Seven Billion?

Rose Garden, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

 

By faith we see the world called into existence by

God’s word – what we see created by what we don’t see.

Hebrews 11:3

At 7:20am this morning – a world away from where I sit at my computer, the seven-billionth child was born on this planet we call home.  Symbolic seven billionth babies were heralded in the Philippines (baby Danica) and in India (baby Nargis).  I must admit that the thought of seven billion people on this earth came as a bit of a surprise for me.  Where in the world have we put them all?

Dr. Eric Tavaq of the Philippines Department of Health said that the birth came with “…a warning.  Seven billion is a number we should think about deeply.  We should really focus on the question of whether there will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every child.”  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “…called for 'unity of purpose' among people across nations to address problems of climate change, economic crisis and inequality. ‘Some say our planet is too crowded. I say we are seven billion strong. But we will only be able to use that strength for the benefit of all if our societies are built on mutual respect and understanding. The world must come together on this special day… in the name of the global common good.’” [Time Magazine online; The Hindu; October 31, 2011]

Unfortunately, the human population of this earth is not well known for “mutual respect and understanding.”  In fact, I believe that the primary principle at work in the world today is, “Every dog for himself.”  One can lose their life in the blink of an eye for their money, their politics, or their religion.  Drug cartels murder and plunder at will; political factions wage civil war; racial clans commit wholesale genocide.  The rich get richer and the poor are ground even further into the dust of despair. Economic disaster is unleashed by those who care only for “the bottom line,” lining their own pockets at the expense of others.

Gazing into the peaceful face of the seven billionth inhabitant of our globe, I am compelled to ask myself, “What can I do to make a difference in this crowded, contentious world?”  I am but one woman with no political, economic or religious influence.  What can I possibly do that will matter in the grand scheme of things?  If she were alive, my mother would tell me that I am asking the wrong question.  The one I need to ask is, How can I let my light shine in the tiny corner of the world where I live?  What can I do today to brighten a life that crosses my path?  If even one billion people would ask themselves that question every morning when they awaken, this world would be an entirely different place.

October Snow and Rain

Harrisonburg, Virginia  Courtesy of Google News Search

 

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed

for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish

what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

We were forecast to have rain and snow for the last two days, and the heavens certainly delivered, especially yesterday morning.  The temperature plummeted overnight Friday as well, waking my world on Saturday with freezing temperatures and soggy sidewalks.  I considered myself extremely lucky, however!

Further north of me, the leaden skies brought wet, heavy snow – a lot of wet, heavy snow in some areas.  As of last evening, 1.5 million people were without power.  If their temperatures are as cold as it is here, they have my heartfelt sympathy.  I finally turned my heat on yesterday for the first time.  I didn’t really want to, but my bedroom resembled a deep freeze, and the cats were definitely looking for warmth.

Thoughts of October snow brought curiosity regarding what the Bible has to say about the fluffy white stuff.  Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, which is based on the King James version, lists twenty-four entries for the word “snow,” and one for the word “snowy” – twenty-two from the Old Testament and three from the New Testament.  Many of these verses use the word as a comparison for white or for purity.  The book of Job speaks of snow water, and Proverbs’ wife of noble character is fully prepared for the coming snowfall.

My favorite however, is the passage above from Isaiah.  The rain here in Richmond and the snow in New York City and Philadelphia will indeed water the earth, providing for the sustenance of plants, animals and human life.  Just so, God’s Word was given for the nourishment of our souls, and it will accomplish its purpose if we open our hearts and minds to listen.

Doxology

Rose Garden, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below,

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Yesterday afternoon about 2 pm, 8-year-old Robert Wood, Jr., was spotted lying in a creek bed at the Martin Marietta quarry, less than a mile from where he disappeared five days ago while on a hike with his family.  The mute autistic child was found alive by one of the hundreds of volunteers who have been combing the woods looking for the boy.  Transferred by helicopter to a local hospital, doctors were amazed at what good shape the boy was in after five days alone in the countryside.

So many volunteers turned out each day to search that many had to be turned away.  Thousands more around the world were praying for Robby – praying for his protection and discovery.  Yesterday those prayers were answered as the child was restored alive and relatively well to his grateful family.

Prayer is one of the greatest gifts that God has ever given to the human race.  To be able to pour out our hearts to the Creator of the universe is an amazing privilege; that He listens and responds is a humbling experience.  Today is a day of praise – for the rescue of a helpless child and his restoration to his family and the surrounding community.

                                                                                                   

Grace that is Amazing

Rose Garden, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Today’s Prayer Needs

For a 9-year-old mute autistic boy missing since Sunday in Virginia

For baby Lisa Irwin missing since October 4

Be Sure Your Sins

Rose Garden, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

But each one is tempted when, of his own evil desire,

he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived,

it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, 

gives birth to death.

James 1:14-15

On October 14, Barbara Walters was granted an exclusive interview with Bernie Madoff, the orchestrator of an elaborate $65 billion ponzi scheme – the worst financial fraud scam in U.S. history. Madoff bilked millions of dollars out of thousands of people – from the rich and famous to corporations, charities and the everyday man. When Madoff confessed to his two sons that his entire investment network was a fraud, they turned in their own father to the authorities in December of 2008.  Two years later, one of those sons, Mark Madoff, committed suicide – unable to live any longer with the consequences of what his father had done.  This tragedy resulted in the complete estrangement from Madoff of the rest of his family.

The most striking element for me of Walters’ interview with Madoff is his complete unconcern for the victims of his fraud.  He said that he could live with their anger, and showed no great remorse for the financial disaster that they suffered.    He claimed that investors were angry because “…the gravy train is over.”  His personal pain at the loss of his family’s respect and love, however, is a prominent part of his conversation with Walters.

This scenario of “I’m not nearly as sorry for what I did as I am for the consequences I must bear” is played out over and over in the lives of people from every walk of life and every level of society.  A husband or wife embarks on an affair, is caught, and suddenly “suffers” the end of the marriage and the estrangement of the spouse and children.  An employee is caught with his hand in the till and finds himself out on the street without job or income.  Often there is no remorse for the actions, only for the ensuing consequences.

One of my mother’s favorite sayings was, “Be sure your sin will find you out,” a reference to Number 32:23.  In Luke 12:2, Jesus says, “For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid that shall not be known.”  My father’s favorite saying?  “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”  Together those two thoughts make wonderful words to live by – today and every day.

Blog sources:  Internet ABC News: Madoff Widow Blames Bernie for Death of Son; 

ABC News: Bernie Madoff “Can Live With” Fraud Victim’s Anger, but not Family’s

Shout for Joy!

Rose Garden, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Shout aloud and sing for joy…

Isaiah 12:6

There is nothing joyful about an earthquake.  Having experienced my first one just a few weeks ago, I now understand how terrifying it is to feel the earth moving under your feet.  There have been far too many earthquakes in the last few months; early Sunday the earth heaved again as a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey, one of the most quake-prone regions of the world.  The death toll has risen to 366, but will go much higher as more bodies are pulled from the rubble.

There was great joy in the town of Ercis during the night, however, as a two-week-old baby girl was pulled alive from the rubble of her apartment building - 48 hours after the earthquake struck.  Baby Azra [her name means “desert flower”] was naked, shivering, and squalling, but in remarkably good condition, especially since overnight temperatures in the region were close to freezing.  Her parents remain buried in the rubble and their condition is unknown.

How in the world did this newborn survive the collapse of the multi-story building around her, and continue to live without clothing, food or water?  Rescuers had no answer for that question, but her tiny presence in the arms of a stranger lifted the hearts and spirits of all those who are desperately searching for survivors.  I invite you to pray with me today for little Azra, that she might continue to beat the odds, and for the rescuers who continue to search for the living amidst the wreckage.

Today’s Prayer Needs

For all those still trapped beneath the earthquake rubble

and for those who are searching to find them.

 Photo courtesy of CBS News on the Internet

Mr. Holland's Series

Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Whatever your hand finds to do,

do it with all your might…

Ecclesiastes 9:10

I left work last night at 7:00pm, exhausted and in pain with an IT band flare-up.  As much as I didn’t want to bother, there were bills to pay that occupied the next hour or so.  When that chore was finished, I decided to watch a little TV.  Specifically, I wanted to see which series would be showing for Masterpiece Theater on public television.  It was not quite time for that show, however, so I channel-surfed until I came to the World Series.

I am not a huge baseball fan, but I do enjoy watching the game.  I had no idea who was playing in the series, or which game it was [Game 4, I discovered].  From the discussion by the commentators, it immediately became apparent that Game 3 had been a total blowout, with the Cardinals wiping the Rangers off the map. I fully intended to switch channels just as soon as it was time for Masterpiece Theater, but somehow that never happened.  Why not?  Because I became totally fascinated by the kid with the peach fuzz mustache who graced the pitcher’s mound for the Rangers.

Derek Holland didn’t look old enough to be on the pitcher’s mound, and previous outings there had left many thinking that he was not good enough either.  After the 16-run Cardinal love fest the previous game, you would think that any Rangers pitcher would be quaking in his Reeboks.  Not this kid.  I love watching a left-handed pitcher, and last night, Holland was the best leftie in the business, holding the Cardinals scoreless for 8⅓ innings.  Did he suddenly grow-up last night as a ballplayer?  I have no idea, but I do know that Derek Holland wanted the win last night more than anything else in the world, and he fought with courage, skill and sheer determination until it was his.  Here’s to you, kid! 

Generosity

Garden Lily, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Good will come to him who is generous…

Psalm 112:5

Last night I participated in a two-mile walk to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – an event to raise awareness for blood cancers.  One of my colleagues at work has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and this is the second year that we have formed a team – Benjamin & Friends – for the fight against this deadly disease.  This year our team had 39 walkers of all ages.

The walk started at 7:00pm when it was already dark, and we had a police vehicle that led us through the walk route.  At most of the major intersections there were police men or women who held back traffic until the entire group had passed through.  As in any group, there were fast walkers, medium walkers and slow walkers, and gaps began to form in the line as these sections began to separate.  I learned a long time ago that to be safe at a night walk, I walk fast and right behind the lead police car.  A vehicle waiting for the entire group to pass would probably be sitting for around 20 minutes, and inevitably tempers begin to flair. 

When we reached the last major intersection, it was immediately obvious that there was no officer on the street to hold back the traffic.  As soon as the first break came in the walkers, cars came rushing through the opening.  When the light changed, the walkers proceeded to move forward, but when the light went against them, the cars began to move directly and aggressively into the people, horns blaring and curses resounding.  Watching the group from a side street, a driver could not miss the gist of what we were doing.  We were all carrying balloons with blinking lights, and all dressed in identical t-shirts.  That did not appear to matter to the impatient drivers.  One young girl had to be literally jerked out of the way of an oncoming gunner who otherwise would have hit her.  

Generosity comes in many forms.  There were musicians and volunteers who generously gave of their time to host this event.  There were generous corporate sponsors who provided food and refreshment, drinks and snacks, and money for the cause.  There were the police officers who generously gave of their time to keep us safe on the route.  How nice it would have been if that generous spirit had come from the hearts of the drivers whose way we were blocking for a relatively short portion of their evening.

Straight or Crooked?

Garden Lily, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

…the Lord sees not as man sees:

Man looks on the outward appearance, but

the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

As a child growing up, my mother would often say that I had the worst teeth on the planet.  “Crooked” does not even begin to describe the look of my permanent teeth.  I had buck teeth in a mouth that was barely large enough to accommodate a normal full set.  When I was thirteen years old, my dentist pulled four teeth to make some room, and sent me to an orthodontist.  I began the long process of braces that lasted until a month before I graduated from high school.  I emerged from five years of treatment with very straight teeth – a symbol of beauty in the United States.

Imagine my surprise when I recently read that some young Japanese women are paying a considerable fee to have a dentist transform their teeth from straight to crooked!  Called yaeba teeth (the Japanese word for “double tooth”), they are fang-y, pushed out incisors that often occur when the mouth is overcrowded.  Yaeba teeth are said to make girls “cute” - more approachable, less “perfect,” and will attract a suitable husband.  Cosmetic dentists glue artificial sections of tooth on to the natural tooth to give it a crooked appearance. The attachments are removable, in case this trend goes out of style.

Life’s school of hard knocks has taught me that trying to attract a life’s partner by changing who I really am to please them is a self-defeating strategy.  Each of us comes from the hand of our Creator as a unique human being – snaggle teeth, straight teeth, or somewhere in between.  I do not want to be loved for what I look like.  I want to be valued and cherished for who I am.  My teeth may not always be with me, but my character will define me for my entire life. 

Good Samaritan?

Conservatory Orchid, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Jesus said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to

Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers.

They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away,

leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down

the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by

on the other side.

Luke 10:30-31

If a preacher wanted to update this parable of the Good Samaritan, they would have to look no further than the morning newspaper and the story from China about the death of a little girl.  Last week, a two-year-old toddler wandered away from her home and into the path of a delivery van.  As she lay bleeding in the street, people walked by or drove by on scooters, some pausing to look at her or swerve to avoid her, but no one stopping to help or call the police.  She was struck by a second van before a Good Samaritan, in the form of illiterate trash collector Chen Xianmei, lifted her out of the road and made the effort to find her mother.

Closed-circuit camera footage from the market revealed eighteen people who either walked or scootered by the body of this child, either ignoring her completely or pausing to look and then continuing on their way – all of them before she was struck by the second van.  If just one of those eighteen people had stopped to carry this child out of the middle of the street, she might still be alive today.  How those eighteen people can look themselves in the mirror is beyond my comprehension.

Life is so incredibly precious; for some people, however, it is only their life that matters.  One Chinese official told the New China News Agency, “We should look into the ugliness in ourselves with a dagger of conscience and bite the soul-searching bullet.”   Indeed, it is easy for people around the world to say, “I would have acted differently!” when, in point of fact, we have no idea how we would react until we are faced with the situation.  In the biblical narrative, the Good Samaritan totally inconvenienced himself in order to save the life of a total stranger.  If I am ever faced with similar circumstances, I pray that I will have the courage and compassion to react in the same manner.

Today’s Prayer Needs

For the family of Yueyue as they grieve the death of their child

For each of us, that we might live a life of compassion

Me First!

Conservatory Orchid,  Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

So the last will be first and the first will be last.

Matthew 20:16

…and the interstate’s jammed with gunners like me,

afraid of coming in last.

Keith Urban, Days go By

The other day I was driving in the middle lane of the Powhite Parkway, and came up behind a gold SUV who was driving behind a black SUV.  Black was not doing the speed limit, so Gold moved over into the fast lane in order to go around.  The minute Gold got into the new lane, Black sped up.  At this point, both cars are traveling at about two miles per hour over the speed limit, side by side, completely blocking the left two lanes.  Gold was not willing to go faster to get around, and Black was determined not to let Gold get ahead.

Black finally accelerated enough to pull ahead of Gold, which enabled me to pass Gold as well.  As soon as we were both ahead of Gold, Black began to slow down again.  I moved into the left lane in front of Gold, and Black immediately sped up.  I moved forward without regard to Black, however, and as I pulled away, Black began to slow again, and finally returned to the below-the-speed limit pace that the driver wanted to go.

I don’t know how many times I have watched this scenario on the highway.  I come up behind a slower driver, move to an adjacent lane to go around, and the driver suddenly speeds up, unwilling to “lose” the contest.  It isn’t that the other driver wants to go the faster speed, it is simply that they don’t want another driver to pass them.  I was not surprised to discover that the two drivers involved were women; many times they are far more aggressive behind the wheel than men.

The “Me First” syndrome permeates every spectrum of society at every level, and crops up in every human being without respect to race, gender or culture.  Everything seems to be predicated on winners and losers.  Jesus said that life has nothing to do with winning or losing, but graciously allowing others to go first.  Wouldn’t that be a novel concept on the highway!

In His Footsteps

Conservatory Orchid, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

I tell you the truth: whatever you did for one of the

least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.

Matthew 25:40

In 2002, Narayanan Krishman was an award-winning chef in his early 20’s from a privileged Indian family, working for a five-star hotel and short-tracked to a prestigious promotion to Switzerland when he passed an old man in the street that was eating his own human waste for food.  Krishman was a Brahmin, who are taught that they do not touch, feed, or care for the outcasts of society.  The sight of the old man so moved him, however, that he walked away from his career, and for the last ten years has spent his days caring for 400+ people in the streets of India.

Krishman prepares three meals a day, which he takes out to the destitute of his hometown.  He hands out the food primarily to the elderly and those with mental illness.  If they are unable to feed themselves, he feeds them by hand.  He bathes the men, gives them haircuts and a shave.  He loves and cares for them as if they were his own family.  Krishman believes that the food he provides gives the people physical nutrition, but the love and affection shown in the care for their bodies gives them mental nutrition. 

Most of us will never be able to do what Mr. Krishman has done and continues to do.  But we can give.  We who are so amazingly privileged can reach out to the segments of our own society who are left behind in the dust of human progress.  We can forego having a yard sale and give our unwanted items to Goodwill or some other charity caring for the mentally disabled.  We can fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, or adopt an Angel Tree child at Christmas.  We can give to the homeless family with a cardboard sign, leaving it up to God as to how they spend the money.  We can volunteer our time at hospitals, charities, and nursing homes.  We can actively check in with our elderly friends and neighbors, seeking a way to make their lives a little more comfortable.  Our efforts may not seem like much in the overall big picture, but we can, like Mr. Krishman, brighten the corner where we are. 

Ole!

Conservatory Orchids, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet…

Zechariah 9:14c

As a musician, I like almost every type of music on the planet, but I do have my absolute favorites – two, in fact:  a male chorus and a brass ensemble.  Male choruses range from operatic to barbershop, and brass ensembles are all over the musical map in sound and style. 

Trumpets and horns date back to antiquity.  The children of Israel used the shofar (ram’s horn) to call the people to assembly and worship, announce the hour, or warn of imminent danger.  Trumpets were used in the military conquests recorded in the book of Judges, and continue on through the book of Revelation, where the angels blow the trumpet to call together the people of God.

The Venezuelan Brass Ensemble is a group of nearly fifty brass and percussion players drawn from the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.  They are an amazing group of men and women, each an artist in their own right.  Add a fiery Latin passion and a playful spirit to highly polished brass instruments and an endless cadre of percussion instruments, and you have the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble.

Child in a Box

Conservatory Orchid, Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA

Sin will be rampant everywhere,

and the love of most will grow cold.

Matthew 24:12

Phoenix, Arizona in July is a very hot location.  105-115 degrees during the day, 100 degrees still during the night.  My one ambition as a child during July was to have fun and stay cool.  That meant playing inside the house or in the shade of the yard, spending a good deal of time in the baby pool, and eating popsicles or drinking iced beverages.  Occasionally I was guilty of sneaking in the house for an extra popsicle.  I knew that I might be reprimanded, or perhaps put in time out – but never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to die because I took a treat without asking.

This past July, a little girl named Ame – who lived with a pair of distant cousins (age 23), her paternal aunt and guardian (age 44), and her maternal grandmother (age 62) – decided to sneak an extra popsicle from the freezer.  As punishment, the 10 year-old girl was forced to do jumping jacks for an hour outside in the blazing sun.  Somehow that penalty for her actions wasn’t quite enough for the sadistic family members who were supposed to love and care for her.  She was taken outside, stuffed into a plastic container resembling a small foot locker, padlocked in, and left there.  Some time during the evening/night, she died of suffocation. 

Twenty-three year old's are not known for their wisdom or longsuffering patience, and distant cousins may not feel strong familial ties.  But a middle-age aunt and senior citizen grandmother?  The cousins were charged with first degree murder because they were the hands-on perpetrators of the crime.  But the aunt and the grandmother made no effort to stop the tragedy.  For me, theirs is the greater guilt.  The other family members who knew that this child was being abused are equally culpable.

Matthew 24 chronicles the events that lead up to the second coming of Christ.  Wars, earthquakes, famines, tragedies of every stripe. Many will turn a way from the faith and betray and hate each other, wickedness will increase, and the “…love of most will grow cold.”   A spokesman from Childhelp stated: “It is really important as a community that we are aware of people around us and we look for signs and we stand up for those children who don’t have a voice.”  Amen and amen.

Music on the Subway

Conservatory Orchids, Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA

…(those) that chant to the sound of the viol,

and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David.

Amos 6:5

Joel, a young man who used to be my voice student and is now a freshman at James Madison University, tagged me yesterday morning on Facebook with an invitation to watch a Youtube video.  I opened the link and was immediately captivated, my mind pouring forth a ton of questions:  What subway?  How many instruments?  Where did they come from?  Where was this taken?  Where are they going?  The music was gorgeous – breathtaking.  But the manner in which it was being played was most fascinating, and the difficulty of such a large group staying together under such circumstances was a wonder.

A little research on Youtube revealed it to be the theme for a 2007 European movie.  That explained the quality of the video, the sparkling cleanliness of the subway, and the various cultures of the men and women who participated.  After my third or fourth viewing, I realized that I just needed to stop with the questions and give myself over to the depth and eloquence of the music.

Heaven’s creative process did not stop when the earth was finished and God was resting from His labors.  Far from it – God has continued to give and give of His creative genius, pouring down through ordinary men and women who become extraordinary musicians.  Some write for the world, others write for the church – all write for the beauty and glory of the music itself.  Performers such as those in the video become the interpreters of the written score.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy a very moving presentation.

I Hate Colds

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may

prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

3 John 1:2

I absolutely hate catching a cold.  Winter, spring, summer, fall – there is no good season for coming down with a garden-variety sniffle.  Last night was a miserable night – waking up every couple of hours with a dry hacking cough and stuffy nose – desperate for a drink of water and a kleenex.  I slept in late this morning, but it was clear from the time I finally stumbled out of bed that my normal Sabbath day of rest will truly be a day of relaxation and sleep. I don't feel well enough to do anything else!

I don’t get sick very often, and this cold is mild by anyone’s standards, but when I do come down ill, it wistfully reminds me of God’s promises in Revelation that there is coming a day when sickness, pain, grief and death will all be a distant past memory.  Nothing like that will mar the tranquility and beauty of heaven or the new earth.  There are many reasons why I want to go to heaven, but today, not catching a cold is at the top of my list!

All Things New

And He that sat upon the throne said,

“Behold, I make all things new.”

Revelation 21:5

Some time next week, a contractor friend of mine will be coming to my home with his crew to tear out my main bathroom down to the studs and cement floor.  Everything is going, including the old black and white ceramic tile wainscoting.  The reason for this expense?  Black mold that has formed on the walls behind the old plastic shower enclosure.  Mold of any kind is the source of my worst allergy, and I certainly don’t need black mold in the bathroom.

This afternoon I will be visiting several home improvement supply stores to choose everything that will go into the new bathroom: a new toilet that will actually work correctly, lights, fans, cabinet and sink, towel bars, flooring – the whole shebang.  I have never had the opportunity to start from scratch and choose exactly what I want for my living space – to create something that bears my creative signature.  It is a task I will thoroughly enjoy fulfilling.

In Revelation, God gave the apostle John a glimpse into the future when He would create a new heaven and a new earth, for “the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…”  He who sits on the throne proclaims, “I am making all things new.”  The creative genius that was so beautifully displayed when this world was originally spoken into existence has almost been destroyed by the “progress” of man.  This old earth groans with failing infrastructure, global warming, acid rain, pollution of air, land and water, etc. When Christ returns, however, He will make “…all things new.”   I cannot imagine anything more thrilling than that!

Today’s Prayer Needs

94-year-old John recovering from a heart stint procedure

An elderly parishioner placed on hospice

The families of the individuals killed in Seal Beach

Bugnut Part Two

Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA

The disciples were first called Christians

at Antioch.

Acts 11:26b

Mr. Jillette’s main concern with the word “Christian” appears to be when it is mixed with politics.  The current overtly Christian candidates in national politics are Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry.  Sarah Palin, who is not running for president, would be in this grouping, and Mitt Romney as well (although there are questions everywhere regarding calling him a Christian because he is Mormon). There are other would-be presidential candidates who are Christians, but they do not trumpet their faith with their politics, preferring to quietly live it.

Jillette has great difficulty with a statement recently attributed to Bachmann that the human suffering and casualties of the latest natural disasters (hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, etc.) was God’s message to wayward politicians to shape up.  If she did indeed state that, I have great difficulty with that concept as well.  God calls us to live our lives in service to mankind, loving Him and our fellow human beings, but He leaves the decision up to us.  Religion cannot be dictated from the bully pulpit of public politics.  It is a personal choice.  Mr. Jillette has as much right to choose not to believe as I have to choose to believe.

In my book, true Christians are those who live like Christ.  Political ambition is not humble service.  Mother Theresa lived her faith quietly, in ways that most of us would never dream of serving.  She did so, not as a stepping stone to her next political objective, but because of her love for God - and she allowed that love to flow through her in extraordinary ways. 

Bugnutty?

Pitcher Plant - Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians3:17

Penn Jillette, half of the comedy/magic team of Penn & Teller and an avowed atheist, wrote an Op/Ed piece a few days ago in the Los Angeles Times, entitled Politics and the bugnut Christians.   He did not define the term “bugnut,” but it was obvious that it was not a term of endearment.  Prior to all the fuss about Jillette’s article, I had never heard the term “bugnut.”  Apparently in one slang context, a bug nut is a twist-on wire connector used to complete a circuit.  I don’t think that was Jillette’s idea, however, when he applied it to Christians, particularly to Christian “talk” by politicians.

Jillette (and author Susan Jacoby) believes that the term “Christian” wasn’t used very much in the larger world of language until it was applied to anti-abortionists in the Roe vs. Wade controversy in order to bring together Protestants and Catholics.  He further explains that its use expanded under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, a “born-again” Christian, and to some degree under the presidency of Bill Clinton, whom Jillette called a “church slut” because his worship attendance did not conform to one denomination.

I’m sure that the “nutty” portion of Jillette’s label for people of faith meant exactly what it always has – over-enthusiastic, weird, foolish, crazy, etc.  It is a sad truth that the newspaper would have never printed the article as written if it had referred to “bugnut Muslims” or the “bugnut Buddhists.”  Why the editors agreed that the term could appropriately be applied to Christians is beyond my imagination.

Bugnutty or not, I proudly call myself a Christian because it is not a “term,” but my name.  I am a follower of Christ – a believer in His life, His message, and His gift of salvation.  I am neither a weirdo nor a nutcase.  I am proud of the fact that I am His child, and He is my Father, mentor, and Redeemer.

Bullying

Stella Del'Oro - Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA

I led them with cords of human kindness

and ties of love.

Hosea 11:4

I have taught for the last three years at a local high school’s specialty center for music and art.  I love teaching voice and I love teaching kids, so it is in many ways the perfect job for me.  I teach a very tiny segment of the 2500 students who attend this high school, yet two years ago, I had to deal with a bullying situation in my very small classroom.  Halfway through the year, a boy and a girl from vastly different cultural and economic backgrounds decided to go after each other, and the results were astounding.  He became swaggering and sullen.  She turned inward and shut down completely.  Intervention from me, the leaders of the specialty center, and finally the principal eased the situation somewhat.  In my classroom?  The boy finally relented, relaxed, and became a productive student once more.  The girl came into class, put her head down at her computer station, and never raised it except to come up to sing when I called her name. 

Anderson Cooper of CNN recently did a program on schoolyard bullying.  A study was conducted at a top-ranked high school on Long Island, NY.  One girl, ranked highly as both a victim and an aggressor, said, “No matter what high school you go to, what age you are, what social group you’re in, you’ve been bullied and you’ve been a bully.  Once you start realizing that you can have… higher social power by putting other people down… that’s, like, how people are moving up and that’s how they’re gaining respect.”  Unfortunately, the research also discovered that 81% percent of aggressive incidents occur below the radar of adults and are never reported.

Kindness has become an irrelevant concept in our modern society.  In the corporate world, kindness is seen as a sign of weakness and aggression as an indication of strength. No one is willing to be walked on, and so we one-up the other guy to keep ahead of the game.  The emotional results can be devastating.  God calls upon us to show kindness to those around us through unconditional love.  How do we accomplish this when it is so foreign to our nature?  By standing strong in the Lord – passing on to others the awesome gift of love that has been showered down on us from above.