What Is Christian About Democracy?

Over at the Huffington Post Robbie Gennet has made some interesting remarks about the impossibility of a democracy being Christian. In his words,

“There is no such thing as a Christian…Muslim… or Jewish Democracy…(or a solely Heterosexual one, for that matter).”

“True Democracy,” he says,

“Means True Equality and no religion sees itself as equal to all the others (and they feel especially unequal to secularism and atheism)...In this country, the vast majority of them (the religious) feel that the USA was founded as a Christian nation and should be run like one, which is anathema to the true Democratic ideals of our founding fathers.”

The truth is we actually could have a Christian democracy. We don’t have one now, we never have had one and if the opportunity arose to establish one I would vote against it in a heart beat. There isn’t much difference between a Christian Democracy and a religious state. But, even though we are not a Christian democracy I am not so sure Mr. Gennet is correct in suggesting our nation is not Christian. A nation is very different to a democracy. One can be Christian even if the other is not. In fact, one should definitely be Christian while the other should definitely not be and that is what our fore fathers understood.

Mr. Gennet also got the term “Christian” confused with the term “religion.” He freely quoted our fore fathers, who denounced religion, obviously implying they were also anti-Christian. The men who wrote our constitution, however, understood that being Christian and being religious are two very different things. It is possible to be one without being the other and some of those who framed our constitution were exactly that, Christian but not religious.

And, in fact, "religion" can mean anything. There are many different kinds of religion and many different versions of certain kinds (particularly Christian - for a read on that go here, Which Religion Is Right). History records a lot of conflict occurring between different religions and even different versions of the same religion.

Religious political abuses were committed regularly for centuries before the birth of our nation. We study these events in a sterile non-threatening setting but our fore fathers were eye witnesses. States driven by religious sentiment had maligned their names and threatened their lives. These same States, the larger number of which were Christian monarchies (a curious combination), regularly abused their citizens and fomented war against each other all in the name of religion. Our fore fathers were victims of these abuses. They learned firsthand that individual freedom was directly proportional to the distance maintained between church (religion) and state. But, much to the chagrin of those who don’t understand the difference, they did introduce Christian ideals into our system of government not the least of which is democracy.

Democracy is, by nature, flexible and at the same time Christian. It is God’s grace applied to the political process. Democracy doesn’t encourage pluralism but it allows for it and provides a peaceful process by which compromises can be reached and peace can be maintained. This is quite necessary in a multi-religious culture. But be warned! Democracy is only Christian as long as it is not used as a vehicle for establishing a State religion.

On a philosophical level, democracy encourages fairness and makes allowances for the inalienable rights of every individual.

On a practical level, democracy maintains a system of laws designed to protect individual freedom, even when personal choices involve destructive behavior. If you wish to smoke, eat too much, engage in promiscuous behavior or worship the devil that is your right.

Only when one person’s personal liberties impinge on the rights of others are courts required to decide where the line must be drawn. The courts uphold the free choices of others even when those choices are wrong (by Christian standards) as long as the liberties of others are not violated thereby, which by the way, is not the same as having your personal religious views offended.

The laws of a democratic state are designed to protect individual liberties not reflect morality in the absolute sense. Mr. Gennet implied this without saying it exactly and in that regard he and I agree.

Even the Old Testament, which seems a bit harsh for some, revealed some very democratic flexibility. Polygamy, because of its prevalence, was regulated in the law of Moses rather than “run out of town.” The same could be said for divorce. God’s absolute moral code did not agree with the cultural reality but He did flex enough to manage it graciously. This observation is very confusing to those who take a heavy handed approach to governance.

The system of government God levied on Israel was very strict in many ways but it was not absolute and, as already mentioned, it was flexible on some very questionable issues. It was much more idealistic than democracies today and much more firm in exacting penalties but it never worked and, therefore, should make us wonder. Maybe God implemented a government of strict religious and moral laws to show it can’t be done not to teach it should be tried.

Society will always be comprised of fallen humans none of whom is naturally agreeable to moral standards, all of whom are inclined toward trespasses, Christians included. Being Christian in a democratic society means graciously responding to the abuses, excesses and transgressions of others as long as they are democratically processed. Once we have argued the point and possibly lost the vote we must be able to focus on people rather than politics.

And for those who worry about being contaminated, democracy allows each person to be different as long as they are not disagreeable. That is to say, even though democracy allows lifestyles contrary to Christian standards it never imposes them on anyone. Democracy allows me to be fully Christian when everyone around me is not and vice versa.

Democracy is the political equivalent to grace. Moral truth is very fixed and exacting and society is never fully in line. Democracy is how we manage the difference even when the differences become unbearable to some.

To be a member of a religion you must agree to all the rules even when you fail to live up to them on occasion. Being an acceptable member of a democracy isn’t so demanding and the two are not the same. The only time a Christian’s religious views will parallel their political reality is when the State is controlled by a religion and then we have to wonder which religion will win out.

Mr. Gennet and I disagree on several things but when it comes to the nature of a democracy we have a lot in common. Because these concepts require serious consideration I would encourage you to ThinkAboutit.

Christmas - Occasion To Make Peace

You can look through the Bible diligently, reading it from cover to cover, but you won’t find anything there about Christmas as we celebrate it today. No gift giving, cheerful decorations, carols, special prayers or late night vigils. In fact, Christmas didn’t become a popular religious or social event until the fourth century AD and the date on which we celebrate Christmas, 25 December, is highly questionable. I won’t argue the date either way. Most of the reading on the topic is boring, in the extreme, and there is really no point.

But, even though there is no “Christmas” in the Bible you will definitely find the spirit of Christmas leaping from its pages. On the night Jesus was born the heavenly host proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” At the heart of this statement is an issue which is also central to the entire Bible, Peace. Peace, unfortunately, is one very important but sometimes overlooked (or marginalized) point to the Christmas story. God wants us to have it and Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to make it possible.

Not only did Jesus come to make peace possible He became our greatest example. He didn’t always avoid trouble but He tried to and when debates couldn’t be resolved He managed to slip away quietly. In addition, He didn’t take charge and “force” peace on us. If His intention was to “make peace happen” then Christmas would be a yearly reminder that He failed.

Jesus came to make peace possible and statements like... “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you,” are clear indications that we are the ones to make it happen. When Jesus said “blessed are the peacemakers” He was addressing Himself to us. Obviously, He was hoping we might catch on.

If you haven't been much of a peace maker in the past, not too worry. You can start anytime and there is no better time than Christmas. The opportunities to practice are endless. When rude drivers in heavy traffic cut you off, make peace. When you get caught standing in long cues due to inefficient service, make peace. When your neighbors have noisy parties long hours into the night, make peace. When wading through crowds of inconsiderate people in public places, make peace. On the odd occasion when you absolutely have to confront problem people, do it peacefully.

This Christmas, as with all others, think “peace.” “Keep” the peace where you have it and “make” it where you don’t: with family members, neighbors, fellow employees, those with whom you recreate, the public at large and, yes, even with God.

In the process, don’t show favoritism. Make peace with the ones you love and the ones you love to hate.

There is no better way to honor the birth of the one who made peace possible than by making a genuine effort to encourage it in every direction. But be warned. You might have to throw out your “eye for an eye” theology and adopt a more “turn the other cheek” approach. If you do, you will save yourself a lot of stress in the moment and contribute to genuine peace in the long run. It’s Christmas. Give it a try. ThinkAboutIt

God Speaks To Us - Abraham

Abraham is usually recognized as the founding leader of the Jewish religion and he definitely was one of the more prominent contributors. The interesting thing is, much of what he did religiously he received from his ancestors and there were only two new developments in this religion during his lifetime.

He didn’t wear different clothes or “move his affiliation” or modify his diet. The only additions were the institution of circumcision and the naming of Canaan as the geographical home of those who were followers. Together these additions don’t add up to massive religious changes but both were an inconvenience to Abraham, especially the land issue. Circumcision wasn’t too difficult to manage but living in the land was a constant source of irritation. On a religious level, not much changed during his life but on a personal level, his world was turned upside down.

Admittedly, choosing Canaan as the future home of Israel was significant to us but for Abraham it wasn’t very gratifying. He never owned any of the land other than the cave in which he buried Sara and living in Canaan was not a treat for him or his family. The spiritual environment and most of the residents were a constant source of grief.

To follow God, Abraham made many personal sacrifices and there were few positive outcomes to validate his troubles. When he died, the religion was still barely noticeable and his family was divided. So, we must ask, how did Abraham know with certainty he was where God wanted him to be, doing what God wanted him to do? How did God direct him in the first place and how did God encourage him to endure these troubles?

His Experience
In order to appreciate his sacrifices you need to know the problems he faced.

Journey Problems
To start, he travelled hundreds of miles from Ur to Canaan, a place he had never been and about which he knew nothing. He didn’t even know where he was going when he started.

To say this journey was “comfort challenged” is an understatement. There was no “modern” means of transport and he travelled with his family, a large number of servants and a large number of animals all of whom had to be fed and protected.

Family Problems
Abraham’s family situation was often discouraging. Sara went along with his plans but she wasn’t always sympathetic. Given his indecision, we can understand why.

His father died in Haran (halfway between Ur and Canaan) and his nephew, Lot, fought with him over rights to grazing land. Eventually the two separated never to be restored. The rest of his family stayed behind. He never saw them again.

Assimilation Problems
Even though Abraham’s “household” was a large contingent (his personal militia included 318 men) he never got established in the land. He was nomadic. He gave the appearance of being unsettled, even unstable. He moved several times within the land (on one occasion out of the land) and related to the locals only at a distance. “Untrusting” and “disconnected” would be the best words to describe his relationship with his neighbors. He was never close friends with anyone in the area.

When Abraham moved to Canaan it was a step down socially and culturally. He gave up everything when he left Ur: name, relationships, lands, influence and most of these things were never recovered in his lifetime. Many generations passed before any of his descendants took possession of the land. Even more generations passed before he was recognized for the greatness of his faith.

We are not being unreasonable to ask, “how did God communicate with this man?” How did He convince Abraham to go in the first place and how did He encourage him to stay once he arrived? Well, on a technical level, the answer is easy. He used spoken words, established principles of truth, circumstances and people to convey His message.

The Spoken Word
There were several times when God spoke audibly to Abraham over a span of at least 30 years:

• When He instructed him to leave for Canaan and after he arrived (Gen.12)
• When He promised him the entire land of Canaan (Gen 13)
• When He assured him he would have a biological heir (Gen 15)
• When He instituted circumcision (Gen 17)
• When He was about to judge Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18-19)
• When He encouraged him to send Hagar and Ishmael away (Gen 21)
• When He tested him with the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22)

These messages were specific and personal. They required a very special means of communication, such as the audibly spoken word and the information is pertinent for us also.

Some would suggest that God still speaks in this way today. If so, then we would expect the message to be very personal and to have huge implications for the greater population. That was the case with Abraham.

We could say more about this but it isn’t the point of this post. We will leave it for later.

Established Principles of Truth
Abraham did many things in Canaan, which he no doubt had previously learned about in Ur. All of them were well represented in Bible history.

• He offered sacrifices and worshipped. In fact, every time he moved within the land he built an altar as a matter of course. He also practiced tithing (Gen 14) which is a bloodless offering.

• He was socially guarded. For the most part Abraham was civil toward the surrounding communities but he kept a safe distance. He interacted with them when necessary and was always fair but he was never “close” to any of them.

• He understood monogamy. Abraham did commit adultery but not easily or without consequence. We are certain he understood monogamy or there wouldn’t have been a tense discussion between him and Sara over having a child with Hagar.

The practice of having children by concubines was widespread in those days. It was a matter of protection. There is power in numbers. If Abraham didn’t live by a different standard he and Sara would have adopted this practice long before they arrived in Canaan.

• He displayed honesty, courage and self-sacrifice. Abraham led the way in defeating a confederate army of five different kings only because he wanted to save Lot and his family from captivity. When the battle was over, he confidently and publicly refused any of the spoils which were associated with Sodom.

• Grace. The same man who was honest and courageous on one occasion also lied twice to different kings (dishonest). He did so to protect his life (cowardice) and he put Sara’s life in jeopardy when he did (selfish). The truth is, Abraham made a lot of mistakes but he never gave up on himself or God. There was a thirteen year period following the birth of Ishmael during which God said nothing to Abraham. His relationship with Sara was strained during that time and he probably never touched Hagar again but he knew something about the grace that God gives. Instead of running he patiently waited.

In the story of Abraham, God never restated any of these principles. He never told Abraham to worship, offer sacrifices, be socially guarded or be monogamous. They were well established principles and God neither repeats nor defends Himself. He doesn’t retell each successive generation everything He established before. Abraham was aware of these principles and when he failed, God was silent not noisy. Fortunately, even God’s grace was an established principle which sustained him through the failure. These are principles we can bank on even today.

We have much more Bible than Abraham and far less reason to need individualized instruction. Therefore, if you want God to speak to you, the best place to start is the written Word. The more Bible you read the more God you hear.

Circumstances
Sometimes God used the consequences of Abraham’s actions to communicate with him. This happened more than once.

When Abraham lied, God spoke to the kings, in both cases, not Abraham. In return, the kings reprimanded Abraham publicly. They were echoing God’s sentiments. God didn’t need to say anything.

When Abraham committed adultery, God said nothing to anyone. Sara, however, had a lot to say. The friction was a constant reminder that adultery is a no-no. God needed to say nothing more.

Abraham's Resolve - The Real Issue
There were two details in Abraham’s life that kept him off balance. One was living in the land without socially integrating and the second was having a child by Sara. The question for Abraham, in both cases, was not "did God speak," but "did God mean what He said." No one has received instruction more clearly or specifically than Abraham. The clearness of God’s communication was not the issue. Abraham’s ability to accept it was.

When he arrived in the land and experienced famine, he was confused. When he remained childless for years, especially after he arrived in the land he was frustrated. When Sara suggested he have a child by Hagar (doing what they knew was questionable) he was uncertain. But, through all of these situations Abraham learned that God not only speaks, He means exactly what He says.

Abraham lived a hundred years in Canaan and survived famines, family conflicts, war and God’s judgment on neighboring cities. All of those problems, however, were incidental. The real lesson for Abraham was learning to overcome his indecision. Getting to Canaan was difficult. Staying there was even more difficult. His resolve was constantly tested. What we learn from his experience is not “how” God speaks to us but that He doesn’t repeat Himself and He really means what He says.

When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the Bible clearly says it was a test. A test of what? A test of his resolve to take God at His word. God never changed His instructions to Abraham but He did change Abraham’s ability to live with it.

For now, if you want to know what God is saying to you, read your Bible. Do what it says. ThinkAboutIt.

God Blesses Israel

The neighborhood in which I grew up was very middle class. We had all types living there from professionals to laborers but everyone got along, at a distance, and it was “safe.” There were no drugs or serious mischief of any kind and the parents let us kids romp freely without worry. We rode bikes in the street (very little traffic), played baseball or football, depending on the season, and we even had woods and a creek nearby that gave us many opportunities to do a bit of safe exploration.

Our street was a long slow curve both ends of which attached to a moderately busy throughway but we always felt comfortably isolated from the mainstream. From our neighborhood we could see the world without being in it and yet we were very close to every possible amenity. Within two minutes “walk” we had a drive-in theatre, a children’s hospital, a church, a community hall (we had Cub Scout meetings there) and just a bit further away was an orphanage (with a dairy farm), a well developed shopping center and most of the kids could ride bikes to the local elementary school. It was a nice neighborhood situated close to everything you might need.

From the age of 8 to 16 I lived eight of the most formative years of my life in this neighborhood. It was there that I developed some of the closest friendships I ever had and experienced many personal firsts: kiss, smoke, caught fish, fight and there are a few I won’t mention. That neighborhood molded the perspective I have on life and the world. Even today, many years later, my experiences there are still the basis for many of my idiosyncrasies.

The one interesting thing about this neighborhood was the presence of several Jewish families. I recall at least five but there may have been more. Of the five I remember, two lived on either side of us. The Rothenbergs lived on the left and the Aptakers lived on the right. We were close to these families. The kids from all three houses played together. The adults talked across the fence. My dad and Mr. Aptaker often discussed their common interest in gardening. From my youthful point of view I thought they were the only two people in the world who could enjoy gardening. I’ve since learned that there are many other people with this same affliction.

Obviously, there were differences between the families. They were Jewish and we were Gentile. The differences, however, never got in the way. They were talking points only. No one was judged. In fact, I learned about Hanukkah from our neighbors and looked forward every year to buttered Matzo bread. I still buy it and enjoy it today. Unfortunately, I don’t remember everything they taught me about Hanukkah. I was too busy crunching on the bread to take everything in but I do remember it being interesting. Eli (the oldest Rothendberg boy) and I had so much in common as kids the differences hardly registered.

These Jewish families were good neighbors. They were friendly and decent people. We were as close to them as we were to any other people in the neighborhood. They weren’t spoken against or viewed condescendingly in our family or, as far as I know, by anyone else. The only squabbles we had with these neighbors had nothing to do with them being Jewish or us being Gentile. They were appreciated. We had no reason to think of them as anything other than good people who happened to be good neighbors.

That is why I was quite surprised when I first heard the term “anit-semite.” To be honest, I didn’t even know what that was. When it was explained I was really confused. How could anyone be anti-Aptaker? How could anyone not like the Rothenbergs. These were our friends. They harmed no one. I seriously doubted they were able to. “Anti-semitism” just didn’t sit well with me. That a holocaust could occur in modern times made me view humanity in a poor light not the Jewish people. It was really freaky.

Later, when I attended Bible college I was happily exposed to a lot of very positive data regarding the Jewish nation and it was there that I learned that they were God’s very special people even today. The list of contributions they have made to society is endless and growing. They are truly a God blessed people and the evidence proving this is astounding. Consider just a few of the facts:

23% of all Nobel Prize winners are Jewish.
38% of those receiving the US National Medal of Science are Jewish.
26% of all Kyoto Prize winners are Jewish.

Those numbers represent only the Jewish people who have won these prestigious awards. That doesn’t count the number of other Jewish people who have made enormous contributions to society and are professionals on whom we rely daily. For a more detailed list of their accomplishment you can go here.

These figures are even more note worthy when you consider the fact that Jewish people represent only 0.25% of the world’s population and they have endured enormous socio/political obstacles to personal accomplishments of any kind. Their numbers have been decimated and their talents ignored and yet they flourish and excel.

On top of these observations is the fact that God, through the Jewish nation, gave us our Bible. Every book in the Bible was written by or under the auspices of a Jew (Luke was a Gentile writing under the authority of Paul, the Apostle). We have them to thank for all the useful influences of the Bible and Jewish people have often been great examples of the good things the Bible teaches.

Tell me, where would we be without the Bible? Which religion, apart from those influenced by the Bible, would you prefer? Where would the world be without the contribution of the people who gave us our Bible? The next time you hear someone vilify a Jew or their nation remember these words...

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (God to Abraham, Genesis 12:2-3)

Change Your Life!

Change is one of the most remarkable qualities of human nature. From the time we are conceived until the time we die “change” is our constant companion. As infants, we grow physically, pick up knowledge rapidly and our senses are exercised every waking moment.

In the preteen years we begin to manifest abilities which, if developed, give definition to the changes we make in the future. People change into all kinds of things: doctors, lawyers, managers, technicians, entrepreneurs, etc. and we develop all kinds of skills and qualities in the process of getting there.

The interesting thing about change is we never arrive. We continue to change throughout life in response to our experiences. That is, we become better, more experienced doctors or lawyers or technicians because we continue to gain new insights and learn from the mistakes we made in the past. Engineers today build better damns and bridges because they have learned from the experiences of previous generations.

Our ability to change gives us what I call “become-ability.” A dog will never be anything other than a dog and the same can be said for every other life form except humans. Animals become nothing other than what their inborn nature and instincts allow. Their most dominant quality is their predictability. Real change is the domain of humans only. Not even God can change.

Sadly, however, some people never intentionally become anything. They get caught in the cycle that goes nowhere and positive change never happens. When this occurs, everyone and everything around them seem to negatize any effort to break the cycle. Which is to say that change can sometimes take a bad turn which isn’t easily made right.

But, there is one person who always wants you to change for the good, God. He created you with a high capacity for change initially and when that doesn’t go as well as He originally intended He’s organized a back up plan to give you some extra impetus. Following are some of the things He has provided to make this possible:

A new nature. Jesus said we could be born again. This isn’t really a new topic. The terminology isn’t well understood but it has become popular. To discuss it fully would take several posts. Suffice it to say, however, that at the heart of this issue is a new nature. The person who is born again receives a brand new, un-taint-able, unchangeable nature. It doesn’t replace the old nature but it does give you more leverage on your ability to change. The new nature gives us what I call “overcome-ability.”

A new coach. No one pulls themselves up by their own bootstraps. No one succeeds without the support and encouragement of other people. Everyone needs people even if all they do is use them.

The problem is, the people we need are not always what we need them to be. They don’t always have the answers we need most and when they do they aren’t always willing to share them. Not every person is willing or capable of mentoring our lives.

Well, God has your best interest at heart always and He wants to be your coach. This is so true that He promises to indwell us by His Holy Spirit who intends to encourage us, not judge us, hound us or make us feel guilty every time we fail. In fact, the Holy Spirit is called the “comforter.” His primary purpose is to be our friend. To call Him "comforter" is like saying,

“I know you will fail and when you do I am going to be the one who continues to accept you and comfort you and help you and encourage you to never give up, no matter what.”

Jesus is actually quoted as saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Interpreted that means,

“Even when you give up on yourself I will never give up on you.”

Paul actually shared that exact sentiment with Timothy who at the time was feeling a little overcome with life. With a coach like that who can fail to make positive changes. Who can fail to keep on keeping on.

A new opportunity. The most powerful word in the Bible is “forgiveness.” Properly understood it means,

“even when you mess up completely you can never fail entirely.”

I don’t want to sound glib, casual or disrespectful but “forgiveness” is your “get-out-of-jail-free” card. You can and will fail but, you can never fail beyond God’s ability to forgive. When you totally crash one opportunity, He will have another one waiting for you once you get through the turbulence. Sometimes it is our failure that stimulates our greatest changes.

Additionally the words used to describe change help us understand the extent to which this can actually happen:

Repentance (a change of mind). How many people do you know who really (I mean really) change their mind. To many, there isn’t much difference between a change of mind and compromise.

Transformed (metamorphosis resulting from renewing the mind). Metamorphosis!?!?!?!?!? The changes God allows are so radical it can only be described as a “morphing” of your nature. How amazing is that? Oh, and BTW, it starts with the renewing of your mind. Your life will never change if your mind doesn’t move.

New Creations (what we are because of the new birth). This speaks of the change that God makes in us. When you are born again God makes you completely new. He doesn’t renovate the old you He replaces it with the new you.

And the Bible further provides a long list of qualities that can characterize every Christian: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Wow, who wouldn’t want to be all of those? Who wouldn’t want to associate with people like this?

The question is not, “are you changing?” but “in which direction are you changing?” Don’t waste energy doubting the changes God has made possible. Don’t stay in the dumps over the difference between where you are and where you wish you were. Begin making changes today! ThinkAboutIt.

Voting Beats Violence

Next Tuesday, 4 November 2008, is election day in the US of A and that is great news! It means that we are still holding free and peaceful elections after more than two hundred years. It is no longer the largest voting event in the world (In 2004 380 million people voted in India) but it holds second place and it is still one of the oldest in modern times. The process allows for universal suffrage, is managed by thousands of volunteers and includes a secret ballot which eliminates intimidation. It is truly a “we the people” event. It isn’t without problems but that means it is healthy.

Before we had elections we had violence. In the past the strongest, most dominant individual with the greatest number of strategically placed armies wrested control of the state by force and were free to do as they pleased until the next great power came along and took over. It was a very bloody process but the upside was a great fiscal outcome, you didn’t have near as many people to govern (or feed) when it was over. The downside? There was never a peaceful end. Leaders were constantly watching their back and usually died an early and violent death. The balance between peace and conflict could not be maintained.

To avoid these pitfalls civilizations began dabbling with other options one of which stuck, voting. It is the modern replacement for bloodshed. Although you still have the odd punch up at the polling stations and there is a lot of heated incrimination between the candidates and their supporters before and after the vote it is still the foundation of a peaceful democracy.

Casting a vote is what I do instead of firing a bullet. Casting only one vote is a way of respecting the rights and opinions of my neighbors. Casting a vote consistently is the least we can do to be good citizens. Casting a vote is the best way to say thanks to everyone who paved the way to peace. Casting a vote is one way to be a good example to the rest of humanity and the idea is catching on.

All of that is to say this. Don’t be discouraged by the bad mouthing, name calling and exaggerated accusations from the candidates and those who support them. Do your own research and don’t believe everything you hear. Obama isn’t second cousin to ben Ladin and McCain doesn’t have a harem on the side. “Freedom of speech” must be complimented by “freedom of thought.” We must learn to separate emotion from substance.

Keep in mind these things. The process is sound even with the problems. Every election is managed by humans and will have its flaws. Mess ups are not always equal to corruption.

The candidates are different more by ability than philosophy, this year any way. When you take away all the rhetoric they are much closer than many would like you to think and having two sides is great. Popular agreements are reached when two opposing sides debate, discuss and argue until they find the acceptable middle ground.

Whoever wins the election will be the president of every person in the country. Elected officials will be serving every person in both parties and will need the prayers of everyone who still believes God is in control. Partisan mentalities must give way to good governance and “we the people” must make it clear that we expect that to happen. But, all of this starts with your vote. Don’t miss it!

I have already cast my vote by absentee ballot. Whom I voted for is none of your business. The person you vote for is none of mine. Not voting, however, is an insult.

For those not eligible to vote in the coming US elections I have included a poll for you to have your say (right side column). It won’t change the outcome of the election but it is nice to express your opinion so take your pick. But, in whatever country you live do your civic duty and register to vote. One vote at a time we can all have influence. We might not change what is but we can slow down the process to becoming what should not be. ThinkAboutIt

Coffee Consumption Supports Third World

I grew up drinking coffee. Been drinking the stuff so long I can't remember when I had my first cup. I didn't start out as a connoisseur and wouldn't say I am one now but I do know a good cup when I taste it. In fact, I have been known to walk into and right out of a restaurant based on how they manage the coffee making machinery. Truth: No respect for the coffee, no respect for the customer.

Well, I was recently invited to a local coffee shop which reportedly "served the best coffee in town." For that kind of guarantee I will travel. Becky and I visited and we weren't disappointed. The coffee was really great! The shop is called "Urban Grounds" and is situated on the south side of Durban (Glenwood area) at the corner of Frere and Ayott Roads. They offer a great line up of coffees, friendly and helful staff, an interesting gallery in which jewelry and art items are displayed (all locally made) and a unique, one of a kind, atmosphere. It is the kind of place where repeat customers pop in just to connect with friends and enjoy the brew. We met several new people when we visited.

I also logged onto their web site and discovered some interesting information. They are very supportive of South Africa and use only locally roasted beans. They follow World Barista Championship standards for making their coffee which means, for one thing, they never use beans more than 14 days old. They also include very interesting posts on various technical aspects of the coffee industry. It is good information to have if you happen to enjoy a good cup of coffee and find yourself needing factual information to defend this enjoyment against coffee antagonists. There aren't many of those left but you do find them occasionally. By the way, UG will serve you a cup of tea if you prefer.

I receommend their shop and their web site. You will find their web page here and it includes all the details for finding or contacting the shop.

Visit soon. Its a long ride for those who live on the north side of Durban but you won't be disappointed once you arrive. They had to run us out. We stayed past closing.

Many of you don't live in South Africa but if you ever venture to this part of the world you now know a place where you can drink the water and the coffee is great!

Another interesting observation came to mind while visiting the UG web site. Coffee is not a first world luxury. It is grown, roasted and ENJOYED in many third world countries. The economic success of these countries is driven by their coffee industry, which means, every time you drink a cup of coffee you are helping to uplift economies of the less privileged. Drink up!

I Finished...Was Finished

My first organized effort to raise funds for charity was a great experience! If you have never done anything like this you are missing out. Please let me share the experience with you.

Race day came early. Was up at 3:35 AM after only two hours sleep and travelled 90 kilometers to the start line in Pietermaritzburg. Fortunately, I was able to catch a ride with a group of well-experienced riders, who knowing I was a newbie, willingly gave lots of good advice and were very encouraging. My start time was forty minutes earlier than theirs so I was on my own during the race but that was a good thing. I knew that any pressure to keep up with a group would work against me and I didn’t want to hold anyone back.

The weather was perfect. It was foggy and misty at the start and remained overcast for all but the last 20 kilometers. I was cool for most of the day. Never had to use my sunglasses once. I was grateful.

The climbing was actually different to what I expected. There were two 20 kilometer stretches where the climbing never seems to stop. I thought the last series of climbs could end my race. But, my fears were wasted energy. I got through the climbs better than I thought and my biggest problem was stamina. I really struggled over the last thirty kilometers. I was finished when I finished but all the pain dissipated when I crossed the finish line.

Apparently, there are many riders who don’t complete this race so it was a personal victory for me to reach the end. I am experienced now and will train for longer rides before the next race. It was hard but I loved it and can’t wait to do the next one. I am writing this post on the morning after the race and I feel great! A little sore around the knees but nothing too severe.

Now, to the important stuff. Along the race route (very rural), we were cheered on by many locals. They were fantastic! There’s nothing better than a bit of positive input while you’re trudging along. They cheered, clapped, encouraged and even sang songs making us feel better about the pain.

On one stretch, I went by a large group of orphans. There must have been 250 kids gathered along the road. I took my time there. I waved, said hello and thanked them for their support. Some of them were in wheel chairs. Most seemed healthy.

Unfortunately, this is very common. It isn’t unusual to find orphans and make shift efforts to care for them everywhere. They are as numerous as trees in the forest and it is a problem that constantly stares you in the face in this part of the world. They were the reason I rode in this race. They are the ones for whom we need to give. We CAN make a difference in their lives.

In the last two posts, I have tried to put this problem into perspective. Most of our efforts in the past aimed at solving the problem that caused the orphan tragedy, AIDS, and a lot has been done to control it. Sadly, the orphans still need us more than ever. I also introduced the CRP as a great orphan village project that anyone could be pleased to support.

Now is the time to make a donation and anyone can do this. Please click hereto do so. If you have questions, please check out this link to the CRP web site. Look through my last two posts for more details but please know that any donation you make will be useful.

Two notes for South African donors:

One, the postal code in the online donation form requires five digits instead of four. To solve this problem put a zero in front of your code.

Two, the online amounts are shown in US Dollars. To make a donation using a South African credit card (which I have done) decide the Rand amount you wish to donate and divide that figure by the exchange rate. That will give you the Dollar amount to use in the donation form. Right now, for example, R100 would be equivalent to approximately $10.

This effort is only the first attempt at raising funds for orphans. We will do this again and will make the process more user friendly for South Africans in the future. In fact, I want your input. I believe every person cares about this problem and wants to be a part of the solution. If you have ideas for doing this better, share them. You can make a comment or send an email. Suggestions are welcome.

Disclaimer: I took the picture at the start line. It is horrible but I was using my phone camera which sometimes works and sometimes not. When I finally got it to work I decided it would have to do. You can see the CRP logo on the left side of my jersey.

AIDS Treatment No Use To Orphans (Continued from last post)

There is one very good reason why every person should donate to the Children’s Resiliency Project (CRP). All the work done to solve the AIDS problem has done nothing to solve the orphan problem it caused. AIDS and orphans are two entirely different problems and require two completely different solutions.

All the hype associated with the prevention, treatment and cure of AIDS has overshadowed the stark reality of the plight of orphans. When a cure is finally found for the disease we will still be left with millions of children who have no parents and in most cases no place to go. Solving the AIDS riddle does nothing to eliminate the orphan tragedy and the solution for both problems require very different methods.

If the orphan problem were a disease, it would actually be easier to address but there is no injection to make this problem go away. Walk-in clinics are not designed to meet this kind of need or the demand. The only useful treatment for orphans is tender loving care and they need it 24/7.

There is a substantial supply of funds and thousands of professionals already working in unison to discover and dispense cures for all kinds of diseases. The infrastructure to meet the needs of orphans, however, barely exists.

The work to find a cure for AIDS is winding down. The work needed to meet the needs of orphans has hardly gotten started.

Both problems require an enormous effort to solve. One has gotten a lot of attention. The other has gotten mostly lip service. The disparity between the investments made to solve these two problems is embarrassing.

And, to make things worse, while the devastation of AIDS (to those who contract it) is being diminished, the orphan problem is only getting worse.

UNICEF estimates the number of orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa will reach 20 million by 2010 (up from 11 million in 2001) and that is only the number orphaned by AIDS. The actual number of orphans is considerably higher at more than twice that.

The “20 million” number counts for as much as 25% of the childhood population in some of these countries and it represents 90% of all AIDS affected orphans in the entire world. But we don’t see this for what it really is, an entirely separate problem. We have made a lot of progress in treating AIDS. We have done very little to address the orphan issue.

CRP is not addressing the disease and probably never will (it would be overkill if it did) but it is addressing the outcome of the AIDS problem, which according to statistics, has become bigger than AIDS and is still growing.

Question: Will you be a part of the solution? If you have not donated time or resources to any specific orphan home or village then I would ask you in the name of the millions of orphans who desperately need you, to do something today, now.

If you would like to make a donation to CRP and I am encouraging you to do that, go here (South Africans must add a zero to the front of their postal code). If you would like to know more about CRP click here. If you would like to know what I am doing check out my last post (I am riding in a bike race with “CRP Orphan Village” plastered on the front and back of my jersey).

If you want to think about it before you donate, please remember this. When AIDS patients need medication they have dispensaries to rely on. When they need special care they go to clinics and hospitals. Orphans, however, take to the streets. They rely on traffic lights to appeal for a bit of pocket change and rubbish bins outside fast food restaurants for an occasional meal. Let’s do something about this. ThinAboutIt later? Do something now!

Please don’t keep the children waiting. They’re hungry!

BTW, Bob Graham, the founder of CRP, is a highly qualified man. He holds an earned PhD in education, has run a very successful basketball program at the high school level, which he used to develop underprivileged kids, and taught effectively for many years in a private school. He could be leading a normal life making very good money and wishing the best for all the orphans. Instead he is taking the problem head on and all he needs from us is support. It is a privilege to be able to help.

Pedaling For The Less Privileged

On 19 Oct 2008, just a couple of weeks away, I will be riding in a bicycle race but I am riding for more than just the exercise. I need the exercise, to be sure, but it seems a little self-centered to ride only for my physical well being, especially since I live in the presence of hundreds of thousands who have so little and need so much. Therefore, I am adding another dimension to this event, orphans. I decided to use the occasion to raise awareness of the problem in general and to promote one project in particular, The South African Children’s Resiliency Project.

The SACRP (locally known as CRP) is spear headed by a good friend and colleague of mine, Dr. Bob Graham. I first met Bob in 1990 and since that time he has made numerous trips to South Africa and worked with us on many short term projects. Bob, however, doesn’t do things in a small way. His vision and dream involved helping the underprivileged on a long term basis and, therefore, the CRP was born. Bob is now living in South Africa developing orphan homes for those affected by AIDS.

To date Bob has purchased a large farm near Pietermaritzburg and he is in the process of building seven homes each of which will house six orphans and at least one caregiver. To see the village master plan and read some staggering statistics on AIDS affected orphans visit Bob’s web site here.

All the funding for CRP has been raised from individuals and institutions (religious and commercial) that care and donors have given generously but there is always a need for more help. Charitable projects like this do not make money. Therefore, I am asking everyone who will, to work with me on an idea I have for raising funds for CRP.

I will ride in the race and wear the CRP logo on my jersey (I can’t wait for people to ask about it). Each of you can help by making a donation which is very easy to do. If enough people donate, we can have an impact. Just click on this link and follow the instructions for making a donation. I tried it and everything worked fine with one exception for South African donors.

FOR SOUTH AFRICAN DONORS: You must add a zero to the front of your postal code when you register. The codes must have at least five digits. Do this and everything will work well. If you have problems or questions about the donating process leave a question in the comments. You can also contact Bob through his web site.

Now, just a few thoughts about the race. I am not a cyclists by nature. I enjoy it as a recreation and have tried to ride regularly but this particular race is bigger than anything I have done.

It is 106 kilometers long (66 miles) beginning in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban. It is ultimately downhill but there is a LOT of climbing over the route. There is a total assent of 1160 meters (3/4 of a mile). The race starts at 600 meters above sea level and ends at 2 meters above sea level but there is still an average rise of almost 11 meters per kilometer. To describe it as "hilly" is an understatement. You can check out the race profile here.

What I am saying is this race is no “piece of cake” for an old guy like me. I have trained well enough to finish but will have many breathless moments on the day.

What I am asking is will you help? Not can you, but will you? Let’s work together to help those who cannot help themselves.

If you make a donation please leave a comment to let others know. You don’t have to say how much and you can make your comment anonymously but please respond. It will encourage others to do the same. For the record, I will be riding but I have also made a donation. Let’s make this happen. ThinkAboutIt!

PS – Don’t leave your friends out. Email this blog to others. There is no end to the need and no fear of doing too much.

Which Religion Is Right?

Unfortunately, religion is something Christians do wrong, not partly but completely. They can’t even agree on the purpose.

Some suggested purposes are:

• Provide and maintain a moral framework in society
• Teach people about God
• Evangelize the world
• Glorify God
• Provide protection for God’s people
• Resist evil and so on

None of these is wrong but religionists don’t agree on which one is primary? When some do agree on a purpose they don’t agree on how to achieve it or what constitutes evidence that it was done.

All of this, of course, comes from the perspective of religious people. This describes how Christian people understand their purpose. What about the non-religious? How would they define the purpose of religion and how would they characterize its effect?

Well, they see God as One Person and Christian religion as one group representing this One Person. They expect religious people and their churches to be God’s kingdom on earth, His institutional “body” so to speak. One non-religious person noted that Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary says the word “religion…means to bind together.” He considered that an important tenant of religion, especially the Christian religion.

Non-religious people expect religious people to work together mending the faults in society, uplifting people (that is why religion is exempt from taxes) and intriguing the lost. The Christian religion in particular has the numbers to do this. They represent a third of the population of the world but instead of making a unified effort, Christian religious groups can’t even get along.

Non-religious people look at the world of religion and see nothing but confusion. They don’t understand how so many Christian groups, all of whom claim to represent the same person and are so similar, can be antagonistic toward one another at the same time. They see Christian religion as fractious and Christian individuals as contentious (self serving and self absorbed) and they label the Christian religion as divisive. Not only is this observation correct it is substantiated by data.

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary says there are 39,000 different Christian denominations in 2008 and they estimate the number will grow to 55,000 by 2025. That represents a growth of over 40% in the next 17 years. The predominance of Christianity is amazing but when you consider the divided nature of Christendom the superior numbers is no reason to be proud.

Where did all this division come from and why is religion this way?

All Christian divisions stem from one common group (Jesus and His disciples) and it is only natural to anticipate a strong inter-connection between them (Jesus did pray for our unity). That isn’t the case. “Unity” has become a four-letter word among Christians and "religion" is the same for the non-religious.

The tendency to divide became popular in the 1500’s with the reformation and has escalated ever since. “Separation” moved from being a possibility (a sad but necessary evil on the odd occasion) to being the evidence of genuine commitment. It is now a primary doctrine. Separation is like baptism, everyone must do it. Going from a few divisions during the reformation to a projected 55,000 in 2025 is evidence we have learned it well. That kind of division rivals the proliferation of cells in the human body. To say religious people are divisive is an understatement. I don’t think that is God’s purpose for religion but it is the reality.

The fallout from all this separation is antagonism between groups (sometimes war) and outsiders notice this first. When questions are raised, religionists become defensive or proud neither of which is a mature response. It is no wonder people ask, “which religion is right?” It is no wonder they approach religion skeptically. If a person wishes to find God, to whom can they turn?

Non-religious people are being fair when they call us “divisive” and it is rational to expect a little more unity.

But, the question is, what does the Bible actually say? Is there some instruction which highlights the purpose of religion? The answer is yes!

In one of only four places where the Greek word for religion (threskeia) is used the Bible says…

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

This statement provides both the problem and the solution. The problem is the possibility of pollution. Religionists (Christians) need to avoid being engaged in and consumed by the pollutions of this life. But, the focus in this verse is not self or pollution. It is others, particularly those who need us.

This verse is not about keeping yourself “clean” for the sake of being clean. This is about being useful for the sake of those who are desperate. Those in distress are to be helped by those who aren’t. If those who are not distressed ignore those who are their religion is vain and they are susceptible to self-absorption and pollution. You cannot avoid pollution if you don’t work to resolve distress.

From this we can extract a life principle: If you exhaust your energy doing good things you don’t have any left for doing things that pollute; religion at its very best. That is actually a good rule of thumb for raising kids. Keep them exhausted with constructive activities and there is no fuel left for the other stuff. Going to church only will never be enough.

True religion has nothing to do with becoming reclusive or exclusive. Religion doesn’t focus on self or even God. It focuses on being useful in practical down to earth ways for the sake of others. The best way to be religious is to engage in relieving distress.

Would this approach have an evangelistic side effect? Yes! Is it possible that discipleship could occur in this type of environment? Yes! Would people be more open to learn about God in this situation? Yes! Would this type of religion provide an acceptable level of protection? Yes! Would God be glorified? Without question!

To any non-religious person who may be reading this post may I take this opportunity to apologize? I am sorry for the Crusades, the excesses committed during the reformation, the insensitive ways I and other religious people have handled problems in society, for being so bigoted and unreasonable at times and for using God’s name to endorse my personal agendas. ThinkAboutIt.

Feathers To Help You Fly

This morning we put our second son, Timothy, on the plane to return to the USA. We have done this on many occasions previously but this time it was different. In the past there was always a date on which he would return “home” and the time away wouldn’t be that long, six weeks at the most. The schedule is different now. He is returning to the States for at least six months and if all goes well he might be settling there for good. Wow, it is really strange to even write the words.

Timothy is certainly ready for this move. We are behind him completely and have confidence he will do well but it is still a very big step. He is going to the country in which he was born but in which he has lived for only a short time. He starts with no definite job and only a very small amount of “get by” money. He has a car, which was graciously given him but has very little experience driving and maintaining a car in the States. He has no definite long-term place to stay and he is mostly a stranger to the city in which he plans to settle initially, Nashville.

Fortunately, he is very qualified in two ways: he has a Masters degree in biotechnology and he writes songs, sings and plays guitar better than average (actually quite well!!). He enjoys biotech but music is where his heart is. He travels with a credible diploma in one hand and a properly recorded CD in the other. He’ll be trying his luck with the music industry and investigating biotech jobs at the same time. And, he will probably do a bit of scrub work until he can make a reasonable decision. Regardless the direction in which he goes he will need to make many strategic decisions within the first few weeks and that could be tricky.

All of these things together can make any person a bit nervous. The transition can be made but there are pitfalls. Everyone makes mistakes (even Tim – only a few) and that can frustrate a perfectly laid plan. As a parent I’m thinking, what advice can I give, not just generally but appropriate for his situation and this move? And, how can I say it all concisely. Long wordy statements are boring and the meaning is usually lost in the time it takes to read it. After a bit of thinking I came up with the following:

• Keep right (on the road – you are in the USA not South Africa)
  
• Keep a moderate pace (plan your time, don’t hurry – haste makes waste – developments take time)
  
• Keep control (watch your money daily – live down at least for a while)


• Keep your name (don’t accumulate debt)


• Keep your balance (spend a little money sometimes and save a little always)


• Keep a positive outlook (don’t let frustration or worry rule you)


• Keep a cautious approach (don’t make impulsive decisions – study and think before you decide)


• Keep listening (ask questions - don’t argue – don’t be defensive)


• Keep your soul (don’t take the first bio-tech job offered)


• Keep busy (find some kind of job right away)


• Keep writing (thoughts, songs, web page, etc.)


• Keep singing (you have an amazing gift)


• Keep in touch (contact everyone - Skype, email – your mother is waiting to hear from you now)


• Keep learning (you will never know everything)


• Keep organized (if it needs to be done do it now)


• Keep your distance (be civil to all, serve as many as you can but be committed to only a few – you’re not Got)


• Keep changing (no one has arrived yet)


• Keep praying (God is listening)


• Keep secure (never forget we love you)


• Keep believing (your music is powerful)


• Keep focused (visualize where you want to go and do something every day to move in that direction)


• Keep trying (every winner works through mistakes and upsets)


• Keep right (think it every day, every time you get in the car – we won’t be there to remind you what side of the road to drive on)

To Tim
Timothy, in a sense you are being kicked out of the nest but only in a good way. All these “keep” phrases are just a few feathers that will help you fly and we’ll be watching as you do. This is a great season in your life and everyone is on your side. Keep your head up and keep moving forward.

I could have written more but by the time I finished you would be my age and writing to your kids. This will have to suffice for now. ThinkAboutIt.

Why Doesn't God Speak To Us...Normally?

People often complain that God is not visibly present or audibly perceived and they are correct on both counts. He has, however, made extensive efforts to communicate with us, not just on the odd occasion, but throughout history. In fact, one New Testament writer captured the full extent of God’s effort to communicate in one very brief statement:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)"

In other words, God has spoken to us consistently over a long period of time (most of human history) and has used a variety of methods to do so.

The people to whom this book was written, the Hebrews, (hence the name) were very familiar with the Bible record. They knew what God had done in the past and could appreciate the writer’s meaning. But, unless a person is familiar with Bible history they cannot know the full impact of this statement.

Therefore, please consider the following ways in which God has communicated with us:

• God spoke audibly to Adam, Eve, Cain, Noah, Abraham and others. He even spoke audibly during the life of Jesus.
• He physically appeared to Abraham, Joshua and Gideon in the Old Testament and He appeared after the resurrection to the Apostles in the New.
• He used dreams to communicate with Jacob and his son Joseph.


• He used visions to reveal future world events to Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and the Apostle John.


• He made His will known to Moses, the Israelites and even to the Egyptians using miraculous signs and wonders during the Exodus.


• God also used angels as messengers to Abraham, Daniel, Zacharias and Mary.


• In addition, and amazingly, He spoke convincingly to Elijah using a still small voice.

Obviously, God’s methods were not monotonous. He used a variety of diverse ways to communicate. You could say that God is a Master Communicator. He has no limitations and sometimes used a combination of several methods at the same time.

Of all the means God has used to communicate with us the most significant was Jesus Whom the Bible refers to as Immanuel, “God with us,” and we refer to as “the incarnation.”

Jesus didn’t just appear out of nowhere and then fade. He wasn’t a vision or dream. He became human in the same way we become human and lived among us, as one of us. This was a time consuming and inconvenient method of communication for Him. God, Whose existence was not restricted by time, was subjected to a time intensive process. It involved more than a memo, text message or meeting over coffee. It took a life time to get His message across.

Jesus’ coming into the world was powerfully miraculous but extremely low key. His birth alone was miraculous on many levels. He was born to a virgin, yes, but this fact pales in significance to the many other miraculous aspects of the incarnation.

The miracle of the virgin birth has less to do with the unusual way in which conception occurred and more to do with the fact that God, Who is limitless and immeasurable, was confined to a human biological process and reduced to a human state.

Jesus transitioned from a holy environment to one that was corrupt, from eternity into time and He put aside invincibility to take on human frailty. He went from being the “all powerful” to dwelling among the lowest of the low and very few people were aware of it when it happened. The event was not accompanied by fanfare. That alone was a miracle. This transformation was more incredible than even the camel passing through the eye of the needle.

And why did God go to so much trouble? To make it easy for us relate to Him.

Jesus was not trying to be sensational or to show His power. He came into the world in a very human way and He was born into the lowest levels of society because He wanted to be accessible and approachable. He was communicating with us in a way we could understand, appearing to us physically and speaking to us audibly, the very thing people ask for. He downplayed the miraculous and became agreeably mundane.

This approach had a very different affect to what He had done before. When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush it mystified him. When He appeared to the Israelites on Mt. Sinai it frightened them. When Jesus took on human form the apprehension was removed. People were drawn to Him and they listened to what He taught. He touched them and they were healed. They felt free to ask their questions.

Note: For those who doubt the virgin birth there were at least two other people “born” in an unusual manner, the first human father and the first human mother. The coming into existence of these two people is far more unusual than the virgin birth of Jesus. Neither of them had mother or father. Prove that didn’t happen before questioning the birth of Jesus.

The point is, God has used many diverse ways to communicate with humanity and His efforts cover a span of time from creation to the death of the last Apostle. Following that, He made sure it was all recorded in the Bible for every other generation.

God has never personally come to my door, called me on the phone or shown Himself to me in any other normal, usual way but He has made Himself knowable to anyone who makes an effort to find Him.

As it stands now God is not far from any one of us and He has arranged circumstances to make it possible for any person to seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:27). The same book which made reference to the various times and ways in which God has attempted to communicate with us also said…

…He that comes to God (attempting to find Him) must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

God, like any other person, wants to be sought. He encourages us to make the effort and is accessible to anyone who does. He is represented as waiting patiently to hear our response. In fact, the Bible says…

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

God is equal and findable to every person. He will do nothing more until we do something next.

ThinkAboutIt

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

It’s an age old problem. It happens in every generation. Good people die before their time, sometimes in horrible ways, or are disabled by unfair injuries or are crippled by unexpected financial loss…and we really get upset about this! Our sense of justice is offended.

When bad things happen to people we perceive as good, especially children, we become indignant. Why doesn’t God stop all the unnecessary pain and suffering? Why should any child be afflicted with disease, neglect or abuse? Why should any good person at any age endure painful experiences?

And the fact that God created the world in the blink of an eye begs the question. With all that power, why doesn’t He protect innocent people from bad things and prove to everyone how benevolent He can be? To any person who hasn’t become emotionally callous this is a fair and reasonable question but is it really an emotional issue? We can’t reasonably consider this question without asking several more first. For example…

At what point does a “good” person cease to be “innocent?”

Is innocence lost at a certain age? Does an eleven year old automatically become guilty on their twelfth birthday or is innocence lost by intentional acts of wrongdoing? If so, how many acts of wrongdoing does it take to turn a “good” person into one that is bad? How wide is the grey area between the first act of wrongdoing and the one that finally qualifies us as “bad?” Is there an absolute standard we follow or do we view a person as “good” because they aren’t as wrong as the ones we think are “bad?”

Is our measurement of “good” limited by preconceived stereotypes?

Can a McCoy ever consider a Hatfield good? Can a capitalist ever consider a communist good?

Communists impose their philosophies violently on anyone too weak to resist. That is the definition of a good communist. To a communist, communism is the only good and they are taught this from an early age. Are we to consider them innocent or guilty? When a Bolshevist is true to communism, they are being honest, loyal and genuine. Aren’t these good qualities? Are we to pray for and defend this “good” person? Should we petition the benevolence of God on their behalf?

Who is good and what is good are only the first questions. Once answered, how exactly, do we want God to keep “good” people tragedy free?

Option one. Should He suspend all natural laws at the critical moment without regard for how it affects others? If He only helps the “good” ones, does it matter how the “bad” ones are affected? How much are we “bad” willing to sacrifice so God can help the “good?”

Option two. Should God allow good people to die before they experience horror? Would the victims of the holocaust have been better off if they had died as infants? Would God be considered merciful if they had?

Option three. Should we expect God to destroy those who create horror before they have a chance to do so? Would we approve if Hitler or Stalin had died as infants? Would God still be implicated if they had? If God eliminated all the people who do bad things before they did it, how many of the now-living would actually be dead?

Can we know the good or bad that any person will do before they do it? If not, can we ever say we understand what God is doing and why He does it?

Obviously, the title of this post raises more questions than we are able to answer. There are too many details about which we can’t be sure but there are some things made clear by the Bible and human experience:

No one but God is good. On one occasion, a wealthy young ruler referred to Jesus as “good master” and Jesus questioned that. He said, why do you call me good? There is no one good but God. Jesus’ statement has a huge impact on the original question. Instead of “why do bad things happen to good people,” we should be asking “why do good things happen at all.” No, we aren’t going to pursue that thought here. Don’t have time or space to do so. But, it does present a very different perspective on the issue.

The largest number of tragedies experienced by humans are caused by humans. C. S. Lewis said human moral failure causes 80% of all tragedies and that doesn’t account for problems caused by human error or ignorance. That leaves very few “bad” things we can attribute to God. The obvious solution is to remove the humans. Where would we be then? Fortunately, the default setting for humans is not absolute evil. God created us with the ability to change. We can liberate like Moses or enslave like Pharaoh. Our choices can influence the outcome.

God is equal to everyone and encourages us to be the same, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45). That verse describes the big picture. On a personal level, however, Jesus became incarnate. He became like us so we could identify with Him and He died on the cross to meet our greatest need. Because of Jesus’ death, we can have a new nature, which is to say, Jesus attempts to change the outcome by changing the person. God wants this for every individual! If you want to change the situation tell the person about Jesus.

God controls the eventual outcome. The ultimate outcome for every person is in God’s hands and is not determined in this life. Justice will happen later, not now. We are all headed for eternity and for those who know and trust Jesus, eternity will be nothing but bliss, no tragedy allowed. The problems you have here will not be remembered there.

Here is what the Bible actually says,

“We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

All things, even the bad things, will work together for good. What an amazing statement!

Please understand three things:

One, God is not oblivious to tragedy. He understands our pain. Jesus, Who comforts us, experienced every kind of pain and temptation so He knows what you are going through and how to provide support. And the blessing is, He will make it go away in eternity.

Two, I have not resolved the question. The bad things we see happening to people is not something we will completely understand in this life. But, we have good reason not to become cynical or accuse God.

Three, nothing said here is intended to minimize or trivialize the tragedy you or any other person has or will experience. The pain is real and never easy to fully understand. The bottom line…Jesus is a loving Savior who wishes to embrace you now and will deliver you from all tragedy eventually. ThinkAboutIt

Pragmatism - No Excuse!

Jesus worked very closely with His disciples for only a few years. During that time, He said very little about the look of their future ministries and He gave them very little in the way of specific theological detail. What He did provide was a goal.

For example, Jesus made a few comments on divorce and remarriage (Matt. 19) which left the disciples bewildered. Their conclusion was, why bother to get married at all. Obviously, they, along with many others since then, missed His meaning. We still fight over that one.

The fact is, there were many points of theology which Jesus did not attempt to address in great detail. But, the one thing Jesus did do was give the disciples a target. After His resurrection and before His ascension (a period of forty days), on more than one occasion, He made His expectations very clear. In brief, He said…

As the Father sent Me (to remit the sins of others), I am sending you to do the same. (John 20:21-23

Go and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19)

Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.(Mark
16:15)

Be witnesses to me everywhere including the uttermost. (Acts 1:8)

These statements are concise, to the point and focus only on one thing, the end result. Jesus gave the first disciples, and us, a very clear objective. The scope of our work is the entire world and the ultimate goal is fruit (souls being saved). Everything we do, even discipleship, is predicated on this outcome.

Any Christian at the start of their walk with Jesus can know exactly what is expected of them. They are to win others to Christ in large numbers (John 15:5 & 8). Some people argue against this idea but for the life of me I can’t figure out why. The rationale for limiting your activity and having miniscule results is not complimentary. People who think this way are: small minded, bigoted, self-righteous, fearful, incapable, confused, uninformed, etc., and usually become stodgy, stiff, wooden, dull, boring and irrelevant. Unfortunately, those who bear no fruit resort to finding fault with those who do.

One argument often used against success is “pragmatism.” If someone is getting a large number of people saved, the automatic assumption is, they must be doing something wrong. Results are ignored and methods are over analyzed. The unfruitful person, not the Bible, becomes the standard by which all others, particularly those bearing fruit, must be judged.

The “unfruitful” also use “success rate” as a smoke screen. If a program has a large number of professions they question how many of them are genuine. Well, I would rather have twenty-five percent of a large crop than one hundred percent of no crop at all. Twenty-five good professions out of one hundred are better than even one out of only two. No method has a hundred percent success rate.

Anyone who fabricates a spiritual reason to justify very little or no fruit misrepresents the Bible and will still be embarrassed when they get to heaven. Methods don’t go to heaven. Only souls do. If the method you use doesn’t bear fruit, it is your responsibility to keep changing until you find one that does.

The interesting thing about the target statements of Jesus is the complete lack of any strategic content. The outcome is in view not the methodology. Jesus does not tell us how to reach the goal. He apparently assumes we have enough sense to figure out what works and what doesn’t and the initiative to get on the with the job. Jesus wants us to make the gospel known to every person and how we get that done is not an issue.

No, I am not suggesting we do anything immoral to evangelize the world, although, interestingly enough, I know of people who, even though immorally engaged, have witnessed to and won people to Christ. Go figure!

What I am saying is, that apart from immoral methods, evangelism is pretty much an “anything goes” project. Any method you can imagine, you can use. You can be silly, unusual, very different, non-traditional (culturally relevant), entertaining or whatever, but above all you must be effective. Businesses that are ineffective don’t stay in business and churches should be subject to the same rule, although I have known some to die and never know it.

Believe it or not, It’s OK to be shallow. In fact, you must be. Salvation is not complex. The issues are not that difficult to understand. The world is swimming on the surface so don’t fish on the bottom. We are trying to win the lost not impress demagogues. We must meet prospects where they are and give them what they can handle.

If your method works, it is right. If your method doesn’t work, it is wrong. God and the angels in heaven rejoice every time a soul is saved regardless the methodologies used, even if the professors grumble.

So, get off your pompous posterior and evangelize your community. If possible, join hands with others doing the same. And, since God is not the author of confusion, strategize a little to encourage efficiency.

If at first you don’t succeed keep trying new methods until you do but, please, don’t gravitate to the withdrawn, isolated, holy huddles in which fruitless participants pat each other on the back because they would never stoop to using “ungodly” methods of evangelism. Find the fish and use any method you can to catch them. ThinkAboutIt

AIM Is Shooting The Gap

Recently I was introduced to a missions organization that has had an unusual focus for almost twenty years. They disciple believers by encouraging them to work with the poorest of the poor in various places around the world. Discipleship programs, of course, are not unusual (actually a dime a dozen) but developing disciples through ministries to the desperate is.

AIM (Adventures In Missions) uses short term missions as opposed to the "lifer" approach and so far they have taken more than 65,000 people to the mission field for a period of one year or longer. The interesting thing is, they started this approach before it became the latest trend. That is to say, they aren't newbies. They have been focusing on desperate communities for a long time and have managed to leverage ministry to the destitute for discipleship gains. Gaps which were ignored for a long time have become the vision at AIM.


I perused their web site and found them to be very well organized and their experience has given them a lot of insight in this area of ministry. You can read about them here http://www.adventures.org/



I actually discovered AIM by accident. A young lady, Bethany Lynch, who attends one of my supporting churches, West Park Baptist, has signed on with AIM for a nine month mission trip to South Africa. You can guess why I was interested. I met Bethany's parent when I was at West Park recently and her dad proudly told me about her plans to minister in South Africa. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet Bethany while I was there (large church - mission conference chaos - you know the drill) but she did make contact through email and I was very interested to learn about her interest in South Africa and AIM. I actually checked out her blog and the AIM web site.


Now, this post isn't just another human interest story. I am writing because it is crunch time for Bethany. She is 18 days away from the point at which she needs to have 60% of her support raised. AIM is a "by faith" organization. They provide the training and the opportunity but each participant/disciple must raise their own support.


The program works like this. The first 60% of the support and air fare must be raised as a lump sum before a first time missionary starts the program. The final 40% is raised as commitments to monthly support. And the program is regulated by schedule. You must be ready to start when the program starts or you don't get to start.


At this point Bethany has her air fare and about half of the first 60% in the bank. She also has commitments for most of her monthly support. But, she needs $2,055 to reach the 60% goal by September 8.


I was amazed at the amount. We're talking nine months of living expenses, ministry expenses and air fare. I am sure her accommodation will be sparse at best (yikes, that hurts)! But, she is willing (anxious) to go and there are people who need what she is offering. This is an opporuntiy to get a lot done with a small investment.


Here is the question: Can you help? No, better yet, will you help? This is a good cause, backed up by a good church, run by a good organization and well founded in the Bible. Needy people will be helped, good people will grow and you have the opportunity to help make that happen. It doesn't get any easier.


To read Bethany's story and donate online go here http://bethanylynch.myadventures.org/?filename=financial-update.


I have already made a donation and will probably do more. In fact, Bethany has posted some of the materials she will need for ministry which we can supply right here in South Africa. We look forward to doing just that.

The good thing is, this is so easy. You don't even have to get off your duff. Just click on over to Bethany's site and make it happen.


Go well and LOL from this side. ThinkAboutIt

Church: Building, People or Team?

“Church” as defined in the Bible is not a complex organization. The leadership are few (elders and deacons), its purposes are defined very broadly (preach the gospel, disciple believers, minister to the poor) and the administrative processes are abbreviated (whatever you agree to on earth, God agrees to in heaven). Under these general guidelines many different “versions” of church have developed none of which represent the New Testament pattern exactly. I wouldn’t accuse any particular “church” of being completely wrong but it might be fair to suggest that we have all missed the point to some degree.

If we are going to get “church” right we must consider carefully the words and actions of Jesus. He introduced the idea so He sets all the precedents. Understanding “church” from His perspective should be our primary objective. So, the question is, what did Jesus say and do?

Jesus actually taught that a church doesn’t require more than two or three people to be operational. That means “numbers” is not a limiting factor. It can grow to any size and has authority to begin functioning even if it has only two members.

Jesus, of course, exemplified what He taught. The church He started began very small. His group ministered to thousands regularly but the recognized number of members was only thirteen, including Himself. Other believers accompanied Jesus occasionally but they were never named as a part of the core group. When Jesus wasn’t around, the “occasional members” were on their own.

Following the resurrection and before the Day of Pentecost the group had grown to approximately 120 people. Within days, however, beginning on the Day of Pentecost, that number began to increase exponentially.

Persecution arose within a year of Jesus’ ascension which precipitated the geographical spread of the Gospel and many churches were established throughout nearby regions even among Gentiles. His church started small, grew enormously and spread widely.

As far as we know there were no buildings associated with the church during these early years. Jesus bought no land and built no buildings. The first few generations of Christians met in homes or places commonly used for public meetings. But, in spite of this fact, the “church” was fully active and very effective. The church was first known for being mobile not stationary. They were fluid and in a constant state of flux. This is how Jesus ran His ministry and His successors followed suit.

At some point all that changed. Church authority structures were developed (canonized) and became obsessively restrictive. Buildings (cathedrals) sprung up and became central, also restrictive. These things strangled the church that Jesus started. In-fighting and power struggles were the result.

After many centuries, however, (since the dark ages or before) we finally figured out that “church” is more the people and not primarily a building but I’m not sure we have gotten back to where Jesus was yet. Jesus and the people He ministered with had a rare relationship. He and His disciples were never loosely arranged.

I believe Jesus managed His church start-up very differently to the way we do ours. He wasn’t anxious to increase His membership. He took His time before choosing the first group of twelve and following their selection, He worked primarily with these men. He taught them ministry by example and then sent them to minister on their own. They gained practical experience dealing with high pressure situations, all of which were fruitful.

There is no indication that Jesus maintained a regular schedule of theology classes. Jesus focused more on relationships and practical experience rather than theological minutiae. When Jesus took the time to do some teaching or answer questions the disciples had no idea what He was talking about and Jesus spent very little time trying to rectify that. When He did try to explain, they still missed the theology of it. They were constantly whispering their confusion to each other behind His back.

The strange thing is, at the end of three-plus years of ministry the disciples were still missing large amounts of technical information. Most of the New Testament hadn’t been written yet and the individual who wrote the largest portion, Paul, didn’t become prominent for many years. So, what did Jesus teach these guys? What was He training them to do? How much “theology” did they really absorb?

Well, I am certain He didn’t give them a “Ten Steps To Getting Started Right” pamphlet.

They apparently got very little eschatology until the end of Jesus’ ministry (Matt. 24-25) and what they got left them confused.

He let them know that they were always vulnerable to the influence of Satan no matter how close to God they were or clever they became (Matt 16).

Other things Jesus taught went right over their heads and stayed there for years to come, e.g., Gentiles can and should be saved.

Jesus spent a great deal of time actually testing their commitment and messing with their thoughts. Good theology would have been a waste on these men until they first realized how wrong their thinking was.

And, in the final moments of His ministry Jesus made it very clear that one of His primary goals was to teach them that ministry is done best when the ministers actually love one another. How wussy is that? That almost seems like anti-theology and the truth is, none of these men qualified as theological experts when Jesus ascended into heaven. Apparently it isn’t the most important issue. So what was Jesus trying to do with these men?

Truth is, we aren’t given a lot of the detail of the private or public teachings of Jesus and some of the teachings we did receive are still the focal point of many arguments, as to what Jesus meant and how it applies (e.g., Kingdom theology).

So what did the disciples take away from the ministry of Jesus? My opinion? They learned the importance of team and vision.

They probably fussed and fought a bit while ministering with Jesus but they stayed together.

They failed in front of each other regularly (how embarrassing!) and by that, they learned acceptance and humility.

They jockeyed for position and sometimes wanted the last word and through that, they learned deference and developed the ability to recognize the importance of every position.

They competed for the approval of Jesus but in the end they learned to trust and rely on each other. They never seemed to get the theology right even when Jesus painted a picture in living color. But, when everything looked bleak they banded together, even when they were wrong, because that’s all they had left.

Jesus developed a group who were captured by vision not spiritual trivialities. Vision transcends individual preferences and leverages personality friction into productive energy. Engaging the vision diminishes personal differences.

That is to say, the beginning stage in developing the first church was the framing of a team with a vision; not a crowd, not a gathering, not a class room and not a place.

Before the first disciples managed ministry they learned to interact and talk through their differences. This proved to be critical later on when they had to settle theological questions not answered specifically by Jesus, e.g., circumcision, Acts 15.

Therefore, the most important first step in building a church is establishing a team, with a common vision, who will work and lead together, trusting each other enough to agree to disagree and get on with the task. Team members share the same vision and care about each other. Splitting theological hairs is not a function of team.

That’s why we don’t need more than two or three to function as a church. Teams don’t need to be big to be teams. The smaller the team, to begin with, the easier it is to formulate a vision.

That’s why Jesus started with only twelve.

That’s why the New Testament uses very little space to articulate our goal (preach the gospel to every creature) and a great deal of time encouraging us to “love and defer to each other” (the whole New Testament).

That’s why Billy Graham and three other significant people could form a team that would last fifty years and impact an entire world.

What we are called to do is symbolically referred to as “moving mountains” and only a well-formed team can do that. Individuals can become prominent. Only teams make a difference.

The “team” concept is not usually emphasized in church gatherings, or theology books, because a very important point is missed, Jesus also gave Himself for the church (team). Next time you observe the Lord’s Supper make sure you include a team emphasis. Jesus gave Himself for the individual sinner so each one could become a team player. When you say the word “church” think “team” (synergy, 1 Cor. 3:9) and remember that church is a strategy as well as a sanctuary. ThinkAboutIt

GO? To Church

When talking about church, words like "attendance," "worship" and "go" have been misused. They give the wrong impression. Church should never be thought of only as a place to "go" and “attendance” should never be the primary description of your relationship to a church.

We attend theatres and we do so to be entertained. It is a place to shut off briefly and let someone else do the thinking. But church is not a place of entertainment and attending is never an appropriate way to worship God. The occasional break should never be identified with church.


People who only “go” to church or “attend” church are missing the point and churches that encourage this are sending the wrong message. The disciples never attended anything. On the contrary they were constantly moving. They probably walked hundreds of kilometers during their time with Jesus.

On the very odd occasion when the disciples could sit and listen to Jesus they rarely got His meaning without further diligent work. Church "attendance" for them was more like school with loads of homework requiring careful study and the work was done on the run. They went home infrequently.

Actually, Jesus focused more on curious unbelievers than the disciples. He often taught in common places where anyone could hear. Even non-disciples didn’t have to go anywhere to attend the meetings of Jesus. He was always making His way to the public.

For the disciples, of course, this meant hard work. Every time Jesus opened His mouth, went anywhere or did anything the disciples were under great pressure. They were always called upon to serve rather than be served. Their infrequent group devotions probably included a hymn but they were likely too tired to clap. They learned more by doing, than sitting and listening. Their acts of worship were usually expressed while moving from one place to another. Church for Jesus and the disciples was nothing like the traditional church today. There was nothing conventional here.

On one occasion, Jesus entertained a crowd in Peter’s home. The house was so full there was no room left for anyone to get in by the normal method (the door). In response, one determined group got in by breaking through the roof. The Bible doesn’t record the reaction of the disciples but I am sure Peter’s wife made a few comments about the mess once the crowd was gone.

“Attendance” is not a word we could accurately use to describe any worship experience by the disciples. They were rarely in one spot, they were constantly surrounded by crowds (they had little privacy) and their leader, Jesus, seemed to put them under pressure. They couldn't even take a holiday without being hounded by needy people.

That doesn’t describe what happens today. The clothes we wear to church are more appropriate for a fashion show than ministry and the places we “attend” church are inaccessible and uninviting to curious unbelievers.

If your “worship” experience hasn’t been too fulfilling recently maybe it involves too much “attendance” and not enough serving. If you need a break, by all means, take a holiday. If you want to make a difference, engage church and make it engaging, don’t attend it. ThinkAboutIt