Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good … - Titus 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 30, 2021): Titus 2 & 3

I believe that good comes in many stripes and sometimes from surprising places. So does evil. No one has a monopoly on either good or evil, nor do I believe that any human is pure evil or purely good. Good and evil can come from anywhere. Anywhere. We don't want to consider that. To argue that the most vicious villains of history have accomplished good is unthinkable, and yet the truth is that some good has come from these evil people.  And the reverse is also true. Outstanding people have enacted some evil actions. But in our contemporary society, we sometimes struggle to recognize the difference between people's actions and their perceived character. We are more likely to approve of the actions accomplished by the people we support or to disapprove of the actions of those we oppose, regardless of the action might be.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, there was a push to punish those who had done evil in Nazi-led Germany. We wanted our pound of flesh, our revenge on the ones who perpetrated the evil and intense suffering in Europe. But part of the struggle was what it means to be part of the evil of Nazi Germany. More precisely, is "I only did what I was ordered to do by my superiors" a good enough defense for actions taken in the face of evil.

And the Bible doesn't seem to be much help. Romans 13:1 admonishes us to "let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." It is a passage with a long history of being used to justify the evil of those in power over us, including institutional slavery. And yet, the verse is present in Paul's letter and deserves at least some consideration.

It might be that Paul clarifies Romans 13:1 in his letter to Titus. Here he makes the same assertion but adds a clause that Christians should "be ready to whatever is good." It is not that we necessarily need to partake in the evil of our earthly governments. There are times when we need to stand aside or even oppose evil. Still, we must be willing to enthusiastically participate in whatever good thing might come from those in power, even if we stand in disagreement with most of that government's actions. Conversely, we need to, at minimum, be willing to stand aside when those in power do wrong.

In our politically charged environment, it is harder to follow Paul's instructions than it should be. For Democrats to admit that President Donald Trump did was good is almost too high an ask to request from those who opposed the former President. Similarly, for Republicans to acknowledge that President Joe Biden might do some good is also almost too much to expect. And yet, Paul tells Titus to precisely that. If those in government oppose your moral stand, it is okay to voice disapproval, even while you support the government; after all, God is the one who gave them the power. But when they do good, we need to be ready to support them, even if we disagree on most of what they seek to accomplish.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1

Since an overseer manages God's household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. – Titus 1:7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 29, 2021): Titus 1

Atheist, or more precisely antitheist, Christopher Hitchens, argued that "We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid." I hate to admit that Hitchens might be right. My problem is that I can't figure out how that can be possible. Let's take the biblical record and a description of who we are supposed to be. Hitchens' definition of a Christian actually describes the opposite of what the Bible presents as a Christian's character. As a result, most of the people inside the Christian church are something, but they cannot be called Christians.

Harsh? Maybe. But Paul opens up his letter with this description of a Christian leader. A church leader must be blameless. They cannot be overbearing; maybe better translation is "not self-willed." Selfish people can never be placed in a position of Christian leadership. A Christian leader is not quick-tempered, a comment that is not describing someone who has flashes of anger that arise and just as quickly dissipates, but rather someone who has developed an anger that is always simmering just beneath the surface.

Paul argues that a Christian leader is not given to drunkenness. I know of people who wish that Paul had said that Christian leader does not drink alcohol of any kind, but that is not what he says. A church leader is someone who respects the power and the danger of alcohol and does not seek to get drunk, not necessarily one who abstains. They are not violent, something that often goes hand in hand with drunkenness, and they do not seek to take advantage of the other, ensuring that they get ahead at the cost of those around them.

But if we compare Paul's words to Hitchens's description of a Christian as "mean, selfish and stupid," we should recognize that we have a problem. I admit I see "Christopher Hitchens Christians" every time I go to a significant gathering of the universal church. In fact, I see "Christopher Hitchens Christians" inside of Christian leadership. But I also see "Pauline Christians." Sometimes they might be a little harder to see because they are often humble and refuse to draw attention to themselves, but they are worth seeking out. Because we need to be a part of God's efforts to transform the Christian Church into a reflection of the Christianity that Paul is describing to Titus, starting with our leaders, who are charged to set the example for the rest of us. And the reality is that, to someone, we are all leaders.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Titus 2 & 3

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. – 1 Peter 5:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 28, 2021): 1 Peter 4 & 5

In the 1960s television series "Batman," the heroes are obvious. They are Batman and his young charge, Robin. Whenever the need arises, often called either by the Bat-phone or Bat-signal, Batman and Robin ride to the rescue. There are lesser heroes of the story. Batgirl makes her appearance late in the series. And, of course, the police play a supporting role. But, in the 1960s series, one hero is often overlooked. His name is Alfred Pennyworth, the butler to the Wayne mansion and a servant of Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne. But Alfred is so much more.

More recent treatments of the Batman saga like "Gotham" and "Pennyworth" have dived deeper into the Alfred Pennyworth story, former military man, a trained fighter, and someone who is deadly if he has anything in his environment that can be used as a weapon. Alfred is a capable man who becomes a more disciplined mentor to the young Bruce Wayne. Of course, Batman, Gotham, and Pennyworth are three very different stories that try to develop the Batman saga and are written independently of each other. But if we take them as related to each other and parts of the same story, which they aren't, then we see a progression, starting with Pennyworth, moving through Gotham, and ending with the 1960s Batman. The result is Alfred's interesting progression as a competent man who finishes his distinguished career as the servant of The Batman. Alfred Pennyworth is essential; after all, he is one of the few who can offer Batman advice, but he does so from the position of a servant. And if anyone is going to lift Alfred above his servant role, it is Batman, who greatly values the family servant.

I often meet with people who are hurt because they don't feel that they get the recognition from others that they deserve. As a result, they often stress the amount of education they have received or experience that they have obtained in a particular area, hoping to get some respect. Admittedly, it is an emotion that all of us go through at some point in our lives. We want to be recognized. We want to be elevated in some meaningful way amid the audience of our peers.

But the reality is that we are servants. We are all Alfred. We have competencies, and if we are honest with ourselves, we know that we have failures. Some of us might have even have had criminal tendencies in our youth, but as Christians, we are servants, comfortable in the role to which we have been called. And if we are lifted up, in this life or the next, it will be God who does the lifting; it is not something we can do. Our reality is that we serve the King of this world, and what others might think of us is unimportant. What is critical is what God thinks of us. And our focus should go there. So, don't be afraid to let your inner Alfred shine.

 Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Titus 1

Happy Birthday to my Grandson, James. 

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, - 1 Peter 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 27, 2021): 1 Peter 3

Robert K. Greenleaf taught that "the Servant leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve." Greenleaf (1904- 1990) is the father of the modern "Servant Leadership" movement. And he is right. Servant leadership can never be a way of expressing leadership. It has first to be a condition of the heart. Our political system is actually built around this concept of Servant Leadership. We even call politicians and their staffs, as wells as a myriad of other government positions, including teachers, civil or public servants. The idea is that they have sacrificed their ambitions to do what is required for a healthy society. The problem is that, while they call themselves civil servants, most politicians seem to lack a servant's heart. As a result, servant leadership becomes just a tool on the leader's belt, and the unfortunate reality is that leadership is just a stepping stone to acquiring power. And holding power is the antithesis of being a servant.

Peter's words regarding women's role in a marriage are difficult to read in our egalitarian society. And we need to remind ourselves that Peter's letter was written to a patriarchal society, a society that believed in men's superiority. But there are egalitarian comments in the Bible. The earliest of these comments is found in the creation account when the author of Genesis comments that "God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27). Literally, the text reads that God created Adam (mankind), male and female. There was no gender inequality in the original creation scheme; both males and females are made in the image of God. Gender inequality and limitations were, and remain, a human-constructed system.

But Peter is not wrong. Women should submit to their husbands, becoming servants so that their men can be won through their behavior. If there is any error in Peter's comment, it is that he does not command husbands to do precisely the same thing. In fact, becoming servants and servant leaders is not a "marriage" thing or a "gender" thing; it is a "Christian" thing. We are called to be servants so that the world might be influenced, not by our persuasive arguments, but rather through our actions. We exist to serve.

And the process starts not by feeling that we are being forced to serve but by developing a desire to be servants. We need to understand that Jesus was a servant, even laying his life down so that we might live. Possessing a servant's heart must come first. We were created to be authentic servant leaders, both in our marriages and in the world. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4 & 5

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. – 1 Peter 2:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 26, 2021): 1 Peter 2

I love sports. I am not, however, very good at any of them. The reality is that I know what it is like to be picked last or next to last. I have been too slow or clumsy to be of any real value in any sporting contest for most of my life. And yet, I love to play. I still remember the day that I discovered that I could throw an American football. When I played the sport on an official basis, I played on the defensive line, usually as a defensive end. I was really too slow for the position, but I tried to think my way through what was happening, hopefully minimizing my imperfections. But in a schoolyard pick-up game, we were taking turns playing at quarterback, being the one who throws the football. It was my turn, and I remember having a speedy kid on our team. He left the defenders in his dust. But try as I might, I was unable to complete a pass to him. After about my third attempt to hit him on a passing play, I apologized for my limitations, taking the blame on myself. Another player was walking by me amid the apology to my angry receiver and commented, "You hit him in the chest three times. I really don't think the problem was with the throw." And he was partially correct, although I felt that I needed to learn to feather the pass in rather than drive it. But after that, I started to rely more on my arm and became a little more valuable on the field, at least in the schoolyard game. But I was still too slow for anything else. But I loved the game, and I refused to let my inadequacies drive me away from it.

My experience in being picked last is probably why, during my adult years, I began a tradition of dividing into teams instead of picking. Suppose you try to just separate into two approximately equal groups. In that case, no one has the privilege of being selected first, or the embarrassment of being picked last, or even worse, not being picked at all, just gifted to the other team because no one wants you.

Peter reminds his readers that they are a chosen people. God saw value in them and picked them to be on his team. Not picked last, because someone has to get stuck with us, but actively chosen by God to be on his team, a part of his priesthood. We, as the disciples of Jesus Christ, are not Americans or Canadians. We are not Irish, English, or Ukrainian. We are Christians, the members of God's holy nation. And it is the only time that we can all know that we were picked first.

So be proud to bear the name "Christian." Reclaim the title from those who have sullied it with politics and hate. Recognize that in wearing that simple title, that you are unique and one of God's chosen. And as you bear the name, go to the rest whom God has chosen and show the love to them that God has revealed to you. Go out and make a difference by leading them from darkness to light.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. – 1 Peter 1:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 25, 2021): 1 Peter 1

In "Peer Gynt," nineteenth-century Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote, "To live is to war with trolls in heart and soul. To write is to sit in judgment on oneself." I feel the judgment. But life is a struggle, and often, in daring to write anything, we both recognize the trolls or the trouble in life and at the same time acknowledge our own responsibility for the presence of some of those trials that we have allowed into our lives. We are fully capable of judging ourselves, although sometimes we are hesitant to publicly admit our role in the presence of the trials that we have to face. Still, the trolls come after us, making us doubt our decisions and causing no end of havoc in our lives.

Peter acknowledges the trolls of life. He has also seen them and felt their disturbance in his life. But he also recognizes that the trolls are a temporary presence in his life. Even in this life, there are moments when the trolls seem to be absent, and we are allowed to enjoy life's moments. But we also know that the trolls will return and attack us once again. And often, we have no defense against their approach.

The trolls are not all the same, nor do they do the same kind of damage in our lives. Paul says that we "suffer grief in all kinds of trials." The word Peter uses here literally means "many colored" and is used to describe a cloth tapestry that features many different threads of color. The trolls that attack our lives are "many-colored,' and they come at us with a different focus and from different directions in our lives. And as a result, it often seems that we get through an attack that comes from one direction, only to be faced with one that has come from a different direction. The tapestry of the trolls in our lives is very real.

We recognize the trolls. But Peter's point is that the trolls are only temporary. God is present with us through the trolls' attacks, but even more importantly, a time is coming when the trolls will lose their power over us. In a little while, we will be with the Father, and the trolls will be a distant memory with no capacity to inflict their pain on us anymore.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all. – 1 Timothy 6:20-21

Today's Scripture Reading (April 24, 2021): 1 Timothy 6

Many years ago, a dignitary from the denomination showed up for a Sunday morning service. It happens, but it is also a perfect time to suffer a case of nerves. I had prepared for the morning, but I never feel like I have studied enough. The worship team was good but were they good enough. The service went off without a problem, and I had an opportunity to meet with the dignitary in the church's foyer after the service. He smiled, apologized that he had to run, but then left me with two messages. One was that I was being underutilized in my current position. It is good to hear someone say that you are doing okay and that the door isn't closed for a move, but I had no desire to be anywhere else. I was happy with my congregation, small though it might be.

The second message was a simple one. Love your congregation. Love the ones that God has entrusted to your care. That wasn't a problem. The reason why I was content in my place of ministry was precisely that I did love them. Every person in the congregation was remarkable, and it was my privilege to be with them; some of them I have been with for almost twenty-five years. My community was easy to love, and it is my privilege to be with them.

When I read Paul's closing words to Timothy, I hear two messages. The first is the one that most Bible scholars seem to hear. Guard what has been entrusted to your care, namely, the gospel message, or literally, the "good news," left to us by Jesus. The "good news" is a message of love and acceptance that is directed to all people. The "good news" has been entrusted, not just to the pastors like Timothy, but to all Christians. But often, this "good news" gets perverted. We don't accept everyone, and our rejection of people is often the immediate cause of pain, and as a result of this pain, people have left the church. Paul wants Timothy to do everything he can to guard this "good news."

But that is not the only message I read with Paul's words to "guard what has been entrusted to your care." And while the "good news" is important, the guarding of the gospel message has an even more important purpose; the universality of the "good news" is essential for protecting the people who had also been entrusted to Timothy's care. Paul is pleading with Timothy to love his congregation.

Every group of people has its people who require extra care. In Christianese, often referred to these individuals as EGR people; extra grace required. And it is easy to discard these people or wish that they would somehow wander away. What we forget is that they are as important to God as we are. And Paul wants Timothy to guard the people who have been entrusted to him, including, and maybe more specifically, the EGR's, because these people are often the easiest to lose.

But it is not just the task of Timothy to keep the EGR's. These people often require the efforts of the whole congregation to love into the kingdom. I am haunted by the EGR's that I have lost over the years, often because someone in the community simply lost patience with them and cast them away. But they are our responsibility because God cares for them too.

So, go and guard what has been entrusted to you. Guard the gospel, but protect the people too. Never lose sight that both are important.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1

 

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. – 1 Timothy 5:4

Today's Scripture Reading (April 23, 2021): 1 Timothy 5

Actor Edward Albert argues that "the simple act of caring is heroic." And too often in our society, we seem to be very willing to give our responsibility for care to "someone else." We have busy lives, and caring for our elders is often hard to do. It costs money and time, commodities that are often in short supply. And so, the care falls to others who have more time or more ability for that care. We don't have time to be the heroes our parents and grandparents need. And it is not a new problem.

Paul gives instruction here for the caring of widows, but we need a little context for Paul's words. Paul is speaking to a patriarchal society and the reality, in his world, is that men that provided the family income, which meant that when a man died, it often left no support for this family. Widows often had to deal with significant obstacles just to live. They couldn't just "go to work" to support themselves and their family. And often, they couldn't marry, replacing their husband's stream of income. Therefore, they needed someone to come and be their heroes. And since the early days of Christianity, the church became one of the someone's, often trying to care for the widows' needs in their midst. It had become a huge job, made worse by the abdication of the responsibility to care for mothers and grandmothers by some of their families. It is important to note that Paul is not talking about elders who have specialized needs.

The problem required a response, and part of Paul's message is to define a widow here a little differently. According to Paul, a widow was not someone who has lost a spouse, but rather someone who was utterly alone, with no children or grandchildren who could be called on to support the parent. The church needed to be the heroes in the lives of these "widows" who were alone. But Paul wants Timothy to encourage the children and grandchildren to be the heroes in their parent's lives.

Paul stresses that caring for our parents is putting our faith into action. It is also repaying our parents for the many ways they cared for us when we needed them. But this instruction wasn't a "Christian" thing. It is simply what someone in society would do for their parents. By leaving elder care up to the church, the church's families were falling below the standard of those who lived outside of the church in the general society. And in Paul's mind, that was highly problematic. Newport J. D. White seems to sum up Paul's thoughts when he argues that "the Christian who falls below the best heathen standard of family affection is the more blameworthy, since he has, what the heathen has not, the supreme example of love in Jesus Christ." Whenever our love fails to measure up to the love exhibited to society, we have a problem. And it was a problem that Paul wanted to correct. He recognized the church's need for more family heroes.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. – 1 Timothy 4:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 22, 2021): 1 Timothy 3 & 4

I'm scared. We live in an age of information overload. Some of it is good, but a lot of it is pretty messed up. The development of the internet has not only put the information superhighway at our fingertips, but it has also put the misinformation highway just as close. And the question is, what is it that we choose to believe. I have friends who seem to have determined that the worst-case scenario for every situation must be the truth. But the biggest question is this, how do we know? And that is a tricky question to answer.

Whether we realize it or not, each one of us has to deal with false information daily. And so, we have developed a shorthand to deal with this information. Sometimes we have informed an opinion on the subject, and if the information we receive doesn't match our view, it is automatically rejected. Or maybe the data comes from a source that we don't trust, one which has given us misinformation before, and so we reject the idea. But both of these are shortcuts, and just because a source has given us incorrect information before doesn't mean that the information they are sharing now is false. In the same way, just because we have an opinion on a subject doesn't mean that our view is correct. The whole process is a dance that we do almost without thinking about it. And it is the way that false information is passed on, information that we accept as accurate, even if it isn't, and so we pass it on to others in our circle of influence. Depending on our reputation, that information is then, again, accepted or rejected.

Paul warns Timothy that three dangers were approaching in what he calls the "later times." The first was apostasy; people would become disillusioned and leave the faith. Others would be deceived. We would become the victims of general misinformation. The problem with misinformation is that if we consistently chase after "conspiracy theories," it doesn't take long for us to become judged to be purveyors of lies. Then, those around us will begin to refuse to accept any of the things for which we are arguing. And finally, in "later times," we will become the victims of false teachings or false doctrines. This is one of the biggest struggles for the contemporary church. It is not that we are leaving the faith entirely, but we have forgotten that Satan knows his theology, and his demons know how to twist the truth, even just slightly so that good Christians are deceived. One of the ways I see this happening around me is that we seem to have begun to major in the minor instructions of the Bible, and in the process, we are losing what is central to Jesus's teaching.

Are we living in the "later times?" Maybe. It is certainly much later than the time in which Paul ministered. And it might be what we call the "end times." Either way, we live in a time that seems to feature apostasy, deceptions, and false doctrines. And we need to be very careful as we find our way through the vast amounts of information at our fingertips.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 5

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. – 1 Timothy 1:8

Today's Scripture Reading (April 21, 2021): 1 Timothy 1 & 2

To be physically and psychologically healthy, we need boundaries. Children need to know what is right and what is wrong. And if it is wrong, they need to understand exactly what the consequences might be of transgressing that law. From missing a meal to being grounded or having electronics removed from them, it shouldn't be a guess as to what will happen if they cross the boundary. This is a requirement if we are to produce healthy and well-balanced children.

But what we sometimes miss is that, as adults, we need the same thing. Often, our calculation in our violation of the law also includes an evaluation of the chances that we might get caught breaking the law. When I drive on the highway, I know that exceeding the speed limit will result in a fine if I am caught. I also know that, depending on speed and distance, there is also a chance that I will never get caught. It is a different calculation if I run a red light equipped with a red-light camera. Under that circumstance, violating the law is almost sure to result in a ticket. But that is the way the law is supposed to work. I have a friend who never speeds. In fact, he rarely approaches the speed limit. He drives as fast as he feels is safe, which is consistently lower than the posted limit. His driving might frustrate me, but he doesn't have to worry about the law. The law is designed for me, not him.

The law presents us with the boundary, but that is all that it does. Paul argues that the law's proper use is to warn us when we break it; it reveals our sins. What the law can't do is make us righteous. The proof of that is found in the fact that Israel had possessed the law, but the law had never made them righteous. It only showed them the areas in which they failed and transgressed the law. To become righteous needed something else.

The admonition that the law is good if used correctly is also a warning about the law's character. Our laws, even in our secular world, must serve a moral purpose. It must be for the betterment of our society. Laws that discriminate or weaken certain parts of our population are not examples of the law being used properly. We need to be careful about the laws that we pass and the laws that we transgress. Because the law can be beneficial to us if it is used in the right way, but in the end, the law will fail us if we can't transcend our biases. And it is because of our prejudices that, in the end, we need more than just the law; we need Jesus.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 3 & 4

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. – Philemon 1:4-5

Today's Scripture Reading (April 20, 2021): Philemon 1

In her novel "Baby, don't Go," Romance author Susan Anderson writes, "If you can't say anything nice, at least have the decency to be vague." I get that we don't do criticism well, not even me. I am sometimes haunted by the criticisms people have voiced over me. I used to participate in a group designed to evaluate the public teachings we had recently delivered. Early on in the process, we decided to adopt the "sandwich method of criticism," which argues that you start with a compliment and then give the criticism before you end with a second compliment. It is an excellent method, except that you know what is coming; there will always be two compliments and one criticism, and sometimes it seemed that the criticisms came quickly, but the compliments were hard to find.

Paul is writing to a slave owner named Philemon. And he starts by telling Philemon that he prays for him because he has heard of his love for all the holy people; the Christian church. There is no doubt that Paul values Philemon as a partner in the faith in Colossae. This man was likely a financial pillar of the Colossian church. Philemon is vital to expanding the church in Colossae and throughout Asia Minor, and Paul's gratitude is genuine.

But the words are also part of Paul's "sandwich method of communication." He is genuinely thankful for Philemon's love for the church, but he is also about to make a big ask on behalf of one of the members of that Christian church. Philemon's slave, Onesimus, had gotten caught up in a conflict with his master and had run away. Ironically, Onesimus means useful, but that was the last thing that Onesimus had been to Philemon recently. There were many reasons for Philemon to be upset, and among them was that he had made an economic investment in Onesimus that had not paid off. (Maybe it is important here to recognize that slavery in the ancient world was very different from the slavery that was abolished in more recent history. In more recent times, slavery involved people who were stolen from their homes to be sold to masters. It was not just their lives but the lives of their children and grandchildren that were lost. In ancient times, slavery usually had a beginning and an end date, and often slavery was entered into to pay off a debt or for some other financial consideration.)

Onesimus found his way to Rome and then to Paul. Philemon's slave had become useful to Paul, and Paul wished that he could keep Onesimus in Rome with him. But he knew that the right thing was to send Onesimus back to Philemon so that the relationship could be mended. Paul's ask started with, "I know how much you love and protect the people of your church, and I want to remind you that Onesimus is part of that church. Yes, he is your slave, but he is also your brother in Christ, and your relationship in Christ is the more important relationship. I know you love the church, so I am assured that you will love Onesimus, who I am sending back to you."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1 & 2

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. – Colossians 4:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 19, 2021): Colossians 4

J. K. Rowling in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" writes, "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Maybe we need to define wit. It is more than just humor. Wit includes humor but also verbal understanding and quick thinking in the midst of our conversations. Wit is disarming, and it has the capability of releasing anxiety and relaxing the participants in the discussion. Rowling is right. Learning to converse with wit is one of human kinds greatest treasures and an ability toward which we should all aspire.

As Paul begins to conclude his letter to his Colossian friends, he instructs them that their conversations should be "always full of grace" and "seasoned with salt." Full of grace indicates that our dialog needs to be filled with acceptance and forgiveness. We need to think the best of the one with whom we are conversing. And we need to be willing to accept that the words come from a place of love and acceptance, even when they are not ill-phrased. We are not the ones who take exception from the unintended, or even intended, insults directed our way. We are to extend grace, peace, and forgiveness to the ones with whom we are speaking.

Seasoned with salt is a little more obscure, but classical writers defined the salt of our conversation as the wit with which our discussions are flavored. This is J. K Rowling's "greatest treasure." Wit takes some practice. It does not come automatically but is often a feature of people who have practiced and expanded their conversation skills. Paul says that we need to put some thought into our conversations and evaluate all of the conversations that take place in our daily lives. Seasoning our conversation with salt is an indication that we value the people with whom we are conversing.

Early 20^th-century English Biblical scholar. Arthur Peake argues concerning the salt of our conversation that "there may be the secondary meaning of wholesome, derived from the function of salt to preserve from corruption." Regardless of the intended meaning, grace and salt make an ideal combination.

Paul's intention in encouraging us to have conversations full of grace and seasoned with salt is that we will positively impact the people around us, even those who might oppose the faith which we espouse. And having a positive influence on people outside of the church's walls was the fertile ground that the earliest Christian fellowships enjoyed. It was the situation that Luke described in the days following Pentecost.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying all the people's favor. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:46-47).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Philemon 1

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices. – Colossians 3:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 18, 2021): Colossians 3

Mark Twain famously remarked that "if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." Of course, the humorist had a struggle with the truth himself; he also argued that you should "never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it." A friend of mine is unsure that the truth exists, and I admit that that sometimes frustrates me. If there is no truth, then there can be no communication. We need the truth if we are going to have any chance of building relationships with each other.

But I will agree that the truth is rarely a simple thing. Just as an objective point of view is a fable told by news organizations to hide their bias, the truth available to us is often incomplete. In a culture filled with conspiracy theories, where lies are admittedly told regularly, we sometimes have to work hard for the truth. But the truth is always worth the effort, and when the misinformed tell us something that is not true, we need to be committed to respond gently with grace.

Paul tells the Colossians that we should be people of the truth. In everything, big and small, they should simply tell the truth. Some have made much of Paul adding the words "to each other" to his encouragement, arguing that we should tell other Christians the truth but that lies are quite permissible to outsiders. The Ten Commandments also places a limit on truth-telling by saying that "You shall not give false testimony 'against your neighbor'" (Exodus 20:16).

But limiting our truth-telling doesn't quite make sense. The reality of both of those assertions is that we are most likely to lie to our friends, often because we are afraid of how they might react to some of our ugly confessions. And if we are willing to lie on one thing, we are ready to lie about anything. And if we are willing to lie about one aspect of our faith, then what part of our faith testimony can be trusted.

The problem that we face is that the truth often exposes our weak points. Lies reveal the places where we are struggling and the places where our faith does not shine. And the reality is that we have to decide whether we are willing to be honest and vulnerable in the weak areas of life.

I have decided to be a truth-teller. But beyond that, I have also decided to believe that you and everyone else around me are truth-tellers as well. Because truth is the foundation of authentic communication. And we need to communicate with each other, regardless if you are a supporter or a detractor, so that means that we need the truth everywhere that we go.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Colossians 4

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? – Colossians 2:20-21

Today's Scripture Reading (April 17, 2021): Colossians 2

"I don't drink, smoke, or chew, or go with girls that do." It is an old saying, so old that it predates me by almost a century. The expression's roots seem to go back mid to late 19^th century and a campaign to improve public morality in the United States. It appears to find its origins within the fundamentalist Baptists. Its power was in its rhyme and its ability to stick within our minds. And so, pastors liberally applied the verse to teach what was considered to be a moral lesson. And the lesson has stuck. But the problem with the rhyme is that it defines Christianity in a negative way; what it is that we don't do.

Times have changed, and we might have forgotten the old Baptist rhyme, but we still haven't changed our negative ways. Christianity is still often defined in secular settings by the things that we oppose, especially what we oppose that our culture embraces. Our hot button issues are not things that we want to do positively in our world, but instead by what we don't do. We are opposed to abortion, homosexuality, and, in some denominations, women in leadership. In a move that mystifies me, we are against common-sense gun control laws that might keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and people who are mentally unstable. But the common theme is that we are defined by what we are against.

And none of the negative responses by which our culture defines us is actually central to our faith. In fact, some aren't even mentioned in the Bible, at least not often. It is not that they may not be important, but they are not central to what we believe. Abortion isn't mentioned often in the Bible, and usually, you have to read between the lines, but there is a good reason for that. It was not necessarily a predominant problem in the biblical era. In a culture where many pregnancies ended in stillbirths, why would anyone want to purposefully end a pregnancy? Jewish culture circumcises male children on the eighth day partially because infant mortality was high during the first week of life. Does that mean that abortion is unimportant in our culture, where the desire to have sexual interactions without children is high, and stillbirths and infant mortality are low? Of course not. But it still shouldn't define us.

Paul asks the Colossians why they allow themselves to be defined by what they don't do; "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch" (Colossians 2:21). Paul's question is really, why do we insist on being a legalistic religion when we serve a Savior who has freed us from legalism? Maybe we insist on being legalists because following the rules is much easier than making a positive difference in our world.

Christianity has never been about what we don't do. It is about the positive things that we do. We are the authors of love and acceptance, even when that love and acceptance are uncomfortable. We are the ancient believers in a peaceful revolution. We are the ones who receive the insults and pray for and bless those who insult us, who turn the other cheek when we are hit, and go the extra mile when we are unfairly used. And that is hard, but it is also a positive difference. We will never change our world through legalism. But love will slowly chip away at the things that need to change in our society.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Colossians 3

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Colossians 1:27

Today's Scripture Reading (April 16, 2021): Colossians 1

Brian Potter and Dennis Lambert wrote the anti-war song "One Tin Soldier" in the late 1960s. The song tells the story of two groups of people.

Listen children to a story
That was written long ago
About a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley folk below

The story tells of a treasure on a mountain that the mountain people possessed, and the valley people wanted to take the treasure for themselves. And so, they sent a message up the hill demanding the treasure be delivered to them, and in response got a letter from the mountain kingdom that they were willing to share whatever it was that they possessed that the Valley folk desired.

But the message enraged the people of the Valley, so they formed an army and climbed the mountain, intent on making the treasure their own. And they stormed the kingdom, killing everyone they could find.

Now they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain dark and red
Turn the stone and which beneath it
Peace on earth was all it said

In the act of taking the treasure, they had actually destroyed it. The gift was the peace that reigned between the mountain and valley populations before greed took over and destroyed the undervalued treasure. It is a story we need to remember more often than we do.

Paul writes to the Colossian Church of the "glorious riches of this mystery." The words themselves are enough to get us ready to start on a treasure hunt to find the riches. In fact, some have. I have been asked a couple of times where the room might be in the church that houses the mysterious artifacts and glorious riches. When someone breaks into the church and ends up stealing the sound equipment, I often wonder if they were really looking for the glorious riches they believed were hidden somewhere in the church. But they couldn't find the room that hides the riches because they just aren't there. Our treasure is something else.

Paul describes the nature of the glorious riches to the Colossians. It is "Christ in you." When we look in the mirror, it is Christ that we should see peeking back at us. The treasure is that God is making a change in this world, not by some massive political movement, but by changing who we are.  

Michael Jackson sang "Man in the Mirror," a song written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. The song was about changing the world by deciding to change ourselves.

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could've been any clearer
If they wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

We can't change the world. I get that. But we can change our world by making a change in ourselves, being the change that we want to see in the world. Change always starts with us.

It is a truth that God has understood. And he has buried his glorious riches in us, his most precious asset. Christ has hidden himself in us so that we can begin to shape our world.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Colossians 2