alt-Center

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Friday, August 18, 2017

Never pay back evil with more evil…Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.  Romans 12:17, 21^(NLT)

Our Shih-Tzu, Wellington the Wonder dog takes out his hostility on his toys.  Whenever he is frustrated, or if we have missed his feeding time by 18 seconds, the little monster heads for the toy box and throws them everywhere.  He will grab one, shake it and hurl it like an Olympic javelin champion.  His toys end up all over the room, and he just won’t put them away when his “fit” is done.  Picking up the toys is what his slaves (Mrs. Preacher and I) must do. 

What Wellie does after the carnage is done is rest his weary body. 

Anger does that to all of God’s creatures; it wears us out!  And with due respect to all that is holy and right, it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference which side of an argument you choose; anger is going to wear you out. 

In this country we have watched anger and its expressions of violence break out like volcanic explosions.  In Charlottesville this past week the (so-called) alt-Right ultra conservatives, neo-Nazis and white supremacists came face to face with the (so-called) alt-Left, anti-fascist liberals[2]; the clash of these groups’ anger resulted in three dead and 20 more injured, and un-ending news coverage and political wrangling.

I will not presume to hold-forth a solution to the woes of a nation divided as we are; I’m not that clever (or that stupid).  This is as complex as it gets.  

This morning I would simply offer a comment on the nature of how our culture’s mood has (and is) missing the mark by a wide margin.  Scripture shows us alt-Good and its evil twin alt-Evil.

David’s Psalm suggested an alt-good national mood:

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!  Psalm 133:1^(NLT)

Paul’s statement on human nature reveals the alt-Evil fly in harmony’s ointment:

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”  Ephesians 4:26a^(NLT)

When anger enters the picture the body count grows.  All you have to do is look at Wellie’s toys to figure that out!  Our national sin is the anger, vitriol, and violence thrown at each other like water on a grease fire; it won’t cease raging…ever!  And with that image comes a cry for some kind of hope…how can we put out the fires of our discontent? 

There is no easy answer to that…certainly not in a three minute devotional thought.  But there is a direction today’s scripture from Genesis suggests:

Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.”  Genesis 41:52^(NLT)

Joseph was ripped violently from his homeland, sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by his owner’s wife of rape, betrayed by people he’d helped, and yet remained without anger.  He named his son Ephraim – fruitfulness in grief.  This is much like Paul’s statement to the church at Philippi: 

…for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  Philippians 4:11^(NLT)

In the worst and best circumstances of his life Joseph celebrated being useful in the conditions life threw at him. 

And now look to the best example; in the midst of extreme hatred and undeserved evil, there was One who gave his life on a cross to make a way of reconciliation with God for those who despised him most.

For You Today

We all need to remember, and spread the word, that anger never resolves injustice; rather it clouds the issue at best, and, at worst, results in the carnage of retaliation, blood, and death.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy Pixabay.com & Russell Brownworth (own work)

[2] For definitions of alt-Right & alt-Left see NY Times article

The Secret to King David's Greatness - Part 3

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Friday, April 15, 2016

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Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.
Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.  Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!  Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.
Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you.  Help abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good.  I long to obey your commandments!  Renew my life with your goodness.  Psalm 119:33-40 ^(NLT)

We are looking at keys to unlocking the human heart, transforming the evil in our human nature into Godliness – turning the heart towards God’s will.  King David is our example.  We have learned so far that he was teachable and pro-active.

Thirdly we discover that:

David understood the difference 

between riches and money

Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!  Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

I think it’s actually quite hilarious that we come to this section on April 15^th – tax day!  Trust me, I didn’t plan it; you can’t plan this stuff…really! 

There is such an abundance of teaching about wealth and the use of money throughout Scripture that it’s not easy to make a summary in the five minutes we have for this devotion.  We have, for instance, people like Solomon, (a pretty smart guy) in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes; we also have Job, the guy who learned the hard way.  In the New Testament we have James, and lots of Paul, and, of course we have Jesus.  We even have Paul quoting Jesus.

Here are a few:

Paul:  …for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  Philippians 4:11b^(NLT)

Paul:   For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.  1 Timothy 6:10a^(NLT)

Jesus:  I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”  Matthew 19:24^(NLT)

Paul quoting Jesus:  For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  Romans 14:17^(NLT)

Each of these short statements is packed with the principle of greatness of heart.  When someone has learned to keep money in perspective, whether it is a small amount or a king’s fortune, it is then possible to see life in God’s Kingdom clearly.

In talking about the difficulties that come along with riches, Jesus gave the illustration of a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle.  The humor of that aside, it is a compelling picture of one’s trappings keeping him on the outside.  If that “needle” happened to be a short, narrow passageway into the city, the rich man would have to dismount the camel, strip the saddle off and anything else ol’ dromedary was carrying so the beast could kneel and wiggle through that opening.  If the trappings of life are too meaningful, you spend your life outside the city to which you’re travelling.  You’ve lost your perspective.  And money always clouds perspective; it doesn’t take much to clog the eye of a needle.

Paul told the church at Philippi he could be content whether his pockets were slam-full, or dead-broke; what was important was the peace beyond understanding (which he’d come to understand and cherish much more than wealth, power or position).

The heart often learns best when it sees things as if looking through a mirror.  And, nothing could be more so than with money or possessions. 

The way to genuine financial health (keeping money in its place) is to be found in giving things away. 

Jesus taught:

…anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.   John 12:25b^(MSG)

For You Today

Greatness of heart shows up in some measurable ways.  When’s the last time your bank statement said at the bottom line:  REAL and ETERNAL? 

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…and have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:   By Jastrow, via Wikimedia Commons