The Sixteenth Annual Inspirations List: 2022

 We think of  unsung heroes as those whose heroic actions go unnoticed and unappreciated.  They are not celebrated as they probably deserve to be.  One of the goals of this blog entry, now in it's sixteenth year is to sing the praises of those who would otherwise go unsung.  But this year, unsung takes on a different flavor, as several of the heroes on this list I can only praise obliquely.  It might be to protect the privacy of the hero or the privacy of others.  You might say their songs of appreciation are sung softly.  And this is often the case, I think.  Like Seal Team 6 commandos on a top secret mission, some acts of heroism can never be made public.  But those heroes are no less deserving of our appreciation.  And so, while most of you will notice nothing lacking in these tributes some will be able to read between the lines and hear what goes unsaid.  They will know that I see them and I am deeply grateful for them.  If you know, you know.

The six women and five men on this year's list include two people who will not be able to read their own tributes.  These posthumous acknowledgements were once a rarity.  Now they are becoming common practice, as time and chance take their toll. The heroes of 2022 are long-time friends, family I've just gotten to know in the past few years, a beloved church member, gifted professionals whose inspirational acts come with job, and a quartet of really special current and former students.  Among that last group, is one person who joins his mother as one of only two people (so far) who have been honored three times on this annual list.  I have a feeling it won't be the last!

Here the are, the people who have inspired me most in 2022:

Rachel C

Winston Baldwin

Rolando Balverde

Luette Cowell

Molly

Kai Maycock

Leslie Drapiza

Larry Howell & DeeAnne Lau

Rachelle James Mason & Oscar "Yahir" Martinez

 Rachel C

I'm inspired by her willingness to help

If a true friend is defined by one's willingness to drop everything and drive four hours round trip to go get someone stranded at the airport due to a family emergency, than Rachel is true blue. That's what Rachel did for me in the summer of 2021 and I'll be forever grateful.  When I put out the word that I was stuck in Cincinnati, Rachel was on it without hesitation. She made it seem like no big deal. Not only that but Rachel provided our family with some great ideas and resources at a time when we needed them.  She not only drove all those miles, she went the extra mile too. We've known Rachel since she was a student missionary in Saipan 18 years ago.  We used to be neighbors here in Ohio, and her son is friends with our boys. Even though these days we don't get to see Rachel as often as we might like, I know that when the chips are down, Rachel will show up with a smile, ready to lend a hand.

Winston Baldwin

I'm inspired by the sermons he lived

Once I approached Pastor Baldwin after church to ask him some questions about the sermon he'd just preached. I wasn't sure I agreed with his key point and wanted clarification.  We had a nice discussion, a little theological back-and-forth that I think we both enjoyed.  He wasn't defensive or angry; he was sincere and thoughtful and though I can't remember whether I came around to his point of view, I know I came away blessed.  

Pastor Baldwin was a blessing in our family's life for 18 years--his entire tenure at the Centerville SDA Church up to his unexpected passing early this year.  My mother-in-law worked for him as the church secretary for sixteen of those years and during that time he was always kind and considerate of her needs. He was there for the Leen family when Dad passed away in 2014, and he would often come to visit Mom in the hospital after some her surgeries in recent years. Indeed the last time Barbara saw Pastor Baldwin was at her mother's bedside  Of course comforting the bereaved and visiting the sick come with the job title, but with Pastor Baldwin it never felt like he was just doing his duty.  We felt his genuine care and compassion.   I still miss his sonorous, earnest voice from the pulpit, but I miss his presence in our lives even more.  Pastor Baldwins legacy is to inspire me to preach the we he did--by the way I live my life.

Rolando Balverde

I'm inspired by his will to improve

Rolando is not "lucky". But an uninformed observer might have thought otherwise, as they watched him crossing the stage at his 8th grade graduation, graduating with honors and receiving all kinds of awards and accolades.  "Some kids want to learn, other's don't,"  they might conclude.  And they would be wrong. All kids want to learn--it's just sometimes they don't realize it for awhile. Rolando didn't realize it for awhile.  When he first arrived in my classroom, it was a rare thing for him to complete and turn in assignment. Many times he didn't even bother coming to class at all.  I often despaired over whether we'd ever be able to get Rolando motivated.  But somewhere along the way, Rolando decided he wanted to make a change. He didn't "get lucky"--he made his own luck. He tapped into the tremendous power of his own will.  He began turning in his assignments, his grades began to tick up. He back to show previously unnoted academic talents, especially in math.  By the final quarter of his eighth grade year he was on the principal's list.  Amazing!  I was the lucky one--Lucky enough to bear witness to Rolando's quiet maturity, his determination to improve, his dignified bearing, and most of all his willpower. In all my years of teaching I've never seen a turnaround as complete as the Rolando pulled off. 

Luette Cowell

I'm inspired by her sharing

A gift from a loving heart ends up being shared far beyond the original recipient. Such is the case with Luette Cowell. I didn't know Luette well; I knew her daugher Emily a little better.  But I didn't have to receive a delicious plate of cookies or another tasty treat from Luette's kitchen to feel the warmth and light she shared with everyone around her.    When I learned of her passing, I was stunned. It didn't seem possible that such a bright light could go out; death couldn't--shouldn't--happen to people like Luette.  But though she is gone, her love lives on.  At her memorial, I was inspired by the generous life she lived--how she shared what she created in her kitchen with easy and joyful grace. I thought to myself, I can do that.  I can live like Luette did. She has shown me that even the simple act of making something special and sharing it with someone else can make a world of difference. I'm planning to whip up a peach cobbler tomorrow to drop off for someone. You could say that dessert will have come from Luette Cowell.

Molly

I'm inspired by her faith in us

"I didn't do much, it's you that did the work,"  That's what Molly would often say when we expressed our appreciation for her help. Through the better part of a year, Molly helped us navigate some considerable challenges as our family therapist. In all that time, Molly held an unshakeable faith in our family to grow, change, and better relate to one another.  That was her job of course, but she did it so well. Molly was not some sort of Dr. Phil dispensing instructions and advice from on high.  She was a big believer in tapping into the strengths we already had--not so much empowering us, but helping us uncover the power that was already there.  Our time with Molly is concluded, and that's a good thing!  But I'll always remember how Molly believed in us when it was hard for us to believe in ourselves. And when we hit bumps in the road, as is sure to happen in life, I hope to tap into that faith once again.

Kai Maycock

I'm inspired by his friendship

Friendship is magic.  That was the theme of My Little Pony, Kai's favorite cartoon, when he was younger. He was captivated by the stories of six friends, each with their own unique characteristics, but bound together by their love and care for one another.  Lately, Kai's been binging another TV series featuring six pals who are there for each other even when the rain starts to pour. You guessed it: Friends. But friendship means more to Kai than just a fun TV fantasy.  You might say that Kai is a student of friendship. He lives out the principles of friendship in his daily life.  More than most kids his age, Kai understands that people matter, and that relationships are worth investing in.  For Kai it's not just about having good friends, it's about being a good friend.   With our busy lives, it's easy to take people for granted, but as I've watched Kai's intentional efforts to value his friendships, I'm inspired to do the same with mine.

Leslie Drapiza

I'm inspired by her advocacy

She's gone where many have never set foot, from mountain heights to ocean depths. Leslie is an adventurer, but it's not her amazing exploits that inspire me, it's why she does them.  "Because it's there," is not the only reason Leslie climbs.  Dr. Leslie Drapiza, through her participation in and advocacy of Women of Color Who Summit Climb for Clean Air, raised thousands of dollars for the American Lung Association and also served as inspiration for women and girls of color who might not have ever thought that climbing was for them.  She's letting them know that they are powerful, that they matter, that they can overcome.  I've never hiked with Leslie, but I can picture her reaching out to help a fellow climber on the way, providing a word of encouragement and hope, and making it possible not just for herself but for her teammates--on and off the mountain-to succeed.  

Larry Howell & DeeAnne Lau

I'm inspired by their gentle spirit

They exude kindness, warmth, peace.  Just being around  Larry & Dee, you can feel yourself relax, soothed by their gentle spirit. What's remarkable is you can feel it even through a computer screen. I've actually never met my cousin DeeAnne and her husband Larry in person.  I knew her parents, my great aunt Yvonne (my grandmother's younger sister) and Uncle Ben but the times we visited, Dee was elsewhere.  I got to know Dee and Larry at the start of the pandemic when they started attending our family Zoom church each Sabbath.  Larry and Dee have been such a blessing to me.  They've exhibited a thoughtful compassion and open-heartedness that I've found inspiring.  Whether through an earnest prayer or a timely text message, or even a thoughtful gift in the mail, their caring so sincere, their gentleness so authentic, you can't help but be encouraged.

Rachelle James Mason & Oscar "Yahir" Martinez

I'm inspired by their achievements

Watching them soar is a joy.   Rachelle and Oscar (or Yahir as I will always know him) are representative of so many of my students who are now adults making their way in the world and making their mark. I am so proud of them. Yahir is a successful real estate agent. Every time I see his Facebook updates announcing another property sold or see the professional accolades he's received, it makes me so happy.  There's nothing better than seeing your "kids" out there living their dreams and making a difference.  With Rachelle, I've had the unique privilege of having her as my supervisor! Her deft leadership of the media team at the Ephesus church amazes me.  Rachelle is capable, firm when she has to be, but always generous and respectful. I appreciate her willingness to advocate for what our team needs to do our job well, and her determination to see us bring our best to every worship service. It was a privilege to teach Rachelle and Yahir, it's an honor to see them fly.

The One Year Bible: The Greatest Gift and The Last Enemy

 I was never a big fan of Paul.

I found him cranky and his opining on some topics, like marriage for example, always made me cringe. But I think I'm coming around.  I've really enjoyed his first letter to the church at Corinth.  The passages from Ch 12-15 are especially rich and I want to reflect on some the highlights.

Love > Gifts

The gentleman on the right, my father-in-law, Bill Leen was 1 Corinthians 13 personified. He was a quiet man, one who may not have ever done a miracle or preached a sermon but who had what mattered most: Love

1 Corinthians 12 and 14 provide crucial context for the famous "love" chapter 13.  In chapter 12, Paul discusses the value of the different spiritual gifts--prophecy, teaching, healing and miracles, speaking and interpreting in unknown languages and so on.  He notes that not everyone has the same gifts and each should be valued as an important contribution to the life of the community of faith.  But Paul concludes that there's something even more important than all the religious talents.  This sets up Chapter 13.  Love is not a spiritual prize that some lucky Christians are endowed with.  Love is the highest goal that every believer should strive for, and it is one of the few aspects of mortal life that will carry on through eternity.   Furthermore a lack of love invalidates all other spiritual gifts--something we Christians seem prone to forget.  Prophecy, faith, miracles, tongues--all of it is of no value if we are not patient, kind, humble, polite, easy-going, hopeful, lovers of truth and justice.  Paul clarifies what Jesus meant when he said many will come to him at the last day, crying "Lord, Lord, didn't we do all these great things in your name" and the response will be a shocking "And you are?"  Christian activity is good so far it goes--but it is no substitute for love.

Tongue Tied

Once Paul has established love as foundational to Christian faith, he returns to the topic of spiritual gifts within the church. Chapter 14 focuses primarily on weighing the gifts of tongues vs prophecy. It's a fascinating chapter, particularly for one coming from a faith tradition that doesn't give much consideration to the gift of tongues and views the Spirit of Prophecy as shorthand for one specific White lady.  I was always taught the tongues referred to in the New Testament simply meant the early believers were able to speak in foreign languages without having to learn them.  Its not uncommon for Adventist missionaries to ask for prayer that they might be given the "gift of tongues" so that they can quickly learn the language of their target people group. 

But there's very little in the New Testament seems to support the Adventist interpretation of tongues.  The closest we get is the statement in the second chapter of Acts that everyone in the diverse crowd heard the disciples speaking in their own language. But the way Paul describes the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14, it doesn't sound like he's referring to being blessed with multilingual talent. On the other hand, I don't get the feeling that the practice of speaking in tongues in charismatic faith traditions really follows Paul's guidance either. I can't speak with authority here since I'm only somewhat familiar with charismatic Christianity.  But if speaking in tongues becomes a test of whether one has "received the Holy Spirit" or not, if it becomes primarily an emotional expression of ecstatic spirituality with little concern given to making sure that the expression is not disruptive and can be translated, than our Pentecostal siblings are no closer to what Paul is calling for than the emotion-averse Adventists are. 

 Paul is seeking order, not chaos.  Even the seemingly patriarchal instruction that "women should not speak" in church is very clearly in reference to a specific time, place, and culture not a timeless principle.  Paul sums it up in vs. 40 : "So my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy and don't forbid speaking in tongues."  I've never been to a congregation like that, but at least vs. 40 is easy enough: "But be sure that everything is done properly and in order."

The Last Enemy

It's funny that when you Google this quote, it is often attributed to J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels, because it is featured in the final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  But Rowling lifted that powerful promise from a much older Book!

Paul's strong defense of the resurrection is so beautiful to me and fills me with so much hope.  The resurrection is the foundation of our faith.  Without it, Paul points out, our faith is essentially useless. "If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to pitied than anyone in the world."  Like many, if not most religions, Christianity is primarily concerned with cheating death--or more definitively, defeating death.  "The last enemy to be destroyed is death," he says in vs. 26. Paul presents Christian belief as rooted in the resurrection. Not in "hell avoidance", not in "here's a motivation to be a good person"--those themes don't appear in Paul's reflection on the hope of eternal life. Instead, Paul declares that just as one man, Adam, ushered in death for all of humanity, one Man, Jesus, has made resurrection available to all.

The verses that really struck me in a way I'd never noticed before are found in 1 Corinthians 15:42-43. These verses speak hope for the little sister who only had two brief weeks of life on this earth, hope for the husband who was brought down by cancer in the prime of his life leaving behind a grieving wife and two young sons, hope for the son killed in a tragic car accident, hope for the father and grandfather who at 91 had not lived long enough for the loved ones he left behind 8 years ago today, hope for the best friend, who died without warning, to keep her promise to be "friends forever".

"It's the same way with the resurrection of the dead.  Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength."

The One Year Bible: Snippets from The Greatest Story Ever Told

 The world could not contain all the posts I could write about Jesus.  So for this entry I've selected four snippets--four observations or reflections, from the old, old story.  We've also got snippets from three songs--a CCM favorite from the 80s, a rock n' roll reflection, and old hymn that celebrates the greatest story ever told.

Secret Ambition

"Some say, "Death to the radical
He's way out of line."
Some say, "Praise be the miracle
God sends a blessed sign.
A blessed sign for troubled times."

Nobody knew His secret ambition
Nobody knew His claim to fame
He broke the old rules steeped in tradition
He tore the holy veil away
Questioning those in powerful position
Running to those who called His name

But nobody knew His secret ambition
Was to give His life away"

                                   --Michael W. Smith "Secret Ambition"

Back in the 80's this was the song--with it's dramatic drumbeat intro and urgent lyrics, Smitty was in fine form. When he belts out that "No!" near the end like a Christian Kenny Loggins, you couldn't help but be compelled. But even though it sounds dated now, there are still few songs out there that capture the challenging figure that Christ was--and is. Far from an easy, palatable Savior, this song portrays Jesus as the conundrum He was to the people of His day--a man on a secret mission that no one else could possibly know or understand.

I find it interesting that early in his ministry Jesus was keen to keep his miracles and his mission secret.  He wasn't a great evangelist. He told people to be quiet, and tell no one what he'd done. Those who figured out who He was were ordered to keep it under wraps. I began to wonder if his reticence was supposed to be a model for us to follow. Is our whole Christian obsession with evangelism wrong-headed?  But later on, Jesus became much more open about who He was and what He had come to do.  Near the end of the ministry, He was quite bold about stating who He was.  When on trial for His life, it was the one question Jesus would answer-to assert His true identity.  He opened up about His once secret ambition--to give His life away.  But even then--this counterintuitive plan of redemption was so incomprehensible that nobody knew his ambition even when He told them plainly. It wouldn't be until after His death and resurrection that the penny finally dropped for His disciples and they realized this had been the plan all along.

I eventually realized that for Jesus it was all about timing--His Father's timing.  Early in His ministry, His "time had not yet come" as Jesus explained to His mother.  But that reticence was only for a season--when the time was right, Jesus declared Himself boldly and without apologies.  We, His followers would probably do well to seek that same Spirit-led flexibility.  We need to recognize that one plan may be what's called for at a particular time, but that plan needs to be given up as the times and circumstances change.

For me Jonathan Roumie's portrayal of Jesus in The Chosen is now the gold standard for the most impossible of roles. But years before the multi-episode series was a twinkle in Dallas Jenkin's eye, this guy, Bruce Marchiano, was my go-to for imagining Jesus. He appeared in the 1993 Visual Bible film Matthew and I found his performance compelling. Matthew  is a word-for-word telling of the Gospel of Matthew and Marchiano's take on Matthew 23 is riveting.  He captures the love and anger Jesus feels so well.

Jesus on the Attack

In Matthew 23, Jesus absolutely lays into the religious leadership. It is one of the most vigorous tongue-lashings found this side of the Old Testament.  But the theme same is the same--God's deep disgust with religious playacting that poorly masks a corrupt heart.  It's sobering to consider how much of what Jesus excoriates in the "teachers and preachers" of His day still rings sadly familiar in their modern day counterparts. A couple of key rebukes:

• Spiritual showmanship: God is extremely turned off by displays of religiosity.  Whether it's flashy displays of religious symbols, or basking in titles, honorifics, and public acclaim, Jesus condemned the public honor and respect that many of our religious leaders still see as their due today.

• Presenting a twisted picture of God:  One of the worst things a Christian can do is misrepresent the nature of God's character.  It is perhaps the single most damaging thing one can do to another person's spiritual experience.  And yet this grievous sin is far more common that we'd like to admit.  From the spiritual havoc wreaked by religious leaders who abuse their followers--especially as children, to whole cultures of Christians for whom zealous missionaries have traveled over land and sea to convert only to turn their converts into twice the sons of hell they are.  I can think of one place in particular with a strong Adventist presence that has been spiritually devastated by a strong legalistic culture that was engrained in the people by the original missionaries to that place.  Jesus stern warning in Matthew 23:13-15 should give all of us eager to baptize some humble pause.

• Majoring in Minors: God is appalled by an emphasis on minor details of "proper religious conduct" while the major issues are neglected.  The sins of pride, cruelty, hunger for power and control, and selfishness run rampant in the church while we wring our hands over jewelry, the role of women, "dress reform", and yes even tithing.  It's sad when some of our leading churches are known more for the internal power struggles and church politics than for the things of eternal consequence.

• Virtue Signaling: Jesus uses the image of tombstones--clean and beautiful on the outside, harboring decay and decomposition inside to lambast those who know the right religious turn of phrase, the correct spiritual display, and proper Christian comportment but whose hearts are corrupted.

It's not surprising that Matthew 23 doesn't get preached very often. It strikes too close to home.  It's far easier to dig up a handful of verses from other parts of the Bible to condemn the "sinners" outside the fold than to consider the much darker dangers from within.

But something tells me there's probably no part of the Bible more relevant to modern Christianity than this chapter.

The Mystery of Judas

"I took the money
I spiked your drink
You miss too much these days if you stop to think
You lead me on with those innocent eyes
You know I love the element of surprise
In the garden I was playing the tart
I kissed your lips and broke your heart
You
You were acting like it was the end of the world'

                                            --U2 "Until the End of the World"

Bono has said that this track from U2's seminal album Achtung Baby! is an imagined conversation between Jesus and Judas over Judas's decision to betray Jesus. For millennia everyone from theologians to rock stars have wrestled with the mystery of Judas.

It's easy to criticize Judas.  Talk about an obvious villain, right?  But when you read the gospels, that villainy isn't so obvious.  In fact we don't really know that much about Judas at all.  John tells us that Judas used to steal from the disciple's treasury--but he also tells us that Judas was in charge of the disciples finances--the CFO of the group, if you will.  It seems reasonable that the disciples must have considered him trustworthy, smart, and capable.  And even though Jesus must have known what Judas was up to, He made no move to stop him. 

We don't know why Judas decided to betray Jesus either.  We are told "Satan entered into him" but we don't know what might have precipitated this.  We also don't know why he had a sudden attack of conscience once he realized Jesus was going to be executed.  "I have betrayed an innocent man" he declares. But didn't he know that Jesus was innocent the whole time?  And what did he think was going to happen after he turned Jesus into the authorities?  We can't even be sure of the exact nature of Judas ignoble end. Only one gospel, Matthew, describes what happens with Judas after his betrayal and the account in the book of Acts is quite different from what Matthew describes.

Eyewitness Accounts

It's quite remarkable how comfortable we've become with the competing narratives of the four gospels (though I sometimes wonder how many Christians are even aware of the contradictory eyewitness accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I'm guessing many assume that they surely must harmonize).  I don't mean that as a criticism.  I've always felt--as counterintuitive as it may sound--that the different accounts strengthen my faith in the truth of the gospels. The "disagreements" (one demoniac healed, or two? for example, or even the end of Judas's life.  The accounts in Matthew and Acts are so different. ) have the ring of authenticity.  You would expect four witnesses to the same incident to recall the details differently.  Whereas a carefully devised fiction would take care to make sure all the details lined up perfectly.  

Recognizing these inconsistencies is perhaps the strongest argument against being overly rigid in our understanding of "Bible truth."  If four accounts of the same story can differ on key details--details where they can't all be true, shouldn't that cause us to be a little less insistent about sticking to a single interpretation of a passage where there is only one account?

I loved reading the stories of Jesus.  They are unquestionably my favorite part of the Bible.  There's so much to explore and unpack in them.  I wish I'd blogged more of this section of my reading in the Bible. Perhaps I'll have to do a revisit after this year long journey through the Bible comes to an end. One things for sure, I love to read--and tell--the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

"I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory,
Of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story,
Because I know 'tis true;
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story,
'twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story,
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest.

And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
'twill be the old, old story
That I have loved so long.

I love to tell the story,
'twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love."

                          -- A. Katherine Hankey, "I Love To Tell The Story"

The One Year Bible: "Jesus the Badventist"

 This is a continuing reflection on last week's readings in the gospels. . .

Jesus heals the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath as depicted in The Chosen

One thing that I've noted for some years now in my reading of the gospels, is what poor "Adventist" arguments Jesus makes. The theological points he scores just don't hold up to what I've experienced as the Adventist standard of sound Biblical thinking.  Two examples:

Jesus's "Careless" Approach to the Sabbath.  

"His hand healing on the seventh day
His love wearing no disguise"

                             --Michael W. Smith "Secret Ambition"

On more than one occasion Jesus heals on the Sabbath.  Not only that but he encouraged people to carry their beds on the Sabbath day.  He even defended his disciples when they were caught snacking on grain they pulled off wheat plants they passed by. When challenged on his disciple's conduct, Jesus refers to the example of David who ate the bread in the sanctuary that only the priests were allowed to eat.   What exactly is the takeaway here? What is the message about Sabbath keeping?

 We are quick to argue that the religious leadership of Jesus's day had become legalistic and obsessed with Sabbath-keeping minutia.  Our Sabbath principles aren't anything like that, we insist.  But aren't they? The amount of debate I've heard throughout my life about what constitutes Sabbath-breaking doesn't feel so different from the Jews of Jesus time.  Why wasn't Jesus more conscientious about not being a "stumbling block" to others?  If He were a good Adventist, he might have said--get up and walk, but leave the mat here until sundown.  He might have said to his disciples--"Fellas, lets hold off on the grain for now."

Jesus's Declaring that Satan Would Not Cast Out  His Own Demons

Terrible theology, just terrible. Of course Satan can do miracles, including casting out his own demons, to deceive if possible even the very elect. Jesus himself says that many will claim in the judgement day, "Lord, Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles", and Jesus will reply "I never knew you."  Yet, when accused of casting out demons by Satan's power (a very Adventist argument, especially since exorcism is not a major part of our spiritual practice) Jesus presents the argument that if Satan casts out Satan he is fighting against himself. I have to conclude that Jesus was talking about more than run of the mill exorcisms.  Jesus was saying that his whole life and ministry were in direct opposition to the Satan's goals.  It would not make sense for Satan to empower someone to send people straight into the loving arms of God.  Jesus wasn't "putting on a show", conducting thrilling exorcisms for the benefit of the masses and to increase his own following and reputation.  Satan can "cast out" demons, but he would never genuinely deliver people.  And that's what Jesus was doing--bringing light and life to those imprisoned by dark forces.

I'm not trying to diminish the faith tradition I belong to.  I believe in the core Adventist teachings--the seventh-day Sabbath, the second coming of Christ etc. The Adventist teaching about the nature of hell and the state of the dead alone is worth the price of admission.  But I do think we have to be careful as Christians, Adventist or otherwise, of placing our faith more in the traditional understanding of our church doctrine than in Christ.  Being theologically "correct"  doesn't save anyone. You can be "right" and still be wrong.  It was not bad theology that caused the religious leadership to turn away from Jesus, it was bad hearts.

A Question:

I've always wondered why Jesus allowed the demons he cast out of the demoniac (or two according to Matthew) in the Gadarenes to go into the pigs. Why would he bother to do the demons any favors?  And two thousand pigs drowned in the lake?  That has to be a major health hazard right?  The people of the region plead with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.  It's easy to say the wicked people of that area valued their lost pigs more than the saved man in front of them.  But I do wonder why Jesus couldn't have just sent the demons packing rather than allowing them to wreak more havoc?  Would He have had a more receptive response without the property damage and pollution?  I also find it interesting that Jesus did not let the man he delivered follow him. Instead he sent him off to tell his story, without the benefit of further tutelage. I'm not sure why Jesus did these things, but I trust that He knew what He was doing.

An Observation:

It's interesting to note how Satan and his demons suddenly come roaring to the spiritual forefront in the New Testament after barely making an appearance in the Old. Also there is a strong emphasis on the judgement and the afterlife, that barely gets a mention in the Old Testament.  I'm sure there is an explanation for these remarkable shifts.  I'll have to do more research.  In the meantime, I just thought I'd share that observation.

The One Year Bible: "I Do Not Think That Means What You Think It Means"

 The gospels are so rich!  I could write a post on every chapter and verse and still there'd be more to say. And it's all so accessible.  There are no lengthy floor plans for a temple, endless genealogies, or repetitious prophetic doom saying.  Every verse is packed with the words or actions of Jesus.  Whether you prefer the long chapters of John, rich with detail and dialogue, the brisk pace of Mark, or the perspectives of Matthew or Luke, there's a lot of good stuff!

In last week's reading alone we covered:

• Sabbath Healings
• The Sermon on the Mount
• The Faith of the Roman Centurion
• The Questions of John The Baptist: "Are you the One we've been expecting or should we be looking for another?"
• Jesus anointed by a sinful woman at Simon's house
• Healings, healings, and more healings! (including the woman with the issue of blood and Jairus's daughter_
• A multitude of parables including the parable of the sower and the seed
• Jesus calms in the storm (In the Boat Edition):
• Demons cast out of men and into pigs

As readable and vibrant as the gospels are, don't get it twisted.  They are still every bit as challenging as the rest of the Bible.  There is much that makes one think, wonder, and question.  For this week, I want to highlight two takeaways that have been on my mind, one question, and an observation.  I'll cover the first takeaway in this entry, and the second, along with the question and observation in another post soon to follow.

The Narrow Way

We've all heard that scripture, often quoted by Christian cultural warriors: "You are to be in the world but not of the world."  I thought for sure that passage came from somewhere in Paul's letters--Romans or Ephesians, or someplace like that.  Turns out this isn't even really a scripture. Paul does call on Christians not to be conformed to the world in Romans 12:2 and 1 John 2 admonishes believers not to love the world.  But the closest thing to that "in but not of" line is a riff on the prayer Jesus prays in John 17:11 and vs. 14-15, where Jesus asks His Father to preserve His followers in a world they do not belong to. This was not an admonition or a reminder, but a prayerful acknowledgement of a fact.  The followers of Jesus live in the world, but do not belong to it.

I haven't actually read this passage in John yet, but I did read the part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks about the broad and narrow way.  This is the teaching: "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it" (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT).

That passage got me thinking about "In but not Of" and this idea of what it means to be somehow different or separate from the "world."  What is this broad "worldly" way?  And what is the narrow way that leads to life? I suspect that it does not mean what we think it means.  We tend to associate the narrow way, being in the world but not of it with cosmetic distinctions (literally, in the case of Adventists)--things like how we dress or the jewelry we wear.  We think that people ought to be able to tell we are on the narrow way just by looking at us.  We also tend to think being on the narrow way means taking "unpopular" stands against the prevailing cultural trends. We take pride in being able to resolutely hold the line against the "LGBTQ agenda" or Hollywood values. But I don't know, I'm not sure any of this it what Jesus meant when he talked about the narrow way.

In fact, if we look at preceding two chapters and the rest of Matthew chapter 7, Jesus paints a pretty clear picture of what the narrow way looks like.  And it's not comfortable--not for those in the world, and not for those who presume they are safely in the world but not of it.  I would suggest that cosmetic distinctions and "values" notwithstanding far too many of us are absolutely of the world and very much on the broad path, along with everyone else. 

 I don't think there was a lot "Preach, preacher, preach!" during the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus didn't preach the type of sermon that reinforced what the crowd already believed.  Jesus was preaching something radically different from what every one was used to.  Jesus preached a kingdom that belonged to the poor, the grieving, the humble, the merciful.  He called on his followers to rejoice in persecution (not whine about it and work to put sympathetic politicians and amenable laws in place).  Jesus teaches a moral standard outlined in the ten commandments rooted in the heart as much as in outward behavior. Jesus says those on the narrow way will "turn the other cheek" and love their enemies.  Jesus called for a quiet spirituality that does not call attention to itself.  Jesus does not just suggest forgiveness as a useful tool in your personal growth, but demands it as condition of receiving forgiveness from God.  Those on the narrow way don't worry about the things the rest of the world worries about--money, clothing, food.

That is what Jesus meant when he talked about the narrow way.  There's something there to challenge every one of us--something to choke back that eager "amen", leaving only crickets.  The "world" belongs to the powerful and the prideful.  The world persecutes and is always on guard to be sure their persecution doesn't blow back on them. The world is quick to mock and sneer.  The world is unrelenting, cruel, and selfish. The world's philosophy is "they did it to me, so I'm doing it back."  The broad way is packed with people filled with worry and anxiety over the basics of life.  "How will I get what I need for me and mine?  Let me not think about what that might cost someone else."   That's the broad way.  You'll never get criticized for being on it--either inside or outside of the church.  Sure we dress it up with some spiritual decorations and Christian jargon, but it's the broad way all the same.  

The narrow way is not so much unpopular as simply unnoticed, a weedy, rock strewn side path inhabited by those who have abandoned religious signifiers and are simply letting Jesus live in their hearts.  And I venture to guess it is path also trod by those who have responded to the gentle promptings of the Spirit without adhering to any specific faith tradition or any religion at all.

Salvation is easy. Living the life Jesus calls us to? That's hard.

"Well I am a good Midwestern boy
I give an honest day's work if I can get it
I don't cheat on my taxes I don't cheat on my girl
I've got values that would make the White House jealous

Well I do get a little much over-impressed
'Til I think of Peter and Paul and the apostles
I don't stack up too well against them I guess
But by the standards 'round here I ain't doing that awful

Lord it's hard to turn the other cheek
Hard to bless when others curse you
Oh Lord it's hard to be a man of peace
Lord it's hard oh it's hard
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard oh it's hard
Oh Lord it's hard to be like Jesus

And it's hard to step out on them waves
Hard to walk beyond your vision
Oh Lord it's hard to be a man of faith
Lord it's hard (hard) Lord it's hard (so hard)
Oh Lord it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard) oh it's hard (yeah hard)
Oh Lord it's hard to be like Jesus

Well His eye's on the sparrow
And the lilies of the field I've heard
And He will watch over you and He will watch over me
So we can dress like flowers and eat like birds

And it's hard when your soul had been stripped bare
Hard to lift your eyes toward Heaven
Oh Lord it's hard to be a man of prayer
Lord it's hard oh it's hard
You know it's hard to be like Jesus

Lord it's hard to be a man of peace
But it's hard (so hard) ain't it hard (hard)
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard) and it's hard (yeah hard)
To be a man of peace (hard so hard)
But it's hard to be like Jesus

And I'm trying, trying, try
Oh Lord I try so hard
Don't you know it's hard
Oh glory oh gracious
But ain't it hard to be like Jesus

Well I am a good Midwestern boy
I give an honest day's work if I can get it
I don't cheat on my taxes I don't cheat on my girl
I've got values that would make the White House jealous"

                                                                     --Rich Mullins "Hard"

The One Year Bible: In with the New

A still from the episode in The Chosen where Jesus turned the water into wine. The representation of Jesus by Jonathan Roumie in The Chosen is hands-down my favorite.

 This past week I began reading in the New Testament. I guess the NT is supposed to be "easier" and more palatable than the wrathful Old Testament.  But I'm not sure that the point of the Bible is to be "easy" and palatable. And while I do believe Jesus is the clearest picture of who God is and what He is like, that doesn't mean that Jesus is any "easier" to understand.  

There is the Jesus we've created that serves our cultural tastes and preferences, that fits with our denominational church traditions.  And then there is the Jesus found in the Gospels.  The two don't always line up the way we might wish.

But before we get too excited about Jesus the countercultural iconoclast, defying "the culture" and "the world", take note that Jesus's harshest criticism wasn't against the culture--it was against the church. In our culture, we love the rebel--the guy who stands up to the evil Empire. But the problem is that as Christians we want it both ways.  We want control of the culture, but also rebel against it (In fact, the so-called rebellion is usually about getting back control of the mainstream that we feel has been unjustly stripped from us by "the world"). In these cases the harm to us in "rebelling" and "refusing to bow to the world" is minimal--mostly derision from people we don't like or respect anyway. Meanwhile the bug--or dare I say, the feature-- of this rebellion is that harm to some undesirable outcasts is great.  I think we will find that this approach is decidedly un-Christlike.

There are highlights of this week's reading--all taken from the early chapters  of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  There were lots of familiar stories from this week's readings including:

• The Birth of Jesus
• The One Story of Jesus' Youth: 12 Year Old Jesus Teaching the Teachers
• Jesus's Baptism and ensuing Temptation in the Wilderness
• The Calling of the First Disciples and the Miracle of the Nets Filled with Fish
• The Wedding at Cana
• Early Healings: The Man Let Down through the Roof and the Healing of a Leper
• Jesus Cleanses the Temple for the First Time
• Jesus and Nicodemus
• Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

For this blog post, I'd like to focus on two major differences found in the Gospel accounts and two major ways in which Jesus proves to be different than we might expect.

The Differences

"Results Show You Are the Father"

If I hadn't been doing this One Year chronological reading of the Bible, I probably would never have noticed this major difference between Matthew and Luke's recording of the genealogy of Jesus (Mark and John don't bother with genealogy). All those Hebrew names just blend together for me, and if I hadn't read the two accounts back to back I likely would have never noticed that the genealogy of Jesus from David to Joseph is completely different.  This not a case of a few names being different--none of the names match up! Matthew reports Jesus as having come through David's son Solomon, while Luke reports Jesus has having come through David's son Nathan. What gives?

I did some research and found that Bible scholars aren't in total agreement on the explanation for this discrepancy.  Some suggest that of Heli and Jacob (the two different men listed as Joseph's father), one was Joseph's biological father, the other was Joseph's legal father--a second husband who married Joseph's mother after the other man died.  Another theory is that Luke's genealogy which goes all the way back to Adam, is actually Mary's lineage and Heli is Joseph's father-in-law (Mary's dad).  I'm kind of partial to this explanation, because of the differences in purpose each author had in providing the genealogy.  Matthew wanted to prove Jesus royal lineage and used the man recognized as Jesus earthly father.  Luke, also verifies Jesus' royal lineage but puts less importance on Joseph's ancestors since he wants to highlight Jesus supernatural origin.  Luke gives a nod to Joseph as having come from David's line but his genealogy is focused on Mary--to show that for those who fully accept the virgin birth, Jesus still meets the requirement of being of David's line.

"But Where are You Really From?"

The other major discrepancy I came across is in the recording of what happened after Jesus's birth  in Matthew and Luke (again, Mark and John skip over all this) and what it seems to imply about Jesus' hometown of Nazareth.  Matthew says nothing about a journey to Bethlehem because of a census. If all we had was Matthew's gospel account we would likely assume that Bethlehem is simply where Mary and Joseph were living at the time Jesus' was born.  There is no inn, no stable, nothing.   What we do have is the account of Herod's attempt to find and kill Jesus, and His family's escape to Egypt.  Matthew places Jesus in Nazareth when Joseph and Mary came back from Egypt after Herod died.  They were wary of Herod's son who had now taken the throne and opted for the backwater Galilee as safe from his notice.

Luke on the other hand has the more familiar Christmas story (minus the wise men), with the journey to Bethlehem, the stable and the shepherds and so on.  However, Luke records no threat from Herod.  Jesus young parents travel to Jerusalem to present the Baby Jesus to the Lord at the temple.  He is prophesied over by both Anna and Simeon, and then the family simply returns to Nazareth.

Countless Christmas programs have seamlessly blended the two accounts (usually by omitting the visit to the Temple) and I don't think that's wrong.  It's just, if you read the Bible accounts it's not quite as smooth a transition as it seems in the scene changes at the school Nativity play.

What's clear is both gospel authors felt a need to explain how Jesus was from Nazareth, as everyone at that time knew, but also fulfilled the prophecy of being born in Bethlehem. It's interesting that it was government action in Matthew that led Jesus to Nazareth and government action in Luke that led Jesus to be born in Bethlehem.

"Get Used to Different"

Jesus Was Not a People Pleaser

As a life long people-pleaser, I'm continually baffled by Jesus utter disregard for what would make people happy.  It's not that He went out of His way to upset people (well, not all the time any way). It just wasn't a factor in His decisions. As a result, Jesus often went from hero to zero with the fandom. Particularly notable was the way He basically talked Himself over a cliff--literally.  In Luke 4:16-30, Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth and He stands up to read the Scriptures on Sabbath morning at church. He reads Isaiah's messianic prophecy and proclaims that it has been fulfilled.  The crowd goes wild. Already "praised by everyone" coming into Nazareth, now the people of his hometown join the chorus. "Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious word that came from his lips."  That's the sweet spot right there! Where I always long to be--spoken well of by all and doing  the right things.

And then Jesus goes and ruins it. Instead of accepting their adulation, He basically says "I know You want to see miracles here, like you've heard about in other places but that's not going to happen." Jesus goes on to argue that a prophet is never welcome in his own hometown. He illustrates his thesis by pulling several Old Testament examples of prophets who were sent to foreigners rather than to the people of Israel. Jesus so enrages his Nazareth neighbors with this rebuke that they hustle him to the edge of a nearby cliff to throw Him over the side.  Jesus slips away and heads off to another, perhaps more receptive Galilean town.

One of my favorite texts about Jesus is found in John 2:24 (NLT though the nuances in other translations are just as good):

"But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell Him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person's heart." 

Jesus understand that people's are fickle and he knew that constantly trying to stay on their good side would be futile.  Jesus understood that you can never please everyone, so you might as well please the Father. 

And Jesus wasn't willing to accept flattery.  I'm personally inclined to accept flattery without comment, and privately remind myself of dangers of  believing one's own press.  But Jesus didn't do that.  If people's hearts towards Him weren't sincere, He'd call them on it. Every time.

Jesus Was a Terrible Marketer

Jesus did not take opportunities to "promote his brand." I finally understand Jesus' strange response to his mother at the wedding feast at Cana.  When she approaches him about the wine running out, He responds "How is that my problem? My time has not yet come."  I realize now that Mary was nudging Jesus to "make His move" now by conducting a public miracle. Indeed, I think what Jesus was really saying to His mom was: "This problem is not my opportunity, like you think. Today is not about me."  Mary got the message that Jesus would fix the problem, but not in the way she had hoped.  His miracle goes unnoted by the crowd and the only reason we even know it happened is because John and a handful of other disciples were there to witness it (along with a few servants that nobody ever talks to or listens to anyway). 

Instead of actively marketing His ministry, Jesus encouraged people to be quiet.  He told the leper not to tell anyone that he had been healed, and even the demons Jesus cast out where muzzled. It's worth nothing that the demons were quite eager to spread the word far and wide as they driven out of their victims about who Jesus really was.  Clearly getting the word out was the devil's plan, not God's. 

Unlike many of us today, Jesus did not see the value in "influencers." Jesus did not seek to cultivate relationships with the powerful and influential.  Indeed if there is anyone Jesus went out of His way to annoy it was the very people who had the most power to hurt or help him--the religious establishment. If it had been me when the paralytic was let down through the ceiling to be healed, I would have simply told the man to get up and walk.  Another win for Jesus!  But instead Jesus, chose to publicly forgive the man's sins first.  When the church leadership in attendance were appalled, Jesus called them on it--making an argument that would never fly an Adventist church today.  Which is easier?  To say "Your sins are forgiven, or to say "Get up and a walk." To prove His Godly authority to forgive sins, Jesus did the impossible. He healed the man. And in the process earned the ire of the leading lights of the Establishment.  If I had been Jesus, I would have worked to secure dinner invitations to the homes of these men instead of dining with Matthew the tax collector and his unsavory pals. If I had been Jesus, I would have worked to build bridges with those in power rather than burning them.

But I'm not Jesus, and thank God for that. God's heart has always been for the oppressed, the powerless, those on the margins and there's nothing new about that in the New Testament.  Jesus sought out the same people God has always had His eye on.  The challenge for us Christians is whether we have done the same as the Man we claim to follow.

The One Year Bible: Out with the Old

 It's been a few weeks since my last post and in the intervening time, I've reached the end of the Old Testament in my one year journey through the Bible.  I've read about Daniel and Esther,  the end of the Exile of God's people in Babylon, and the return  and rebuilding of Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. 

I'm a bit partial to Ezra since my  son carries his name.  What's cool is that his best friend at school is named. . .you guessed it--Nehemiah

 I found I particularly enjoyed Nehemiah's first hand account of the work of rebuilding Jerusalem.  The challenges, missteps and ultimate successes of the Jewish people as they begin again make for interesting reading.  Nehemiah also contains probably my favorite list of Biblical participants.  The Old Testament does this a lot--a long list hard-to-pronounce Hebrew names to indicated who did what, whose ancestors are who and so on.  But Nehemiah Ch. 3 is different.  It reads like a movie montage, with interesting little details about the builders and what specific parts of the Jerusalem wall they helped rebuild.  We learn that the people of Tekoa who worked without their leaders because the leaders wouldn't work with the construction supervisors.  We learn Shallum worked with his daughters to help rebuild his section of the wall and that Baruch didn't merely repair his section but "zealously repaired" it.  We are told that some of the workers repaired parts of the wall right across from their homes.  The whole chapter creates such a nice picture of people working together towards a common goal. 

The final readings, in chronological order, are from Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament and the entire book of Joel.   These readings end with a little bit of reprimand (Malachi 3:8-10 contains everyone's favorite tithe text: "Will man rob God and yet you have robbed me! Bring all the tithes etc". I half expected Malachi 3:11 to read "We give thee but thine own" since that song always follows that scripture in church!), a little bit of doom for the enemies of God's people, and a promise of restoration.  

Looking back at the Old Testament as a whole, here are my takeaways:

What matters to God:  

Good news for the "social justice" warriors and purveyors of the "social gospel."  It's very clear from the Old Testament what matters to God and it is the treatment of the poor, the weak, and the marginalized. God is deeply angered by economic injustice, policies that enrich the rich at the expense of the poor.  God hates the shedding of innocent blood (and no He doesn't really refer to unborn babies here, though I suppose you can make that reach if it suits you).  God has a lot to say about humbling the proud and bringing down the mighty.  To be honest, He almost sounds a bit socialist. I'm just saying.  Read it for yourself, if you don't believe me.  

While God does not like the neglect of his laws, He's not interested in ceremonial lip service.  Showing up to worship while your heart is inclined to other gods doesn't work for Him. God really is not okay with worshiping other gods but what's interesting is that his condemnation of idol worship is often in the same breath that he calls out Israel for corruption and bloodshed. It's almost as if the the two are connected in His mind.

I was really surprised by how much the Sabbath comes up across the Old Testament. It's a lot more than I expected.

It's notable and sobering that what matters to God in the Old Testament and what seems to matter to much of His church today are inverted. Ironically, it sometimes seems that the more "Biblical" the Christian claims to be, the more out of sync they are with what matters to the God of the Old Testament. But hey,  maybe that's what the "New Covenant" is for?  My reading of the OT makes me more skeptical than ever of talk of "Biblical living" and following "Biblical principles" for modern life.

A Shift in Focus:  

I notice the latter parts of the Old Testament shift from a focus on prophecies of doom to prophecies of hope and restoration. As Israel moves into and then out of Exile there are hints of a coming Messiah, glimmers of a future hope that is global in scale.  There is still the occasional correction, and doom is still prophesied--but now it's not for God's people but for those who would destroy God's people.

The Skipped over Parts: Ezekiel's Temple

I was surprised by significant portions of Old Testament prophecy that seem to have been "skipped over" by my denomination. It came as a bit of a surprise, since I've been enculturated to believe that Adventists don't "skip" parts of the Bible.  One of the big ones is Ezekiel's temple.  This is a prophecy that begins in Ezekiel 40 and continues to the end of the book. It describes in minute detail a new temple that will be built, the division of the land of Israel in this new era, and includes some fascinating descriptions of a Prince in the new kingdom and a river of healing that will flow from the Temple.  The reading itself can be mind-numbingly tedious in places.  I actually found a video on YouTube that really helped me visualize the details that tended to get jumbled up in my mind.  But what it describes is a temple that was never built.  These plans were not what guided the rebuilding under Nehemiah and Ezra.  This temple is massive, a structure that dwarfs anything that has ever been built around Jerusalem.  

Check out the size of this temple compared to the others (and to a football field). It's literally too big to fit on the current Temple Mount

What's further surprising is that other Christian denominations have a lot of thoughts on Ezekiel's temple.  They haven't skipped over it (don't worry, there's other things they have skipped over too).  This temple--when and where it will be built and what it's significance will be is a big part of other evangelical end-time scenarios.  Here's one P.O.V. (according this guy Ezekiel's temple is "hotly debated" among Biblical scholars.  Who knew?).  As an Adventist I don't remember learning about this temple at all.  I listened to a hour and fifteen minute YouTube sermon by an Adventist preacher that claimed to cover the entire book of Ezekiel. It was a good sermon.  But Ezekiel 40-48 barely got a mention.

I'm not saying my church is right or wrong not to have given more attention to this incredible edifice in Ezekiel.  I'm just noting it, mainly so that we can slow down a little bit with our perhaps arrogant assumption that we have cornered the market on a theology that takes into account the "whole Bible" and "not just the parts we like."  At least for me, taking into account the "whole Bible" and not skipping any parts leaves me with more questions than answers.  And I think that's a good thing.

The Out of Context and Culture Parts: "I hate divorce"

Now there's a passage that's caused a lot of grief, especially for women, over the centuries. It's ironic because taken in context, the Lord's hatred of divorce is about protecting women.  Check it out-Malachi 2:13-16:

"13 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. 14 You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.

15 Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his.[a] And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate divorce!”[b] says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,[c]” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

What's clear in context is that what God hates is a specific kind of divorce.  The kind where you cheat on your wife, divorce her, and move on to a "newer model."  And yet this passage has been part of a doctrine that has taken a hard line against divorce of any kind, a doctrine that has often overwhelmed women, even more than men, with cruelty. 

The Old Testament--indeed the Bible as whole--is full of stories that require an understanding of culture and context.  Sometimes, that context and culture is evident as in this case; sometimes it's not.  In the end, that reality should make us cautious about taking scripture passages from here and there and insisting they mean what we feel they should mean or what seems "obvious" and "plain" to us.

What's Missing:

It's notable that Satan gets barely a mention in the Old Testament after he shows up at beginning of our story.  We see him in Job, and he gets the blame for inciting David to conduct the census in 1 Chronicles.  There are the famous passages about the King of Tyre in Ezekiel that definitely hint at someone of a supernatural nature and Gabriel talks about being resisted by a powerful prince that prevented him from coming to Daniel sooner.  But that's about it.  He's not a major player. And while God has a lot to say about other gods, He doesn't seem to describe them as other  real spiritual entities per se. He treats them as entirely made-up, completely powerless creations of the nations around Israel.

Also missing is virtually any reference to the afterlife.  All God's punishments and warnings are entirely about what will happen to his wayward people in this life.  There's no caution about the eternal cost of their wrongdoing.

I'm not saying that Satan and the afterlife aren't important or real. Just noting that their absence in this part of the Bible.

It's the Back Story:

The Old Testament for the Christian provides important context.  But it's not the main event.  All of the Old Testament is prelude to what our faith is all about: Jesus. Everything about the Old Testament, it's stories, it's commands, and most importantly it's picture of God are subordinate to the Word made flesh: Jesus Christ.  The heart of our faith is a Person not a book.  For those that would make the Bible the central element of our faith, well, there's a religion for that.  It's a good religion, a wonderful faith. It's just not Christianity.

Covid Comes Home: A Corona Chronicle

My positive test. I hadn't been feeling good all day but chalked it up to allergies.  On the way home from school, I noticed I had chills--which is not a symptom of allergies!  I took my temperature when I got home and found I had a fever over 100 degrees.  I then took the Covid test and it came back positive almost instantly. 

 From the earliest days of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, I imagined what it would be like to write this entry.  Back then, I wasn't sure that I would ever have to write it and apprehensive about what it might entail.  Eventually, I became certain I'd write this entry and was unfazed by the prospect.  And now it's here.

To be honest it's anticlimactic. 

I finally got Covid. In fact, as of yesterday morning, with  Kai's positive test, our whole family has had it (Barbara and Ezra both got it last month).

Of course we're late to the party.  By this time, almost everyone we know has had Covid.  It's no longer a great shock to hear that someone has the dreaded virus nor does it seem necessary to put the whole prayer chain on high alert.  Frankly, I'm glad that I got it when I did.  The current variant is much less severe, especially for those who are vaccinated and boosted (which I am) and when I got the positive test, there was little doubt in my mind that the ride wouldn't be too bumpy.  And so far my experience with Covid has been mild.

 I tested positive this past Wednesday, September 21 and went into isolation that day. (I've been staying in Ezra's room on the bottom bunk. It was easier to have him move into our bedroom with Barbara because Barbara's back can't take the bunk mattress).  I felt pretty rough  Weds and Thursday.  Friday, I felt better but was fatigued and slept a lot.  Yesterday, I didn't sleep as much and had more energy.  Today, I feel better still.  Tomorrow is my last day of isolation and I expect to feel close to normal by then if the trend continues.  I might even try to mow the lawn tomorrow!   Kai is only into his second day of isolation but I can hear him on the other side of the wall in his room jovially talking on the phone with a friend.  I'm guessing he's going to be fine too.

So what does it all mean?  It's been a little more than a year since I closed out my regular Covid updates.  I predicted then--correctly-- that we had essentially decided to return to normal life and to do our best to live with the virus.  Back then the most contagious variant of the virus--Omicron was not yet on our radar.  Omicron would prove to be the most relentless Covid version yet, one that would shift the goalpost from preventing infection to preventing severe illness and death. By winter of 2021 we had the highest case counts ever seen, and yet. . .life went on for the most part as normal.  There were no mass shut-downs, no social distancing mandates, and masks remained optional.  By summer of 2022, my biggest fear was not of getting Covid, but of getting Covid at the wrong time. I had a string of trips lined up and I didn't want any of my plans upended by an inconveniently timed positive test.   I managed to dodge the virus all summer.  While colleagues and students were felled just before the 8th grade class trip, I made it to and from Hawaii untouched.  A cancelled flight caused me to arrive in Jordan several days late, just in time the miss the virus's passage through our dig team, infecting four along the way.  I made it to Florida, including an anniversary trip to Miami without incident.  And though I did get sick after that trip, multiple tests insisted it wasn't Covid. And finally, I was able to make a quick trip out West about a week ago.  I think it was on the flight home from that trip that Covid finally caught up with me. 

Covid isn't quite "just like the flu" yet.  According to a recent article in The Atlantic, Covid is projected to continue to kill about 100,000 Americans annually for some time to come. That's three times the typical annual death count from flu.  Yet it's hard to even say where we are currently with case counts and such.  The New York Times still includes the maps and data in it's now-occasional Virus Briefings, though the link isn't provided in each briefing like it was before.  Todays numbers show the spread of the virus has been flat throughout the summer--neither low nor high--but just consistently the same, and has recently even begun to decline.  Of course with so many tests being done at home and thus not reported (ours among them), it's no longer certain how accurate those case counts even are.   We know people continue to sicken and die from Covid, but at a pace our hospitals seem to be able to manage.  Recently hospitalizations have been declining, which is encouraging, though over 400  Americans on average continue to die daily from Covid.  It's really worth taking a deep dive into the most recent NYT data. The good news according to this data is that by every metric we are doing better than we were a year ago.

I've heard some say that we mustn't get complacent.  This virus is still serious! And I don't suppose they're wrong. After all some of the more vulnerable in my life--my mother and mother-in-law for example--have managed to evade infection so far, and I want that to continue!  But I'm just not sure what vigilance looks like at this point?  Are the disruptive measures--the school and business shut downs--worth the good they might achieve?  Wouldn't avoiding crowds and masking every time we go out have be permanent parts of our lives now?  And is that how we want to live?  And would any of these measures even work given how infectious the current variants have proven to be?

This is what I'd like to see--and how I plan to live going forward:  

• Vaccines and the annual or so booster continue to be our primary weapon of defense against severe Covid.  In a few months, when my immunity is likely starting to wane, I'll pick up the  latest booster and probably throw in a flu shot as well.
•   I'd love to see masking when feeling sick normalized.  If I've got the sniffles or maybe a mild sore throat, I'll put on a mask to protect those around me from whatever I might have--Covid or not. 
•  I'd like to see people really commit to staying home when they don't feel good instead of toughing it out.  I know that can be difficult, especially when you apply that stricter standard to your kids too and you have limited sick days at work.  But we can at least be more intentional in this regard.

I predict that Covid will continue to evolve as a more contagious but less virulent disease.  I know it's possible that it could take an ugly turn, but I think that's unlikely.  I do suspect that at some point a new contagion will arise and unfortunately, I predict we will be no better prepared for that outbreak than we were for this one.  It's just not in our character to do the disciplined work required to keep these viruses at bay.

Now that Covid has come home to our family, I doubt there will be much left to say about this virus that hasn't already been said.  I hope that's the case any way.  We will see.