Where Is God In The World Today?

Continuation from yesterday:

I mentioned yesterday the momentum that the coming election has gained in the news these last weeks.  Not at all my favorite time to watch the television.  Even the news is filled with unpaid campaign crap.  

And I get frustrated. To say the least — poor me.

This is when I am grateful for Rogu TV.  No political commercials.  

Some -- many I would guess -- have asked in the last three year, maybe more: “Where is God in our world today?”

To be honest I have slipped into that mode of wonder myself at times.  My question is not so much where is God, but what good can come out of the political mess  as I perceive it?

To be truthful, the mess flow much deeper than just politics.

Now remember I am a Traditionalist by birth.  I am also a total idealist too boot.  I am very clear that I want everyone to live as Jesus taught. Including me.

So it would seem that I am trapped in a box of non-imagination.  

I said ‘so it seems.’

The truth is, I can see way way back in history.  

I can remember nasty labor strike that tore, a small desert company, town apart with hate and anger.

I can remember seeing the huge mushroom cloud, from the first atomic bombs test, in the desert some hundreds of miles, from where I lived.

I have actually experienced an earthquake that shook the earth to destruction in a town not a hundred mile away.

I have seen Presidential candidates come and go and experienced the division they left in their quake.

I live through the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm; and watch the aftermath of those useless wars.

I watch on television the passion for justice and freedom as the Berlin Wall came down on that historical night in 1992.

I have experience a crushing divorce, after twenty-four year of marriage, that left me broken and, at one brief moment, suicidal.

I spent a week-end, in April 2002, filling the pulpit for a pastor who had been living with the aftermath of 9/11.  I listened to the stories.  I stood looking far into the hole of destruction.  Read the posters and message, from all around the world, on the fence around that little Episcopal church.

I have watch two congregations grief stricken, and divided, because a beloved pastor had use his power for sexual misconduct.

I have served as an ordained pastor since 1989 and watch, what was suppose to be people of love and grace, be mean and hateful instead.

You might say I have been around the block several times in my 77 years.

I am not patting myself on the back for all the life experience I have lived through — not at all. I just what you to hear my take on where God is, has been and always will be in our world today.

And what I have gratefully learn is that God is God no matter the circumstance.

God is active in our lives and in our world. No matter if we like what we see and experience of not.

God is the one solid, and sure, hope for this messed up and crazy world.  He brought order out of void and nothingness in the beginning.  And He still does today.

We are just not privy to all the circumstance involved.

A "non-anxious presence"

Have you ever given any thought to those cylinder structures that stand tall, just off the coast lines? They warn and direct and guide seafaring vessels as they move through fogy days and dark nights.

The image I am imagining, in my mind this morning, is a foggy evening with that muted light, of a lighthouse, flashing through the cloudy air casting a, train like, horn through air.  

That tall tower’s silent presence directs, warns and is reliable to all who encounter it.  

Ted Loder, in his book The Haunt of Grace (page 170) writes about a true leader being a “non-anxious presence.”  Suggesting that Jesus was such a presence to his disciples; and those he walk among.

I am thinking again about how Jesus approaches Peter on the beach, after breakfast, when He asked him three times: "Peter do you live me?" Jesus had just risen a few days before.  And had come to have breakfast with His disciples; who had just come in after unsuccessful night of fishing. 

After eating with all of them, He wanted to check in with Peter about denying Him three time, a few nights before, in the courtyard of the High Priest.

Now Jesus said nothing to Peter about the denial.  He didn't scold him or berate him.  He wasn't angry or mean.  He didn't fire him from discipleship.   He didn't make him feel guilty.   Well, not until the third time He asked "Do You love me?" 

¹⁷He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’(Jn. 21) 

Three questions: "Do you live me?"

                         

Just one request: "Follow me."

Imagine having a 'boss' like that to work with.  Imagine what that would be like to be a “Non-anxious presence.” This is a dream of mine. I strived for this, unnamed, image for almost thirty years.

This description of a leader is so completely opposite of most people who strive to lead others.  Mostly they are striving to be liked, or have power-over, or having their way sometimes at the cost of other’s feelings.

At least that is the stereotype.  Right?

Jesus came to bring a new paradigm to the definition of a leadership.  He modeled that leadership style, in the very best way.  One example was particularly powerful. Getting down on his knees and washing his students dung dirty feet.  Then telling them to do the same.

Now that the run for President has begun to gain momentum once again. I again can’t help but wonder how Jesus would match up as a viable candidate?

  

The sophomores confirmation class said “no” to the possibility as successful run for a person like Jesus.  “Too nice,” "not strong enough,” “the servant model just wouldn’t cut it.  That was in 1992, when Bill Clinton and George H. Bush were taking up television prime time telling us how good, and competent they were, while using mud-slinging attempts, charter defamation, to discredit other candidates. 

Jesus campaign carried the message of “Good News.” His platform: goodwill, mercy, grace, forgiveness, equality, and loving kindness — with a 'non-anxious presence' to go with his words.

It has been a long time, if ever,  I have heard that kind of platform in an American election.  

Wouldn’t it be refreshing?

Wind, Earthquakes, and Fire. Good or Not?

I was lying in bed, a few nights ago, listening to the strong winds blow across Iowa.  And this thought came into my mind:  The wind — the Spirit — often disturbs our lives.  Often plays havoc with nature’s beauty. 

And yet, I actually love the wind. It is a very real reminder to me of God’s persistence. 

And since Pentecost is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to talk some about how the Spirit — ruah, wind (Hebrew) and  pneuma, breath and wind (Greek) creates. 

Think about this:  air is basic to life.  Right?  

Without taking-in, breathing, air — even plant life is impossible.

All that is natural, human or animal, even sea life breathe — take in and release air.

Random thoughts:

It was the ruah — wind, in the beginning, that moved over the face of the deep and created order out of the void.

….the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters…..and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night…(Gen.1)

On the Day of Pentecost we are told that a mighty wind blew through the house where the disciples were and filled them with a wisdom — the Spirit — not seemingly present within them before.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability (Acts 2)

Those two examples of wind seem to have made monstrous changes.  Created possibilities that were not possible before.

The wind, then, both creates and disturbs, carve and breaks, smoothes and roughs up.  Messes our hair and messes our lives.

There is also a silence in wind.  When the world is so still it makes you stop breathing for a moment.  Elijah felt this pure silence as God past by.

‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹²and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.(1 Kings)

In Old Testament theology, the forces of nature: wind, earthquakes, and fire are things that were associated with God’s presence.  All of them have powerful influence on people as well as nature.

I personally resinate to the ‘pure silence.’  This is when God can feel most present to me.  Besides the fact that there is little danger in silence.

However, the truth is, it is the more powerful and effective forces of nature, that cause refinement and cleansing.

Fire, in its distraction, also purifies.

Earthquakes and wind are capable of great damage and destruction; ruining people’s life and property. But then come the possibility of rebuilding, beginning again, making something new.

When God came in a mighty wind and tongues of fire, on the Day of Pentecost,  He made a huge impact on those present. A much larger impact than Jesus did  just standing before them breathing on them and saying “receive the Holy Spirit…” on that first Easter night.

²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ (Jn.20)

My imagination is that when God can’t get us to listen with, a breath of peace, he then uses a more forceful method to get our attention.

Like striking Saul with lightening (my interpretation) on the road.

³Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground…(Acts 9)

It was God’s only way to get Saul’s full attention.

I don’t know about you, but I do think there are times when God has to knock me down; in order for me to realize that he is there to pick me up again.

What do you think?