Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 28, 2015): Hebrews 13

Franz Kafka once wrote that “the Fathers of the Church were not afraid to go out into the desert because they had a richness in their hearts.  But, we, with richness all around us, are afraid, because the desert is in our hearts.” It is something that we may not want to contemplate for too long for fear that we will sense the truth. The disease that we fight against in our culture is definitely not the desert that exists outside of our doors. The disease that limits us is the desert that exists inside of us. We have learned to depend on things that are ultimately undependable. We are building a house on shifting sand. Because if there is one thing that I am sure of it is this – we will never be content with what we have.

I often tell a story about a good friend who a number of years ago came to me trying to deal with his finances. At the time he was young and starting out in his business, and he was not making as much money as he thought that he should have been. His take home amounted to about $24,000 a year, but he was making it - barely. And as we sat and talked about his financial situation he told me that he could do everything that he wanted to do if he just had $1,000 more. A couple of years passed, he changed jobs for an opportunity that was more lucrative. And in the job change he more than doubled his salary. Now he was making $60,000 a year, and he told me in a real honest moment that he could make everything balance if he just had $1,000 more. Today, he is fairly successful. His income has reached six figures, but I know when I talk with him that he still hasn’t found the $1,000 more that he needs to make everything work. And what is really scary is that I know that even with the money is making now, he is struggling to find a way to put money aside for retirement. All he needs is just a little more.

But I have also heard stories of successful business people that are making significantly more, sometimes into the seven figure range, who have limited their personal income, the amount of money that they have to live on, to less than what my friend makes. They have discovered the secret of being content, and they know that if they allow themselves to, they will consume all of the wealth they are able to create.

The secret of dealing with the desert is being content with what we have – and in recognizing that, as Christians, we have a wealth within us that is simply without measure. And when that richness resides within us, the desert on the outside holds no power over us. But, as Kafka alludes to, if the desert is inside of us, there is nothing that we can consume that is able to quench that kind of thirst. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? – Hebrews 12:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 27, 2015): Hebrews 12

About three years ago I ran across an article in Forbes that ran the title “Life isn’t Fair – Deal with It.” I am so glad that the author (Mike Myatt) was willing to write the article – I can’t tell you how often I have wanted to tell people exactly that. But one comment in the article has stuck with me. Myatt writes this – “In business, in politics, and in life, most of us are beneficiaries of the outcomes we have contributed to. Our station in life cannot, or at least should not, be blamed on our parents, our teachers, our pastors, our government, or our society – it’s largely based on the choices we make, and the attitudes we adopt.”

First, let me say what I believe that Myatt is not saying. As his title says, life isn’t fair. It just isn’t. There is no fairness that allows me to sit in the comfort of my office churning out articles while my counterparts in other areas of the world are worried about what they are going to eat next. My biggest problem with regard to food is often “How can I convince my family to go to Pizza Hut for supper?” But I definitely recognize that on a worldwide basis, I am clearly in the minority. There is absolutely nothing that I have done to deserve all that I possess. And that is exactly what I need to remember the next time I am tempted even a little to complain about why some people have more than I do. I am blessed.

But what Myatt is saying is that the situations that we find ourselves in, more often than we sometimes want to believe, are constructed by us, they are circumstances of our own creation. And I really wish that we could understand that. People are not naturally against us, our attitudes drive them to be that way. Sometimes the depth of our poverty is because of the things that we have done with the money that we do have (I often quote Dave Ramsay and his comment that “poor people do poor people things.”) The state of our health is often more about the things that we decide to put into our bodies, or the lack of care that we have for our bodies, than it is about the unfairness of life – and I write this knowing that I suffer from chronic illness that has nothing to do with me, but things could be so much better if I would make certain health decisions in my own life. The choices that we make have a very distinct effect on the way that our lives work out. But too often we refuse to see that. We begin to think that we are helpless to change the way that our lives are –and since we are helpless, there is no need to change our behavior. And that is just stupid.

Hebrews simply says it this way, understand that the hardship in your life are a form of discipline. A loving parent will always discipline their children. They do it to change the behavior of the child so that the child can one day be a success. God’s reasons are no different. The truth is that we learn much more through our hardships than we will ever learn from our successes. And if we never struggle, we will never learn exactly what it takes from us to be a success in life – no matter how unfair that life may sometimes seem.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. – Hebrews 11:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 26, 2015): Hebrew 11

The Big Bang Theory may never have happened. At least that is what some scientists seem to want us to believe. Although that often reported conclusion isn’t quite right either. The Big Bang Theory says that there was once nothing, or maybe a cosmic filament that at one point exploded into everything. All of what exists came into being in less time than it takes you to snap your fingers. This explosion, postulated to have happened somewhere in the area of 13.5 billion years ago and appropriately called “The Big Bang,” started the current expansion of the universe. And, according to the theory, at some point in the future the expansion will stop and the contraction will begin until everything that is returns to the state of a cosmic filament. And then it will happen again. And apparently this expansion and contraction will happen over and over, time and again without end. (And I am not sure why we think that this is the first time that the cycle of boom and contraction has happened –except maybe that it is our ego.)

But the new theory tends to refute this eternal expansion and contraction of the old theory. According to this theory, the universe has no beginning. It has always existed, although for the vast majority of time it has existed in somewhat of a more condensed form, although most likely less dense than the cosmic filament of the Big Bang Theory. And then, about 13.5 billion years ago, for no reason that anyone has been able to understand, the universe began to expand. And it shows no indication that it is slowing down. Unfortunately, both theories have the same weakness. Neither theory can explain why the bang or the expansion of our universe started in the first place – 13.5 million years ago.

For Christians, the easy way out is to argue for some kind of God moment. The Big Bang Theory has fallen out of favor with some scientists precisely because the theory seems to beg the question with regard to some kind of prime mover (or a God like) event. But the new theory begs the same question. Regardless of the theory, something seems to have happened 13.5 billion years ago which has drastically changed the universe in which we live.

Hebrews simply states that “by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command.” Those two words – faith and understand – hardly seem like they should be used together. Yet they reveal a truth. We do not have the explanation for how the universe was created. Our theories cannot fully explain exactly what happened. Even the great creation passages often seem to produce more questions than answers. But we need to be okay with that.

I don’t know how the universe found its beginning. My suspicion is that maybe our scientists are not that far off. But I do know this. I can agree with Hebrews and say that whatever happened – and whenever it happened – it happened at the command, at the very word, of God. This I accept, by faith.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12         

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. – Hebrews 10:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 25, 2015): Hebrews 10

In the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode “Identity Crisis,” a mystery regarding some missing (or disappearing) crew people is solved when Geordi La Forge notices an extra shadow in a digital recreation of the scene of the disappearances. Geordi’s conclusion is a fairly obvious one – something had to be present that he couldn’t see in order to make the shadow. While Geordi wasn’t sure what had caused the shadow, he was certain that something had caused it – and that something might have been the solution behind the mystery. That is the real truth hiding behind all of the shadows in our lives, our shadows are not insubstantial, but rather that there is something very physical that is producing them. A shadow, no matter what some of our nightmares might suggest, is always the sign of something.

So the author of Hebrews makes the same assertion, the Law of Moses was a shadow of the something real that up until now they had just been unable to see – it was a sign of something that was to come. It has been noted that a shadow is not necessarily a bad thing. A shadow is not the substance. A shadow occupies no physical space. But it does always reflect something that does occupy physical space. The Law of Moses was not in and of itself bad and evil, but like a shadow it was incomplete and it provided an insufficient force to cause real change. And in the end the problem. What was needed was something that could create real change, but that was left for something else – it was left for the cause of the shadow.

Because the law was just a shadow, its practices needed to be continuously repeated. But even with the repetition, the shadow could not make those who approached perfect. That would be left for the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross – the perfect sacrifice, offered by the perfect priest, bringing to reality what had been impossible under the shadow of the law – perfect and eternal redemption.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. – Hebrews 9:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 24, 2015): Hebrews 9

The last thoughts of Sydney Carton, the alcoholic barrister who becomes a selfless hero in Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities” was that this final act was “a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." The act that Carton was accomplishing was the taking the place of an innocent man, who looked amazingly similar to the Carton, at the guillotine – and all for the love a woman. The idea was that because he loved Lucie, he was willing to “embrace any sacrifice” for her and “for those dear” to her. Carton’s sacrifice is seen as being the perfect sacrifice for several reasons. First, Carton was clearly innocent of the charges (actually, even the man who Carton is taking the place of was clearly framed.) His innocence means that the punishment he is suffering cannot be viewed as a just consequence, but rather that it is a true sacrifice. Secondly, it is perfect because Carton chooses to make the substitution and sacrifice himself of his own free will. There is no one who is compelling this line of action. In fact, to accomplish it he even has to drug Charles Darnay, that man that he is to replace at the guillotine, and have him removed from the prison. The sacrifice of Carton is not a line of action that even Darnay would accept. It is also considered to be the perfect sacrifice because the motivating influence is love. Sydney Carton loved Lucie, and for that reason he was willing to sacrifice his own life for her happiness. And this brings us to the last reason why Carton’s sacrifice was perfect. At least in Carton’s mind, it was rational. Lucie would never truly love him, but she did love Darnay. And only this action could secure her future happiness.

It is no accident that the action of Carton mirrors the actions of Christ on the cross. Dickens is very intentional with his imagery. The problem with the sacrificial system that existed before Christ was that the sacrifice could not be considered perfect, even though the animals to be sacrificed were to be as perfect specimens as possible. An animal sacrifice only fulfills one of the criteria of a perfect sacrifice, and that is that the animal was innocent. The animal could not choose to be sacrificed of its own free will, it did not allow the sacrifice because of love, and the sacrifice would never be the rational decision of the animal. And because the sacrifice was not perfect, the sacrifice itself had to be repeated over and over again.

But that changed with the sacrifice of Jesus, and thus the redemption that was available for a short period of time with an animal sacrifice was made eternal because of the Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Jesus himself was without sin, and therefore was innocent of the charges laid against him. He freely chose to go to the cross, choosing freely to sacrifice himself for Israel and the world. He made that choice because of his love for the world, and it was the only rational way that we could be released from the crippling guilt of our sin. It was a rational response.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice that could bring to us eternal redemption in a way that nothing else could. And as much as we may struggle with the concept, it had to be this way – there was no other alternative.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 15

“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. – Hebrews 8:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 23, 2015): Hebrews 8

For a short period of time, Louis VIII of France became the pretender to the English Throne. The English Barons had grown tired of their relationship with King John of England (the same king who has also come to be portrayed as the evil villain in the Robin Hood saga, against the goodness of King Richard the Lionheart.) How evil King John really was has probably been magnified over the time, but the conflict that he had with the Barons was very real. The conflict resulted in the First Barons War, and with Louis landing on English soil unopposed, with the English Barons begging him to take the throne. But the romance between the Barons and Louis was short lived. John, who had been experiencing health difficulties (he had contracted dysentery) died soon after Louis ascended to the English throne. The death of John caused many of the Barons who had supported Louis to turn their support to John’s nine year old son Henry – who would become King Henry III. In the end, Louis would be paid 10,000 marks to get out of England and forget that he was ever King of England. Six years after his adventure in England, Louis would succeed his father and become King of France, and Louis VIII as King of England became just a footnote in the history books.

The author of Hebrews presents Jesus as the author of a new covenant, declaring the old covenant to be closed and a failure. The first covenant could really only be considered to be a place holder awaiting the new covenant. And there were plenty of places that Hebrews could have quoted Jesus or one of the disciples quoting that the law – the first covenant – had been completed. But the author of Hebrews decides against quoting them and instead returns to the words of Jeremiah. God speaks through Jeremiah to an Israel on the brink of exile, “the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah.” The days are coming when we will recognize the old covenant for what it is – a placeholder and a pretender – and it had done its job. It made us recognize that any system based on what we can do will never work. We need something radically different. And even Jeremiah recognized that the sacrificial system that Israel had been following was just a pretender on the throne. All of Israel was waiting for the real covenant to arise. And it arrived with Jesus.

By the time Jeremiah was speaking to the descendants of David, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had long ago been sent into exile. Some have thought that Jeremiah’s, and now the words of the author of Hebrews, speaking specifically of Israel and Judah might be an indication that the Northern Kingdom would someday return. But the reality might be much bigger than that. Israel had never really disappeared, and in the first century the presence of Israel was in the presence of the half-breed Samaritans that the Jews loved to hate. But God had never hated Israel, even in their current state. And it might just be that as the New Covenant accepted the Northern Kingdom’s Samaritan descendants, it would also embrace the Gentile races that were also present within the Samaritans. And in this way the New Covenant achieved what the old one had never been able to do – it was able to embrace the whole world. And only the genuine covenant would be able to do that.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 9

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? – Hebrews 7:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 22, 2015): Hebrews 7

Anarchist Emma Goldman is often credited with saying that “if voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal,” and this reference is often used in support of the non-voting movement. Non-voting is not an apathetic movement. Rather, it is simply a belief that the current political system cannot be changed from within. Radical restructuring is necessary if real change is going to occur. The hope of the non-voting movement is simply that masses of people will refuse to vote as a political statement on the current system. If the people refuse to buy into that system, then maybe those in power will get the message and allow real change to reform the system.

That is exactly the belief of the author of Hebrews. Hebrews argues that if it were possible for the Levitical priesthood to take care of the sin of the people, then it would have already done so. But the reality is that the system had failed. And it failed in a couple of ways. The Levitical priesthood didn’t work because the same sacrifice was needed year after year. It could not provide the lasting change that was needed. In fact, it was probably needed more often than that because it seemed that as soon as the person walked away from the sacrifice they had already returned to their sin. But there was also a moving away from Judaism among the Jews in the first century, and that moving away was accentuated among those of the diaspora – those Jews who for whatever reason had decided to live outside of Israel. Even though the sacrifices were needed, by some among the population they were not even being offered. The people had given up on the system - the Levitical priesthood had failed.

And since it had failed, the only solution was to move on to something else – some kind of radical restructuring. So the author of Hebrews offers Jesus as the alternative. Jesus was not from the Levitical priesthood. He was a priest in the order of Melchizedek, a priest who, like Melchizedek, was without a beginning and without an end – and a priesthood who was from before the Levitical priesthood. Because it came before the Levitical priesthood, it was superior to the Levitical priesthood.

Jesus was outside the box thinking, and when the Levitical priesthood had failed, he was the only solution. Perfection that had been impossible under the Levitical priesthood, was possible through the priesthood of Jesus. He became both the priest who offered the sacrifice to God, and the perfect sacrifice itself, bringing for the first time a perfect redemption to all of the people – both Jew and Gentile.      

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 8

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. – Hebrews 6:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 21, 2015): Hebrews 6

The list of captives executed by the Islamic State, or at the very least while they are in the care of the Islamic State, continues to grow. And for many the frustration of this situation in the Middle East is that many of the executed appear to be non-combatants. For the most part these are not soldiers who have been caught infiltrating IS territory. They are the journalists and the aid workers that are working hard to make the Middle East and the world a better place to live. Somehow it feels so unfair for these victims to have gone out of their way to be of help, in an area and to a people in need of their help, and end up just another name on the executioner’s list. It seems to violate our highly developed sense of what is right and what is wrong. And it is tempting to ask if the IS understands what it is that they are doing. I mean, don’t they know that if they want to get their message out to the world, it is these journalists and aid workers that are in the position to do exactly that. We would almost expect there to be an interview with someone (cue Brian Williams trying to get back into the good graces of the news viewing public), airing the grievances and injustices that IS has with the rest of the Muslim world as well as with the cultural West. Our message to the IS seems to be, if you would only talk to us, maybe we could come to some kind of an understanding.

The problem with that kind of thinking is that it assumes that the IS has a message that it wants to get out to the world. The truth is that that is false thinking. The Islamic State is really just employing a strategy perfected by the pirate Edward Teach (better known as Black Beard) over 300 years ago. Teach was known for carrying lit fuses in his beard, creating this halo of smoke that seemed to pour out of him. It was as if hell itself had become personified in Teach presence. Because of this, Teach seldom had to fight. The appearance of his ships on the horizon often simply resulted in the ones being chased giving up before a shot was even fired. For the Islamic State, this is the goal. They want their presence in the world to instill terror in all of us. There is no communication needed. Just an understanding that they are the rulers of this domain, and we are not. And according to that strategy, you do exactly as they are doing. To fall into their realm means that you will die no matter who you may be. It is also why many experts seem to be coming to believe that as the IS makes their ransom demands, the people that they are holding for ransom have already died. This is not about demands that can be met, it is about terror that can be instilled in the rest of the world.

So we will continue to send aid workers (it is simply part of the conscience of a developed society) and those aid workers and journalists will continue to die. There are those among us who will mourn their death and cry out to God wondering why a sovereign being as all powerful as he is, would allow such a thing to happen. God’s reply will continue to be that he sees and he knows. And he will not forget the sacrifice made by those who have sought to love and work in the troubled areas of our world. That their sacrifice will be recognized, they will have found honor in and with him, but more than that, because of their love this world will be changed. I am naïve enough to really believe that it will not be the missiles fired from Allied planes that will eventually bring down the Islamic State. It will be the love and work of the aid workers, it will be the practice of chasing after truth by the journalist, all of whom they will continue to capture and execute, who will eventually bring the regime to an end. God is not an unjust God who will never forget the actions of those who work to make this world a better place. Rather, he will continue to work through their lives, and their sacrifice will make this world a better place.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 7

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! – Hebrews 5:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 20, 2015): Hebrews 5

The 1970’s T.V. dramedy M*A*S*H contained several episodes that revolved around the idea of someone coming to evaluate the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. And in every episode, the conclusion that was drawn was that while the 4077 was definitely not orthodox, whatever it was actually worked. When you are near the front lines of a war, that it works is the main concern. But one evaluation cut to the core of the M*A*S*H unit. In this evaluation, the doctors and the staff of the 4077 were described as being childish, not childlike with its connotations of innocence and naiveté, but childish as in having simply not grown up. Childish often means selfish and demanding. And the conclusion was simply that this shouldn’t work – but it does. And it was really that wonder with regard to why this works, with the sure knowledge that childish behavior exhibited at the 4077 would never work where we live, that kept us tuning to watch the doctors at that 4077 for more than a decade – and keeps us watching reruns of the show three decades after the last episode aired. As funny and poignant as we found M*A*S*H, the reality in the world in which I live is that while we value childlike behavior, we are annoyed by childish foolishness.

You can almost feel the same wonder coming from the author of Hebrews. The people on the other end of the letter were being childish. They were whining and complaining, never really coming to a full understanding of the faith. The letter admonishes them that by this time they should have moved past the basics and onto to something more, but in reality they still needed to be bottle fed. This was not the same as Jesus command that “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Jesus was speaking of the childlike innocence that we all need to have if we are ever going to understand the things of God. Not of the childishness of refusing to grow up that is often a characteristic of our lives.

But it is these same words that the author of Hebrews spoke over the generation that first received this letter almost 2000 years ago that we continue to need to hear today. We still seem to need the bottle when we should have progressed past it. There is an unwillingness to persevere that surrounds us that not only prohibits real spiritual growth, but makes success impossible in every other secular area of our life as well. We sometimes seem to be expect everything to be handed to us, instead of being the result of our hard work and perseverance. In reality, we are still demanding the bottle rather than moving on to something more grown up.

And this is an issue that I wrestle with every time I am given the excuse by a Christian that they “are not being fed” by their home church. That is seldom what they mean and it is rarely the fault of the church or the pastor. The reality is that they are often just not being entertained. At a point in their lives when they should have moved on to solid food, and yet they are still demanding the bottle. In the society in which we live, when there is so much spiritual food that is there for the taking, why is it that we still demand someone to give us the bottle? I understand why my young grandchildren cannot just go to the fridge and feed themselves, but it would be a serious problem if their parents couldn’t accomplish that task without the help of another – maybe grandma and grandpa. In our culture, with all of the books that have been written, and all of the spiritual help that is within our grasp even on the many sites like this one, there is no excuse for going spiritually hungry. Except that we are stuck in our childish (and not childlike) ways, and we absolutely refuse to grow up. And that is not an acceptable excuse of anyone who truly desires to follow Christ.  

In defence of the good old 4077, maybe it needs to be recognized that part of the childlike aspect of the unit was the refusal of those involved to accept that war had to be a part of their world. And that is definitely not childish, but childlike. It is part of the innocence that we all need in a world that often seems to be torn apart by conflict. My prayer for you is that you will leave all the childish things behind while retaining the childlike faith that what God sets out to do, he will accomplish.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 6

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to two of my favorite little boys. My grandsons William and Henry turn 1 today. I am so proud of both of you.

God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” – Hebrews 4:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 19, 2015): Hebrews 4

New York City’s Trinity Church is set to enter a legal battle with the box store giant, Walmart. It turns out that Trinity Church, a well-to-do church that sits in New York’s financial district, is a very minor shareholder in Walmart. And they have a problem with an item that Walmart is selling. According to the church, the items at issue are Walmart’s sale of guns that contain high-capacity magazines, the sort that have been used in mass killings all over the United States. Trinity is not trying to block the sale of these guns, but rather is asking that the board have a plan with regard to the sale of the guns. Trinity wants to know that these items have been passed through the board and that the board has a marketing strategy that protects both Walmart and its shareholders. While Trinity is not admitting this, it seems likely that the church believes that any kind of strategy and discussion over the sale of these weapons, and the public relations fall-out that would occur if a Walmart weapon was ever used in a mass shooting, would likely result in the giant retailer pulling the weapons off of it shelves. The question remains that if Walmart is marketing itself to hunters, do hunters really require these sort of weapons? Trinity is betting that the answer is no. Walmart is resisting the Trinity question because it would change the day to day operation of the company. There are too many items for the executive board to give attention to each one. Could Trinity stand aside and just ignore the sale of these weapons? Of course, but as a Christian Church Trinity seems to feel that its obligation to Christ is such that they cannot, in all good conscience, stay quiet. As well, the church has been in existence for over 300 years, and so they feel that they are ready for a long fight.

The question of what, as Christians, we should do with the “voice of God” has long been argued over in religious circles. We are not even sure of what we mean when we say the words “the voice of God.” Does it mean an audible voice, or is it something qualitatively different. Here, the writer of Hebrews continues an argument that he or she has been trying to make throughout the early chapters of the letter. And the argument is that when God freed Israel from captivity in Egypt, it was because Israel was willing to listen to the voice of God spoken through Moses. But when Israel was directed to take their rest in the Canaan a short time later by the same voice of God, Israel refused. Hebrews stresses that while God entered into his rest on the seventh day of creation, Israel was refused that same rest because of their disobedience. Five hundred years later, David asked Israel to be careful. If they heard the voice of God the way that their ancestors had, David was encouraging them to obey. To harden their hearts against God’s word was not going to take them where it was that they wanted or needed to go. And in the first century, the author of Hebrews wants to make the same assertion. Don’t harden your heart against God – if you hear his voice, however you may define that, listen.

This idea of reacting to the voice of God is at the heart of what it means to be Christian. Our reality is that there are many “voices” that desire to speak into our lives. And sometimes these “voices” want to make believe that they are from God. But experience has shown us that the easy way out is seldom God’s way – whether it is in our marriages, our businesses or the legal battles of certain churches. God demands more. And the result of not understanding that is dire. It is summed up in the idea of an inability to enter into a rest that we desperately need. And that just might be the epitaph of our generation – they needed rest, but they could not find it because they refused to hear the words of God – their hearts were hardened against him.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 5

And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? – Hebrews 3:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 18, 2015): Hebrews 3

Texting while driving is universally recognized as a bad thing, even though a lot of us seem to do it. In the early days after Bruce Jenner’s auto accident a couple of weeks ago, that seemed to be the question that needed to be asked – was it possible that Jenner was texting while driving. And maybe we all would have felt just a little better if the answer was yes. We seem to need to find a reason why things happen. If he was, then we probably don’t need to look any further for a cause to the accident – the accident was nothing more than the consequences derived from bad driving habit. If this is proven to be the case, then there will likely be more negative consequences that have yet to happen.

And I think that we get that. But what is the qualitative difference between a consequence and punishment? I was asked this very question this past week, and I can’t say that I had a good answer. In so many ways they seem so interconnected. And in a perfect world maybe they are the same. Or maybe the punishment is what happens after the consequence. Maybe it is just that punishments are nothing more than negative consequences.

But the best consequences and punishments are intimately tied to the events that precede them. An auto accident because we are texting while driving makes sense. And because we realize that the law makes specific demands of us in such cases, we know that there must be more consequences or punishments. Connection between the cause and the result is essential.

This is precisely the point that the author of Hebrews is trying to make. There was an intimate connection between God’s decision to not allow Israel to enter into her rest (insert ‘enter the Promised Land’ here) and the disobedience of Israel. This was not an arbitrary moment. It was a consequence – or a negative punishment – that naturally followed the disobedient actions of Israel that preceded them.

This shouldn’t be a surprise. The idea of consequences to our actions is an ancient one, and it is literally written all through the pages of the Hebrew Bible. It is also this reality of actions and their consequence that makes the actions of Jesus so remarkable. It is not that the consequences are voided, some of them still remain to be borne by the offender. But the worst of them, the ones that are owed to God himself, are paid by Jesus. It is an almost unbelievable plot twist. One that we still find hard to believe.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 4

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. – Hebrews 2:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 17, 2015): Hebrews 2

I am disturbed that in some Christian circles we seem to believe that an interest in ecology, or a belief that as Christians we should be on the frontline of the efforts to protect the destruction of our planet, is somehow evil. And it doesn’t seem to match with the biblical story. In some ways, the Genesis story of the creation of man almost seems like an afterthought. According to Genesis 1, creation was complete before God decided “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Genesis 1:26). Humans were created to be the caretakers of all that had been created, and to accomplish that task they were made in the very image of God. We are to rule over all of creation. Except that apparently we have interpreted “rule” to mean “do whatever we want with, even if it is destructive,” or in a real twist, to ascribe what is destructive to be of God, while attributing the act of caring and restoring for creation to Satan. And I am just not sure how we ever got there.

But God has placed this world into the hands of – us. It didn’t have to be that way. He could have placed the world into the hands of the angels and given to them dominion over this world, but he didn’t. He created humans and gave to them dominion, for better or worse, over the earth. There is maybe nothing that we can do that more reflects our original purpose on this planet than is found in the act of caring for creation,

The author of Hebrews offers this concept as the first step toward the proof that Jesus must have been fully human. If he was an angel, then he could not have been given influence over the world, because God had already declared that the world belonged to the human race. Christ couldn’t have been an angel, so he must have been, like us, fully human.

But also hidden inside of this idea is the concept that Christ was the perfect human. For Christ, that meant that he have been given dominion over the earth, which in turn Christ defined as meaning the restoration of this word which “God so loved.” This was the task that only a Messiah that was “fully human” would ever be able to accomplish.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 3

He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” – Hebrews 1:10-12

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 16, 2015): Hebrews 1

I recently read a list of the good, the bad and the ugly of the television spinoffs and I was reminded of the fact that how you felt about the original show has a lot to do with how you view the spin-off. But it also reminded me that the best of the spin-offs maintain a similar format to that of the original series. And also that we have to care about the characters tht are featured in the new show. So “The Simpsons” expanded on a format that was already a success, albeit in a shorter version, on “The Tracy Ullman Show.” The Simpsons worked. “Frasier” was a successful spin-off of “Cheers” and “The Tortellis” failed because we cared for Frasier, and the only Tortelli we really liked was Carla – but the spin-off wasn’t about her, it was about Nick (who we didn’t care about.) It is also probably the reason why I liked “After-M*A*S*H” while the rest of the world panned on the show. In my case, I actually liked the characters (After M*A*S*H featured the story of Col. Potter, Klinger, and Father Mulcahy) feature on the show. But I do understand why most wouldn’t care about a Hawkeye-less spin-off. The Brady Bunch Variety Show, after the failing of the Brady Bunch, was just a stupid idea from start to finish (although at that time a show that concentrated on “Marsha on her own” may have actually worked if it was written in the right way.)

So why all the talk about spin-offs? It probably goes back to the problem that I have when we talk about the “Old Testament God,” usually identified as mean and cranky, and the much more accepting and loving “New Testament God.” When we speak that way, then we seem to be wanting to start a new religion with a new God – something that Christians really don’t believe. The Christian story of God should simply be an extension – or a spinoff – of the God of Hebrew Bible. He is one God, no matter where or when we find him.

And the writer of Hebrews reminds us of exactly that. The importance of these words in the opening of this anonymous letter (I love the idea that Hebrews might have been written by Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, but the reality is that we will never know) is that it takes words that were written by another unknown author in the Psalms to describe the God of the Hebrew Bible - and applies them to Jesus. For a people who believe that the Christian story is simply an extension of the Hebrew one, that makes incredible sense.

But if that is not true, then we really do not have the story that we proclaim to have – or we find this Jesus having to make apologies for his own actions in times past, which really does not fit anywhere into our theology. In my opinion, the spin-off of the Christian faith only makes sense if the love that we see in Jesus is just a reflection of the love of God that is already present in the Hebrew Bible. Any belief that takes away from that is problematic to the faith (and it highlights part of the problem of Islam who wants to change the essential character of Jesus while proclaiming that Islam is simply another extension of this ancient story of the God of Abraham.)   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 2

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. – 1 Peter 5:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 15, 2015): 1 Peter 4 & 5

Alan Turing was instrumental in, in fact he led, the activities at Bletchley Park during the early years of the Second World War. Bletchley Park was the place where teams of mathematicians work hard in an effort to decrypt the German codes and reveal the war secrets that the Germans were trying to keep from the rest of the world. Without the successful operations of those who broke the codes during the war, World War 2 would have probably lasted much longer, and have involved even more death and pain than it already contained.

The breaking of the codes are a real life activity, but they are also a staple of many spy novels. It is the moment when the hero has to get an important message to someone, but he knows that the enemy is likely to be listening. So he has to speaks in code, or writes in symbols or letters that can’t be easily interpreted, or transfers the message electronically in such a way that it can’t be understood by the eavesdropper, and yet still be perfectly understood by the intended recipient. But as long as we have been trying to speak in code, people have been trying to break the code so that the secrets could be known. (Probably the most common use of code is when parents decides that they will spell certain words so that their young children don’t understand what mom and dad are talking about – but, eventually, our children learn to spell and they break our code.)

There is little doubt here that Peter is speaking in code. Babylon had been abandoned for over a century before Peter was even born. And there is no reason to believe that Peter had visited Babylon, and the words make no sense when it is applied to the Babylon that Peter knew. Babylon was empty, so how could “she” be there? But if Peter was not talking about Babylon, the city or the empire, then what exactly did his words mean?

And that has been the question that a number of experts have puzzled over. And there are a few different solutions to the problem, but probably the one that makes the most sense is that Peter was talking about the Church that was in Rome. The logic for this solution to the code is that Rome was a place where Christians oppressed in much the same way that the Jews had been oppressed in Babylon. In fact, it is accepted that both Peter and Paul, among many others, found their end in Rome – and most of the people that were carried into captivity by Babylon never returned home. Peter may have also been trying to remind the Christian Church in diaspora (the scattered church of 1 Peter 1:1) that they were exiled just as the Jews were exiled in Babylon. And Peter may have also been speaking a prophecy – that just as Babylonian Empire was destroyed, so would the Roman Empire find an end to its power. And just as the Israel outlived Babylon, so the Christians would out live Rome.

But what Peter wasn’t willing to do was to throw that prophecy in Rome’s face. The church in Rome was struggling already, he didn’t need to increase the pressure. And so he chose to speak of Babylon, and allow his readers to make the connection.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1

Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. – 1 Peter 3:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 14, 2015): 1 Peter 3

We place a lot of emphasis on what it is that we look like on the outside. We all face it. Whether or not we get the job of our dreams, or get the promotion that we have worked so hard for, all of this often depends on how it is that we appear on the outside. And the good looks that we perceive is often about symmetry. And whether we look symmetrical is really beyond our control – it is nothing more than an accident of genetics.

There are some things that we can do to make ourselves look better. We can dress appropriately, taking in our age and body type. We can have good habits of cleanliness. But as far as symmetry is concerned, either you are born with it, or you are not – or maybe you need to find a good plastic surgeon. And the last option is sought more often than we might want to believe because, well, we place a lot of emphasis on what is on the outside. Our jobs depend on it.

All of this is true, but we also know that what is on the outside is greatly influenced by what is on the inside. We need to be reminded of just that fact. What is on the inside and what is on the outside are two very different things. Real beauty is always on the inside. There are no end to the examples of beautiful people who seem to have really ugly insides. And there is no surgery that can correct what is missing on the inside. And the reverses is also true – there are innumerable examples of unsymmetrical people that no one noticed because of the incredible beauty that exists on the inside. These people cannot be stopped. They have recognized the secret that beauty starts on the inside – and not on the outside.

Peter’s words are directed at the women of the Christian Church, but the reality is that they didn’t have to be. The words apply to men as much as they do to women. There is something really special and beautiful about a person of character – and one who is marked by quiet humility, and yet at the same time is confidant in who they are. This is truly what makes all of us beautiful. And this beauty always wells up from inside of us, and it is seldom an accident of genetics. This beauty is carefully cultivated and something that we all have control over.  And maybe there is no better day on the calendar, at least in the West, when we need to be reminded of the root of true beauty, than today.

Today is Valentine’s Day. And whether you are with that special someone today, or just longing for them or for someone to share this day with, remember to cultivate the beauty that resides inside of you. Happy Valentine’s Day – and from where I sit, you look amazing.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4 & 5

… you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 2:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 13, 2015): 1 Peter 2

There is a belief in some corners that the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem should never have been built. The argument is that it was never God’s idea that he would be contained inside a house made of brick and mortar. That idea belonged only to David and it seemed to have been borne out of guilt. After all, David had built a great palace for himself, but the God he served still lived in a tent, much like the tents lived in by David’s wandering ancestors. But the times had changed, the people were putting down roots and the borders of the nation were in the process of being secured. The days of Israel’s wandering was done. So David wanted to build a permanent temple for God.

But God didn’t want a house built of stone. To be honest, a tent probably fit the character of the God who inhabited all of the earth better than house made of cedar. And so God replies to David - When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13). David heard the words of his God and assumed that God was speaking of Solomon. But that seems unlikely. It seems much more likely that God was speaking about the reign of the Messiah, Jesus – David’s Son – and God’s. It was his kingdom that would be established forever.      

Peter seems to be building on that image as he writes to the Christian Church outside of Israel in the first century. Jesus kingdom was being established and the spiritual house – literally a temple – was being built out of those who would follow him. And the priesthood for the new temple would also be the followers of the Christ. This idea has become known as the priesthood of all believers. We, all of us, are called to be the priests of the New Kingdom. We are the ones who are called to offer sacrifices, our lives, to God through Jesus Christ.

And just as Jesus is the living cornerstone, we are the living stones. We reflect his essential nature. Early in the 6^th Century B.C.E., Solomon’s Temple (made of dead stones) would be torn down. The temple would be rebuilt, but the Second Temple would be a disappointment to all of those who had seen Solomon’s temple. The Second Temple would be a mere shadow of the first. Eventually, Herod would expand that Temple, but it would be torn down again. Today, all we have left of either Temple is a wall by which we can pray. And today, Jews are waiting for the rebuilding of the Temple into something that was even more glorious than that of Solomon’s. But Peter would probably wonder why. The true temple has never disappeared from the moment that it was built. It is forever alive within those who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. And it is only this Temple of Jesus could ever be considered to be permanent. In us, Jesus is building a house for God’s name – the real temple that God spoke about to his servant, David.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia … - 1 Peter 1:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 12, 2015): 1 Peter 1

Israel seems to have been a people who have almost always seemed to live in exile. Even today, more Jews live away from Israel than actually reside in the Holy Land. But this is not just a recent aberration. It seems to have been a practice from the very beginning. Abraham comes to Canaan from Ur and God promises to him everything that he can see. Abraham’s almost inexplicable response is to thank God for the gift – and then leave for Egypt. He returns and lives in Canaan with his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob return, in fact, Abraham dies in Canaan but, during the great famine recorded at the end of Genesis, Jacob and the nation of Israel leave for Egypt once again. It would be in Egypt that the next two patriarchs of Judaism, Isaac and Jacob, would die. And it is there that the nation appears to have overstayed their welcome. Israel moves from being honored guests to being slaves – and still living in exile. Finally they take possession of Canaan, but they won’t stay there for long. Late in the eighth century, the Northern Kingdom disappears into exile once and for all. And then in the early days of the sixth century the same fate awaits the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Judah would return – at least partially. But by the first century C.E., Jews were scattered all over the Roman Empire. And the term used to describe these exiled people was “the diaspora” – the scattered or dispersed.

Maybe one of the most significant features of First Peter is the unusual opening to the letter. Peter addresses himself as the Apostle of Jesus Christ, something that was never in doubt, but then he addresses the Christian population around the Roman Empire as “God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces” – literally to “God’s elect, the diaspora.” Up until this time, the words would have only been used to describe Israel, but now Peter applies them to the Christian populations in the empire, both Jew and Gentile.

The irony of the phrase is that some of those addressed would not have been exiles. They were people who were living in their traditional homelands. But Peter would seem to be pointing at an ancient truth, we are all on a journey through a strange land, just trying to find our way home. And some day we will return home. On that day the new heaven and new earth will come down – and we will go to live with Jesus Christ, of whom Peter was an apostle, and finally we will find ourselves at home with him. At long last, the exile of Peter’s diaspora will have ended.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2

... to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. – Titus 3:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 11, 2015): Titus 2 & 3

As elections approach in North American, so does the season for bending the truth. It might seem that the idea of running a negative campaign is a recent development, but it actually appears to have its roots in the early 1800’s. James Callender may have been the first political hatchet man. He was hired by Thomas Jefferson as Jefferson prepared to run a campaign against his former boss, John Adams. In 1801 he actually spent time in jail for sedition, or, more probably, for the suspected bending of the truth for use against Adams in Jefferson’s political campaign as he ran to replace Adams as the President of the United States. When Callender emerged from jail, he felt that Jefferson owed him something. Apparently Jefferson disagreed, and so Callendar turned on him by revealing that the now newly elected President had been having an affair with one of his slaves – Sally Hemings. Most people assumed that Callender’s accusation was just another example of his willingness to bend the truth, but more recent discoveries have shown that, at least on this point, Callender may have been actually telling the whole, unbent truth.

But with Callender, the sacred art of bending the truth, and often making elections more about the partial lies that the candidate’s tell about each other than it is about the real issues that need to be dealt with, began – and the practice continues with a vengeance even today. And as a result some have wondered how politicians do it – how is it that they seem to be able to lie so convincingly. The answer to that question probably depends on three conditions that politicians must be convinced of as they run their campaigns.

First, lie is not quite the right word to use when considering the words that politicians use. It is really a stretching or bending of the truth. In other words, there is a very real truth that sits at the core of what the politicians are saying, but the words are spun in a way that benefits the candidate. In other words, what is said is often true, at least to a point, but it is the meaning that they try to give to the truth that actually suffers. They seldom actually tell a lie, and they can usually go back and support the core of their argument with verifiable truth. Second, the policy or message of the candidate is often seen as of the utmost importance. For example, one of the Democratic goals over the past six years has been universal health care. And that issue was considered important enough to make the bending of the truth worth the misleading truth that the Democratic Party has been selling. But, as is usually the case, the Republicans are not innocent in this. They have been doing their own bending of the truth to support the campaign against universal health care. And lastly, it really helps if you know that you are the good guys, and your opponent is evil incarnate.

So Paul writes to Titus and reminds him that he is not a politician. The cause may be big enough, and the enemy really is evil incarnate, and yet that still is not a good enough reason to bend the truth. No matter what the cause, slander is never permissible – even in a political campaign - and there is never a reason big enough to not be peaceable, considerate and gentle with each other. There is no rationale that makes it okay for Christians to bend the truth – even if the truth does nothing but harm us.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1

For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. – Titus 1:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 10, 2015): Titus 1

We like our rules. On a large scale, rules keep the playing field level, allowing all of us to have at least a chance to win. So the outrage over “deflategate” as the 2015 Super Bowl approached threw many people into a frenzy. And it wasn’t about who was going to win the Super Bowl, the question was ‘had the New England Patriots been doing this for a long period of time?’ That is the question that has sent a number of math people into the stats of the game, coming up with the conclusion that in 2006, something happened in New England. All in a sudden they stopped fumbling the ball. Up until that season they had been a fairly average team, but after 2006 something changed – the ball seemed to be glued to them. All in a sudden, they far outclassed the rest of the league in terms of being able to hold onto the ball. And people began to ask of this change happened because that was the moment that the Patriots began using slightly deflated balls (a deflated ball is much easier to hold onto than one that is properly inflated.) Did New England win not because they were better, but because they were more willing to break the rules? It also caused one reporter to wonder if properly inflated balls in the 2015 Super Bowl game might mean that New England would break the record for most fumbles in a game, a record held by the Buffalo Bills with eight fumbled balls on route to a 52-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 1993 - something which, of course, did not happen as New England beat Seattle 28-24 in spite of properly inflated balls.

But rules don’t always work that way. Sometimes rules keep us down. Rosa Parks might be one of the best examples of that kind of a rule breaker. On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks was arrested for civil disobedience when she refused to give up her seat in the “colored” section of the bus to a white person, after the white section of the bus had filled up. Rosa Parks was not the first to speak out against bus segregation, but her act of disobedience did not just get her arrested, it sent shock waves throughout the segregated south of the United States. And today there are so many ways in which our world is a better place to live simply because Rosa Parks, and others like her, decided to break the rules.

In Christianity, we celebrate our own rule breakers. And one of our foremost rule breakers was the Apostle Paul. Paul led the charge against the segregation between the Jews and the non-Jews, regardless of color, in the Judea of his day. His reputation for being a rule breaker was so great that he was arrested in Jerusalem just because he was seen in the company of a Greek man, Trophimus from the Greek city of Ephesus, and because of Paul’s reputation the authorities assumed that Paul had brought Trophimus into the temple – something that was strictly against the law. Paul sought for an equality between the Jew and the Gentile, and really an equality among all of the races of the world.

So as Paul writes to Titus, he reminds the pastor that Christians must always be on guard against those who want to use rules and laws to keep other people in a subservient positions. The early Christian Church had been infiltrated by Pharisees who saw the beauty of Christianity, but insisted that it must remain a Jewish religion – after all, the Messiah was the possession of the Jews. Keeping Christianity Jewish would also benefit those who were responsible for collecting fees from believers for Jewish rites. But for Paul, there was no room for this kind of behavior. This Jewish teacher stood arm in arm with his Gentile counterparts as equals in a world that had left this kind of unfair regulations far behind. Paul needed Titus, and anyone else who might read the letter, to simply remember that, and fight for the equality of all people – we are, after all, all God’s children.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Titus 2 & 3

But godliness with contentment is great gain. – 1 Timothy 6:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 9, 2015): 1 Timothy 6

We are living in an absolutely amazing time. The smartphone that most of us have glued to our belts – or if you are me, buried in a pocket somewhere or ignored on the top of a desk – has more computer components and abilities than were contained within the first rockets that we shot into space. I live in a place that is filled with choice. I have an endless ability to eat and try new things (I would just rather stick with the old and known). The television set that I had growing up could barely be called a television compared to the flat screen model that graces my family room. We have more ability to find out information than we ever have. Our ability is so great that I admit sometimes I get lost in my choices.

We live in amazing times, but we aren’t happy. I am not sure that I understand why. A recent study revealed that the more we chase after happiness, the more we read articles about happiness, the less happy we actually become. It is a paradox. Apparently happiness is not something that can be pursued. Happiness sneaks up on us when we least expect it. Happiness is a lot like success and finances, we only seem to be able to achieve it when we are chasing after something else. And so we chase after more – and never really get to where we want to be.

It is because of this tendency that one of the spiritual disciplines that we sometimes need to adopt into our lives is simply stability. Stability recognizes that sometimes our tendency to chase after more is really just our running away from some of the problems that exist within our lives. And when we run away from our problems, our problems also tend to follow us. Unless we are willing to confront what seems to be wrong in our lives, we can never be content.  

As Christians, we seem to have a lot of excuses for why our chasing after things is not a problem. But whenever we think that buying more will fix the problems in our lives, we are admitting our need for stability – and our lack of godly contentment. Whenever we are inordinately grieved by something that we have lost, we are admitting our need for stability – and our lack of godly contentment. And whenever we feel an addictive rush of extreme pleasure because of something that we have purchased, we are admitting our need for stability – and our lack of godly contentment.

Paul expressed his understanding of his need for stability this way in his letter to the Philippian Church.

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:10-13).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Titus 1

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers … 1 Timothy 5:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 8, 2015): 1 Timothy 5

As Henry Kissinger prepared to testify in front of the Senate Armed Forces committee on January 29, 2015, members of Code Pink decided to protest against the 91 year-old, demanding that he be arrested for war crimes. Senator John McCain tried to silence the protestors and then apologized to the former Secretary of State for the outburst, and for the inability of the government to stop the protest faster than it did. It was at that time that the Senator called the protestors “low-life scum.”

The accusation likely stems from a book written by Christopher Hitchens appropriately entitled “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” in which he outlines the war crimes charges that he believes should be levelled against Kissinger.  The charges raised by Hitchens are for crimes against humanity, including conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping and torture – all connected with the United States presence in Vietnam during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Whether there is any real solid evidence against the former Secretary of State or not, the reality is that no action has ever been taken against Kissinger. And considering Hitchens track record of skewering politicians and celebrities, including a book, The Missionary Position, against the status and celebrity of Mother Teresa, one wonders how serious his accusations should really be taken.

Paul writes to Timothy and clearly instructs him against the practice of rebuking an older man harshly. (It is evident by the inclusion of the instruction to treat younger men as brothers that Paul is referring to older men, and not to ecclesiastical elders.) Unfortunately, the honoring of our elders is something that we seem to have lost in Western Culture. Too often we take advantage of or criticize our older generations, considering them to be out of date or not worthy of our respect. And it was for this reason that Senator McCain felt he needed to apologize to the embattled Kissinger. In a place Henry Kissinger should have been honored, he was rebuked – and the rebuke was certainly harsh.

But it should be noted that Paul’s message is not that age gives you a free pass from the crimes of society. His message is that such charges should be carefully and respectfully exercised. Proper channels need to be adhered to, and if there is guilt proven through those channels, then the penalty should be applied. This may be especially true for crimes that were committed a long time in the past. And the biggest problem seems to be that as time passes, the proof seems to fade.

So the question that begs to be asked is simply “what should the Christian response be to charges like the ones leveled against Henry Kissinger?” It seems likely that Paul would advise those charges to go through appropriate channels, while giving the accused the honor and respect (and encouragement) for the things that they have done did right in their lives. And if the proper channels refuse to indict for the wrongdoing, then allow the honor to remain. Code Pink’s error was that the rebuke was harshly applied and the proper channels were ignored – probably because the authorities believe that the evidence against Kissinger is weak or tainted. And, yes, sometimes that may be a frustrating situation to accept, but we need to be able to accept it and to allow the honor to remain. But as Christians we can also be sure in the knowledge that the God we serve is a righteous judge, judging even the unprovable secrets of the people of the earth (Romans 2:16).       

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. – 1 Timothy 3:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 7, 2015): 1 Timothy 3 & 4

Jeb Bush continues to lead the ever growing list of possible nominations competing to represent the Republicans in the 2016 political race for the Presidency of the United States – and the Republican Party continues to lead most polls to win that race, which is still almost two years away. If both of these early trends hold, which is admittedly unlikely, then for the third time in the last five Presidents, the leader of the free world will be a member of the same political family. But not only that, it would mean that the only Republicans to win the White House since the reign of Ronald Reagan all share the last name “Bush.”

But experts doubt that this would ever happen. Even though Jeb Bush leads the polls now, he is considered much too liberal a candidate to ever really lead the Republican Party. And if the past is any indication, we know that there will be candidates that will enter and leave the race over the next few months leading up to the Republican Convention in July 2016. Every candidate will have to weigh carefully whether or not this is something that they really want to pursue. The reality is that being President of the United States just might be one of the hardest and most thankless jobs on the planet. It looks like a great job from a distance, but the closer it gets to becoming a reality, the more sure a candidate needs to be that this is really what they and their families -wants.

Paul tells Timothy that whoever chases after the position of “overseer” desires a noble task. He is not, as some have argued, establishing a leadership structure for a church, but simply commenting that anyone who wants to be a leader in the church – in any position – desires something that is honorable. But not only that, the principle could be expanded to any leadership position – inside or outside of the church. Any position of leadership is something that cannot be chased after indiscriminately. Real leadership requires responsibility, it does not simply a badge of privilege.

So every leadership position, whether inside the church or outside, needs to be carefully considered. Paul’s advice to Timothy seems to be that he needs to make sure that his leaders are not just fulfilling open position, but rather understand the task at hand and the responsibility that they will have to their constituents. Because true leadership is the hardest job that anyone will try to accomplish. And we owe a debt to our leaders, because if they have completed their task, they have paid a very high price to make the church, and/or our world, a better place.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 5