Friday, May 30, 2008

A lesson from Narnia

First let me say how proud I am of Kris. She has been asked to be a weekly guest blogger on the Scrapping for Inclusion blog, which is affiliated with the Bubel-Aiken Foundation. Yay for Kris!

Now, what to discuss? There is so much going on: social re-engineering in Colorado; the high prices of gasoline, food, and health care are really starting to put the middle class and below in a pinch; my wife is mad at me because she double booked herself; lots of graduations going on this week--makes me nostalgic; the presidential race; movies; etc.

Movies, that reminds me. There was a scene in Prince Caspian that God really used to speak to me. Its early in the movie. The children have started their adventure in Narnia but have yet to meet with Aslan. Lucy, the youngest, dreams of an encounter with him. When she sees Aslan, she runs up to him in great exultation and wraps her arms around him like one would a close loved one that one had not seen in many months.

So, what did God speak to me? He said that I don't long to meet with Jesus like Lucy did to meet with Aslan. I don't joyfully run to him and hug him. Now, before you start to look down on me, examine yourself. Is that how you greet Jesus every morning, or do you ignore him completely until you need his help? Or are you somewhere in between?

Think about it.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Why are we so concerned with why?

Remember when you were a kid and someone asked why and you didn't know and you would say, "Just because."? (O, was that just me?) Well, it might not be such a bad answer.

We Christians like to ask God why when bad things happen. I guess its a natural reaction. However, I don't think knowing the answer would help as much as we'd like to think.

Then, skeptics like to ask why as a challenge to our faith. They like to say things like, "Why would a loving God send people to Hell?" "Why would a God who doesn't need anything make a universe?" "Why would we be required to worship a God who is supposed to be self sufficient?" "If God is real, why doesn't he just show himself to people so they could believe in him?" etc.

If you're ever dealing with someone like that, I think I have a great answer for you. Its short and I suspect that most intellectually oriented skeptics would not find it very satisfying. But I think its right. Its kind of like a kid saying, "just because". The honest answer is--it doesn't matter.

Seriously, first of all, knowing why would not really solve their intellectual problems with God. Secondly, if there is a God (and there is), then by definition he is perfect. Being perfect he gets to do whatever he wants to do. It doesn't matter whether or not we approve or understand. Thirdly, if Isaiah 55:7-8 is true (and it is), then God is so different, so beyond us that we would not understand why he does things even if he told us.

So, why ask why when it probably won't help the situation? I remember my New Testament professor at Baylor, Dr. Hillburn, telling us that our Christian lives would be better spent asking God "what?" and "how?" and then obeying, rather than "why?" Great idea, why not try it?

Monday, May 12, 2008

A little catching up

A belated wish: Happy Birthday Kris! two days late. I love you. We'll have to have another party sans spending all day out in the heat, on your feet.

A prayer request: Please pray for my mother. She has been in the hospital in Houston for 8 days. She is having terrible pain in her right side, down the inside right leg to the knee, where it switches over to the outside of the leg the rest of the way. She has had a bunch of tests and the doctors still do not know what the source of the pain is.

So, yes, we've had better Mother's Day celebrations in our family.

The latest Jeremiah funny: Waiting in line to drop JT off this morning at preschool, I aksed him if he remembered calling me into his room at 3:45 this morning. He said he did and we talked about it for a minute. He was frustrated that I did not stay there after he went back to sleep. So, he tells me that he never really goes to sleep. We argued about that for a minute and he says, "I never really go to sleep. I'm more nocturnal."

I guess you had to be there. Its just funny to hear a five year old use the term nocturnal. He's a trip.

A lesson that: God reminded me of today. I've been pondering Hell lately. I've been thinking that I really don't want anyone to go there. I mean, eternity is a really long time to be punished for 70 or 80 years of rebellion. I've been a little frustrated that God would not find another way to deal with people who reject him (I know in my head that He is only giving them what they want, but it makes my heart sad). I've also, wondered what lengths I would go to, to keep people out of Hell.

So, in the truck this morning with JT, God puts a song on the radio. The main line was something like, "I could never love the world like you do, now that I have a son of my own." Wow, that's good! I mean as much as I don't want people to go to Hell, I wouldn't let them kill either of my boys to set them free. But, God let Jesus die to keep me out of Hell. How much He loves me, and you. How much He loves the whole world, even the ones that reject him. Ya gotta be in awe of that kind of love, that kind of God.