Wake the Dead

If its too loud, well, then you must be too old.

Doesn't this just sound like some young punk making excuses to play his music as loud as he wants?  He's laying the blame on those he's offending, instead of taking the blame for being the offender.  After all, this is America, the land of the free ... free to do whatever I want.  Even if it means inconviencing someone else.  "I can listen to what I want, as loud as I want.  If you don't want your kids hearing these lyrics, take them somewhere else.  If you don't want them to see me dressed this why, go somewhere else.  If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk."

But, hey, wait a second.  Don't some of these words sound a lot like what Jesus said?  Jesus came to "Wake the Dead" and the apostle Paul said "Wake up you sleepy heads".  They sound pretty close to biblical quotations to me.  (Of course, if you've read my blog, you'll know that most everything I see or hear has a biblical lesson in it somewhere.  This one comes closer than many others though.)

I don't think anyone would call Jesus and Paul 'young punks' making excuses for their behaviour.  However, they do lay blame on those they offend.  "If you don't like my message ... If you don't like my lifestyle ... "  Well, the truth is, if the Truth offends you, you must prefer lies.  You must be "old and dead" and set in your ways.

Jesus spoke very harsh words to the Pharisees.  He called them golden cups filled with filth, and beautiful, white-washed sarcophagi filled with dead-mens bones and cobwebs.   Yes, his words were offensive.  His lifestyle condemned their own, because his was righteous, and their's wasn't.  In effect, Jesus said "If my message is too loud, then you must be too old."

So, to all my fellow Christians  --  Turn It Up!

Walking with Ryan

My son and I went for a walk the other day to the corner market, to get a couple drinks.  He talked as we walked through a parking lot, heading for a narrow gap in a chain link fence.  At one point I had to grab his shoulder to point him in the right direction, because he kept drifting into me.  It was a bit annoying, since there was only one obvious exit.  But, he's only 10, and was talking at the same time.  I can't really expect him to walk in a straight line while his mouth is open.

I find the same thing happens in life, in general.  I found myself walking beside other people, metaphorically speaking.  We may or may not be headed to the same place, but we are beside each other for a few days, weeks, or even years.  (Its hard to believe my wife and I have been walking side by side for close to two decades.  I'm just not old enough to have been married that long.)

Some of the people I walk with wobble back and forth, getting in my way.  I'm heading for a specific place in life, and they're steppng in front of me, veering into my path, or forcing me off the sidewalk altogether.  Most of the time, this is unintentional.  For example, I want to be a writer, a real writer who spends his days at home ... um ... writing.  However, my boss won't pay me if I don't show up for work.  See, this is what I'm talking about.  How can I follow my dreams if I'm expected to spend so much time at work?  Of course, there are other drains on my time, energy, and money.  All of these 'things' force me off my elected path.

The same can be said of my spiritual life.  I want to spend more time with God, to truly grow in righteousness and grace and knowledge of God.  All those things the apostle Paul prayed for all Christians to experience.  However, I have a family, so I can't just hare off and become a monk, forsaking all the world in pursuit of spiritual perfection.  Nor can I honestly expect my family to leave me alone to just "leave me alone" while I have a quiet time spent with God.  Our house is too small for me to hide in.

Then there are 'friends' outside of my family and my church.  These are the ones who distract me, showing me other ways of spending my time and my money and my energy.  They aren't specifically targeting me and trying to draw me off the path to God.  They are more like my son, just going their own way, wobbling around, bumping into me, and subtly nudging me off the sidewalk.

Ryan and I finally made it to the corner market and got our drinks.  I knew where I was going, and guided him along the way, too.  I suppose there's a lesson in that, too.

Active Context

In The Way of Aikido, by George Leonard, he writes of waking up listening to an orchestra outside his window, surrounding him.  Beautiful music all around.  Why was there an orchestra outside?  Especially at this time of night?  Then he reached up and touched headphones.  He'd fallen asleep listening to a CD, and woken to a musical interlude.  Instead of an orchestra, it was a CD.  Big difference.

What made the difference?  Context.  His understanding of what was really  happening at the time.  As his understanding changed, so did the whole event.

When we read the Bible, we need to be aware of the context.  Who wrote the passage, to whom, when, under what circumstances.  Read the verses, paragraphs, and chapters before and after.  Getting the whole picture will allow us to understanding the text.  (There is a story of a frontier preacher who taught that Elisha wandered around carrying Elijah's fireplace mantle, because he didn't know a mantle was also an article of clothing.  Just had to throw that in.  *grin*)

But, as Leonard points out, context isn't just a "passive container for our experience," it is an "active process dealing with how we weave our experience together to give it meaning."  Context isn't just for interpreting the Bible.  Its how we look at all of life.  Context "impels and directs our thoughts, emotions, and actions."  So, the way I see things will directly affect the way I interact with them.

If I see a problem, and focus on the problem, I'm giving my energy to it.  I need to focus on those things that made me successful, and direct my energy that way. In the words of Leonard, I need to make sure I don't lose sight of what made me successful in the first place.

And, just what is that?  It is God.  Daily time with God.  Imbibing his Word.  Resting at his feet.  Practicing his presence daily.

Notice in the quote by Leonard, he uses the singular "experience" and not the plural "experiences."  Life is all one piece.  We break it up into days, weeks, years, morning, noon, and night.  But, it is one.  One big experience.  I can't separate my Sundays from my Mondays just because the hour hand slips past the twelve in the depth of the night.  God isn't trapped by the hands on my watch.

When I go to work, or go shopping, to family reunions, or sit down to pay bills (not that I pay bills, my wife does, but you get the picture), what situation am I walking into?  Am I an interloper?  A pariah?  Low man on the totem pole?  Or, am I an ambassador of Christ walking in the power of the his Spirit?

Context.  Is this a problem, or an opportunity for God to show his power amongst those who need to witness his power in action?

I wanna be ...

My daughter announced two days ago she's decided what she wants to be for Halloween:  a pirate.  A splendid, romantic idea, except for the fact that pirates are foul thieves and murderers.  Historically speaking, they terrorized the Caribbean and coastal waters of the southern United States.  Go a bit further back in history, and you'll see they were employed by the English, French, and Spanish in warfare against each other.  Today, the problem is arising again off the east coast of Africa.  I don't think I want my daughter even pretending to be a Somali warlord.



She also said she'd like to be a "Bratz."  Okay, a cool little doll, like a modern Barbie.  But, Bratz appear to be spoiled little girls who dress like tramps.  My opinion only.  I don't play with them, or watch them on tv.  But, the dolls I see ... well, that's too grown up for an eight year old.  I don't think I want to see her dressing like a Brat either.

Her third choice:  She like to dress up like a bride ........

Suddenly, a pirate doesn't sound so bad.

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