Friday, January 22, 2010

When Lives Are Shaken



When the tectonic plates six miles beneath the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti moved against each other on January 12, they sent shock waves that shook not only the buildings of Port-au-Prince, but the lives of all that watched the aftermath unfold. Those first scenes of people frantically waving their arms from small openings in pancaked buildings had us all wanting to reach out with a helping hand. The outpouring from around the world has literally been so overwhelming that it cannot even be accommodated by the broken infrastructure of Haiti.

If you have given, prayed, or packed up your bags to go and help in Haiti, why did you do it? Was it not because you had to? Was it not because you were so moved by the reports and images that you did what only came natural to do? I know that is why I gave. That is why I have prayed and cannot stop praying for Haitians, missionaries, aid workers, reporters, and military chaplains that are there among the hurting, the dead, and the dying. The tragedy in Haiti certainly deserves everything that has been done and even more.

I wonder if the shock waves reverberating through the families in our communities deserve the same response. What of the young boy that just saw the police handcuff his father and take him off to jail? Yes, I know that he may not have had a beam fall on top of him and crush his leg, but his spirit has certainly been crushed. What about the woman that came in my office today looking for a pastor to conduct the funeral of her boyfriend that just killed himself two days ago? No, she isn’t pinned beneath tons of rubble without food or water, but she is devastated and doesn’t know if she can hang on much longer. Does she deserve a search and rescue team to help remove the walls that have come crashing down upon her? What about the three young children in my community that lost their mother ten days ago when their dad decided that killing her was the only way that he could deal with their marriage problems? No, their house did not fall down, but their family has collapsed. Are they worthy of a response? Why does it take images from disasters in foreign nations to move us? Is it because our eyes are closed to the ones that are all around us? If so, I pray that we might have eyes to see what Jesus sees and ears to hear what Jesus hears.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

He's Speaking -- Are We Listening?

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).

These verses remind us that it is impossible to escape the revelation of the glory of God upon the earth. Yet, most people fail to accept that revelation. Instead, we create diversions that drown out what God is so desperately trying to speak into our lives. Electronic gadgets and modern technology that are supposed to make our lives easier so that we can enjoy life more are, instead, robbing us of the reality of the glory of God that is all around us. Instead of enjoying the snow that is falling outside as a type this note, most people are gathered around television sets displaying radar screens of storm fronts and snowfall predictions while their children are huddled around video games or are surfing the internet. Meanwhile our world has been transformed overnight and is covered with a beautiful blanket of white. There was a time when this happened that children bundled up with their friends and headed outside to their favorite hill to enjoy some of the best times of their life.  Snow forts, snowmen, and snow ball fights have been replaced by pixels of light emanating from screens of various sizes on cell phones, computers, and televisions. Meanwhile, outside, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands . . .”

The sad thing is that we no longer even give Him credit for what goes on outside. It is all caused by ‘global warming’, or as it obviously must be called in sub-zero temperatures, ‘climate change.’ All of which the world tells us has nothing to do with Him and everything to do with us. At times, like the Psalmist, I wonder why He even takes the time for us. We so seldom listen. We rarely stop to look around. And, when we finally do notice something different, we take all of the credit for it or try to put a stop to it. Yet, despite our attempts to drown out His voice and to paint over His masterpiece, He still calls out to us. He still paints for us. He still hopes to redeem us. He still cries out to us from the heavens. Are we listening? Are we watching? 

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Never Obsolete!

The last week of ’09 I came across an article on the CNN Webpage that was titled ’12 Things that will be obsolete in 2010.’ The list included the following items: Phone calls, dial up internet, newspaper classified ads, the yellow pages, catalogues, CDs, fax machines, telephone land lines, film, wires/cords, encyclopedias, and letters. I guess that means that cassette tapes and VCRs are still good to go. Maybe not.
The fact is our world is changing rapidly. It is extremely hard to keep up at times. The church must walk the fine line of keeping up with technologies and using them to their fullest potential while still realizing that the media is not the message. I’m so grateful to know that the message doesn’t change. It is hard enough for me to keep up with the changing media.
What hasn’t changed? The Kingdom of God is still achieved by the forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness of sin is still only possible through acceptance of the sacrificial gift of Christ on the Cross. God’s hand is still able to deliver and to heal. Jesus still baptizes people in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is still empowering people for service. The voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God are still going to call the church heavenward. Finally, Jesus is still planning on coming back!
The delivery system may change, but the message remains the same