God's Power Shines Through Our Weakness

I attended a 4-year, liberal arts Christian college.  I attend church often (more than just Sunday mornings).  One thing that I love about the church I currently attend is that people there, especially the pastors, are authentic.  I contrast these pastors with others I have known in my life.  I do not understand why a person is inauthentic. 

An example of the authenticity I appreciate:

A while back at church a guest spoke.  One of his stories stuck out in my mind to the point I know that I'll never forget the point of the story.  The pastor had a good friend, named "Mike".  Mike discovered one day that his wife, while growing up, was molested by a close friend of the family.  Mark also discovered that this same man had also molested his daughter, who was in college at the time this was discovered.  The man molesting these women had done so for such a long time that it was generational.  It blew my mind when I heard the story.  I imagined what I would do if I found out that my own daughter had or was being molested.  The story went on that the pastor, his friend Mike, and Mike's family were going to confront the relative.  A meeting was scheduled.  The pastor explained that as the meeting approached and he was preparing, he wasn't feeling the love of God for this person.  The pastor was close friends with Mike and Mike's family.  The pastor wanted to be the Dirty Harry of the Clergy.  No forgiveness.  No regret.  Admittedly, this was a very human response.  What I loved about this story was that in this moment the pastor was very unlike Jesus.  He responded the way we want to as normal people, and he let everyone else in on his thoughts, feelings, and emotions.  He didn't white-wash them for the Sunday morning sermon.  He didn't twist the story, or tell it in a way that eliminated the human element.

The story continued to where the close friend that had done these horrible acts showed up for the meeting.  I don't recall how Mike was acting before the man showed up, but as the close friend came into where the meeting was, the friend fell to his knees and was sobbing.  Mike went over to the friend, put his hand on him and prayed for him and forgave him.  The pastor explained how God used this horrible situation to demonstrate the power of His love, grace, and forgiveness.

I love this story because this pastor showed us that in his weakness, God taught him about His love, grace and forgiveness.  This pastor understands that showing our vulnerability and human-ness is not bad.

I contrast this with memories of pastors with fake smiles, quirky anecdotes, and what seems to always be the "right" answer or perspective.  Similar to those teachers that ask questions in sunday school where the right answer is always Jesus.  It's "political correct" Christianity, and it is upside down.

I do not mean that we are to be weak and let others take advantage of us.  I mean to be authentic and real with those around us.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says
⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

We we admit our faults and weaknesses to each other, we are strong because we realize that God is our strength.  If we put on a front for the world to see and portray that our life is great, we lose many opportunities to show others what God can do.  ^{James 5:16 "}Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

I'm not saying that by living an authentic life transparent to the work that God is doing in our lives means that we have "confessed our sins" and are saved due to the way we live our life.  What I am saying is that out of the relationship we have with God, we will not fear our weakness, but realize that especially in our weakness, may God's power, stength and love be witnessed.

Up in Arms Over the Quran in Flames

Links to stories about burning Bibles and the Quran:

Burning Bibles:  http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/20/us.military.bibles.burned/

Burning the Quran:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703453804575479573649222094.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETopStories

A basic principle I try to use regarding any situation is to boil all of the superfluous fluff surrounding most situations and figure out what is truly at issue.  A Pastor in Florida has vowed to burn copies of the Quran on September 11, 2010.  Of course, the date chosen is no mere coincidence.  This man's actions bring a few questions to mind:

Is it a bad thing that a Pastor has decided to make a public demonstration opposing Islam?  He is the Pastor of a Christian church after all.  Is opposing other religions a tenet of the Christian faith?  Is there any overlap or conflict between religious freedom and freedom of speech? 

I take no issue with the act itself.  I believe this man has the right to the freedom of speech granted by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.  If he chooses to speak by burning the Quran, then it is his right to do so.  There also exists plenty of provisions that allow the government to prevent this man from following through on his pledge to burn the Quran if it will incite riots and violence against Americans worldwide.  Should the government step in and stop him?  Maybe.

Mr. Terry Jones appears to disregard pleas from everyone to call the whole thing off.  People in Iran (2nd link above) state:

"America must contain this pastor if it wants to avoid a confrontation with the Muslim world," Mohsen Pak Aien, the head of Organization for Islamic Culture and Communication, told Iran's Tabnak news website.

Really?  Are we fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan because we want to "avoid a confrontation with the Muslim world"?  I understand there is a difference between "the Muslim world" and those Muslims claim are fringe groups within their religion.  I'm not sure I completely accept the assertion that the "fringe" Islamic groups don't represent the majority of believers of the Muslim faith.  I believe that those who want to confront America on the basis of Islamic calls to jihad will do so regardless of Mr. Jones burning the Quran.  This is merely one more thing for them to point to.  No one in American has to affirmatively do anything to make some Muslim groups hate us because those groups already do.

What about the statement that "America must contain this pastor..."  That's not how we do things in America.  The government doesn't have that censorship control (at least in theory).  Furthermore, a senior Iranian cleric warned "President Barack Obama that he would have to bear responsibility for the actions of Mr. Jones if the Quran is burned on Saturday."  How does this make any sense at all?  To me, this statement shows the stark contrast between the American world view and the Iranian world view.  This contrast makes me appreciate America and our founding principles even more.

THE VERDICT

I think Mr. Jones should call off the burning ceremony and find some other way to exercise his freedom of speech.  While the hatred some Muslims feel for western cultures already exists, there is no need to give those Muslims reason to take action against our troops and other Americans around the world.  I hope Mr. Jones changes his mind, but in light of this man's track record, a rational argument has no effect on him.

A Grain of Sand on the Beach

I'm fascinated by space.  The vast-ness (if that is a word) of space is incomprehensible.  I can sit and listen to people try to explain it to me all day long.  I will not tire of it.  There is something amazing about being 1 of 8 planets rotating around a star which is our solar system.  Our sun being one star of a billion stars in our galaxy, and our galaxy being one of countless other galaxies in our known universe.  Even the phrase "known universe" implies there is something more than we can even understand now.  That is amazing.

I watched a documentary tonight about UFOs that discussed the possibility of life existing elsewhere in our universe and how likely it is that those civilizations have visited us in some form.  I am not sure other civilizations have visited us or not.  I like to think about how likely it is that other life exists beyond planet earth.  Lets assume there are 8 planets around each of the other billion stars in our galaxy.  That makes about 8 billion other places on which life could exist.  So in order to answer "Yes, there is life other than ourselves in this galaxy." all we need is 1 out of 8 billion?  What is the percentage chance of that?

Thinking of 1 in 8 billion made me think of sand on a beach.  Eight years ago my wife and I visited Hawaii.  We went to the black sand beach and the green sand beach in addition to the "normal" beaches.  Saying that there is no chance that life exists except on earth is like finding a grain of black sand on a white sand beach and saying "There is no chance at all that there could be another grain of black sand on this white sand beach anywhere."  (I realize that sand is made of many different shades, but take the analogy in its simplest form and work with me!)  It sounds foolish in the context of sand on a beach, but that is essentially what a person is saying when that person makes the claim that there is no possible way life could exist except on earth.  I can't prove it, but it just doesn't add up to me.

Collection of words

I do a lot of writing. In my writing, I have to be critical of others' thoughts, ideas, and writing. This requires that I have a plethora of words at my fingertips that express disdain and contempt for others' thoughts, ideas, and writing without being a complete jerk.


<RANDOM THOUGHT>We're allowed to be "jerks", but not "complete jerks"? Fine by me.</RANDOM THOUGHT>

So, here is one of my favorite words to use: ignorant.

It's a strong sounding word, with the hard consonant "g" sound. Here is the entry at Thesaurus.com telling me other words that mean the same thing as "ignorant" (except that we know the words don't REALLY mean the same thing, (See my post on Semantics):

Main Entry: ignorant
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: unaware, unknowing
Synonyms: apprenticed, benighted, birdbrained, blind to, cretinous, dense, green*, illiterate, imbecilic, in the dark, inexperienced, innocent, insensible, mindless, misinformed, moronic, naive, nescient, oblivious, obtuse, shallow, thick, unconscious, unconversant, uncultivated, uncultured, uneducated, unenlightened, uninformed, uninitiated, unintellectual, unknowledgeable, unlearned, unlettered, unmindful, unread, unschooled, unsuspecting, untaught, untrained, unwitting, witless
Notes: stupid refers to lack of ability while ignorant refers to lack of knowledge
Antonyms: aware, competent, educated, intelligent, knowledgeable, literate, talented, wise

You've got a friend.

In life, you sometimes have friends that when something bad happens to them, you hurt with them, and when you are in pain or sorrow, they hurt with you.  You realize that you aren't alone, which is a very powerful realization.  If you do not have a friend like that, I hope you will someday.

"Be the kind of friend to your friends that you want them to be to you and watch how it changes your life."  --Jarod Morris

It's My Turn!

I don't understand voters in Oklahoma. Our state was founded on populist principles, which is why we elect everything from Governor to Dog Catcher (only partially in jest). Within 4 years, it appears that conservative voters of the 5th Congressional District have gone from one end of a spectrum to the complete opposite end. When Mary Fallin ran for Congress after serving as Lt. Governor for over a decade, many voters expressed the opinion that it was Mary's turn. Turn? Where is the end of THAT line? I'd like to get in line if that's all it takes to be elected to Congress in Oklahoma. Now, Mary Fallin vacates her Congressional seat and we have a new slate of candidates. It's amazing the difference 4 years can make. Now we have Calvey and Lankford in a runoff election pitting "experienced politician" (Calvey) against "integrity" (Lankford, and where have we heard something similar, a la 'Integrity in Congress’?). They're both counselors. One is a counselor of the law; the other is counselor of the camp. Where is the difference in the voters' eyes? Experience. Calvey took major hits because he was a "career politician". Lankford is a "fresh new voice" and "political outsider".




WAIT A SECOND!!!!!!!!!



Wasn't Kevin Calvey the next person in line after Mary Fallin? Isn't it his "turn"??? Are Republican voters being manic and swinging from one extreme to the other? Maybe I don't want to be in that line after all. So Mary's service mattered and it was her "turn" when she ran for Congress, but now that we have Lankford in the race, we need a fresh new voice for the people of Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District? Is it that we've lost our minds or our minds are easily controlled?



My wife had a wonderful insight a while back that applies to about everything in life, this included. Her statement was in the context of marketing her business. She said (loose paraphrase):



Marketing is a lot like high school. It's like the popular clique in high school. What did those kids do? The popular kids went around telling everyone how much better they were and everyone else was not. What do companies do? McDonald's burgers are SO much better than Burger King, Jack in the Box, or Wendy's. They tell everyone else what to think, and people start to think it!!!



Voters in the 5th District were told that Mary should win because it was "her turn" and she had dedicatedly served our state and it was time for her to go to Washington D.C. Now, we've been told that we need a fresh new voice in the 5th Congressional seat, and we're being told that voice must belong to James Lankford. What do the voters do? Go out and vote for Lankford even though Calvey has served in the State House of Representatives and in our armed forced.



Where do we go from here? I'm not sure, but I believe if I had an idea and told you to think the same as me, after hearing it over and over and over between now and the first Tuesday in November, you'd start to believe me.

Semantics

Ever have those arguments where you're saying one thing and someone else is saying something completely different than you are saying, and then when you figure it out, the other person says something like, "Oh, it means the same thing."  NO IT DOESN'T!  There are different words in the dictionary, with separate meanings, so the words do not mean the same thing.

If women get to say that "tan" is not the same as "taupe" (rhymes with "rope"), then no one can say "do-hicky" means the same thing as "dip stick", "radiator", or the "Service Engine Soon" light.