The Need for Integrity

“There are five gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the life of the Christian. Most people will never read the first four. Make sure your life points to Christ.” Rodney “Gipsy” Smith (1860-1947) – British Evangelist.

I heard the words above quoted by Andy Bannister on last Thursday’s Just Thinking radio broadcast. You can listen to the whole segment here. Bannister’s talk is titled “Responding to the New Atheists” and focuses primarily on how Christians should react to leading Atheist thinkers such as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens. Bannister reveals that many atheists, including Dawkins, have tried church and had such a poor experience they dismissed the faith or concluded altogether that Christians are hypocrites. In doing so, Bannister reminds believers that our integrity is vital for credibility.

As I think about how many people my age are leaving their faith and becoming the New Atheists, the importance of character becomes even more evident. In his book, UnChristian, Barna Group President David Kinnaman, writes that their research shows 85% of  20-something, non-church goers identify Christians as hypocrites. Surely, hypocrisy is one, if not the main, reason why the American church is shrinking. The remarks by Bannister and Kinnaman are enough to get me very discouraged about the behavior of Christians and image of Christianity.

Last night, though, I was pleasantly reminded that all is not lost. My roommate and I hosted our weekly small group bible study and we discussed our paths to Christianity. Of the eight people there, at least three shared stories about how they saw something different in the lives of their friends. This brought them to wonder what was so unusual about them and then to Jesus.

The people they talked about were filled with hope, grace, peace, joy, and faith. It was not their strict adherence to a specific doctrine or political views that American Christianity can sometimes become but actions of self-sacrifice and love and their deep relationship with God that stood out. It was so encouraging to hear about the positive impact these Christians are having. I pray that I am one of them.

Does Abstaining from Pre-Marital Sex Lead to a Happier Marriage?

I recently experienced an interesting conversation at work. We were on break and the television blared Anderson Cooper’s new talk show. Cooper’s topic for the day was “purity ceremonies”. (You can watch the preview at the show’s website here.) Purity ceremonies look similar to weddings but instead of pledging to love their spouse through richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, young women were pledging to their fathers to remain virgins until their wedding night.

The family that had this ceremony was displayed on the stage like zoo animals as they explained their conservative Christian beliefs. The mother described her own divorce and how that influenced her and her husbands decision to place such importance on their daughter’s purity. Unfortunately for her, it only increased the vitriol spewed by the crowd. How you can be so old fashioned? restrictive? intrusive into your kids lives? seemed to be at the center of the questions asked by Cooper and his audience. Likewise, many of the same questions were asked in our break room, and as the nearest Christian, they were aimed at me. I awkwardly described the ideas behind the families purity ceremony and hoped I was making some sort of sense. My co-workers are good people so they listened respectfully to what I had to say. I appreciated their thoughtfulness and openness to my minority opinion. After ten minutes or so of civil discussion, we went on with our work days.

I have thought about that conversation quite a bit since then. Mostly, how the church has taught me that God’s instructions are meant to help us enjoy the most fulfilling lives possible. I do believe this but wish I had some evidence supported by research regarding God’s directive to save sex until marriage. So, I decided to check into it a bit.

Here are some interesting articles I found after a brief internet search. If you have any research on the topic whether for or against pre-marital sex, please post it. After all, I could be wrong in my reasoning and invite any dialogue. I also want to add a disclaimer that this post isn’t directed at any specific person, just as a collection of thoughts after an interesting conversation. I wish everybody nothing but the best.

* Couples who wait to have sex report higher levels of sexual quality, relationship satisfaction, perceived stability, and better communication. Busby, D. M., Carroll, J. S., Willoughby, B. J. (2010). Compatibility or restraint: The effects of sexual timing on marriage relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 766-774. Click here for a short article summarizing their results from the Economist. Here is some more reaction, this time from Science Daily.

* Having more pre-marital  partners decreases marital satisfaction (at least in Lithuanians!). Legkauskas, Visvaldas., Stankeviciene, Dzeralda. Premarital Sex and Marital Satisfaction of Middle Aged Men and Women: A Study of Married Lithuanian Couples. Springer Science Online. 2008

* On average, people who lived together before marriage, report less marital stability and quality. To read this article, click here. Claire M. Kamp Dush, Catherine L. Cohan, and Paul R. Amato, “The Relationship Between Cohabitation and Marital Quality and Stability: Change Across Cohorts?”  Journal of Marriage and Family 65, No. 3 (August 2003): 539-549

* More data that couples who live together before engagement struggle. You can read another Science Daily summary here. University of Denver. ”Couples Who Cohabit Before Engagement Are More Likely To Struggle.” ScienceDaily, 13 Jul. 2009. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

* Here is one well written, and well supported, article on the Christian perspective by Dr. Steven Tracy. The first point under Pre-Marital Abstinence Based on the Goodness of God is particularly interesting.

Post-Cynical

This is something I wrote a few years ago about an experience I had even more years ago. I came back to it recently because I was again struggling with cynicism. Let me know what you think.

The greatest temptation I faced on returning home after a semester in Uganda was cynicism. This feeling was particularly strong toward anything associated with Christianity. Every church I visited reeked of hypocrisy, sinking heavy and meaningless under the weight of consumerism and comfort. There were too many capital campaigns and cushy chairs and huge speakers. Didn’t they know there were churches in Uganda meeting under corrugated tin roofs with cinder block foundations? Didn’t they know their brothers and sisters were starving and without shelter? Didn’t they know the Gospel?

They was a word I used more and more. And it is a dangerous word. It creates a group that is easy to disdain because they are not real people. And that is the most frightening part of cynicism: it detaches you from the thing/idea/people you claim to love.

I do not suggest we avoid engaging and challenging American Christianity. Nor do I suggest that we neglect the wonderful critical thinking skills we have developed through our years of education and maturation. But I do say cynicism is a fully different and darker spirit than criticism. The true critic loves what he engages; he/she wants to see what is beautiful but at the same time humbly address what needs to be changed. The true critic does their work because they love what they seek to change and they want to be changed by what they love.

I am still traveling this path and it requires an almost daily rejection of cynicism. More importantly, it requires a posture of love. There is a place for righteous anger but to borrow the wisdom of C.V. Mathew, “The voice of a prophet must be accompanied by the sound of a servant.” This is the cross we are called to carry and it is much heavier and lovelier than the slings and arrows of cynicism.

Wandering in the Desert

I have recently been reading through Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. These narratives chronicle the birth of the Jewish people (Israel) as well as their slavery in Egypt, miraculous deliverance, and  meandering road to the Promise Land. So far, it has been fascinating; especially the stories involving the behavior of the Israelites. I see similarities in their walk with God and the how present day Christians experience a life of faith.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a few tid-bits of wisdom I have learned from their crazy journey. First, it is important to realize that we need a supernatural power to break our bondage. As Israel prayed to God to deliver them from slavery, we need God to break the slave-like hold sin has on our lives. Don’t just read about God’s power, pray for it and apply it to your life. Second, beware of how you view the past. Do not chose comfort or familiarity over what God might have in store, even if it immediately makes your life harder. Doing this will deter true faith and encourage selfishness. Third, expect your spiritual life to include some wandering. Nobody has a perfect y=mx+b ascent into spiritual maturity. In fact, remember the lessons we learn by wandering, waiting, and persevering. The reality is our faith journey probably looks more like this Marshawn Lynch touchdown run than a linear progression. The point: Just keep going. On a personal note, I took a  costly chance on doing ministry when I thought God was calling me. It turns out I was wrong and now I am on my way back to finding the path God has for me. I’m realizing that everything, even wandering, can be redeemed into something valuable and transforming by God. My life is not as comfortable as it was before I took that risk, at least not right now. But, I must choose to learn from the lessons of Israel and stick with God, give him the benefit of the doubt, and believe that he is leading me to my Promised Land. Fourth, make your number one priority getting to know and obeying God while letting him take care of your circumstances. The Lord will make your path straight when you acknowledge him through obedience and love (Proverbs 3:6). Finally, remind yourself constantly that God is love (1 John 4:8), has a great plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11), and proved he is worthy of your complete trust because he sacrificed his life on the cross for you. This is important because we are people with the same faults as the Israelites and are likely to travel the same path if we don’t learn from their example.

If you have found any insights from the Israelites story, please write about it by clicking on the “Leave a Comment” tab by the title of this post. I would love to hear and dialogue about them!

Here are some classics I wanted to recommend for anyone who found this post interesting.

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God by Henry Blackaby and Claude V. King

Encouragement

Below are excerpts from a speech I gave on encouragement:

Hebrews 3:12-14 “See to it brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”

Let’s define these words to help frame the passage. We believe that God is completely good and that he desires that we restore relationship with Him and with other people. Anything that splinters our relationship with God is sin. Sin is deceitful and it leads us away from the life that God has for us. The passage is telling us that people who want the fullness of relationship with Christ must encourage one another.

Verse 12 says, “brothers, see to it that none of you has a sinful unbelieving heart.” – We, people who profess Jesus, have responsibility towards each other.

I believe this starts with self examination. In 2 Corinthians 13:2 we are told to “examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith.”

After we’ve examined ourselves, we must be aware of the condition of others in the church. The phrase “see to it that none of you” shows that this is not an exclusive command. In 1 John we are told that our joy is only made complete through fellowship with one another. Fellowship with one another is described as walking in the light; an illustration of unity with one another and with God. It’s interesting that the fullness of our joy is interdependent with the joy of others.

It’s important to define encouragement. This passage seems to imply that encouragement is anything that helps restore your relationship with Christ. I also think its important to know what encouragement is not and to acknowledge the power of our words. Encouragement is not flattery. In Romans 16:28, flattery is described as something that deceives peoples minds and Proverbs 29:5 says that flattery will cause people to fall and make fools of themselves. Flattery causes a false high and is usually used to create admiration for the person giving the flattering words. How do we know if we are encouraging someone or flattering them? I think a brief self-examination of why you are complementing someone will usually provide the answer. If you’ve examined yourself, you’re not sure, ask yourself is there a chance this might help restore this person’s relationship to Christ? If there is a shred of yes in the answer, I think it’s ok.

Realizing the power of true encouragement humbles, fosters growth, comforts us and allows us to minister to others.

Encouragement fosters growth. Encouragement from other believers has been pivotal in the growth of my talents and reliance on Christ. I remember my friend encouraging me to lead my first small group. I was somewhat apprehensive. What do I do when awkward moments arise? What if there are questions I can’t answer? How will being a colossal failure as a small group leader affect my relationships with others in the church? As I lead the group, I was encouraged despite moments of not having the answers or feeling awkward in relationships. Since that 1st year of leading a small group, I have lead about 4 other small groups. Through these groups I’ve matured in my faith and developed rich relationships. All of this started from the spark of encouragement. How have you grown through the encouragement of others in the church? How can you encourage others to grow in their gifts of service to God? Are you looking? Imagine what our church would look like if the truths of God undergirded our talents and capacity to serve Him.

Encouragement comforts us and allows us to minister to others. The encouragement of those closest in my life has been a gift and a source of God’s strength through difficult times. It has been administered to me through prayer, people speaking truth in my life and the presence of people who truly care about me. There is an indescribable power that accompanies the presence of someone who cares.

Verse 13 says that we need encouragement daily – the opportunities are available. The first step in administering encouragement – Get to know people and where encouragement will be most beneficial in their lives, then pray for wisdom to know what, how and when to encourage.

Are you afraid that God could never love you? Are you distant from God and afraid to draw close to him? Do you need to be reminded of how God rejoiced in the prodigal son who turned from his sin? Literally running and leaping with joy to meet him.

Are you going through unemployment? Do you need to be reminded of how God often uses times of humility to prepare us for a great tasks – Joseph leading Egypt or Jonah preaching to the Ninivites.

Are you anxious about the future? about marriage? having kids? Do you need to be reminded about the stories of Sarah and Hannah having kids and the joy that accompanied the birth of their children?

Do you have doubts about how God created you? Your appearance? talents? Abilities? Do you need to be reminded that you are fearfully and wonderfully made?

Are you trying to accomplish a seemingly insurmountable calling in your life? Do you need to be reminded of the reward of perseverance – complete maturity, not lacking anything?

Are you constantly being reminded of past sin? Do you need to be reminded of the words in the hymn, it is well with my soul, when the musicians pause and then proclaim, “It is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more.”

These challenges are going on daily and how we address them will affect our relationships with one another and with God.

Verse 14 brings this brief passage together by describing the power that accompanies true encouragement. Through true encouragement we will be able to restore our relationship with Christ, our confidence in his promises, and persevere in our faith till the end of our earthly lives!

My Father and my Father-in-law

Wednesday nights I volunteer with a youth program called Antioch Ministries (www.antiochnorth.com).  It is something of a cross between a youth group and a mentoring program, and we work with kids to help them learn about God, and develop in school and in life.  I work with a group of younger teenage boys, and each week when they come to Antioch, we hang out, share a meal, and have a discussion time that is either a Bible-study or some other topical discussion.

Last night was our first night back after winter break, and we kicked off the semester with a video called, “When I Became a Man.”  The video is spoken word recited by a pastor named Phil Allen, in which Pastor Allen challenges us to put away boyish toys and become men who have been transformed by the Gospel.  Being transformed by the Gospel leads to numerous fruitful things, but one emphasis of Phil’s word was that his attitude about sex and the way he perceived women was drastically altered by God.  My favorite line is listed below, in reference to how he saw his wife as God’s daughter:

“I want Him to be my Father and my Father-in-law, since that’s His daughter.”

This line sticks out to me largely because I’m getting married this summer and will soon have a wife and father-in-law, but I think there is a lesson for all of us in considering the imagery of this relationship.

Put yourself in the shoes of a newly married man.  There is obviously a strong connotation attached to the word ‘father-in-law,’—some of it good, and some of it not as good.  You respect your father-in-law and even have a sort of reverence/fear that is healthy and borne in the knowledge that before you cared for this woman, he spent twenty-some years caring for her and watching over her.  You can see the obvious love of a father for his daughter, which is a great image of God’s love for that daughter: knowing that long before I cared for my fiancé, God did, and He still does, and He does so to a greater degree than I ever can.

But lest that idea make me feel insufficient or intimidated, Pastor Allen’s quote reminds me that God is not only her Father, but He is my Father as well.  He has cared for me and looked over me for that same span of twenty-some years and He cares just as deeply about my own well-being.  Not only that, but as my Father, He is equipping me for this monumental and intimidating task of loving her, the daughter whom He—God—has brought up.

In closing, if we think this is a romance story that God built only for a man pursuing his wife, I think we miss something.  If I disrespect any soul, I am forgetting the truth that the person I’ve offended is—just like my fiancé—God’s son or daughter.  I don’t mean to make a quaint, humanist, self-worth and self-esteem conquest out of this, I just mean to remind us of the omnipresence of God.  He is everywhere.  Remind yourself that God is the Father of your spouse, significant other, or roommate, but remind yourself also that He is the Father of your co-worker, professor, student or business competitor.  And when you are tempted to let that reality crush you and stir up feelings of unworthiness or guilt, remind yourself that God is also the Father of…you.

Christians and Money

In what might be the best sermon I have ever heard, Tim Keller, Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, thoughtfully explained to me the difference between Treasure and Money (you can listen to the sermon here).  Keller’s sermon text is Matthew 6:19-34 and his three points are 1) how money controls us, 2) why money controls us, and 3) how we break that control.

Keller’s fascinating perspective on how money controls us is something that I had never thought of before. Over the past 10 years or so since I have seriously followed Jesus, I never realized how money blinds us to greed or materialism. In Matthew 6:22-23 Jesus says, ” The eyes is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Keller believes greed has the power to distort how we see things. In essence, giving us the unhealthy eyes Jesus talked about. This is different than say adultery which we know when we see it (except for the curious case of Bill Clinton). Because we cannot see greed in our own lives, it becomes necessary to have people who know you hold you accountable for materialism. So, money controls us by blinding our eyes to our own greediness. How does this happen? By comparing our status with those more wealthy. We justify our lives based on the richest people we can find rather than asking do I really need to spend this much on such and such?

I have though a lot about Keller’s second point on why money controls us. I am tempted to hoard my money or do something unethical when my sense of significance or security are at risk. Why do I desire a $40,000 car when a $10,ooo vehicle is more than enough? Why do I think that if I had 10 billion dollars, I would feel untouchable? In either case, I am choosing something of this world to fulfill my need to feel significant and secure. The reality is that if I had that nice car, someone in a nicer car would immediately drive by and steal my feeling of significance. At the cross, Jesus proved how important we are to him by sacrificing his body so that we could be in relation to him. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus comforts his followers by saying that God has provided for all his creation so do not worry about the material things of this world. At the heart of these seems to be a lack of faith in Jesus promises. And this hints at Keller’s third point; breaking money’s power.

So, how do we break the power money has over us? Keller provides amazing insight. Keller notes that we become a slave to whatever we treasure and the bible says that Jesus is the treasure that died to purchase you. And if we hold on to Jesus as he holds on to us, we will be free from being slaves to everything, even greed.

Keller wraps up his teaching by offering three tests for greed. First, he says that if we envy rich people, we are greedy. This is because you wish you had their money and that has power over you. Second, do you respect the poor? It’s so easy for us to think we are above or better than individuals who are on a lower economic level. Only people who are not greedy, respect those who have left money. Finally, how generous are you? In the Old Testament the bench mark was 10% of your gross income. The idea behind this was that you had to sacrifice something in order to give 10%. For many people today, they can give 10% without changing their lifestyle Keller says. He then argues that our bench mark is no longer 10% but enough to cause us to sacrifice some sense of significance or security to give to God. Keller supports this statement by pointing to the sacrifice Jesus make on the cross. In short, we need to have live with open hands and minds that understand just how much we have because Christ died for us.

As I contemplate Keller’s sermon, generosity becomes less of a question of what do I have to give to stay on God’s good side but as an act of gratitude because he has already given me anything. With that in my heart, enormous acts of generosity with a joyful heart are possible. In time, I may receive even more of a blessing that I could have imagined: To have my eyes opened and gain freedom from the burden of greed.

For more Tim Keller, you can check out the links below.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church

timothykeller.com

Humble Leadership

I’m fascinated by the life of Moses. His biography is filled with everything that makes a good adventure! Murder, suspense, and great characters, it has it all! Moses spent the first 40 years of his life living in luxury as Egyptian royalty (he was a Hebrew adopted by an Egyptian princess). As a result of this, he had access to the best education and resources in the world. Even in the midst of all these comforts, Moses remembered his Hebraic roots and wanted desperately to help their plea as Egyptian slaves. One day he saw an Egyptian beating his Hebrew slave so Moses stood up for his brother and killed his persecutor. The next day, he came across two Hebrews fighting and asked them why they were quarreling. They replied and asked if he was going to kill them like he killed the Egyptian. Moses becomes terrified and flees. The next forty years are spent tending sheep in the desert. In reality, the exact opposite of his upbringing. He was doing menial, dirty work. The book of Exodus notes only one meaningful event during this time, his marriage to his bosses daughter. Now eighty years into his life, Moses is finally tabbed by God to bring his people out of Egypt. Moses spends the last forty years of his life leading his people to the Promised Land.

But his leadership isn’t what sticks out to me. It is the process of becoming a leader that really intrigues me. My gut reaction is that he was ready to lead after the first forty years of his life. Didn’t he have the best education in the world and influence with all the power players in Egypt? Isn’t this how we pick our leaders today? Well, God had a different timeline. He decided Moses was ready to lead millions people only after he had faithfully performed a thankless task, leading sheep in the desert. We find this philosophy of leader-building in the New Testament as Jesus notes “whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with must, whoever will be dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). This leads me to wonder if Moses’ preparation began on his first day caring for sheep.

So, what did Moses learn during his shepherding experience? In one word, humility. Numbers 12:3 suggests that Moses was the most humble man on Earth. And humility is one thing that cannot be taught in a classroom. After forty years in Egypt, Moses thought he was ready to lead but nobody would follow. After forty years in the desert, Moses didn’t think he was qualified to lead but by then he was humble enough to follow God. J. Donald Walters puts it this way, “Leadership is an opportunity to serve. Not a trumpet call to self-importance.”  In Philippians 2:5-8 the Apostle Paul describes Christ’s attitude as another great example of humble leadership, “In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!”

Descriptions of great leaders by gurus like John Maxwell (The 5 Levels of Leadership) and Jim Collins (Good to Great) describe the type of leader Moses and Jesus were. Maxwell describes a leader as one who is relational as well as productive and Collins’ Level 5 leader has no ego. Both Maxwell and Collins say great leaders must put their followers ahead of themselves. And as I consider the leadership positions given to me, I must remember the ancient lessons on leadership taught by Jesus and Moses and encouraged by today’s top authors.

Why is humility so important for good leadership? I think there are at least a few reasons. First, it’s easy to follow people who care about you. Humble people care about the needs of others above their own needs. Second, you can trust humble people to do what is best for your group, church, company, etc. Third, humble leaders develop other leaders. What better way to prove what a great leader you are than to have your cause crash after you leave? Well, a humble leader would rather set up their cause for success by developing leaders than have it crash by not having people ready to take their place.

Do you have any other insights into why humility is so important in leadership? Please share your thoughts and any stories you have about great leadership and what made it so good!

Something I Learned From Christmas

Well, it’s the time of year for a good ol’ Christmas blog. Let me start by saying that I love Christmas. So far, my highlights have been decorating our house with my wife,  cutting down a 15-f00t Christmas tree with my good friend Dano, and enjoying Mercy Vineyard’s incredible Christmas service. Tommy Wesley closing out the service just about brought the house down. He’s an incredible gospel singer. All those awesome things have happened and it’s only December 20!

This time of year is great for a lot of reasons: family, friends, gifts, decorating, snow (hopefully), food, laughter, bowl games, generosity, giving to the poor…and of course, the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Though I love basically everything about Christmas, it can be easy to get disillusioned/cynical/jaded by consumerism/Santa/etc. Often, followers of Jesus can feel upset over how little focus is on Jesus (myself included). However, I’ve recently come to realize how good Christmas truly is, especially for those that don’t follow Jesus or have interest in celebrating his birth. James 1:16-18 gives some perspective (from the Message; sometimes this translation is just beautiful):

“So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.”

What this verse tells us (and the Bible tends to hint at quite a bit) is that all good things come from God. This short, seemingly simple passage creates a dramatic shift in thinking (for me anyways). Often, I (foolishly/pridefully) think I can only receive God’s blessings directly from him and from other believers. In reality, I think James 1:17 points to a significant truth: people who don’t believe in or follow God can still receive and be blessings from God, because all good things are from him. This is a truth that proves evident at Christmastime.

During Christmas, whether “Christian” or not, people tend to give money, food, goods, services, and gifts to the poor. People do kind things and share with each other. Families are brought together, even broken ones. People spend tons of their money on buying gifts for their families and friends.

Those are all good things! What could be more celebratory of Jesus’ birth than people doing the things Jesus commanded us to do? Especially when many of those people aren’t followers of Jesus. Christmas is the only time during the year I can think of when a vast portion of our society gets together in a concentrated effort to do good things for others. Whether “Christians” or not, whether in the name of Jesus or not, people do a lot of good around Christmas time. I would like to think that honors Christ’s birth and is truly a blessing directly from God.

This year, I’m trying to avoid cynicism/disillusionment/jadedness and instead, I’m going to enjoy the fact that a large majority of our society is going to make a concentrated effort to act like Jesus for a few weeks.

Gratitude

“Everything that is is freely given by a God of love. All is grace. Light and water, shelter and food, work and free time, children, parents and grandparents, birth and death–it is all given to us. Why? So that we can say gracias, thanks: thanks to God, thanks to each other, thanks to all and everyone.”

-Henri Nouwen

I think we need to realize the radical nature of this perspective. If everything is a gift, how can we hold onto things? How can we claim to deserve anything? These are hard questions. I think I’ll just start with thank you. Thank you for reading.

Merry Christmas!