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable." Love hurts. But love is also the ultimate gift we can give another, for in it, we experience freedom. Freedom to model Christ. Freedom to know Christ. Freedom to know ourselves in a way we never knew existed. Love frees.

Jesus taught, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) The apostle John reiterated, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (I John 3:16) Perhaps saying, "I love you" is actually a statement of sacrifice and self-denial. Not a license to lust, but a call of commitment. 

So before you unleash that four-letter word, pause. It's a choice.

Thank You Ronald Finson

Guess I'm gonna quit work. Or at least take a vacation. I mean, after receiving news like this, why not?Among the many e-mails I received this week, this gem found it's way into my inbox. From some guy named Ronald Finson. Decent fellow. He wrote,

G-20 board of trustees comprises of twenty finance minister and representative

all over the world head a meeting at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 5th 2011

regarding the economical meltdown affecting the world, so they decieded to engage

in an email eletronic ballot system through an email open ballot email selection

which your email came out as one on their beneficairy and they instructed Mr RONALD FINSON of Money Gram to keep send you $5000 USD twice a week untill the sum {$820,000} is completed

I mean, please don't be jealous, but it looks like I'm going to be making $10,000 a week for doing nothing. All I have to do is send my bank details, etc. Great news!

Or is it?

It's easy to absorb what we want to hear. Whether its encouragement coming from the mouth of a friend, a good recommendation of a boss, or the words of a philosopher, we embrace that which is conducive to our life. But my question is simple. Is something "good news" when unfounded, misleading, and ultimately, a lie? Sure, it might feel good to believe it for a time, but its end is destruction, loss, and hurt. But how can we know what is true and what is counterfeit?

As followers of Christ, we must return to our source. The gospel being propagated today is one of self-absorption. One that contradicts Christ's first command in Luke 9:23, "If any man desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." With books hitting the shelf promoting universalism, pluralism, financial prosperity, and self-enrichment, we have made the good news about us, rather than truth. About time, rather than eternity. Salvation is by faith in Christ's work alone. Period. Yet such love will produce a concrete response and life change. In the words of Bob Hayes, ‎"The decision to be a disciple of Christ is a decision to put aside our double life." When Jesus' disciples were confronted with hard truths, Jesus asked them, "Do you also want to go away?" Peter answered Him saying, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (John 6:67-69) 

Could it be many hold a counterfeit faith? A Ronald Finson promise? Webster’s Dictionary has defined counterfeit as “made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive.” Whether intentional or unintentional, could many have picked up a counterfeit version of Christ? A version that sells self-advancement, prosperity, and worldly happiness when Christ, preached denial, sacrifice, and death? Are you dissatisfied with the status quo of life? With the meaningless pursuits of the present? With the frustration life's rat race? I'm not suggesting we ought to move to some remote location, rashly make life transitions, or emphatically change who we are. No. Rather, adopt the midset Jesus taught us. "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33) A new priority which trumps all else. May I suggest the greatest sacrifice one could ever make is to reject the authentic call of Jesus Christ for in this pathway, we find hope, purpose, acceptance, and fulfillment.

Identifying a counterfeit is a process. The United States federal government trains fraud investigators to know every mark of the authentic in order that the counterfeit will be identified in its failure to match the genuine. They are taught to look for differences, not similarities when distinguishing the fake from the real. This is contrary to the world’s mindset of pluralism. In knowing and understanding the authentic call of Christ, the counterfeit emerges under the microscope of the real. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) Focusing on the many deviations of Christ’s call may create an debater, but what this world desperately needs is devoted imitators of Jesus. Followers whose lives conform to message of Christ. 

Is Christ an addition to your life OR is Christ your life?

A Crowded Christmas

Ah, the beautiful bustle of the Christmas shopping. Store promotions. Wish lists. Lights. Tinsel. Trees. Carolers. Snow. Food. Family. Love. Gifts. Parking lot gridlocks. Seemingly endless checkout lines. Crammed food courts. Screaming children. Stressed mothers. Frustrated fathers. (With the gentle strains of ♫ Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar. Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia. Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born. ♫ playing in the background.)

We return home with armloads of gifts for others. In a frenzy, we wrap the last of the presents only to have them ripped open moments later. Then, we rush off to catch the next family gathering. Exhausted.

And here we are again. Christmas. It's not that we don't want to hear the angels singing. Yes, we need a star to follow, as the wise men did, and if you're like me, we desperately want to kneel at the manger. We truly long to adore that child wrapped in swaddling clothes, just as Mary did. And we yearn to worship with the shepherd and bring our gifts beside the magi. It's just, well...no time. 

Not much has changed. It was crowded then...even Bethlehem had no room available. Just too crowded. And it still is. "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:10-12) God doesn't force His way into crowded lives. He knocks. Sends an invitation. That invitation is Jesus. 

Interesting. We have time for other things. Work, friends, sports, food, sleep, TV, family, Facebook. Yet when it comes to time for the Author of Life, a few minutes is a sacrifice. No room for the very heartbeat of our existence. Maybe it's time to stop. To stop and ponder, wonder, worship, adore, bring your gift...to the nucleus of Christmas. "For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11) It's Christmas. Time to follow the star to Bethlehem. Time to leave your sheep and head to manger. Time to open the door to your inn. Stop.

As a ten year old, I participated in a Christmas Cantata, entitled Noel, Jesus is Born. A particular number impacted my young life. 

♫ No room, no room for him. No room, to let Him in. No room for Jesus in the world He made. No room. No room, for the king of kings. But room for others, and for other things. No room for Jesus in a world he made, no room. 

Room for houses, lands and pleasures, room for things that pass away. But for the one who reigns forever, there's no room today. No room, no room for Him. No room, to let Him in. No room for Jesus, in the heart He made, just for Him. 

No room for the King of Kings. Room for others and for other things. No room for Jesus in the heart He made, just for Him. He just keeps knocking, but He hears you say, "No room." ♫


I know. You're life is busy. He still is knocking. Any room?

The King Returns

Life goes on. History unfolds. World leaders come. Others go. Wars start. Peace negotiations are held. Economies thrive. Others collapse. Celebraties are made. Others head to rehab. And life goes on. A cycle which numbs our minds. Blinds our eyes from seeing eternity in the everyday numbs our hearts to treat the temporal as eternal. And life goes on. Or does it?

Sitting in Starbucks with my Eggnog Latte, I'm reminded the time of year. The trees, lights, wreaths, holiday beverages (hence, the Eggnog Latte), and special promotions vividly refresh my memory. Constantly. But are all these festivities numbing my mind to something more? 

Sure, a Child was born in Bethlehem a long time ago. Got that. Who could have known back then that history itself was about to change as an infant entered the world? Who contemplated our timeline would be divided based on this One? Who could have known that God Himself was about to become a baby with a beating heart? Who knew? Strangely enough, these questions are not rhetorical. True, most missed Him, but some were waiting. Some were watching. For some, this was no surprise.

The characters are few. Several magi, Anna the prophetess, and the devout Simeon. And then there were those who were alerted directly by God. Mary and Zachariah by Gabriel the angel. Joseph in a dream. Elizabeth indirectly through her husband. And a scruffy bunch of shepherds who had the sky break open one night with His birth announcement by rousing band of angelic hosts. His arrival into our cosmos was long-promised, yet most lost sight of it as the years drifted by, the prophets went silent, the fatigue of life set in, and the oppression of the Roman world was reality. 

Today, I suggest we make the same mistake. Yeah, our televisions are blanketed with It's a Wonderful Life and A Charlie Brown's Christmas. Our radios serenate the home with Kenny G's Christmas masterpiece or Billy Idol's Jingle Bell Rock. Yet amidst the drama of this wonderful season and the chaos of our world, we miss the Savior. No, not His birth. Not even His person, His work, or the truth of who Jesus is. Rather, are we missing the present reality? The story isn't over. We love to speak of His salvation, but we lose sight there remains a conclusion. Are we living with the same expectation of Anna who was looking for God's "redemption" (Luke 2:38) or with the promise of Simeon who was waiting for God's "Consolation" who would be "a light to bring revelation" to all peoples? (Luke 2:25,32) 

Jesus didn't come to reform a sick world, but to transform it by giving His life. First as a newborn in Bethlehem's manger. Then as a man on Calvary's cross.  He didn't come to make this world our "home." He came to bring us "home." That is why He lovingly shared with His disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:1-6) 

Does God's promise seem outdated today? Have the stresses, advancements, and demands of the 21st Century made Christ's promise seem faint and surreal? Has the hectic pace of life numbed your mind from focusing on the reality of God's promise? No doubt, it felt the same way for a couple young people living in the occupied territory of Nazareth a couple thousand years ago. 

As we celebrate His birth into this world, are you eagerly considering His return to this world? Still today, most miss Him. Are you waiting? 

Interesting. His last words in Scripture read, “Yes, I am coming soon.” (Revelation 22:20) Will it be a surprise for you when the sky breaks open again, as it did on Bethlehem's hills? Are you watching?

Handful of Sand

A few pyramids. A handful of sand. A young girl. 

Each year, millions of visitors flood to the archaic Pyramids of Giza to capture a snapshot of time itself. To encapsulate their moment of history.  Arguably, the greatest wonder of man's creation, these pyramids stand as a monument to past greatness and collapsed empires. Ah, but the sand.

Just recently, my seventeen-month old niece made her first trip to this ancient site on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. Nestled in the far Eastern portion of the Sahara, the desert compiles the base, backdrop, (depending on which direction you are facing) and natural beauty of this spectacle.  Despite the buzzing atmosphere of camels, vendors, KFC/Pizza Hut, Sphinx, and yes, the Pyramids, what captivated her young mind was the sand of Giza. Content to let others drool over the imposing structures in the background, she found more pleasure in handling the sand of the desert and immersing herself in the fascination of its fine grains sifting through her fingers. A child's mentality. 

But wait. Are we any different? Are we playing in the sand when the Pyramids of Giza lie behind us?

We stress over academic results, job promotions, the outcome of sporting events, expectations of others, or even our physical safety. We earn and save our money to invest into houses, education, vacations, retirement, and emergencies. And for what? To make our seventy-year existence as pleasurable, comfortable, and stable as humanly possible, along with leaving a name for ourself, and possibly an inheritance for the next generation. Noble pursuits, perhaps, but mere sand in the shadow of a Pyramid. The eternal. The Word of God vividly reminds us, "we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

God did not create man merely to exist in time. He did not create us merely to play with sand. Rather, we were created "in His image" (Genesis 1:27) that we might intimately know and experience His love.  It is true that we live in a world of heartache, disappointments, disease, and death but these distractions are but reminders of life's brevity. A reminder that there is an enemy seeking to blind our eyes to the reality life's purposes. (2 Corinthians 4:3-6) We can know God who revealed Himself through Jesus, the very "image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15) We are not mere creatures of God's creation, but the object of His love. Hard to believe? Yeah. It should be. Takes faith. He conquered sin and death that we might experience true life, eternal life, through the grace (something we don't deserve) of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Life is more than what we see. In fact, that which we see deceives us into reckoning it is the truest reality. 

Perhaps we are missing the big picture. Completely. An old nursery rhyme sums it up so appropriately. "Pussycat, pussycat, Where have you been? // I've been to London, To visit the Queen. // Pussycat, pussycat, What did you there? // I frightened a little mouse, Under her chair." Are we focused on the mouse under the chair when in the presence of the Queen? Are we focused on the vain pursuits of this world when the God of the universe offers a personal relationship with Him?

Those who have tasted of truth of Jesus cannot live as before, playing with the sand of this world. (Thus begging the question, have many so-called follower of Christ actually experienced the true Jesus?) Those who have been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus will not continue living for nationalistic ideologies, personal pursuits, or comfortable living. In the words of Jesus, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26)

What is Jesus saying? The only way to follow is to live for the eternal at the expense of the temporal. We have to abandon the gods of idealism, materialism, and nationalism so that this world will see the hope of eternity which transcends race, religion, affiliations, and ethnicities. Rather than pursuing selfish, egotistical, self-exalting pursuits, our time, energy, and resources will be invested into a hurting world so that the love of Jesus may be experienced and known by the nations. Our definition of "emergency" will be redefined by 26,000 children starving to death daily, hundreds of millions of street children, countless lives trapped in the $40,000,000,000+ sex-trafficking market, the millions displaced by war, or the billions still searching for peace and hope for time and eternity. This will induce action rather than a possible future medical problem, a potential financial crisis (since Matthew 6:25-34 is still true, last I checked), or a sudden whim/desire. Our identity will not be found in a political affiliation, citizenship, ideology, or social cause but rather in the truth that there is purpose, meaning, and hope in life and death.

C.S. Lewis put it this way. "Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." (excerpt from Weight of Glory)

Are you playing with sand? Turn around.

Masks of Our Lives

Venturing through the narrow alleys of Venice, (Italy) punting down a canal in a gondola, perusing the quaint sidewalk boutiques, or sipping an espresso at a corner cafe evoke romantic, idealistic and renaissance sentiments in one’s soul. A walk through these historic cobblestone corridors cause one to reflect on the footsteps of the past. What was, what might have been, and what could have been. Yet as my journey took me through this ancient and picturesque city, one vivid historic element caught my attention. An element, I suggest, we need to remember, for I fear we are returning to the past.

In the glory days of Venice, it was a city noted for its carnivals and parties but one tradition garnered my interest. The Venetian masks. Designed in Baroque style, they were often decorated with ornate and vibrant designs. Ultimately, however, these masks were tools to mask identity, social status, and permit scandalous romantic ventures, illicit and/or illegal activities, all without identification of the person.

Yet the mere history of these Venetian masks and their uses starkly expose the crisis of today’s world. We may not veil our face with a Bauta (full-faced mask) or Columbina (the eye-only mask), yet daily, we seek to conceal our true identity. That person we are when no one is looking. This is no new phenomenon. In fact, from the beginning of time, our ancestors, Adam and Eve did likewise. Rather than a Venetian mask, it was a fig leaf. When they rebelled against God by disobeying His one command, they used fig leaves to “hide” their nakedness in an attempt to conceal their sin before a holy God.

We have this built-in mechanism that seeks to gain the approval of others. Perhaps the approval of our boss, teachers, peers, friends, coach, or a significant-other. We hide behind a “fig leaf” for fear of being exposed. Of being found out. Of the inside scoop being revealed. What fig leaves are we using to cover our “nakedness.” Perhaps our occupation, humor, intelligence, personality, or accomplishments? Today’s online virtual reality world has outlined our desire to live “other” lives. From the expansive virtual world of “Second Life” to the Facebook profiles we offer “friends”, we pursue virtual identities revealing only the side of life chosen to be made public.

Yet when elements of our life crumble, from relationships, to employment, to dreams, to expectations, to ultimately death, where will we hide? Hebrews 4:13 tells us that “no creature is hidden from God’s sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” As the song from (The) Razz goes, “You can run, but you can’t hide!” This is the truth before God. We can live our lives behind a veil and fool every individual around us, but in the end, we will give account to an all-knowing God. But there is good news.

Unfortunately, many of us have a confused and skewed view of God. We assume that He is like the all-seeing eye of Sauron in Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, constantly seeking out his enemies and ready to destroy them at moment’s notice. On the contrary, we have a God of love who is seeking a relationship with us. Our sin has separated us from that intimacy, yet God in His mercy has made all the provisions for us to be reunited. It is now a choice on our behalf to repent, to remove the fig leaves we are hiding behind (such as self-righteousness & religion) and allow the cleansing blood of Jesus to purify our soul and restore the intimacy we were created to enjoy.

Interesting thought. A week before Jesus died for the sins of humanity, on His way into Jerusalem, He cursed a barren fig tree. (Matthew 21:18-19) Why, we might ask? Jesus was declaring that mankind’s original attempt at covering their “nakedness” (sin) was inadequate. Our good works, righteousness, and pursuits of social welfare are a barren fig tree (of no good), when it comes to being righteous before God.

It goes on to say in verses 14-16 of Hebrews 4, “We know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” We need to be clothed in Jesus’ righteousness; not our futile fig leaves. We didn't need a manual for how to be good. We needed a Savior! As in the story of the two wayward sons of Luke 15, God is waiting for us to come home to Him. As the prophet Solomon said, we are created with “eternity in our hearts.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) A homesickness for heaven satisfied only in a relationship with God through Jesus.

As a child, when I was scolded or simply embarrassed, I would cover my face with my hands and declare, “You can’t see me!!” Clearly, it was a childish action, yet it epitomizes our attempts to hide from God. Psalm 139 starts out with the amazing words, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” God loves us for who we are. Not what we do. The Holy Scriptures also say, “WHILE we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) His love is NOT conditional, neither is His offer of eternal life and a relationship with Him forced on anyone. It is a gift that requires acceptance, and acceptance of this gift will breed a changed life.

A great old hymn by Charles Tindley states, “Nothing between my soul and my Savior, so that His blessed face may be seen.” If we desire intimacy with God, we must remove the masks in our life. If that relationship has been established, our hearts will long for a closer walk with Christ. A deeper knowledge of Him. If this desire is absent, then “examine yourself” to see if you even know this Jesus. (2 Corinthians 13:5) With the apostle Paul, we will declare, “I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8) That is the heart of one whose life has absorbed the love of God. A life which gladly throws aside the masks of this world for intimacy with God. How easy it is to develop and adopt masks in order to preserve our pride. How many “would-be followers” of Jesus choose self-preservation over intimacy and this world over eternity?

What mask is it time to remove?