paravanes:meditations

Growing up, one of my favorite TV programs was "Lost in Space." During the first season of the program, there was a serious sci-fi edge to most of the storyline. An episode in the last season featured carrot monsters (!) During that first season, two of the major characters in the series (a sabataging stowaway, Dr. Smith, and an all too human Robot) have a discussion that runs like this: Dr. Smith : Would you like to try your hand at a game of chess? Robot : If you wish to play the game, I will join you. I am not programmed for free will (free choice). Dr. Smith : Don't worry about it, free will is vastly over-rated. Is free will "vastly over-rated"? Is free will responsible for all of the messes polluting our world? The world is truly filled with violence, not just in Tunisia, Congo, Afghanistan, or other places famous for their fierce environments. There are armed conflicts on every continent, except Antarctica, and there are no signs of abatement....

I am just old enough to remember where I was when the news reports mentioned (first) that Dr. Martin Luther King had been shot in Memphis. A quick follow up mentioned his death. I grew up in a household where King's speeches were listened to on vinyl records and his books lived on my father's bookshelves. My family often talked about King in those first years after his death. We marveled at his courage--both physical and moral. As a child, I wondered why there was so much anger and animosity at his dream of a race-barrier free society. Was there really a compelling reason why busses, water fountains, parks-playgrounds, and other spaces had to be segregated? Later, as an adult, I questioned the silence demonstrated by so many churches during the early years of the civil rights movement, particularly in the South. Why didn't pastors, Sunday School teachers, church officers, and others in the more traditional, conservative (Bible believing?) churches see something unjust, ...

During my last few months of grad school, I took extra time to read and reflect on the big transition ahead. That was over 25 years ago, and one book from that time continues to speak to me: Pilgrim's Progress , by John Bunyan. Yes, the language is not easy for those who don't enjoy challenging sentence formats and older English --there are modernized versions for the rest of you (ha! ha!)-- but there is something in this book that requires your attention if you want to hold a deeper vision of what the Christian life and direction is all about. Written while Bunyan was in prison for preaching without a state sanctioned license, the book is a fictional account of one man's journey from life to life. The book's subtitle, "from this world to that which is to come", is rarely used. I picked up a copy of the book because I knew it was a classic, and wondered why so many people owned it and so few actually read the book. The term "progress" intrigued m...

The first line of the doxology at the end of Ephesians chapter 3 is one of those passages some of us memorized in the King James version (as young people) and never forgot: “Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or think…” The NIV translates it this way: “Now unto Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen.” –Ephesians 3: 20, 21. I have seen preachers bring entire congregations to their feet by reciting these two verses. Everyone seemed to think they would get more, more, and more of whatever they have imagined they would like. Actually, the idea here is that I may get something very different from what I am asking, something so different that I would never imagine it, never think to ask for it, and possibly have a hard time recognizing it.. I will get what God imagines f...

Lights, candles, gifts, happy music, favorite foods, hymns and carols, Christmas Eve worship service, special decorations, family and friend gatherings…it sounds like Christmas. Time away from work or school, perhaps time spent alone or with one or a few others. Sleeping late, watching movies, reading, cleaning house, remembering those who once lived and then left us, loneliness, isolation, extra work hours, rushed meals, feeling a slight or deep dread of what the new year may bring…it sounds like Christmas. Wherever is going on in my life this Christmas, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. “Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” –Isaiah 53: 5 (NIV) Why doesn’t peace just bring more peace? In a way, it seems odd th...

It's easier to start a trend than it is to stop one. Stil, some trends need to be stopped. While reviewing my tweets, I came across a quote from Oscar Wilde: "Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much." Oscar Wilde is not someone I would associate with Christian teachings or theology. Why do so many well meaning people quote him on this topic? Is his statement true, or even useful? At first, the comment sounds a little humorous, like something that might generate a little chuckle in my throat, or a knowing nod of my head. What happens when I think about this statement more deeply? Forgiveness is a gift I give myself, not my enemy. Perhaps my enemy isn't even sorry for the offense, doesn't recognize it, and would only hurt me more if I let them into the closer areas of my life. I no longer care about "annoying" my enemy. I care about healing my heart and my soul from the damage done by an enemy. Forgiveness frees me to say: You, de...

A few days ago, I received in my email an invitation to a talk on angels. This talk, presented by an artist who works in clay and other ceramics, was to be focused on how inspirational angels are and how the artist's inspiration is channeled into ceramic pieces. I have always wondered why angels are such an item of interest, especially in the minds of those who don't pursue God with the same energy or interest. Scripturally, angels are messengers of God and from time to time, they intervene in human affairs. Angelic appearances always point back to God . Near the end of the Book of Revelation, John the Revelator is so overwhelmed by what he has seen that he bows in worship to the angel who has assisted in the revelation. The angel's response is to say "Do not do it"! Continuing, the angel explains his role as a fellow servant of God. From Revelation 22: 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to ...