Here's what my Bible says. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV)
In the aftermath of what analysts are calling the worst natural disaster ever to strike the western hemisphere, the American people have responded with an immense outpouring of generosity and support to the beloved citizens of Haiti. Dozens of entities - most notably the U.S. military, the American Red Cross, and countless other organizations dedicated to providing essential disaster relief - have sprung into action. In the same way that Americans came together after the devastating tsunami of 2004 and the terror attacks of 2001, the people of Haiti are witnessing firsthand what we as a nation can do when united by a single purpose and a common vision.
Unfortunately, the messages of hope and goodwill coming from America in the past two weeks have been marred by the ill-considered and inappropriate remarks of Christian televangelist Pat Robertson. Two days after the earthquake struck, Robertson declared on his show, The 700 Club, that the earthquake (and Haiti’s destitution in general) is the manifestation of God’s punishment for a pact that the Haitian people made with Satan in 1791 in order to drive the French colonial presence from their land.
Not surprisingly, these comments have sparked outrage in many quarters. Tell me why,in the face of unimaginable suffering, sorrow, and misery, would the Rev. Robertson have decided that now is a good time to suggest, in essence, that the Haitian nation “had it coming?” Why would he imagine that he, or any other person, is qualified to make such a judgment?
It’s true that, as Christians, we believe that God can and does use natural events to express his righteous judgment. The Bible is full of instances in which people are punished by floods, fire, and yes, earthquakes as a result of sins committed against God and against each other. We’re all familiar with the story of Noah and the flood, the fiery judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the ten plagues of Egypt. The Old Testament book of Isaiah prophesies about God’s punishment on the earth, telling us that “the earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word.”
Verses 18-20 discuss earthquakes in particular: “…the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.” (Isaiah 24: 18-20 ESV)
Thus, it is not out of the question that the terrible natural disasters that have occurred over the centuries, including plagues of disease, have been evidence of God’s displeasure with mankind. It is also quite possible that God’s wrath has nothing whatsoever to do with these events. Jesus addressed this point explicitly with his disciples, who were quick to surmise that those suffering from various calamities and persecutions were being targeted for their sins or the sins of their fathers:
“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2-5 ESV)
In this passage and elsewhere, Jesus redirects the disciples’ attention from the outward to the inward. Instead of speculating about the sins of others or the judgment of God, he says, we would do well to examine our own hearts and ask forgiveness for our own sins.
Christians should not be quick to assume that because calamity has befallen another, sin is the root cause of their problem. The disciples made just such a mistake when they observed a man blind from birth and asked Jesus “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2 ESV) Jesus simply responded, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3 ESV) Jesus then went on to heal the man.
God’s ways are not man’s ways. (Isaiah 55: 8-9) Therefore, rather than indulging in the temptation to assign blame when others suffer misfortune, we would do well to examine our own lives, repent of our own sins, and seek to be at peace with our neighbors.
We are commanded by God not to judge others, but instead to love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ teaches us that we are all sinners; we all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Let us all, therefore, respond to the tragedy in Haiti with an attitude of humility and repentance as we reach out to help those in need.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I've Been Curious
I have some questions that I’d like answered. Some of these questions are deep, questions that people have been asking through the ages. Others are just things that I can’t figure out. They are in no particular order. I’d love to hear how you’d respond to any of these. If you're reading this just leave a post comment on my blog.
1. Why do we say mean things to those we love most that we’d never consider saying to a stranger?
2. Why do young people full of potential suffer and die, while aged folks who have lived their lives and are ready for heaven linger?
3. Why are Americans who have so much sadder than people who live in impoverished countries?
4. Is there life on other planets?
5. Why did God create the universe that is mostly invisible to the human eye?
6. How do people fall in love?
7. Why does the largest animal, the blue whale feed on one of the smallest, krill?
8. Why does doing the right thing often seem hard, while doing the wrong thing comes so easily?
9. Why is it that we know a lot of people, but have so few good friends?
10. Why can I birdie one hole and get a triple bogey on the next?
11. Why is reading a novel easy while reading the Bible takes real effort?
12. Where are all the technological changes leading us?
13. Why are TV’s getting larger and smaller at the same time?
14. How can some people suffer much and remain happy and positive and others complain at the slightest inconvenience?
15. How can Congress that oversees the Post Office which loses billions of dollars a year doing the simple task of delivering a letter possibly oversee something as complex as the health care system without major cost overruns?
Makes me curious. How about you?
1. Why do we say mean things to those we love most that we’d never consider saying to a stranger?
2. Why do young people full of potential suffer and die, while aged folks who have lived their lives and are ready for heaven linger?
3. Why are Americans who have so much sadder than people who live in impoverished countries?
4. Is there life on other planets?
5. Why did God create the universe that is mostly invisible to the human eye?
6. How do people fall in love?
7. Why does the largest animal, the blue whale feed on one of the smallest, krill?
8. Why does doing the right thing often seem hard, while doing the wrong thing comes so easily?
9. Why is it that we know a lot of people, but have so few good friends?
10. Why can I birdie one hole and get a triple bogey on the next?
11. Why is reading a novel easy while reading the Bible takes real effort?
12. Where are all the technological changes leading us?
13. Why are TV’s getting larger and smaller at the same time?
14. How can some people suffer much and remain happy and positive and others complain at the slightest inconvenience?
15. How can Congress that oversees the Post Office which loses billions of dollars a year doing the simple task of delivering a letter possibly oversee something as complex as the health care system without major cost overruns?
Makes me curious. How about you?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
After the First of the Year
You heard the phrase more than once during the Christmas season. “Let’s wait till after the first of the year.” You probably said it yourself. Maybe quite a bit.
“After the first of the year.” During the frenetic Christmas holiday we speak of early January as though it were a wide open, barren expanse of schedule where meetings, appointments and get togethers are free to roam and plop down at their leisure. Somewhere along the way we’ve convinced ourselves that January is December’s pressure release valve; the calendar’s junk drawer where we shove everything in our schedule we don’t have time for now but plan to deal with someday soon. It seems a distinction we give only to January. When’s the last time you heard someone say, “Things are crazy right now. Let’s wait till after Flag Day.” ?
Practically speaking, there’s no difference between turning the calendar page from December to January than turning it from July to August. And if we really analyze our schedules, every month is as busy as another. We mark time by clocks and calendars. Calendars offer the potential to set deadlines. That’s good. Calendars also offer the potential to slide commitments to a future day. That’s procrastination.
Those who know me well sometimes compliment me on my ability to be productive under pressure. I do my best work, they say, in the 11th hour. They mean it as a compliment. The fact is I work well under pressure because I’ve had years of practice laboring at the last minute. I’m sometimes (now much older than I used to be) a procrastinating perfectionist. Yes, I think I often do work well under pressure. Just don't want to do it all the time that way, though.
There is something insidious about “the first of the year”. Insidious in that it becomes an acceptable escape for our failed resolutions and procrastinations. “I’ll start in January” we tell ourselves (sometimes in February or March) when we fail to follow through on a personal improvement promise. After twelve months of pushing them off, we arrive at the New Year only to find it loaded down with the old year’s unfulfilled goals. Add this year’s good intentions and it’s almost too heavy for lift off.
Now that we’re here in 2010, how are we going to spend our time? Some of us make lists of resolutions only to feel guilty a month later when we haven’t followed through. Nothing wrong with resolutions. But maybe a better way to be productive is to admit and act on the fact that some things just aren’t worth our time.
One time study done some years ago showed that Americans in their lifetime will, on average, spend 6 months sitting at stoplights, 8 months opening junk mail, 1 year looking for misplaced objects, 2 years unsuccessfully returning phone calls, 4 years doing housework, and 5 years waiting in line. Analyzing those statistics another way, if we got rid our our phones, quit buying Windex and Lemon Pledge, moved to a cabin in the middle of Montana and traded the car for a horse, we could get 13 years of our life back.
A simple step toward making the most of this year is to not give our time to everything that screams for it. Maybe it means listening to more music and less TV. Reading more books. If you don’t use coupons, don’t waste time cutting them out. Maybe it means admitting that the planet will continue to spin if your house goes an extra few days without being vacuumed and dusted. Don’t reorganize the junk in your garage. Purge it. And could we all make a corporate resolution to recapture 8 months of our lifetime by holding the junk mail in our hand without opening it and speak aloud the words of King Solomon, “Behold, there is nothing new under the sun” before throwing it in the recycling bin?
A successful 2010 may depend as much on what we don’t do as what we do do.
It’s officially “after the first of the year”. Here’s to not doing the unimportant. Here’s to not procrastinating in doing that which is important. You know which is which.
Now go make friends with your recycling bin.
“After the first of the year.” During the frenetic Christmas holiday we speak of early January as though it were a wide open, barren expanse of schedule where meetings, appointments and get togethers are free to roam and plop down at their leisure. Somewhere along the way we’ve convinced ourselves that January is December’s pressure release valve; the calendar’s junk drawer where we shove everything in our schedule we don’t have time for now but plan to deal with someday soon. It seems a distinction we give only to January. When’s the last time you heard someone say, “Things are crazy right now. Let’s wait till after Flag Day.” ?
Practically speaking, there’s no difference between turning the calendar page from December to January than turning it from July to August. And if we really analyze our schedules, every month is as busy as another. We mark time by clocks and calendars. Calendars offer the potential to set deadlines. That’s good. Calendars also offer the potential to slide commitments to a future day. That’s procrastination.
Those who know me well sometimes compliment me on my ability to be productive under pressure. I do my best work, they say, in the 11th hour. They mean it as a compliment. The fact is I work well under pressure because I’ve had years of practice laboring at the last minute. I’m sometimes (now much older than I used to be) a procrastinating perfectionist. Yes, I think I often do work well under pressure. Just don't want to do it all the time that way, though.
There is something insidious about “the first of the year”. Insidious in that it becomes an acceptable escape for our failed resolutions and procrastinations. “I’ll start in January” we tell ourselves (sometimes in February or March) when we fail to follow through on a personal improvement promise. After twelve months of pushing them off, we arrive at the New Year only to find it loaded down with the old year’s unfulfilled goals. Add this year’s good intentions and it’s almost too heavy for lift off.
Now that we’re here in 2010, how are we going to spend our time? Some of us make lists of resolutions only to feel guilty a month later when we haven’t followed through. Nothing wrong with resolutions. But maybe a better way to be productive is to admit and act on the fact that some things just aren’t worth our time.
One time study done some years ago showed that Americans in their lifetime will, on average, spend 6 months sitting at stoplights, 8 months opening junk mail, 1 year looking for misplaced objects, 2 years unsuccessfully returning phone calls, 4 years doing housework, and 5 years waiting in line. Analyzing those statistics another way, if we got rid our our phones, quit buying Windex and Lemon Pledge, moved to a cabin in the middle of Montana and traded the car for a horse, we could get 13 years of our life back.
A simple step toward making the most of this year is to not give our time to everything that screams for it. Maybe it means listening to more music and less TV. Reading more books. If you don’t use coupons, don’t waste time cutting them out. Maybe it means admitting that the planet will continue to spin if your house goes an extra few days without being vacuumed and dusted. Don’t reorganize the junk in your garage. Purge it. And could we all make a corporate resolution to recapture 8 months of our lifetime by holding the junk mail in our hand without opening it and speak aloud the words of King Solomon, “Behold, there is nothing new under the sun” before throwing it in the recycling bin?
A successful 2010 may depend as much on what we don’t do as what we do do.
It’s officially “after the first of the year”. Here’s to not doing the unimportant. Here’s to not procrastinating in doing that which is important. You know which is which.
Now go make friends with your recycling bin.
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