Lenten Reflections: Escalation

"Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?”  “He is worthy of death,” they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him."

                                                            Matthew 26:65-67

Escalation. Pride's evil and deceptive ways widen. With each choice that Pride makes, the tensions in our relationships escalate. With each move of Pride, the battle is fueled and the ante is raised. More troops are sent in. We launch more offensives. Relationships don't die; they are murdered. Sin stands guilty as a war criminal. GUILTY. 

Anger gives birth to accusation. 

Accusation gives birth to action.

Action gives birth to violence. 

Violence gives birth to death.

Another relationship causality in the war of selfishness, with Pride leading the way. 

We count the costs of the war. We see the destruction. And yet we choose each weapon with great care, hoping for victory. 

Pride - 1  Relationships - 0 

Lent reveals to us that things are often backwards in the Kingdom of God. Pride has no place at the table. War in our relationships is unthinkable. Escalation becomes pacifism. And death becomes life. By living our lives through Christ, we find less need to slaughter our relationships, and more desire to heal them. We disarm ourselves, dismantle our military and end violence of any kind. Through Christ, we cherish each relationship as something of great value, more valuable than the temporary possessions we accumulate for ourselves. We count the cost of war, and realize that it's not worth it. 

Anger gives birth to forgiveness. 

Forgiveness gives birth to unity.

Unity gives birth to community.

Community gives birth to life. 

Lord, we realize that one of the most tragic losses in the war of Pride is relationships. So often we sacrifice those closest to us in order to protect the self. Help us to lay down our weapons and seek peace. Help us to cherish each relationship we have as more valuable than anything we possess, even life itself. Amen.              

Obscured Doors of the Soul

It seems that the door of the soul usually remains closed in our culture. It stands blocked by overwhelming distractions, too heavy to move on our own, cut off from the world around us.

Occasionally, we may temporarily move the barriers, crack the door open and glance at the landscape that lies outside of the soul. We feel as if we open ourselves to others, but in reality we only play dress-up or wear a mask of some sort.     

Many of is ignore the barricades completely, going about life as usual. Sometimes we are not even aware that the soul remains hindered. In fact, some of us even add more barriers of our own, including spiritual locks and deadbolts.   


It is only through the light of Christ, as He invades our soul, unhindered and free to move by His Spirit that the door not only opens, but is blown from it's hinges, leaving an unobscured passage for the light to invade.

That light reveals our soul for what it truly is. It is then that we not only become naked to ourselves, but lay completely vulnerable to others as well.

Only then can we be completely authentic, free to love and be loved.

Free to forgive and be forgiven.

Free to be with one another. 

Free to be as Christ.      

Lenten Reflections: Forgiveness

"Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” - Luke 23:34


Forgiveness. Not always easy. Not always fun. Not always accepted. 

Forgiveness sometimes sucks.

Forgiveness is not easy because forgiveness relinquishes control. To forgive, we have to let go and letting go doesn't come natural to us. We are obsessed with controlling ourselves, others and every situation that intersects our relationships with each other. 

"Trust in the Lord....."  Sure! As long as I get to keep control over every aspect of my life, no problem!

Forgiveness. Control. Power.     

"I refuse to forgive you!"..... Because if I do, she wins.   

"They don't deserve forgiveness because of what they did!"..... Because they need to suffer as well, and if I refuse to forgive them, they'll suffer too.

"How can I refuse him for what he did to me?"..... If I do, I'm weak. I'll feel weak. I'll be perceived as weak. 

Refusing to forgive gives us control, right? It gives us power. We feel strong. And we need that strength to carry us through the pain inflicted on us. 

"You hurt me, now I'm going to hurt you!"

Really?

When we refuse to forgive, it's as if we pour salt on our own wound and expecting it to hurt someone with no wound.

Who really suffers from our lack of forgiveness?

Him? Her? You? Me? Them? Us?

Refusing to forgive doesn't just effect the offender, but the offended as well. It effects those around us and those not even involved. Refusing to forgive effects the collective. The community. Unity is destroyed.

There can be no barriers in unity. There are no barriers in the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is forgiveness, not holding on to hurts and pain.

The Kingdom of God is unity, not division.

The Kingdom of God is release, not control.

The Kingdom of God is not conditional, but limitless.

As we make our way through Lent, one of the aspects that we focus on is forgiveness; not just the forgiveness that we freely and graciously receive from God, but forgiveness of others. We can't truly embrace Lent while refusing to forgive, and we can't embrace Lent without receiving it as well.

Lord, as You have forgiven us unconditionally, enable us to forgive others unconditionally. As we give forgiveness, help us to receive it as well. Help us to realize that refusing to forgive does not give us control, make us strong and put us above the offender. The pain is only multiplies and unity destroyed. Help us to build unity through unconditional forgiveness for one another. Amen       

Lenten Reflections: Connected

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations," - Matthew 28:19

Matthew 28:19 often gets showed in the face of would-be evangelists as their marching orders. The clarion call to young zealous seminary graduates. 

EVANGELISM 101 - THEREFORE, GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS

Translation: Ask everyone you meet if they have a "personal relationship with Jesus". 

When they develop a glazed look across their face, nervously uttering, "Ummm. No.", hit 'em with shock and awe, asking, "Where are you going to be in 100 years?" 

Time for the "Sinners Prayer"! 


"How many people have you shared the Gospel with this week? I'm up to 15.5 people and it's only Wednesday!" 

It's frustrating when you think about how mechanical we've made our faith. We take a verse like Matthew 28:19 and turn it into something it was never intended to be. 

Making disciples is not about making "Christians".

Making disciples is not about "saving" people.

Making disciples is not a sales technique.

Making disciples is not about fear.

Making disciples is not about reciting a prayer.

Making disciples is not a numbers game.
 
When we "go and make disciples", we're going to connect; connect people to ourselves, connect people to community and connect people to Christ. We find ourselves living a life that refuses to be withdrawn. Connection is the only alternative. We are so compelled by following the ways of Christ, that we can't help but encourage others to follow Him as well.  We become spiritual magnets that attract others to be connected to us, and through us, connected to Christ. Making disciples is about following Christ. And unfortunately, many refuse to follow because they are confused by the Christ we follow.

The Jesus of 2013 looks very different from the one who actually walked the earth. Disciples of Jesus look very different from the ones who walked with Him. 

We've taken ownership of the Gospel and twisted it into Christianity.

We've taken ownership of Christ and twisted Him into _____________.

We're called to make disciples. We're called to connect. Engage. 

We're called into the culture around us, not out of it. We're called to live with people, not just sell them on an idea of salvation that will eventually mean nothing to them. 

We're called to draw those who are withdrawn, into a family of connection. Unity. But we can only accomplish this if we are connected ourselves.

Lord, send us out to make disciples. Send us out to connect. Send us out to build relationships. Send us out to build community. Keep us connected to You, so that others will see the need to connect to You as well. Let us live the Gospel in our lives so closely, that we have no need for words in bringing others into this family that follows Your Son. Amen.           

   

The Burden of Community

Galatians 6:2 says to, "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." I've been thinking about this a lot lately and what it really means in a practical way. What did Paul mean by saying we "fulfill the law of Christ" when we "carry each others' burdens"? When we think of community in today's culture, "burden" is not typically a phase that comes to mind. But could it be that carrying others' burdens is a central aspect to the Gospel and thus an essential to healthy community?

What does it mean if a central part of fulfilling the Kingdom of God is carrying others' burdens? What does it say about modern Western Christianity's and it's emphasis on individualism? And what about prayer and corporate times of worship? I mean, how often do we seek to hear from God or experience Him for our own concerns rather than connecting with others? If we're honest with ourselves, most of our prayer and worship focuses on "us" rather than "them".     

If we look at scripture and history, we see that carrying others' burdens was a central aspect to the early church. In Acts 2 we see that the early Christian community "had everything in common" and provided for one another so no one would be in need. Not a very common part of our culture today.  But Paul also wrote often about not being a burden unnecessarily (2 Corinthians 12:14, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, and Hebrews 13:17). And he also talked about bearing with one another by being compassionate and patient. (Colossians 3:12–13, Ephesians 4:2).

God's gives us examples of carrying other's burdens as well, especially our own. Psalm 68:19 says, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." And looking at Matthew 11 and Galatians 5, we see that Christ is portrayed as the one who frees us from heavy burdens. So, I think we can build a good case that carrying others' burdens is truly central to following Christ.  But what does that look like in real life? In community?   

My first thought is that perhaps a great place to start is simply to be with the people we serve. Asking them questions, getting to know them as human beings, helping to carry their loneliness, fear, and doubts could be places to begin. Needing others and being part of real community is part of how we were made.  We were created to instinctively long for connections in authentic vibrant community. When we are actively involved in community, we find that the focus deviates from ourselves and naturally toward others. Cultural individualism desolves and we find that carrying others burdens is not a burden for ourselves, but a blessing.   

Lonley Day

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to feel completely alone, even while in the presence of hundreds of people?  You walk through bustling crowds, all the while feeling like you are surrounded by some kind of invisible cocoon.  Everyone seems to have purpose, direction, importance; none of which seem to be connected to you in any way.  Inwardly, we can feel utterly alone, even though our external surroundings reveal anything but.  Henri Nouwen says in his book, The Wounded Healer:

"We live in a society in which loneliness has become one of the most painful human wounds. The growing competition and rivalry which pervade our lives from birth have created in us an acute awareness of our isolation. This awareness has in turn left many with a heightened anxiety and an intense search for the experience of unity and community. It has also led people to ask anew how love, friendship, brotherhood and sisterhood can free them from isolation and offer them a sense of intimacy and belonging. All around us we see the many ways by which the people of the western world are trying to escape this loneliness….

But the more I think about loneliness, the more I think that the wound of loneliness is like the Grand Canyon – a deep incision in the surface of our existence which has become an inexhaustible source of beauty and self-understanding. The Christian way of life does not take away our loneliness; it protects and cherishes it as a precious gift. Sometimes it seems as if we do everything possible to avoid the painful confrontation with our basic human loneliness, and allow ourselves to be trapped by false gods promising immediate satisfaction and quick relief. But perhaps the painful awareness of loneliness is an invitation to transcend our limitations and look beyond the boundaries of our existence. The awareness of loneliness might be a gift we must protect and guard, because our loneliness reveals to us an inner emptiness that can be destructive when misunderstood, but filled with promise for him who can tolerate its sweet pain… We easily relate to our human world with devastating expectations. We ignore what we already know… that no love or friendship, no intimate embrace or tender kiss, no community, commune or collective, no man or woman, will ever be able to satisfy our desire to be released from our lonely condition. This truth is so disconcerting and painful that we are more prone to play games with our fantasies than to face the truth of our existence."  

Loneliness can be both a blessing and a curse.  And this is possibly why so many of us avoid community.  For it is when we are thrust into community that we are confronted by the fact that isolation can no longer coexist with healthy and loving community.  We are drawn to explore what has caused us to embrace isolation in the first place, and this usually means having to face some demons that we've avoided for a long time.  In many ways, community is the antithesis of isolation; still promising troubles and even pain, but also with the promise of unity.  

The above video by System of a Down seems to really seems to capture the feeling of isolation that exists in so many pockets of our culture today.  Only when we decide to come out of our self-made cocoons, will we begin to see that real community is possible.  But we have to take the chance together.  Community cannot be accomplished within the vacuum of self, but can only be found when we join others in mutual isolation.  Then we begin to realize that we not only share some of the same sort of feelings, but also begin to see our feelings of isolation diminish.  Community is a picture of life in it's fullness.  Isolation is a shadow of death. 

Although the world around us can encourage isolation, especially as technology seems to draw us further inward, I don't believe that this is what God created us for.  I believe that God created us to live in healthy communities together, sharing our life journeys.  Especially for those that follow Christ, community holds a special place of importance because we are part of something larger:  the Body of Christ.  Rather than figurative, this is a living breathing organism that only functions at full capacity if all members are fully connected.  This is why isolation can be so debilitating.  When we are removed from the living Body that we are naturally supposed to be part of, we feel the pain of separation, just as one would with the loss of a limb or an internal organ.  When isolated, we feel sick, irritated, angry, frustrated, sapped of energy and less than human.          

In the Gospel of John, Jesus paints one of the most beautiful pictures of community found anywhere.  When Jesus says,"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”, it is not simply a sentiment that the disciples were to carry in their hearts for one another.  But this command comes after Jesus humbles Himself to wash His friends' feet.  He calls His friends to "love one another" only after He has physically shown them what love really means.  And that kind of love cannot exist in isolation, but only within the presence of loving community that is willing to put others first.     

Community

I have often reflected on the great risks of love and authentic community.  Love is not something we enter into lightly, but requires much responsibility, as does real community with one another.  Love is a risk because with the great blessings of love, also comes the potential of great pain.  When we love each other in complete fullness, we expose our fragile hearts to the world, much like a dandelion, brittle and vulnerable, risking destruction by a sudden gust of unexpected wind.  The question we ask ourselves then is, “Is it worth it?”  From my experience, and as with Christ as our example, I would have to say undoubtedly and without hesitation, “Yes!”  The intoxicating blessings of love far outweigh the potential pain that may come and the regret that would come from never loving.  

As we love one another, we realize that love is not always about what we feel; specifically feeling good.  There is a huge difference from “loving” someone and “liking” someone.  If we “like” the person we love, the blessings are increased, but much of the time, that is not our call.  We are commanded by Christ to “love one another” (John 13:34-35), but we are never called to “like” one another.  In many ways, love is tied to the concepts of repentance discussed in the previous blog.  Love comes from a commitment and devotion to the other person because they deserve our love.  Being created in God’s image, each human being deserves love, not because of what they do or do not do, but because of who they are.  In some circumstances, loving one another has nothing to do with emotions.  Can we dislike someone, and yet still genuinely love them?  I think the answer is yes.  And we experience this in real Christian community.      

I often imagine the relationship between the disciples and how they may have felt about one another.  For example, imagine the possible interactions of Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector.  Both men were called to love each other, but it is doubtful that they “liked” each other or got along very well.  Image the heated dialogues that may have arisen between a man that once believed in overthrowing the Roman yoke of oppression through violence and death, and a man that supported Rome’s extortion of the Jews.  Both men had left their previous lives in order to follow Christ, but there is no doubt that baggage came with each.  Can you imagine Simon crying out in frustration, “Why is this scumbag among us!  He’s one of them!  He betrayed God’s people!”  And when Jesus taught on loving your enemy, could Matthew have interrupted and shouted at Simon, “I’m pretty sure that includes not killing them!”  But both men loved each other, because the bond that brought them together in community was supernatural and transcended the divisions.

And that’s what we ultimately come to.  Love is supernatural.  Love transcends all barriers and areas of division and unites one to another in a way that we sometimes do not comprehend.  I think it is no coincidence that love remains the simplest, and yet most powerful attribute of God.  “God is love” (1 John 4:8).  Is it possible that when we love one another, we are revealing God in His most essential form, when we love one another?  Is it possible that when love is revealed, even outside of the Christian faith, that others are seeing a glimpse of God that may eventually draw them to Him?  Is it a coincidence that love is the one emotion that encapsulates all feelings that humans can experience, all at the same time?

 

Although bound by a supernatural union, community has the power to transcend the culture around us through it's simplicity.  1 Corinthians 13: 13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”   Community is simple.  It is rooted in the essential love of God, and through our faith in God, we build hope for the future.  Through our love for one another, God is manifest in our presence.  I often wonder that if we want more of God, and more of Christ’s presence working in our midst, perhaps we should first focus on loving one another more.       

I see community as being somewhat like a mosaic;  A vast array of personalities, woven together by a common thread, that being Christ.  If viewed from afar, it is easy to see the image and the beauty that it demands.  It appears as one complete image, without division or breaks in flow.  But when one looks closer and deeper into the mosaic, it is easy to see that the unity of the image is created by many imperfect and quite unassuming tiles.  There is nothing special about each one, although each is unique.  And consider this.  If one single tile falls out of place, the entire mosaic image is flawed.  The missing piece will leave a blank space in its absence, thus distorting the entire image.  The presence of that one tile is not necessarily recognized, but if it is removed, the disunity is apparent.  

Christian community is unique in that the unity we witness comes from Christ being at the center of all we do.  In essence, He is the only unifying factor that binds us in community.  He remains the center, while all other aspects fade in importance. And because of this, being part of community is essential in terms of our spiritual growth.  We need the supernatural unity of Christian community, especially those that share a common vision of life and God's Kingdom.  It is exciting to be part of a community that is bigger than ourselves.  Community opens new doors of possibility and when that happens, we see the Kingdom of God realized just a little more than before.  When we open our vision to new and different community, we pull back the shade just a bit more so that the world can see His Kingdom in its essence and fullness.     

           

Pray for Bethany House

I'm going to ask you to join me on a journey. I can't tell much about it, because I don't know much about it myself. I don't know exactly where this journey is going to take us and I have no clue how long it will take us. Success? Failure? I have no idea. Will we get lost? Probably. Will we get tired? Definitely. Will we get discouraged, frustrated, scared or angry? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Will you think to yourself that my request is a little ridiculous? Probably. The final destination of our journey is a place that doesn't exist yet. Right now, our journey's end is a small vision in the recesses of my mind, but it's beautiful. And it's a place that we will all gather together one day and rejoice. We will all come together in this destination and praise the God of this universe, because He finally got us to where He sent us. So, do I have your curiosity piqued yet?

Right now, the vehicle that we are going to use for our journey is simple: prayer. An that's all this journey is at this point: a prayer. This is not a goal, a plan or even a idea yet. This is a prayer, and that's it. So I guess in many ways, I am only asking you to walk with me. You don't have to buy a plane ticket, pay for gas or even get your biked tuned up. Just put on your shoes and walk with me for a while, until God reveals what comes next. A walk. That sounds good, doesn't it?

Our walk together begins with a vision that God put on my heart this weekend. I just got back from a three day personal retreat, and the place that I visited is a convent in Houston that offers a non-denominational retreat house for groups or individuals. It has become a sanctuary for me and a beautiful refuge from the everyday stresses of life. It's a place that I find rest. It's a place that allows me to slow down. I slow down mentally. I slow down physically. I slow down spiritually and listen to God, rather than dictate wish lists to Him. When I walk into this place, I feel like a child curling up in his fathers arms, as the weight of my burdens lightens. It's simple. It's monastic. It's always there waiting for me.

Have you ever wished you had a place like that to go to? When you feel like running away? When you feel hurt and alone? A place where someone will be waiting, with a hot cup of coffee? A place with a bed, so you can rest and a meal waiting for you when you wake up? A place to share creative expression in music, art and faith? It's simple, but it's always there. Someone is always there waiting to open the door, no matter how late it is. It's a refuge. A sanctuary. What if that place existed right in your community? What if it existed?

So this is where we begin our journey. I'm just going to ask you to join me in prayer. Remember, that's all it is at this point; a prayer. So often, I think we limit our prayers to things that can only be accomplished within the natural realm. We pray to a supernatural God, and yet we rarely expect His answers to resemble His character. What if we prayed for God to give us this place at the end of our journey? What if we called it "Bethany House"?

Bethany was a small town located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It was about 2 miles Southeast of Jerusalem, and the home of Mary, Martha and Lazurus. If you were traveling to Jerusalem and found yourself stopping in Bethany, you wouldn't be able to see the city yet because Bethany was nestled at the bottom of the mountain. This gave the town a feeling of quietness, peace and seclusion. Jesus often found refuge in Bethany to stay with His closest friends as He ministered in Jerusalem during the final days before His death and resurrection. Some of the most significant, spiritual and passionate events of His ministry culmination took place in Bethany. It has also been thought of as a center for caring of the sick, the destitute and weary pilgrims of Jerusalem.

So, as God began to paint this picture in my mind, the images of Bethany came to mind: Bethany House. I'm not sure where Bethany house is, what street it's on, how to find it or what kind of condition it will be in when we get there. For that matter, I'm not sure of what condition we will be in when we get there. But I know this; there will be light on in the window and a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and a bed waiting for us to rest our weary heads on.

Will you join me in praying for Bethany House, whatever and wherever it is? Will you join me in this passion that God has put on my heart? I know it sounds impossible, but nothing is impossible for God, is it? It says in Daniel 4:35 that "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'" He can do what he wants and I believe that He wants this! !I can see it! I can feel it! It's out there somewhere, and we'll find it together.

Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

1 John 5:14-15 - "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

Tiles

Imagine, if you will, a vast array of hexagonal shaped tiles. Picture in your mind’s eye, a seemingly endless floor beneath your feet, covered in these six sided tiles, each one connected to six other tiles on each side, one after another. From your perspective, there seems to be no beginning and no end. A continuous union, interwoven and dependent on each other, yet each uniquely independent in it's own right.

Tiles are not something that we typically give much thought to, are they? Thoughts of them don't consumes our day and usually not something that will enter into common daily conversation. It is not until we look closely at the tile community that we realize that they actually illustrate something more significant than simply covering a bathroom floor. Let me explain what I mean.

Looking closely, we can clearly see that at any given time, an individual tile can be the center of six other tiles. Going further, we see that the same tile can be the center of twelve tiles, twenty four tiles and so on. But, in an infinite surrounding of tiles, that same individual tile could be the center of the entire tile community, and if intently focused upon, the only tile in view. The only one that exists.

If only a connecting tile, it matters not where it is placed in the endless connection of tiles, but its value is the same as the center tile. So much so that it too can also represent the center tile at any given time, along with the infinite others that surround it.

So, why am I rambling about bathroom tiles? Well, Romans 12:4 & 5 says, "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." After reading this, it occurred to me that the Church is somewhat like the group of endless tiles. Each member is connected to one another, and is vital in the existence of the tile community as a whole. One by one, six by six, twelve by twelve, and so on, we are each joined together in an infinite pattern of unity. None more important that the other, and all connected by a spiritual "grout" that holds us all together as one.

But at any given time, one person can stand as the center tile. As God looks down and views the endless array, He sees each of us as the center, and if focused on with intensity, as the only tile that exists. Six, twelve, twenty four, in a cosmic system of spiritual connection, it doesn’t matter who is joined to whom. From God’s view of this beautiful mosaic, we are all connected, and are all mysteriously the center. The only tile that exists.

Five Stories - Part V

“Love one another”. Three simple words. A simple call to action that Jesus gave his disciples just before He physically left this world. It’s funny how such simplicity can have such a huge impact in your life. When I first began writing these “Five Stories” blogs, I was spending several evenings just observing people. Hanging out in my favorite Starbucks, I sat, watched, listened and sipped on iced coffee. Observing culture. Thinking. Praying. But I found that as my thoughts transformed into words on my laptop, my heart began to transform as well. And more importantly, my thoughts about God began to change. They began to expand and yet also simplify. Grasping who God is and how He functions in our lives is not easy, is it? And as I began to meditate and study about what Scripture says about love, I began to see that grasping what love is, and how it functions in our lives is not any easier.

The Bible is filled with literally hundreds of references to love. So I guess it should be no surprise that one of those references simply reads, “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) And the simplicity of those words makes me wonder. Perhaps by expressing something so familiar, God is giving us a glimpse of the unfamiliar. Could it be that God and love are so intimately intertwined that this attribute encompasses all that He is? His very existence? God in a nut shell, so to speak? Kind of puts a different twist on the whole “love your neighbor as yourself” thing, doesn’t it? (Matthew 19:19) But think about that for a moment. I don’t know about you, but it becomes very difficult to love others when we are constantly obsessing over our own imperfections. Loving ourselves does not come easily these days; especially when media inundates us with how imperfect we are. And as I write this, I point the proverbial finger right back at me.

Well, the final story of “Five Stories” revolves around a little Asian woman that seems to live on the fringe of society. She frequents my local Starbucks and although I’ve seen her many times, I don’t even know her name. She appears out of nowhere, and then just like that, she just disappears. Sometimes she smiles and makes eye contact, looking just as normal as the next person. Other times she looks disheveled and just stares blankly into space. She’s an older woman and doesn’t really talk. I’ve tried several times to start up a conversation, but usually I just get a smile and maybe a brief “Hi”. To be honest, I didn’t even know if she spoke English. But after being inquisitive, as I usually am, one of the regular baristas at Starbucks confirmed that she did. But what catches my attention most is her erratic behavior. Sometime she’s there, and other times she’s not.

After a little more investigative work, I learned that this woman has severe mental problems and wanders around the area on a regular basis. Sometimes she talks with the baristas, and other times she just sits there. Her family usually comes to get her and bring her home, but most of the time she just sort of wanders around. She takes medication that apparently has a huge effect on her mental state. One day she made her way into someone’s open car, apparently just to take a load off. I laughed when one of my barista friends told me of how the customer came to the counter and asked, “Umm, could you please ask this woman to get out my car?”

“Love one another”. How does this connect with all this stuff about love? Well, one day as I watched this woman, I found myself wondering what she thinks about herself. Does she love herself? More importantly, does she feel loved by others? And those thoughts brought me full circle on all these rambling thoughts of love. Loving ourselves comes from a deep realization of how much we are loved by God. As we become aware of His love for us, and that He is love, we are able to express that love to others. But what is most important is becoming aware of His radical, unlimited and passionate love for us. That’s the starting point. How can love not pour from us when the God of the universe is literally drowning us in His love?
But here’s the key: Do we believe that He loves us that much? Do we realize it? Internalize it? Allow it to consume us, direct us and guide us? I’m sorry to say that most of the time, I’m afraid we don’t. At least I don’t. And because of that, I have a tough time loving myself. And I can’t help but think that people like this strange little lady, have a tough time feeling love because we cannot first love ourselves. And many of us as just as lost as she appears to be.

Five Stories - Part IV

Have you ever felt like just walking up to a stranger, striking up a conversation with them and finding out what their story is? We all have "stories", don't we? Some of us are just beginning to put the first few chapters together, and others are completing a set of volumes. I find that sometimes I just have an attraction to certain people that I see in public. Not a physical attraction, but spiritual. I want to know more about them, where they come from, where they are in life and what chapter of their story they find themselves on. Something tells me that their story and my story need to cross paths and intertwine, if only for a few minutes. But unfortunately, I often ignore that "still, small voice" and retreat further into my own cozy little reality. After all, this is the way we are supposed to be in American culture, right? As history progresses, each generation becomes more isolated and our "stories" become more two-dimensional and monotone. That makes it difficult to "Love one another", doesn't it?

I haven't been spending as much time in my favorite Starbucks over the last couple of weeks. When I started writing these "Five Stories" blogs, I was haunting my local Starbucks almost every night. My favorite chair had become my lazy-boy and the ottoman my desk. I began to really enjoy these times because it gave me a chance to just observe. One thing that I really dislike about myself is my tendency to slide inside the Christian bubble and blind myself to what's going on in culture in general. Being in ministry does this to you sometimes. But I have found that I grow more spiritually when I am outside of the church setting.

"Love one another". I'm beginning to hear this in my sleep. "Love one another". These words of Christ penetrate my thoughts almost every day. As I walk through the everyday path of life, people drift from one end to another. Lives cross paths, but seldom are stories revealed, shared, enjoyed and meshed together. I think this is what frustrates me the most. I mean, you don't have to be a Bible scholar to understand that God calls us to not only "live" in community with one another, but also to grow, develop and flourish together. Unfortunately, all we tend to do is share proximity, rather than intimacy.

The forth story of "Five Stories" is rather simple. There is not much there because I just could not seem to scratch below the surface. A young lady was sitting toward the back of Starbucks, intently reading over technical material, dressed in hospital scrubs. She caught my attention because she looked as though she was utterly disconnected from her surroundings. I tried to make eye contact as I ordered a refill of my iced coffee, but it was as if there was a barrier around her. I walked past her table, making as if I was getting another napkin, but nothing. I returned to my chair and continued to observe.

Finally, I walked over to her table and asked what she was working on. Startled, she looked up with a surprised look on her face. "Huh?", she replied and I repeated my question. She mumbled something about a licensing test next Monday, but made no real eye contact and no real interest in talking with me. I asked if she wouldn't mind me praying for her and asked her name. She shook her head, but said, "Sure, if you want to." I never got her name, but as I walked away I heard her say, "I'm sorry, but I'm just really scared right now. It's just this stuff." She pointed to her books and papers. I reached out my hand to shake hers, and cupped it with my other hand. "I'll pray for you.", I said, and went back to my chair. That's as far as she was going to let me in. And I sat there with iced coffee, closed my eyes and prayed.

Scripture tells is that "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,". (1 John 4:18) Just before this, in the same passage, it says that "God is love." We've been talking about the whole "Love one another" issue, right? God is saying that He is love. The essence of His being is love. And because God is good and perfect in all His ways, we can deduct that fear cannot exist in Him. So fear and love cannot coexist. Finally, we are commanded to "love one another" by Jesus Himself, which we all know, we don't do as often as we could. "Love one another"

I don't know if my efforts quelled the fears of this young lady. Maybe my efforts weren't enough. What I do know is that fear existed in a community that I was a part of. And my hope is that God, being the perfect manifestation of love, intervened in a spiritual connection with this lady, and broke through the barriers of fear. If only for a few moments.

"Love one another".

Five Stories - Part III

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Starbucks this week. The rest of the family has been participating in Summer Kid’s Club at church, so each evening has opened up a couple of hours of solitude, a chance to catch up of some reading and bang on my laptop. Periodically, I look up from what I’m doing, just to see who's walking in and out. Occasionally I’ll see someone that I know, but most of the time, I just watch strangers. I see facial expressions and hear conversations. One thing I can tell you after spending a week of evenings in Starbucks; you really get a feel for the cultural pulse of your community.

“Love one another”. Yeah, I know. Easier said than done, right? I’ve come to a conclusion this week. It’s hard to love one another these days. Overall, we live in a culture that is becoming increasingly angry, frustrated and apathetic. Whether it’s dealing with the regular threat of terrorism, war, the economy, politics or the death of Michael Jackson, there are countless outside factors that negatively affect our day-to-day lives. The frustrations build, anger develops and the next thing we know, we are biting the head off the Barista at Starbucks because she didn’t put enough espresso in our grande Latte; like the guy who just stormed out! “Love one another”.

Story number three of “Five Stories” revolves around a young couple that I saw last week that really seemed to love each other; at least for the time being! They came in, head to toe in tattoos and piercings and looked like they were just making a coffee stop on their way out for a night on the town. They sat down with their coffees, laughing and engaged in discussion. Amid the occasional “F-Bomb”, and other choice four letter words, their conversation seemed to go nowhere. Words went in one ear and out the other as they threw words at each other. No substance. No conversation. Just words flying from one chair to another, with the occasional one landing near me. There is the appearance of love, but in reality, it’s not real. It’s a counterfeit painting. A mini drama being played out with an audience of one and his laptop. It got to a point where I didn’t like what I was hearing. There was a lot of pain just beneath the surface and it began to bubble up as I listened. My heart felt heavy and I seemed to feel the pain that was emanating from them. I felt love for this couple. Strange, but I felt love. “Love one another.”

Remember, “God is love.” John goes on to write “whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us…because in this world we are like him.” (1 John 4:17) How is love made “complete” in this way? Is it because our feeble attempts to “love one another come up empty, shallow and void of emotion? Is it because we are unable to “love one another” without the infusion of God, who is the essence of love? Is true love possible without a relationship with the one who is literally love? Do we have to be engaged in real love before we can offer it readily to those we come in contact with? I wonder. “Love one another”.

Love is active, complex and deep. It’s not an emotion that we take out and use at our disposal, like a tool or weapon to get what we want. Rather, the more I think about it, love is a state of being. And if we follow what God has commanded from us, and what He freely offers us, we exist in perfect and complete love. Day and night, we live and breathe love because God is love. Christ said, and I am paraphrasing, that He is like a vine and His followers are like branches, organically connected and intertwined, so that we live through Him and in Him. Could the life giving sap that runs through this union be the love that bonds each of us together as one? (John 15:1-17)

“God is Love” “Love one another”.

Five Stories - Part II

“Love one another”. As I sit here this afternoon, in my favorite corner of Starbucks, these words echo in my mind over and over again. I read them in the pages of my Bible (John 13:34 & 35), but as with many words of Scripture, they seem to slip in one ear and out the other. I’ve read and studied this passage dozens of times, but what does it really mean to love one another? I mean, I can say that I love the guy sitting next to me who is consistently bumping my chair, or the loud and obnoxious women across the room, or the iced coffee that I’m drinking, but where is the line drawn between words and actions? When is love really expressed as genuine love? What if I don’t particularly want to love someone? What if I can’t, even though Christ commands me to? (John 13:34) Love the unlovable? Love those I don’t know? Love my enemies? Those that have hurt me?

The second person of “Five Stories”, sat a few tables from me. He was a man that I had seen a number of times in Starbucks, and in my neighborhood, and was talking with someone else about his realty business. As the conversation moved to more personal topics, he began to share how he was beginning to realize that life’s BIG adventures might be as simple as drinking a cup of coffee while watering his flowers early in the morning. His Dad died recently and he watched him work until he was 70 years old, never really seeming to enjoy his life to the fullest. He doesn’t want this to happen to him, and feels God is leading him to slow down and enjoy each moment of life. From listening to his words and the inflection in his voice, it is obvious that he gets it. He is content with his life and is learning more about his relationship with God every day.

As I watched this man, and his interaction with his friend, I felt myself having compassion for him. I could feel something deeper than just observing a stranger, but there was somewhat of a connection with him. Even though I was uninvited to listen in on this little segment of his life, I felt as if I was joining him in his journey of life; if only for a few moments. He had no idea that I was connecting with him, but on some spiritual level, we were connected. Was this “love” that I was feeling for this stranger? The way in which God intends us to love one another? And as my mind meditated on his story, was the love of God being expressed in my concern for him?

The author of the Gospel of John was called “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, and as you read through the words of his gospel account, you get a sense of why he was singled out among the other eleven disciples and given this title. His words take you into a deeper understanding of the humanity of Christ and the fullness and complexity of His emotions moreso than the other three gospels. In his first letter of the New Testament, John speaks quite a bit about the concept of love. In fact, he draws one of the most significant and simplistic parallels to God that has ever been written: God is love. “God is love”. “Love one another”. Are we able to put some pieces together here?

I don’t think that John was merely talking about one of God’s many attributes or actions. Rather in His love, we see the complete embodiment of who God is, culminating in the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. The ultimate sacrifice. The ultimate expression of love. Maybe being extensions of God’s love is more than just saying we “love” others. Maybe in order to really love one another, we must first be intimately connected to the one who is the essence of love. And as God dwells within us, His love pours out from us as we submit to Him completely. Let’s face it. Some people are impossible to love through our own power and actions. Yes, Christ commands us to love one another, but it seems to me that if God is love, and we are called to love one another, maybe it has less to do with our feelings or actions. Maybe it has nothing to do with us at all, and our expressions of love are simply the revelation of God to the world.

"Love one another".

Five Stories - Part I

Jesus said in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one an another”. Love one another. Recently, I began wondering why we seem to take this “command” as if it were simply a suggestion. But while I was sitting in Starbucks yesterday afternoon, trying to relax and finish a book that I began reading a few weeks ago, my mind began to wander, as did my eyes. As I looked around the room, I started watching the people who were enjoying their coffee and engaging in various conversations. Everyone was drinking iced coffee drinks, signifying that summer had finally arrived, and after about 20 minutes of observation, I realized that there were 5 groups of people in the room. Five individual lives. Five individual stories existing in five separate, specific and secluded realities. “Love one another. “ Allow me to tell you about one of the five.
The first person that I noticed was an older woman who was talking with the barista and leaning on the counter. She was much older than me, had very weathered skin and a raspy voice. Probably a smoker, she was talking about how she had just had the first good night’s sleep in a long time, due to a new mattress that she had just aquired. After listening for a while, I began to realize that she was a victim of hurricane Ike, and was just starting to get her life back together again. She looked tired. She looked troubled. She looked lost. And although my heart really went out to her, I realized how isolated I felt from her. Here we were, sharing the same air, the same light, the same sounds and maybe the same brew of coffee, and yet we might as well be on opposite ends of the globe. “Love one another.” I love my wife. I love my two boys. But, how am I supposed to love a person that I know nothing about it?
A little later, she walked outside and sat by herself. Enjoying a smoke along with her coffee, she stared out into the parking lot, looking deep in thought. Not a peaceful contemplative type of thought, but a troubled and worried thought. The kind of thought where you wish you would just freeze time and live in this moment forever. You don’t want to leave the moment because reality is waiting for you just around the corner, and it’s not pleasant. I watched her from the window, but couldn’t bring myself to talk to her. I felt isolated and disconnected from her, and wondered how I could show the love of God to someone so distant. “Love one another.”
It’s interesting how our culture functions. Millions of people walk in and out of each others lives without so much as a second thought. We imagine our lives as being the center of the universe and elevate ourselves above others. But what if God had different plans for us? What if we were meant to engage each other as part of life’s natural rhythm? What if my observations in Starbucks are a flaw in how I perceive life? Should my observations rather be conversations?
Jesus said in Matthew 22, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” How is that possible when we find it so difficult to love ourselves? Many of us find ourselves either in the pits of self-loathing, or we are constantly striving to be someone that we’re not. We constantly attempt to improve ourselves inside and out, as if the imperfect always needs constant improving. Either way, we reject ourselves as incomplete, imperfect and flawed; as if God just didn’t get it right when He created us the first time.
“Love one another.” What does it mean to love one another? I’m not sure that I understand, and I’m not so sure that I am always capable. But maybe its more simple than we think. Maybe loving one another has less to do with a physical decision or action, and more to do with a spiritual connection. A divine encounter. Love one another.