Category: hope

Posted on

Blast From the Past: Mary’s Song

This was first posted on December 4, 2008. It seems like a good time to repost it.

The other day, I was thinking about the song of Mary in Luke 1. It was actually a pretty subversive thing to say in that day. I was wondering what Mary’s song would sound like in the 21st Century.

Who would be the rulers in today’s world? Who would be the proud? Who are the rich? Who are the humble and the hungry?

What in our consumer driven culture could the song speak to? What would Mary have to say to the Church?

What does it mean today that the King has come and is coming again? What would happen if those of us who say we follow this King lived as if we really did?

Just some questions rolling around in my head.

Any thoughts?

Posted on

Shadow and Hope

In The Return of the King, the hobbits Frodo and Sam are near the end of their journey into the land of Shadow in their attempt to destrtoy the One Ring. They have journeyed far, through hunger and thirst, battles with spiders and orcs, and the near overwhelming despair that lies heavy on Mordor. Now more than ever, the quest seems to be a fool’s errand. They don’t know if they will ever reach their destination, or if it will matter if they do.

One night, as Frodo sleeps, Sam looks up at the sky above him:

Far above the Ephel Duath in the West the night sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of that forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing; there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.

There is talk going around in some circles that if (fill in the name) gets elected, or re-elected, a Shadow will cover our land and our nation as we know it will cease to exist. When you think about it, this has been the fear of some for a number of election cycles. The language used to describe candiates on either side comes close to the language used to describe Sauron and his minions. These people, whoever “these people” may be, are the scourge of the earth and are worthy only of hatred and contempt. We are told to fear those who disagree with us, because their ideas will enslave us in some sort of socialist, fascist, anarchist, dictatorial, etc. distopia.

What there seems to be a short supply of, is hope. People talk about what country they are going to flee to if a certain party wins (although I don’t know if anyone has ever actually done that). Now, I can understand a lack of hope from those who have all their dreams tied into a certain way of seeing the world, who have pledged their allegiance to a system or person. What I don’t understand is when some of that despairing language comes from the mouths of those who claim to follow the One who brings hope. I realize that some of that is done to raise money to put in the coffers of certain organizations, or because they want to keep a privileged position. That doesn’t make it any less sad.

Think of that Friday afternoon a little over two thousand years ago, when the disciples of Jesus thought that they had lost all hope. They had hitched their wagon to the star of this man they believed was going to restore the kingdom to Israel and make it great again. Now he was dead, and it seemed as if their whole world had come crashing down around them. They, like many today, had a misplaced hope.

If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have pledged your allegiance to the King of Kings, then whatever happens in this election or in any other year should not lessen your hope one iota. Our hope is in the One who went into death and came out the other side victorious. Jesus is King and no matter who occupies the White House, the Capitol, or the Supreme Court, our mission as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God does not change. We are still called to make disciples. That may well get more difficult in the years to come, but it is still our calling. If everything hits the fan and this nation does crunble, as all empires have so far, we are still citizens of the Kingdom that will never be shaken and have a hope that always endures. Because Jesus is King, the Shadow is only a small and passing thing and there is a light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.

Hope in the Lord, and your hopes will never be crushed.

Posted on

Ending the Duopoly

Another election year is upon us, and we are faced once again with the lesser of two evils. Or so we are told. But is that really true? Are the only choices we have the ones the two major parties decide we will have?

I believe that we have been sold a bill of goods by the two parties that get all the attention. Both the Democrat Party and the Republican Party want us to believe that they are the only ones capable of governing. I don’t believe that either party really wants to “destroy” the other, but that they have a great deal invested in keeping the status quo, also known as the duopoly. The Freakonomics Podcast episode on September 17, 2020 gives insight into what the problem is and why the “powers that be” don’t want it solved.

If you look at the number of people who decided not to vote in 2016 because of the poor choices, along with the number of those who held their noses and voted for “the lesser of two evils,” you might find that there would be enough voters available to at least give a viable third party candidate enough votes to shake up the system. The major parties are getting farther and farther from any kind of consensus or middle ground, and American politics are becoming increasingly polarized. There are parties this year who could appeal to enough people in that mass called the middle to at least start to make a difference. These parties are not given a chance by those who have a vested interest in maintining the two party system.

The Libertarian Party would appeal to those who want less government, less regulation, and more civil liberty. There are points in their platform that would not appeal to some, but given the chance, they might be able to make some waves. Another party, which I have decided to support, is the American Solidarity Party. For those of you who are strongly pro-life, this party’s platform is pro-life from before birth all the way to death. They believe that all life is sacred, from the baby in the womb to the homeless person, to the immigrant seeking a better life. There are many other parts of their philosophy that appeal to me and would appeal to others if they were known. I believe that they are the party that I can support and vote my conscience.

Those of you that know me may be shocked that I’m actually coming out in favor of a certain party. I usually hold those cards pretty close. You may also disagree with me. Regardless, I firmly believe that the way the system is set up to keep certain folks in power is dangerous to our nation. At some point the split between the two sides could open into a yawning chasm that just might swallow us up. Some of you may say that there’s nothing that can be done this year, so we might as well continue the status quo. To you, I would ask when would be the right time to begin trying to bring about needed change if not now? The Solidarity Party is not on the ballot in South Carolina, so I can’t vote for their Presidential candidate unless I write it in or leave that blank. I could vote for one of the other alternative candidates. I don’t know exactly what I will do, but I firmly believe that it is time to end the duopoly in American politics.

Posted on

The Desire for Power

Back in 2016, at the beginning of his campaign for President, Donald Trump spoke to a group of evangelical Christians in Iowa. During his speech, he lamented what he called a lack of power of Christianity and told the crowd that if he was to be elected, Christianity would have plenty of power. After promising that America would be saying “Merry Christmas”, he said, …”Because if I’m there, you’re going to have plenty of power. You don’t need anybody else. You’re going to have somebody representing you very, very well. Remember that.” The rest is history. White evangelicals overwhelmingly voted for Trump and evangelical leaders have been roaming the halls of power ever since.

I see a number of problems in the statement and in the response of so many who call themselves Christians. Nowhere in Scripture are we commanded, or encouraged to seek political power. In fact, the opposite is true. Jesus tells his followers to not be like the Gentile rulers, who wield power over their subjects. We are told to take the low position, to serve others. In Philippians 2, we are commanded to have the mind of Christ, the mind that laid aside the power of deity and made himself a servant and lowered himself to die the most horrible, shameful death known to man. After his resurrection, Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem, where they would receive power. Not the power of a force that would destroy their enemies, but the power of the Holy Spirit that would cause them to love their enemies.

One of the characteristics of political power is the temptation to believe that the ends justify the means. I believe that is what happened in 2016, and has continued ever since. The same evangelical leaders who loudly proclaimed that character matters when Bill Clinton was in the White House, conveniently forgot that when faced with the reality of who Donald Trump was as a person. Some even began to speak of him in terms that elevated him up to a position that no man should ever be in. Trump was compared to Cyrus of ancient Persia, even King David. Excuses were made, and continue to be made, for his behavior and hateful rhetoric, all in the name of restoring Christianity to a position of power. I believe that this runs contrary to who Scripture teaches us to be.

Giving oneself wholeheartedly to a particular political candidate or position is very shortsighted. Even is Trump is successful and does everything his supporters want, what is going to happen when the political pendulum swings back the other way? Depending on political power and laws to carry out the work of the kingdom of God does not work because when those who oppose those laws come into power, those laws will be changed. For example, if abortion is outlawed during this administration, there is nothing to stop a future administration from coming to power and bringing about the legalization and even the encouragement of abortion on demand. Personally, I don’t believe Donald Trump is really interested in doing anything but keeping power. I believe his “pro-life” stance is a show, like everything else.

I believe that those of us who call ourselves followers of the King of Kings are to live our lives as his subjects, giving allegiance to him first, fulfilling the Great Commandment and Great Commission. If we did that we would do more for the pro-life cause, and other just causes, than we can do by electing certain politicians to office. Man’s power is ultimately weak and fleeting, but the power of the Holy Spirit through the gospel is world changing.

Posted on

1 Corinthians 13 for the Election

I first posted this in 2008, and unfortunately it is relevant just as much this year. We who call ourselves Christians don’t seem to have learned the lessons of the past.

If I speak with a silver tongue and can sway hundreds, but have not love,
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all polls,
and if I have a faith that can move political mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the national committee
and surrender my time to run a phone bank, but have not love,
I gain nothing.

Love is patient with those of the other party.
It is not jealous of opponent’s fund raising,
it does not boast of its candidate, it is not proud.

It does not rudely argue political points, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered when others disagree, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in negative campaigns
but rejoices in the truth.

It always protects the reputation of Christ, always trusts God is in control,
always hopes for the best, always perseveres in living as a disciple of Jesus.

Love never fails. But where there are campaign promises,
they will be broken;
where there are silver tongued orators,
they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge of how to govern,
it will pass away.

For we have partial knowledge and we govern with that knowledge,
but when the True King comes, imperfect government will disappear.

When I was a partisan, I talked like a partisan,
I thought like a partisan,I reasoned like a partisan.

When I recognized who the True King is,
I put partisan ways behind me.

Now we see but a poor reflection;
then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

Posted on

Blast From the Past: Another Political Post (Sort Of)

This post first was published in 2009. It has been edited somewhat to bring it more up to date.

here’s a lot of words flying around the airwaves, the internet, and in public. Some of them are good words, some of them are not good. Some of the good words are spoken by Christians and, unfortunately, some of the not good words are spoken by Christians.

I’m not going to get into the debate over all the ideas and policies that are being argued over. I do have my ideas, but this is not the forum for that. I have friends and relatives on both sides of the debate, and my relationship with them is far more important than which side is right.

What I do feel strongly about is the way folks who claim to follow the King of Kings have forgotten that we are citizens of a kingdom that is not of this world, a kingdom that has an agenda that is far different than that of any kingdom of this world, including this one. Christians on the right and on the left have invested far too much emotion in ensuring that their side is in power and their agenda is pushed. There is nothing wrong with folks supporting and working for whatever party fits their political views, but when that causes them to call opponents names, to angrily shout down those on the other side, or to even bring into question their spiritual life, then there is something wrong.

We are Christians before we are Republicans or Democrats. We are God’s children before we are conservative or liberal. We are citizens of Christ’s kingdom before we are citizens of any country on this earth. We are part of the same Body. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul, would the eye scream at the foot across a barricade? Would the ear call the elbow a racial slur? Would the nose tell the knee that it’s not part of the body? This little toe has a hard time hearing parts of the Body belittle and disparage other parts because of their view of what this part of the kingdoms of this world should look like. Didn’t Jesus say that the world would know that we are his because of our love for one another?

I believe that whatever happens in the coming years should ultimately make little difference in how followers of Jesus conduct their lives as citizens of heaven. We are called to spread the Gospel and make disciples who will follow King Jesus and in turn make more disciples. Christians through the centuries have done that regardless of the government in power, whether the Roman Empire, the Soviet Union, China, or an Islamic dictatorship. If they can do that, surely we can do what we are called to do whether a liberal Democrat or a conservative Republican is in charge.

Follow your political persuasions. Be passionate about your ideas. Just remember that your first allegiance is to the One who told Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world. The agenda of the kingdom of God is not the agenda of earthly governments.

Posted on

Forty Years and Counting

It was a different time. The nation had experienced some healing from Vietnam and Watergate. The economy was not in very good shape. Iran held Americans hostage. The Reagan Revolution was just a soon to be realized dream for the Republican Party. The Miracle on Ice was a recent memory and the Summer Olympics would take place without the United States, as well as a number of other countries.

We were different as well. We both were much younger and both of us had more hair. Jan’s hair is simply shorter, while mine is simply gone and my beard is now white. We were both teachers then, and while Jan has kept her hand in, I have bounced around among a variety of jobs.

During these last forty years, we have lived in a number of different homes in three cities. We began life as a couple in the Washington, DC area, spent some time in the Cincinnati area, where our family grew from two to four. For the last twenty five years we have called the small city of Rock Hill home. Our son and daughter grew up here, and left the nest to pursue their own path. In the ensuing years, we buried our parents, moved on to new jobs, and found a community of faith that has become a family.

Through the years, much has changed. We have been on the heights, and we have been through the valleys. This journey together has not always been an easy one, and the road has always been winding. There have been times of plenty, and times when we struggled financially. We have never been “wealthy” in the usual sense, but God has always provided. We have argued and been angry with one another, and made up and moved on.

What has never changed is our love and commitment to each other. As our lives took the twists and turns, we knew that the other one was with us and we were on this journey together, come hell or high water. We learned to communicate and that has been a major factor in our marriage. We still face the challenges of life. Both of us are growing older and dealing with those issues. Jan’s HD is a big challenge. But we are facing these things together, as we have always faced life. We are trusting our heavenly Father to take care of us, as he always has.

Forty years. It seems like a long time, over half of our lives, yet it somehow feels like a blip on the screen of time. We may celebrate another forty years, we may not. No matter how many more years God gives us, I know that I am truly blessed to be married to a beautiful woman who is a wonderful partner.

Jan, I am so thankful to the Father for bringing us together and allowing us to spend these years together as one, and I pray he gives us many more years to journey through this life.

I love you more than yesterday, and less than tomorrow.

Posted on

Father’s Day 2020

Thirty seven years ago, our son was born and I became a father. Even though thirty seven years seems like a long time (it is over half my life), as I look back it really doesn’t feel like all that long ago. Because there are so many memories, they crowd together and make the time seem somehow compressed, as if the years have joined together and decreased their number.

There have been a lot of changes over those years. We added a daughter three years later. There have been different jobs, as I went back and forth between working as a teacher and coach and various other jobs. Some times were tough financially, and I felt sorry that we couldn’t do everything we wanted as a family, or for our children. God has always provided for us, but there were times when there wasn’t any extra. What I value most about the teaching/coaching gigs are the opportunities provided when it came to Josh and Jennie. We all had the same vacation schedule, and went to the same place every morning during the school year. I had the opportunity to coach both of them, something I will always cherish.

It has been an absolute joy to see both of them grow up into responsible, caring people. I have always been proud of them, no more so than now. I see Jesus in them in the way they interact with others, and in the way they care for those around them. When they were growing up, I was always known as “Josh’s and Jennie’s dad,” and I am still proud to wear that title.

Now I am blessed to have another title: “Granddaddy.” That makes this day even more special. I get to participate in some way in the raising up of the next generation, and for that I am grateful. I have no worries because I know that my grandchildren are in good hands.

Josh and Jennie, I am so proud and thankful for the privilege of being your father. I thank God for you and pray that you will know his love in increasing measure in the days and years ahead. I love you.