An Open Letter After Boston

     The events of the past week may have raised the question: How can people in this world do such terrible things? When men decide to blow up bombs that hurt, maim, and kill innocent men, women, and children it is natural wonder what is wrong with the hearts of men. Sadly, this incident was not isolated, as we see similar tragedies in our own country and around the world. Men will kill one another. "Doctors" in Philadelphia, will kill hundreds of babies newly born and the gruesome facts of his "medical treatment" are still being found out. In the face of such evil, murder, and cruelty, how do we answer the problem of evil in the world? I am appalled at the violence and evil existing in our world and oftentimes I find myself wanting to lock my wife and kids in the house, buy a gun, and wait for the end of the world. It’s hard to explain the problem of evil. But after a lot of thinking, I feel like I can at least offer how I view the world we live in. 

     Christians believe that evil exists in the world due to sin. What is sin? I’m sure everyone understands the concept of immoral actions and things done we are not supposed to do. But the Bible teaches that sin is more than just the bad things we do, it is a condition of the heart of each man, woman, and child who has ever been born. Sin has affected the natural world we live in, making things broken, sick, weak, and imperfect. Every person who lives has a heart, mind and body that don’t work the way God designed. We are all prone to lie, be selfish, hurt others, and get angry, to cheat on our spouses, and be lazy. As we saw in Boston, people can even choose to blow up innocent men, women, and children because of either some mental illness, their belief they are doing the work of Allah, or because they hate America. There is something wrong with the world. There is something wrong with the hearts of people. There is something wrong with me.

     Where does this come from? In the first pages of the Bible, God created a perfect world where everything was good. The sun was good, the plants were good, the animals were good, and even man was good. There was not any cancer, terrorism, cheating, anger, meanness, or murder. So what happened? The devil came to Adam and Eve and offered a choice: Would they trust God had their best in mind or would they believe God was holding out on them, that they knew what was best for your life? Unfortunately, they chose to doubt God’s goodness and love and instead trusted themselves. The result of their actions was the world started to break and it has been broken ever since. Evil entered into the hearts of men and women. They would naturally distrust God and not love and trust him, as God desired. They would die due to sickness, accidents, and old age, which wasn’t God’s initial design. God desired people to live with him forever. He desired they would have life. It’s like if you took a glass of clean water and put a tiny drop of cyanide in it. The water would no longer be clear, but tainted. The poison would affect every portion of the water in one way or another. In the same way sin has tainted and poisoned every aspect of our lives.

     Back to Genesis 3, where God pronounced the results and curse of Adam and Eve’s sin there was a promise of hope and redemption. God promised one day a child would be born of a woman who would strike down the devil, but would be wounded in the process. I’m talking of course, about Jesus, who would be born of virgin, live a sinless life, show us what a life of trust and love to God would look like, and then die on a cross. In death he would bear the punishment for the sins of every man, woman, and child who would ever live. Jesus would also address the problem of men’s evil hearts. He told a guy once, “You must be born again”, (Gospel of John, chapter 3). What he meant was there was a problem with men’s hearts. They were corrupted and broken. Men needed new life which only God could give. Men needed new hearts that valued life, God, goodness, hope, peace, and right things. Men could not do this for themselves; God had to create that life into them. Even though men choose to hurt one another, hurt themselves, and reject God, he still wants to restore that relationship with men. He just has to change their hearts and cleanse them of sin to do so. God chose to do what men could not do for themselves, pay the penalty for their sins and give them new and holy hearts. 

     When a man trusts Jesus as the one who has paid for his sins and made him right with God, without any works or efforts that man has done, then God gives man a new heart, a new life, and forever sees him as clothed in Jesus’ righteousness. Then people can live with God and each other as God intended. More importantly, they are promised to escape the ultimate curse of sin = death, because they will be with God forever. The old football verse, John 3:16 applies, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.”

     This is what I believe about evil in the world, why men do terrible things to one another, why we deal with rude, stupid, and immoral people at our jobs, and why rage at one another in our daily commutes. It’s why I sometimes struggle to love my wife, get angry with my kids, and quietly curse out customers on the phone or rude people in traffic. It’s also why I have hope, even when people blow up one another, as weird as that seems. I believe there is hope for men and the world. I believe even if things get worse that one day I will be with God in heaven, with Jesus, and have eternal life with him, untainted by sin.

     One of my favorite painters was a guy named Rembrandt. He did a lot of cool things in his paintings with light and shadows. One of his most famous paintings is "Raising the Cross". In the painting, there are soldiers raising the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The crowds surrounding the cross are in shadows. The light on the painting falls on Jesus, but also on a man at the foot of the cross. This man is dressed unlike the soldiers and others around the cross. He looks out of place. The man seen is Rembrandt himself. He painted a self portrait of himself at the foot of the cross, helping to raise the cross to crucify Jesus. Rembrandt saw himself correctly. He saw himself as a sinner, as a man whose sin helped raise Jesus to a cross where he would die for the sins and evil of men. He saw himself as a man just as guilty as those around him. He saw himself needing forgiveness. 

     The world is corrupted by sin and evil. But there is a Savior who died for men's sin and evil. He died on a cross so that men may be forgiven and be cleansed of the evil in their hearts. That man is Jesus. He offers himself as a Savior for all, especially in these evil days. 

Boys, Girls, Lawnmowers, and the Glory of God

     Life can be extremely tedious. We get up every morning, take a shower, clothe ourselves, feed ourselves, go to work, do our jobs, come home, eat dinner, watch a show and go to bed. If you have children, you just add more people to the equation for which you must feed, clothe, bathe, and take care of, but it still happens with a sense of regularity, (albeit chaotic regularity). 
     There is a mechanical nature sometimes to life. The clock winds up, we get up and go, we go to bed and start the process all over again. If we are lucky, we get to experience something fun or exciting once or twice a week. Maybe we get to go to a movie, a concert, or have friends over. But there can be a sense of dullness to life, even if that dullness is wrapped in the chaos of running here, there, and everywhere as we try to survive. This is especially true if a person has children. As Christians, we seem to only experience worship and the presence of God on Sundays or perhaps in a few moments of quiet and reflection we may get in the Word or in prayer that week. Seeing God's hand or glory in our lives is infrequent and typically we are only reminded, or remind ourselves, of God's love, grace, and holiness on Sunday mornings. Yesterday, however, I experienced the glory of God with a lawnmower and later with a children's book. 
     When I came home from work I went to mow my neighbor's lawn. Theirs was broken and I offered, (or rather my wife offered me), to cut their grass. It wasn't a big lawn and it wouldn't take more than 15 minutes or so. The weather was cool and it would be an easy job. My one and a half year old son, Mack, accompanied me. He has a fascination with machines and especially those that make noise. He followed me around the whole yard until I finished. When I would come to the end of a row and turn around, he would turn around and follow me to the end of the next row of grass. When I would turn a corner, he would follow behind like some dutiful puppy. It was extremely cute to watch and it made me very proud as his father to see my son so interested in noisy machines. 
     Yet even more profound to me was the fact of my son's inherent and God given connection to his father. There are plenty of men in our neighborhood who cut their grass. There are plenty of men in our neighborhood who use noisy machines in their yards or garages. My son is definitely interested in those things, but I am the only one he will follow around the yard when I'm working outside. The reason is there is a God given reverence and connection my son feels for me. It's not because I'm a great dad, (though I hope I get it right on some days). It's not because I've somehow brainwashed my child into thinking I'm God Almighty. No, I believe it is because God has put something in all children to need their parents and to view them as special, unique people on this earth. To children, nothing more significant to them than mom and dad. God put in kids a need to connect to and love their mom and dad and nothing that can replace that need. Therefore my son views me, his dad, as an awesome, special man, unlike any other. Believe me when I say I have not earned this respect, awe, or love. I am a decent father on some days, on others I stink entirely. But it's not because of who I am or what I do that my son follows me like a lost puppy. It's because God has created children to look to their parents this way. 
     This is where I see the glory of God in the daily grind. I see a child who loves me, not necessarily because of what I've done, but by God given design. Therefore I realize what an awesome responsibility I have as a father. I realize the gracious blessing of God to get to experience the role of fatherhood, the love of a son, and the expression of manhood in a little boy as he follows his dad mowing the grass. I see God blessing me with love, grace, laughter, and holy duty. In the regular work of cutting grass, I experience the divine. 
     Later, after dinner, after bath time, and all the monotonous events we experience on a nightly basis, I sat with my daughters and read them a book on my bed. There was nothing tremendous about the book, just a typical children's story book filled with colors, shapes, and a simple story line. One daughter sat on my left and read some of the words to me. My other sat on my right, leaned up against my chest, and randomly yelled out words or phrases she felt were or should be in the book. Every now and then Annie, who was on the right, would gently pat my leg. When we were finished, they hugged my neck, kissed me on the cheek, and went to bed. All of this took less than five minutes. Yet in those moments I experienced love, tenderness, childlike devotion, and the "femaleness" of two little girls. It was altogether holy, divine, and awesome. It was a moment of grace and blessing on a normal Monday evening. 
     Please don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those guys who sits around and thinks spiritual thoughts while trying to get the kids to brush their teeth. Most days and evenings are harried affairs where I'm trying to survive the day and get the kids fed and in bed by 8:00 so I can have a few quiet moments watching TV with my wife. But yesterday, for whatever reason, God reminded me that he has tremendously blessed me and that I can see him and his glorious goodness in even the day to day moments of my life. God is glorious. He has a creative and holy design in moms and dads, boys and girls. He has created life with purpose and grace and allows us, even in the monotonous moments of life, to experience and see his glory. 

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above you heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen." 

Christ came to do what exactly?

Why did Jesus Christ come? Did he come to heal the broken in spirit? Did he come to heal people from cancer? Did he come to set right racial divisions? Did Jesus come to fix our politics and support Republicans, Democrats, or Libertarians? Did he come to get people off drugs? Did Jesus come so that we could get rich? Did Jesus come so we could have "power" and "hope"? Did Jesus come to save marriages from divorce? Did Jesus come to give us more comfortable lives? 

You could say "yes" to some of these, no to others. It's confusing because I deliberately included some controversial topics. It's hard because we are bombarded by so many different ideas about Jesus from the pulpit, from popular music, from the perspective of movie stars, from our friends, from literature, and on and on and on. 

Jesus definitely came to heal. He came to do good. He came to show and teach us how life should work from God's perspective. He certainly came to teach people how to treat and love each other. He even came to bring the kingdom of God to earth. He came so we could have power over sin. He came so we could have hope. All of these are good things. However, none of these is the main thing. 

Paul centers in on the main thing in all of his writings. In 1 Timothy, Paul writes the following, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. 

"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." 1 Timothy 1:15. 

Christ came into the world to do a lot of good things and teach us a lot of good things. But the central thing above all others is the gospel. It is the good news that Jesus came to save sinners. We can lose sight of that as we make Jesus purpose into these other, often minor, often incorrect things. Jesus came into the world to die for sinners. He came to pay for their sins and offer a means for men to be reconciled to their creator. Paul the apostle was focused on this fact and we should be too.

I Got Donald Trumped

“Your position is no longer needed with this company.”

            With those words my professional and personal life was dramatically altered. A place where I had worked for seven and a half years was now telling me I would need to find another job. I would receive a severance payment and then I would be on my way. Immediately I was overcome with questions. “How would I provide for my family?” “What will I do with myself?” “Am I going to make it?” “How will I pay for my house payment?” “What do I do if one of my kids gets really sick?”

            We all face moments of upheaval and confusion, where we feel tossed and turned by the turmoil of life. At those moments in life where our world seems upside down, where do we find comfort? How do we make sense of the disorder we experience?

            As I was leaving the office after receiving the news, one of my soon to be former co-workers, concerned about my well being, said, “Everything happens for a reason”. In kindness she was attempting to provide me with some comfort. But was her kindness misplaced? We are used to utilizing such phrases like this. “Everything will work out”. “Things happen for a reason”. “God never closes a door without opening a window”, and so forth. We throw out these phrases casually, shooting them from the hip like some cowboy in the Wild West. We mean well, but we really don’t know what we mean.

            Will things really work out for the best? What if they don’t? Sometimes things don’t work out. Sometimes things get worse. The person that gets cancer doesn’t always go through a treatment experience leading to a prolonged life. The woman who goes through a divorce may not have an easier time with trying to raise 2 children on her own and pay the bills.

            Does everything happen for a reason? Maybe so. Then again, maybe not. And even if it does happen for a reason, what help is it to men if they don’t know the reason why? Should a person in crisis trust themselves to the nebulous ways of Fate whose nature or character cannot be known? Would you tell a child whose mother had just been killed by a drunk driver that her death happened for a reason?

            Trusting in phrases, ideas, and the character of the universe is only artificial help to the man or woman in pain. It’s vague, uncertain, and unhelpful. Those souls who dispense such advice are well intentioned, to be sure, but ultimately, such advice is hollow.

            So where then does a person find hope in life when crises come? What does a person rest in while tossed to and fro by the storms of life?

            Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob, whose life is recorded in the Bible in the Old Testament book of Genesis, in chapters 37-50. Looking at his life, struggles, and hope can provide lessons for us all. He was a man who experienced great turmoil in his life. He experienced jealousy and mistreatment those closest to him, false accusations from his enemies, imprisonment for crimes he did not commit, separation from his loved ones, and was forgotten by those he had helped save. It took over 20 years for Joseph to see any fruit of his character and good deeds. He was, for the greater part of his life, utterly forsaken and mistreated. He could say, with the blues singers of old, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all”. How did he respond? What did he find comfort in amongst the struggles he experienced?

             In Genesis chapter 39, a phrase is repeated over and over again commenting on Joseph’s life. “The Lord was with him”. Joseph was experiencing injustice, difficulty and mistreatment, but rested in the fact that God was with him. This didn’t mean his circumstances would be easy, (in fact they got worse). God being with him didn’t mean things would work out for the best, because his life didn’t work out in any positive way for years. What it did mean was God, who is wise, good, and loving, was with him in the troubles he faced and ultimately was working things for his good purposes. God was not surprised or frustrated by the evil that came into Joseph’s life. God was good and Joseph could rest in the “withness” of the Lord.

            Later, at the end of Joseph’s life, his brothers, who had sold him into slavery when he was very young, came to him to reconcile with Joseph for the evil they had done to him. Joseph’s response reflects his hope and rest in the character of God, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today,” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph was able to look back on his life and recognize that God was with him and he had been working through even the evil actions of men to accomplish his good purposes.

What can be learned from Joseph’s life? Hope is found in God. Hope is not found in the character of Fate, in the wishful thinking that tomorrow will be a better day, but in the character of God. We remember that He is good. We remember that he loves men and women. We remember that He stepped into this broken world, as a man, and exposed himself to the sin and evil this world had to offer. In Jesus, God took on the sin of the world in order that he might grant men forgiveness for their evil. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ,” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christians believe their hope is found in a God who is there, who is good, and who embraced sin for mankind that they might be saved. This doesn’t mean we will have an easy or good life where we are not touched by things like cancer, job loss, or pain. It does mean we can entrust ourselves to our God and Savior because he is good, loving, and wise.