I can hear the groans from my fellow administrators now - “where is he going with that one?”.  Thanks for being patient with me, guys.  OK… let me explain.  First, I wanted to get your attention.  Second, I actually believe that prayer works - not only works, but has incredible power when offered in true faith.  A power that is desperately needed (and let’s be honest - is generally not very apparent in this day and age).  Third, that statement is a quote - both from me in my past, and from my son not too long ago.  If we’re honest, I’ll bet we’ve all had that question enter our minds at one time or another.  So I want to explore the thought… because when my son asked that a couple years ago I did not have a good response - and that shook me.

Jesus said if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we could (casually, it seems) tell a mountain to hop into the sea and it will happen.  I’ve never tried that, but I can name hundreds of things I have asked for/claimed/believed for in faith/etc… that never happened.  All seemed like good things.  I see now that some of them weren’t.  That’s part of my answer.  I have less understanding of what is really for my good than my 3 year-old who can’t understand why candy for every meal isn’t a good thing for him. 

Another part is that I think we really do miss out on incredible blessings and powerful benefits that effective prayer, offered in true faith, will deliver. Why do we miss out? (I know that would have been a better way to word the title, but I told you I wanted to get your attention).

How is this for a promise to answer just about every prayer you can think of?

Your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. You will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am ‘.  Your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. The Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

I think that pretty much covers it.  If you want more than that, I really have no answer for you.  I’m not sure there is much I could ask for or desire that is not in there.  Here’s the rub.  These promises come from God’s Word.  But they are given with some “ifs” (all from Isaiah 58):

Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am ‘
If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.

“But.. but… but… Jesus said that it was “just” faith.”  Yeah, we all have big buts (quoting another deep thinker there, any other child of the 80’s remember who?) - but those are not big buts.  The real question is: what is faith?  God’s Word tells us that faith without works is dead, and that even the demons “believe”.  James gets downright sassy with that passage (my paraphrase): “You say you believe?  Good for you.  You know… you should be really proud of your accomplishment - you’re doing as much as the demons of hell.”  Man, that’s talking some smack.  I know I’ll never approach that level of genius in sarcasm.

The point is:  God will do His part.  His promises are real and powerful.  But His entire Word is true.  We can’t take the seemingly “easy” path that some verses can imply if read in a vacuum and expect to see any kind of power in our lives.  Nor can we take the “hard” (or perhaps"impossible”) standards we seem to be held to in other verses and give up.  His entire Word is true.  We have a role to play.  One that requires real commitment and sacrifice.  I believe we need only step onto the mat - really commit to the fight - and He will meet us there.  And when He does, we can not lose.  But He will not step on the mat to fight our battles if we do not step out to fight with Him.

After Don and I posted our thoughts on the story of the rich young man/rich young ruler in the Gospels, I spent some time talking to my brother about our interpretations of this story.  Frankly, he didn’t agree with us on some points, despite the fact that we agree completely on our overall core beliefs.  We had a great discussion on the deeper truths that we do agree on: salvation is a free gift of God’s grace; yet scripture is clear that our actions are also critically important.

Shortly into the conversation, we had drifted far away from the specifics of the rich young man story.  Near the end, I told Rich that I always try to stress that the obligation to love others as ourselves, and actively sacrifice for their good, is not a burden.  My personal experience is that I struggled with our decision to adopt.  I felt a heavy burden of responsibility to care for my family’s financial and emotional needs with my income and my time and effort.  I knew I could not have the same “certainty” of doing that after committing to adopt 2… OK, now maybe 5… kids on top of the 3 we already had.  I came to a point where I knew that it was wrong to hold onto that.  That I was required to surrender all to follow Jesus, as He demanded of everyone He called when He was on earth.  Since I have done that (or at least started that process), I have experienced a joy and a peace that I have never had before.

He responded by telling me a personal story I had not been aware of.  He had spent many years burdended with a desire to be married and have a family.  That was not happening, and he was 36 years old.  He had vocalized “turning the matter over to God” many times, but never really had.  One day brushing his teeth, it hit him like a ton of bricks that he just had to accept that it might not happen for him.  In a very real way - a way he never had before - he gave that over to God.  He experienced a spritiual and emotional breakthrough that day, and ironically, met his future wife shortly thereafter.

At first blush, these are seemingly conflicting ideas as to what it takes to get that “breakthrough” moment and really connect with God.  And they are if you’re looking for a formula for success - but God is not about formulas - He’s about relationships.  But I was struck by the parallel between our stories, the story of the rich young man, and the stories of everyone Jesus called.  He demanded one thing of everyone He asked to follow Him (or who asked if they could follow Him).  That was simply this: give up control over what you value most and turn it over to Me.  Surrender that one thing… that one thing that you most desperately want to hold on to (and thus free yourself to surrender everything).  The rich young man walked away sad when he learned the cost of following Jesus.  That cost may not be our posessions - it is both harder and more freeing than that.  The cost is control - truly valuing relationship with Jesus over anything else in our lives.

Every time I read Matthew 19, I try to think about how my life lines up with Jesus’ demand of the rich young man.  But here’s the problem.  No matter how hard I try – even when I know I’m doing this – I can’t help but make excuses and explain away why it doesn’t apply to me, or why I’m OK living how I do.  I try to get past myself, but I can’t.  The human mind and defense mechanisms are a fascinating thing.  So, I thought I’d do the opposite:  instead of figuring out how I should change to get in line with scripture, I re-wrote scripture to match my lifestyle and thought process to get a different perspective on the mismatch between what I “believe” and what I do.  I think a full Bible in this translation would be a best-seller - maybe I’ll call it The Practical Application Bible since I’ll base it on what I do, not what I say I believe.  It sure provides some comfort (I based it on the King James translation because it sounds so much more official).  As to accuracy and integrity of the message… well,  let’s just say that you may not want to be in my vicinity about now due to the pending bolt of lightning that is probably coming for me.  It was rather shocking for me to see it this way - just how far I had to pervert Jesus’ message to fit the way I see myself living.

Matthew 19:16-29 (Practical Application Bible)
16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  22But when the young man heard that saying, he turned away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. But Jesus stopped him, and saith; Wait… no… I spake more strongly than I might… sometimes that happeneth… thou art OK, really.  If thou shouldst say the sinner’s prayer thou hath no need to change thy lifestyle.  For, lo; my message is one of ease and comfort.  23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, it is easy for all, even a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.  24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God than it is to walk through an open gateway.  25When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly relieved, saying, all then can be forthwith and easily saved.  26But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are easy, and upon my sacrifice… very, very easy.  27Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?  28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that was irresponsible and rash… yea, stupid even.  Ye are children of the King because of what I will do – you need do nothing difficult.  In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  29And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall have acted foolishly - for such sacrifice is not necessary; all who call on my name will receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Just in case you don’t remember off-hand, what follows is the original KJV.  Maybe presenting this as well will allow me to dodge that bolt of lightning…

Matthew 19:16-29
16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  18He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,  19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.  23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.  24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.  25When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?  26But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.  27Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?  28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  29And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

I have a really good one this week… at least, really good for me.  Jesus must be the center of all we are.  That is where our peace is, our joy, and our transformation.  Our lives will be transformed if we truly have Him as the center of all we are - and He must be that center.  Scripture is clear that there is no other way to where we must be.  This Pensee is a good reminder of that fact.  I often wonder how I can let such basic truths - things that I fully believe - slip away without these reminders.

The Christian religion, then, teaches men these two truths; that there is a God whom men can know, and that there is a corruption in their nature which renders them unworthy of Him. It is equally important to men to know both these points; and it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness, and to know his own wretchedness without knowing the Redeemer who can free him from it. The knowledge of only one of these points gives rise either to the pride of philosophers, who have known God, and not their own wretchedness, or to the despair of atheists, who know their own wretchedness, but not the Redeemer. Let us herein examine the order of the world and see if all things do not tend to establish these two chief points of this religion: Jesus Christ is end of all, and the centre to which all tends. Whoever knows Him knows the reason of everything.

The God of Christians is not a God who is simply the author of mathematical truths, or of the order of the elements; that is the view of heathens and Epicureans. He is not merely a God who exercises His providence over the life and fortunes of men, to bestow on those who worship Him a long and happy life. That was the portion of the Jews. But the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Christians, is a God of love and of comfort, a God who fills the soul and heart of those whom He possesses, a God who makes them conscious of their inward wretchedness, and His infinite mercy, who unites Himself to their inmost soul, who fills it with humility and joy, with confidence and love, who renders them incapable of any other end than Himself.

We’ll say it’s #5, I can’t remember.  I certainly haven’t followed up on my promise to post weekly Pensees (thoughts) by Blaise Pascal.  The pace of news related to Ludlati and other things more directly related to our mission pushed these into the background.  But, we find ourselves with a bit of a lull, which I am only too happy to fill.  Here goes:

This is our true state; this is what makes us incapable of certain knowledge and of absolute ignorance. We sail within a vast sphere, ever drifting in uncertainty, driven from end to end. When we think to attach ourselves to any point and to fasten to it, it wavers and leaves us; and if we follow it, it eludes our grasp, slips past us, and vanishes for ever. Nothing stays for us. This is our natural condition and yet most contrary to our inclination; we burn with desire to find solid ground and an ultimate sure foundation whereon to build a tower reaching to the Infinite. But our whole groundwork cracks, and the earth opens to abysses.

For context… this particular thought from Pascal is grouped with others expressing his observations on the state of man apart from God.  I think he could not have said it better.  I believe human nature, our true spirit, is in anguish without something truly permanent and solid to attach ourselves to.  We are willing to try to meet that need with almost anything, things that are at best unproductive, and are often destructive.  There is no answer other than “abiding in Christ” (see John 14-15).  I think we often fail to see and appreciate what a wonderful gift God gave us in removing our need to continue that search.  He is so good.  He is so perfectly what we need.  What a gift.  A gift that we should do our best to return to others in both physical and spiritual need.

Why is it that this quote speaks so strongly to me, and has for years, and yet I sit in my slum and make my own mud pies so frequently?

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy has been offered to us. We are far too easily pleased, like an ignorant child who goes on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea.
-C. S. Lewis

Gee, you all are going to think I’m some kind of raging wacko… but now you can add angry to my list of tired and discouraged.  Although, praise God, He is lifting out of the discouraged part of it.  And that’s the worst.  Remember in the Christmas classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life, when Gabriel calls Angel 2nd class Clarence to give him instructions, Clarence asks about the problem with George Bailey: “Is he sick?”  Gabriel replies: “Worse… he’s discouraged”.  The most true and profound words in that entire movie, although often overlooked.  Our enemy knows what saps our will to do what we need to do, so he uses that weapon often.  We need to see it as that.

So now I’m angry.  Easy enough to happen when someone wrongs me and treats me poorly.  But today, someone wronged my wife and treated her poorly.  Thus angry is not really a strong enough word if I let my instincts take over. 

But that is not God’s way, and I have no excuse for that reaction, or to feed my natural emotion.  Jesus told me to love my enemies, to do good to those who intentionally, spitefully do me ill.  WHAT!...  WHAT!  Not just to find a way not to stew over it, but to DO GOOD to those who intentionally do me ill.  Just one more reminder of a biblical theme that should have so many implications to us every day, every moment.  Our lives should not make sense to the world.  If we act like Jesus did, if we act like he commanded us to act, the world should be SHOCKED at our behavior.  If those around me think I am normal, I believe I have a problem with God (by the way, on the surface I am very safe here - no one has EVER thought I was normal - although not always for the right reasons).

We should not fit in.  Our giving, our compassion, our forgiveness, our grace, our self-sacrifice, should stand out to the extent that we look like we’re certifiably insane to the world.  Jesus’ grace toward me looks like that.  And when asked how to pray, Jesus included the line “...forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…”.  This applies to our lives at work, at home, and in the context of KnownToMe, it applies in the arena of giving of our time and our money.  If my financial plan, budget, expenses, savings, giving, etc. make sense to the world, fit in any way into the world’s range of “normal” scenarios, then I beleive I am failing to meet God’s extraordinary calling to those who follow Him - all of us - it’s in His Word for all of us, not just a special calling for a select few. 

Good news - He promises extraordinary joy and blessings in return to those who follow him in this way… things good beyond our comprehension such that they make even less sense to the world around us.  His way is not the world’s way.  Those who would be first will be last, and the last first.  He turns all of this around for our benefit in glorious ways if we allow ourselves to become the last… true servants to others.

“I close my eyes, only for a moment… and the moment’s gone.
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity…”

One of my favorite songs ever - Dust in the Wind, by Kansas.  A haunting expression of the fleeting nature of life and the lack of meaning and permanence of all that is of the earth.  But, as Kerry Livgren (later of Kerry Livgren & A.D. - an 80s era Christian rock band) was trying to implicitly express with this song, there is much that we can do that is of permanent value.  Following Jesus’ commands is how we love him, how we build treasures in heaven, and how we can help others do the same.  We can allow our lives to be “dust in the wind”, or we can change the world forever, and lead others to eternal life by showing real care for them here and now.

It should be an easy choice if we truly understand that everything that we do and build that is not part of God’s eternal plan is dust in the wind.  But even for me, as I’ve experienced the joy of starting… not completing by any means… but just barely starting to follow Jesus in this way… even having seen and felt the joy in this… I get tired and discouraged.  I’m tired and discouraged today.  No real reason, no excuses.  Just keeping it real.  You see, for me, it has always been obvious that our earthly pursuits are nothing more than dust in the wind.  It’s just been hard for me throughout my life to have hope that I can do anything that is not going to blow away in a moment.  That’s where obedience comes in.  Sometimes that’s all we have to keep us doing what we have been commanded to do.  It should be enough.

We wrapped up our Red Letters book study last week, and decided to keep the 8:30pm Sunday chat going with weekly topics until January when we start a new book.  This is a great chance for some of you who could not commit to the weekly chats to join us.  Our topics will be new every week since many of us have holiday obligations that will mean missing a week here and there.  So please, join us - even if only for a week.  This week’s topic will stand alone so you won’t be behind when you start and you won’t be left hanging if you can’t make it next week.  I really want to get to know more of you.  The chats are a fun way to do that.

Since no one else has stepped up with a topic, I guess I have to.  Hmmm… lets see… Oh, I know.  A Pensee by Blaise Pascal.  This one is very short and sweet, but will challenge you in many ways if you really think about it.  Here it is:

Wretchedness: Job and Solomon

That’s it.  But it speaks volumes.  Advance reading in your bible to remember these guys, while not required, may be helpful.  Consider Job in his misery.  Consider Solomon in his glory… but also in his corruption and emptiness (Eclesiates, anyone?).  The topics:

Compare and contrast the wretchedness of these two men.

Which was more wretched?  Why?

Who knew God more closely, who was more faithful?

Now, the biggee: what does your reflection on the relative wretchedness of Job and Solomon make you think/realize about the relative wretchedness of the Africa some of us have seen in person relative to the wretchedness of America?

This is one of my favorite Pensees.  Many have written entire books and not said as much as Pascal did with four words.  When I first read this, I put down my book of Pensees and did not pick it up again for several weeks because these four words gave me so much to think about.  If you can’t make the chat, please comment here with your thoughts.  Please… I want to get to know you.  There is one area in Known to me that I feel like I/we are at risk of failing at - that is, building real friendships and commuinity among EVERYONE here.  Chime in or join the chat, even if just to humor me at first.  I think it will grow on you.

“Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship, because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ, long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients. We thank God for what He has done for us. We thank God for giving us brethren who live by His call, by His forgiveness, and His promise. We do not complain of what God does not give us; we rather thank God for what He does give us daily… In the Christian community thankfulness is just what it is anywhere else in the Christian life. Only he who gives thanks for little things receives big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts.”
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I am thankful for the deep blue evening sky, laughter, the noise of the wind in the trees or rustling the corn around our house, the peace and quiet of solitude (OK, little of that these days, but even so…), a furnace and a warm house, the smell of pies in the oven, a warm meal, work I can do to provide for my family, health, life, friends, family – especially my wife, freedom, Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s grace, God’s inclusion of a role for me in His plan for this world.  I could go on, but I would start to bore you…

I am thankful for this holiday.  I am thankful.  Sometimes that is a statement of faith for me rather than a statement of emotional feeing.  But I’ve found that God honors that statement of faith and provides the emotion when I make the statement and act consistent with that statement.

I believe there is a deep spiritual mystery in thankfulness, and the blessings and freedom an attitude of thankfulness opens up to us.  And it just feels so good…

Today I’m going to borrow from two forum posts by one of our members, Christine.  I think both are moving and relevant to the message we are trying to convey.  Before I dive into that, an update on our carepoint:  We have chosen a carepoint – Ludlati – which you can see starting at 4:10 through 8:50 in the “Part 1” video from Monday’s post.  Opportunities to connect with our community there – financially and personally will follow shortly.  More pictures and video from Ludlati will be posted by this weekend.

The first borrowed content is an excerpt from a devotional by Oswald Chambers (I especially like the last two sentences of the first paragraph – very Pascal-ish, so this will substitute for the weekly Pensee):

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  James 4:8
 
It is essential to give people a chance of acting on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual, you cannot
act for him, it must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message ought always to lead a man to act. The paralysis of refusing
to act leaves a man exactly where he was before; when once he acts, he is never the same. It is the foolishness of it that stands in the way of hundreds who have been convicted by the Spirit of God. Immediately I precipitate myself over into an act, that second I live; all the rest is existence. The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will.

Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it… The feeblest saint who transacts business
with Jesus Christ is emancipated the second he acts; all the almighty power of God is on his behalf…

The second post I’m borrowing from describes a short-term mission trip:

My daughter and I traveled to the DR in the summer of 2008 with Windsor Road Christian Church and GO Ministries. Here is the letter we wrote upon our return. The trip didn’t turn out exactly as planned…

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71

For me, Psalm 119 polishes off this post perfectly.  What I take from this is that we spend too much time fighting, praying, and believing for our comfort, peace, prosperity…  All good things… all things that are ours through God’s promises… but just not where I see God telling us to focus in most of His Word.  Those things are His job.  The emphasis for us is on taking action.  Taking action in ways that are uncomfortable and that require sacrifice, discomfort, and risk.  Accepting that we have a cross to bear, that the world will hate us because it hated Him first.  And knowing that somehow, in His plan, we will grow and benefit from that.  Refusing affliction denies us the ability to learn from Him (I know you may not like that but don’t blame me – I didn’t say it – He did (see Psalm 119 above)).  I believe that there are incredible, wonderful promises of what we receive as God’s kids.  But we somtimes become so focused on “what’s in it for me” that we spend our time and effort pursuing benefits for us rather than DOING what we are told to do.

He’ll do His part.  I don’t have to (and I can’t) make him do His part, and that’s not my job anyway.  I just need to do my part (which means DO what His Word tells us to DO) and rest in the comfort that He is Omnipotent God of the Universe, and He loves me with a love that I cannot comprehend.  Maybe I’m nuts, but given those parameters, somehow I think He’ll uphold His end of the bargain. 

Our Red Letters book study starts this sunday at 8:30pm on our chat page.  We’ll have some questions to spur conversation, but please add your own Sunday.  Contact us if you have any questions about the chat page or the book study.

To continue my theme of lacking focus, some additional stuff:

Don is home, but Jenny and I have not heard from him or Barbra - we plan to get together tomorrow evening to talk about the trip and how we’ll move forward from here.

Since I can’t have a post without trying to spur thought and conversation with something philosophical, I’ll leave you with lyrics from The Chior’s classic song Consider… discuss among yourselves.

Consider your laughter…
Consider My tears…
Consider My love…
Consider your fear.

Consider your heart.

Really consider each of those lines for a moment or two, then consider the lines and paragraphs together.  I could write an entire book about what these lyrics speak to me.  Choir lyrics are a close second to Pensees in thought provocation.  If you don’t know about The Choir, you really must buy Circle Slide, Chase the Kangaroo, and Wide-Eyed Wonder… really.

Ok, I’ve been told I jumped in too fast with Pensee #1.  I’ll give a bit more explanation on the Pensees and a more straightforward one this week.  Obviously, the real business we’re about this week is Don’s trip.  If you’re here for Don’s posts this week from Swaziland, just scroll on past this.  But humor me while we wait for Don to post something new.  These are really fun - they make me think.

Pascal intended to compile his Pensees (thoughts) into an argument supporting God’s existence and Christianity as the religion that accurately reveals God to the world.  He died before compiling the Pensees into the form of a book, but categorized them into broad groups with the intend of attempting to formulate his argument by making observations about the nature of man and the world.  Major themes are:  order (structure) in the natural world, man’s lost state apart from God (especially vanity, wretchedness, and boredom), the potential for greatness in man, contradictions in man’s nature, and finally a transition from knowing man’s nature to knowing God.

Thus many of his thoughts are very dark and seem despairing… remember that in these thoughts he is attempting to show our frailty and wretchedness apart from God.  He has an equal number of thoughts about our potential for greatness through God’s redemption.  In fact, this contradiction in our nature – wretchedness, with the potential for greatness – is probably the most important theme in the Pensees.  So don’t write off the bleak and despairing thoughts too quickly, but consider them in light of the contrast with our redeemed state as a part of the body of Christ.

So, with that explanation fresh in our minds, let’s think about one that highlights Pascal’s thoughts on this contradiction in our nature… here it is:

Is it not clear that man’s condition is dual? The point is that if man had never been corrupted, he would, in his innocence, confidently enjoy both truth and happiness, and if man had never been anything but corrupt, he would have no idea of either truth or bliss.  But unhappy as we are (and we should be less so if there were no element of greatness in our condition) we have an idea of happiness but we cannot obtain it.  We perceive an image of the truth yet possess nothing but falsehood, being equally incapable of absolute ignorance and certain knowledge; so obvious is it that we once enjoyed a degree of perfection from which we have unhappily fallen.

This one will help you know where he’s going when I get into the darker ones highlighting our fallen condition apart from God.  Comments?  Questions?  Disagreements?  This one is out of order and I’m violating the genius of Pascal’s approach; which is to studiously avoid stating the argument or giving any idea where he is even going until he’s made enough insightful observations and thoughts that you agree with his conclusion before you even know he’s making an argument.  This is fun for me, so I’m going to keep posting these – you’ll start to get the feel for them but I really would like your thoughts on them over time, even if those thoughts are: “what in the world does that mean?”

The email below is from a staff member of Children’s Hope Chest to an online prayer group called iFast58.  As I read it, I was moved to tears and haunted by the question of how I allowed myself to put this in a box and not care for so many years.  I just flat out didn’t care.  That’s the reality, and I’m not going to sugar-coat it.  I knew full well that children like Dima existed, but I never opened myself to any level of personal compassion (that word again) for them.  It is an interesting parallel to the biblical concept that “faith without works is dead”.  I did not really care until AFTER I began to act out of obedience to what I saw in His Word, and my level of care and desire to serve orphans and the very poor has grown exponentially for every small action I take to physically help.  Don’t put off action until you “feel” an emotional call.  God will supply the emotional desire and the joy of doing His will when we act… at least that’s how it worked for me.

As I contemplated the iFast58 request today, my heart was broken. The profile of a young boy named Dima caught my attention. I am not sure why it caught my attention it has been sitting on a credenza in my office for weeks. But today, I began to think about him – how he is a little younger than my son Luke. I thought of how Luke sometimes needs his mom just to hold him or he will just come snuggle with us – Dima does not have that – he is alone. It is easy to dismiss Dima because we don’t know him – he is on the other side of the planet – out of sight and out of mind.
I want you to meet Dima:The is no current information on his parents.

In Russia , when a child is orphaned, they are stigmatized for life. Their options for education, work and a future are very limited. Their suicide rates are high as is their propensity to abuse drugs. Organizationally we have needs but I would prefer that you pray for Dima today. Please pray that he does not feel lonely when he goes to bed at night. Please pray that when he is scared someone will be there to tell him it is ok. Please pray that someone will encourage him and tell him he is special. Please pray that despite his circumstances that he will feel loved and not worthless. Please pray that he would feel the presence of a loving God who wants to him to know that he created him for a purpose.Thanks!

Courtesy of Merriam-Webster online…

com·pas·sion
Pronunciation: \kəm-ˈpa-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin compassion-, compassio, from compati to sympathize, from Latin com- + pati to bear, suffer

Compassion: sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it

Today, the root words forming compassion mean a lot to me:  Com - meaning with, or alongside.  Pati - to suffer.

Don will soon leave his family to travel to Swaziland.  Motivated by compassion.  I remember the tears when my wife left with her dad to go meet our kids in Ethiopia.  I stayed behind with two of our bio kids and believe me, there was some suffering.  The pain of feeling so alone was intense, knowing my wife would be far from home, beyond contact, beyond my ability to provide anything that she might need.  Seeing my son and daughter weep like I had never seen them weep before as I peeled my 7 year-old daughter from her mother’s neck.  In my weakness, I’m not willing to go through that again… not right now anyway.

That’s why I am so humbled and feel such admiration for Don and his family.  I know what they are feeling, and I also know first-hand that the joy that comes from demostrating compassion consistent with God’s plan competely overwhelms the suffering.  Especially when our suffering in a short-term mission is just that: short-term.

The pain we felt was the pain of being alone - without someone we love beyond what we can express.  But Jenny was with her Dad and our 10 year-old son.  I was with her mother and two of our kids.  Not alone at all.  Not compared to the hundreds of millions of children who wake up each morning with no one to hold them.  No one to cry with them, No one to comfort them, No one to tell them they love them.  No one to just quietly put a hand on their shoulder and to say, “I’m in this with you”. 

Today, think about the little, comforting things you would miss if your loved ones were not with you.  Think about kids who long for those comforts with all their being, but will never experience them without you and me.  They exist… they are very real.  I remember how painful it was for me to suffer the absence of those comforts.  Even though I knew Jenny’s absence was short-term, even though I had the benefit of a background of experiencing that kind of support throughout my life.  I weep (I actually am right now as a matter of fact - I have an office at work so I can close my door… thank God for small blessings) to think of kids who experience the grief and pain I experienced - but without hope.

I know Don will leave with some questions, among them: “what can I bring to the situation I will see?”.  Through Don, God will bring someone to cry with those kids, someone to put a hand on their shoulder, someone to tell them that we love them, and that we will not leave them.  He will suffer with them, as will his family who will miss the comfort of his presence - and they will together feel the comfort of God’s joy and peace.  That is my definition of compassion today.