Real Life, Real Questions, Real Answers

Warning: the following two videos may contain language that you may find offensive. They are used here not for their shock value but to present real people and their views of society.


How Would You Answer These Questions?

The next time that you look at that WWJD bracelet or tee-shirt think about these videos. How do you think Jesus would respond to these videos?

Hint: His first response wouldn't be to condemn their language or the smoking.

Can you answer their questions?

Need more hints? Click here

Be A Well Watered Garden

I recently heard a minister say that he was advising his partners not to take part in the recession. In other words choose not to let all of the news around you dictate your attitude and your actions.

I agree with this spiritual teaching. However, I would add this caveat. While we may refuse to let our individual lives be controlled by the changing winds and tides of the economy we must not ignore how these events are impacting our neighbors.

While some people are telling others to stop listening to the news, I encourage you to listen to more news, to listen closely -- listen and ask questions. And after you listen to the news, listen to The Holy Spirit, ask for discernment -- seek Wisdom.

Seek wisdom so you will not only have an answer for yourself but for your neighbor as well. It is not enough for us to know that we are flourishing. We are called to be fruitful ... to be "a well watered garden".

The Message (MSG)
Isaiah 58:6-12

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.l
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again."


photo courtesy of iStockphoto.com

Another John 3:16

Most people who are familiar with Christianity are familiar with the words found in the Gospel of John Chapter 3, verses 16 and 17:

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. "
John 3:16-17 (The MSG)

But there’s another John 3:16. It’s Chapter 3, verses 16 &17 of The First Epistle of John to the Church of Ephesus

“This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear" I John 3:16-17 (The MSG)


No one's life reflected this passage of scripture more than the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In remembrance of the 40th anniversary of his assassination, I’d like to share excerpts from one of his last sermons.

Excerpts from:
Remaining Awake Through A Great Revolution
Delivered at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., on 31 March 1968. Congressional Record, 9 April 1968.

There can be no gainsaying of the fact that a great revolution is taking place in the world today. In a sense it is a triple revolution: that is, a technological revolution, with the impact of automation and cybernation; then there is a revolution in weaponry, with the emergence of atomic and nuclear weapons of warfare; then there is a human rights revolution, with the freedom explosion that is taking place all over the world. Yes, we do live in a period where changes are taking place. And there is still the voice crying through the vista of time saying, "Behold, I make all things new; former things are passed away."

Now whenever anything new comes into history it brings with it new challenges and new opportunities. And I would like to deal with the challenges that we face today as a result of this triple revolution that is taking place in the world today.

First, we are challenged to develop a world perspective. No individual can live alone, no nation can live alone, and anyone who feels that he can live alone is sleeping through a revolution. The world in which we live is geographically one. The challenge that we face today is to make it one in terms of brotherhood.

Secondly, we are challenged to eradicate the last vestiges of racial injustice from our nation.

The hour has come for everybody, for all institutions of the public sector and the private sector to work to get rid of racism. And now if we are to do it we must honestly admit certain things and get rid of certain myths that have constantly been disseminated all over our nation.

We must come to see that the roots of racism are very deep in our country, and there must be something positive and massive in order to get rid of all the effects of racism and the tragedies of racial injustice.

There is another thing closely related to racism that I would like to mention as another challenge. We are challenged to rid our nation and the world of poverty. Like a monstrous octopus, poverty spreads its nagging, prehensile tentacles into hamlets and villages all over our world. Two-thirds of the people of the world go to bed hungry tonight. They are ill-housed; they are ill-nourished; they are shabbily clad. I’ve seen it in Latin America; I’ve seen it in Africa; I’ve seen this poverty in Asia.

As I noticed these things, something within me cried out, "Can we in America stand idly by and not be concerned?" And an answer came: "Oh no!" Because the destiny of the United States is tied up with the destiny of India and every other nation. And I started thinking of the fact that we spend in America millions of dollars a day to store surplus food, and I said to myself, "I know where we can store that food free of charge—in the wrinkled stomachs of millions of God’s children all over the world who go to bed hungry at night." And maybe we spend far too much of our national budget establishing military bases around the world rather than bases of genuine concern and understanding.

Not only do we see poverty abroad, I would remind you that in our own nation there are about forty million people who are poverty-stricken. I have seen them here and there. I have seen them in the ghettos of the North; I have seen them in the rural areas of the South; I have seen them in Appalachia. I have just been in the process of touring many areas of our country and I must confess that in some situations I have literally found myself crying.

Jesus told a parable one day, and he reminded us that a man went to hell because he didn’t see the poor. His name was Dives. He was a rich man. And there was a man by the name of Lazarus who was a poor man, but not only was he poor, he was sick. Sores were all over his body, and he was so weak that he could hardly move. But he managed to get to the gate of Dives every day, wanting just to have the crumbs that would fall from his table. And Dives did nothing about it. And the parable ends saying, "Dives went to hell, and there were a fixed gulf now between Lazarus and Dives."

There is nothing in that parable that said Dives went to hell because he was rich. Jesus never made a universal indictment against all wealth. It is true that one day a rich young ruler came to him, and he advised him to sell all, but in that instance Jesus was prescribing individual surgery and not setting forth a universal diagnosis. And if you will look at that parable with all of its symbolism, you will remember that a conversation took place between heaven and hell, and on the other end of that long-distance call between heaven and hell was Abraham in heaven talking to Dives in hell.

Now Abraham was a very rich man. If you go back to the Old Testament, you see that he was the richest man of his day, so it was not a rich man in hell talking with a poor man in heaven; it was a little millionaire in hell talking with a multimillionaire in heaven. Dives didn’t go to hell because he was rich; Dives didn’t realize that his wealth was his opportunity. It was his opportunity to bridge the gulf that separated him from his brother Lazarus. Dives went to hell because he was passed by Lazarus every day and he never really saw him. He went to hell because he allowed his brother to become invisible. Dives went to hell because he maximized the minimum and minimized the maximum. Indeed, Dives went to hell because he sought to be a conscientious objector in the war against poverty.

And this can happen to America, the richest nation in the world—and nothing’s wrong with that—this is America’s opportunity to help bridge the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. The question is whether America will do it. There is nothing new about poverty. What is new is that we now have the techniques and the resources to get rid of poverty. The real question is whether we have the will.

© The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Good Tidings for the Poor, Healing for the Broken Hearted

Isaiah 61:1-7 (The Message)

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me.

He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken,

Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners.

God sent me to announce the year of his grace—

a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—

and to comfort all who mourn,

If you are among the millions of people who've been taken advantage of by sub-prime mortgage lenders, payday loan sharks, or other deceptive credit schemes this message is for you.

If you don't think that the Bible is relevant to today's issues then re-read the story of Palm Sunday. When you do you'll see that one day Jesus was welcomed by the crowds, praised and adored. However, in a few days much of that same crowd would be shouting "crucify him".

Why?

photo courtesy of CrossDaily.com

Matthew 21:1-16 (The Message)

When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: "Go over to the village across from you. You'll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you're doing, say, 'The Master needs them!' He will send them with you."

This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:
Tell Zion's daughter,

"Look, your king's on his way, poised and ready, mounted on a donkey, on a colt, foal of a pack animal."

The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, "Hosanna to David's son!" "Blessed is he who comes in God's name!" "Hosanna in highest heaven!"

As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, "What's going on here? Who is this?"

The parade crowd answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee."

Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves.

Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.

When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. "Do you hear what these children are saying?"

Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?"

* * * * *

Could it be that the one act of Jesus that upset the establishment the most was that he overturned their accepted monetary practices in order to help people?

Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and taught a message of peace and forgiveness. But, feeding thousands with just a few fish and loaves of bread, he also taught that man was not dependent of the world's financial system for his existence. He taught that man should seek the Kingdom of Heaven and God's way of doing things instead of relying on the world's systems. And when Jesus saw his people being taken advantage of in a place where they should have being going for help and healing he was outraged and turned over the moneychangers' tables.

Now over 2,000 years later, he is turning over the moneychangers' tables again.

The enemies of God -- those who take advantage of the poor, prey on the most vulnerable, practice deception and, devise ways to keep people in bondage -- will be exposed and brought to justice.


Proverbs 13:23

"A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away"

May you all have a blessed Palm Sunday. Let this day remind you that although it may seem that the world has forsaken you now, you too, will rise again.

Ballad of a Young American Soldier

Long after a soldier returns from war there is often a battle that still rages in his soul. The following poem speaks to the heart of that battle. plk


Ballad of a Young American Soldier: a too-common American Tragedy

by Barbara Tomlinson

( a ballad of blasted hopes )

"What shall I be when I grow up? Dear little mother of mine?

What shall I do when I grow up?

Of beer or of wine I'll drink a cup,

I'll drive and vote, with a girl get hitched up,

Like a bee, from all nectars I will sup,

Dear little mother of mine."


"What will you do when you come of age? Dear little son of mine?

What will you do when you come of age?

To college you'll go, where you'll get sage

To make me so proud, in my old age,

To surpass your Dad, and earn a good wage,

Dear little son of mine."

"What will I do when I come of age? Dear little mother of mine?

In my twenty-first year of age?

On Life's Great Book I'll write a new Page

My style and my flair will be all the rage

And e-very whim I will engage

Dear little mother of mine."

"What will you be like when you're mature? Dear little son of mine?

As a Man when you're mature?

I know you'll be honest, upright and pure,

You'll do the Right Thing, of that I am sure

Though occasional hardships you'll endure

Dear little son of mine."

"What does it mean to be a Man? Dear little mother of mine?

What is a Man, I ask?

I'll take up arms, it's a soldier's task

My country calls, my service it asks

But I'll return safe, in Fame to bask

Dear little mother of mine."

"Why are your hands so red with blood? Dear, dear son of mine?

Why so pale, why so thin?"

"I can't explain, can't even begin

I have a bad feeling, I've committed a Sin

If I'd done it here, a Jail I'd be in

Curse you, mother of mine."

"Where did we go so terribly wrong

Dear sweet son of ours?

Why are you so withdrawn?"

"Get out of my way, I'm the Devil's spawn

I can't sheathe my saber, once it's drawn

I blaspheme each day I see the dawn

To Hell with you, mother of mine."



"Come back, come back, my dear sweet son

Come back to your father and me."

"You can't even imagine where I have been

Where Evil is Good, and Right is a Sin

The State of Confusion that I am in

Will last all my life, parents mine."

"Why are your eyes so full of Death?

What do you see with your eyes?"

"Death is my Neighbor, my only Friend

It means all my troubles will soon have an end

All the future I forecast, my Grave you will tend

And be rid of me, parents mine."

[6 November 2007]

more of Barbara's poetry can be found on Megalithic Poems

photos courtesy of iStockphoto.com & Corbis.com

Love Your Enemies

From "The Message" (MSG)

View commentary related to this passage

Matthew 5

Love Your Enemies

"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

graphic courtesy of Tim Nyberg

A Guide For Responding to Current Events

From "The Message" (MSG)

Matthew 5

You're Blessed

When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Salt and Light

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.