The days come ‘round again to read
of a place where creatures come to feed
and satisfy many a basic need:
for bodies a meal...for spirits, a creed.
For the wealthy, and those less well-off,
for the unschooled and the college prof,
the souls that pray, and those who scoff
all repair to the feeding trough.
For humans, no less than bird or beast,
from hunger’s shackles must be released,
be it a bare crust or a sultan’s feast...
our flagging forces must be increased.
So, who provides for our needs each day
and fills the feeding trough with hay?
Who pities the fevered, famished stray
that wanders headstrong out and away?
And what do his creatures need the most
from the treasuries of this kindly host?
Are our hearts and bodies too engrossed
to hail our Lord with a thankful toast?
For in the night this Lord came flying
to the aid of lost ones dead and dying;
O see Him there in the manger lying,
with His fouled creatures identifying...
In the feeding trough of Bethlehem
see the Baby--Heaven’s priceless gem--
who is born to feed the least of them:
even those who’d mock him and condemn!
They borrowed a manger for His birth
when their own Creator graced this earth.
Let us feed on Christ with thankful mirth:
Bread of endless life...Wine of wondrous worth!
by Mark Aikins
December 13, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
The Feeding Trough
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Salt and Light
One of the most basic and challenging problems of being faced with biblical truth, is the problem of the conventional voices we hear all around us: voices that present themselves as “common sense” while, biblically, they are known as “worldly wisdom.”
Horrific episodes such as world wars, mass murders, despotic regimes, sex trafficking, crime waves and the like, leave no doubt that our world is a broken, hurting, often desperate place. Yet, contrary to what the Scriptures teach, a myth continues to prevail in the thinking of average people that unaided human effort will be able, given enough time, money, education, unification, government programs and legislation, to cure this sick world we live in.
At the beginning of Jesus Christ’s most famous sermon--the Sermon on the Mount, after listing the virtues that encapsulate the character of His followers (the Beatitudes), the Lord launches into His stirring interpretation of the law of God. Throughout His message to His disciples, Jesus continues to emphasize the inner spirit of the law, making the point that even the most pious outward behavior of the most devoted law-keeper (such as your average Pharisee) is not enough to earn entrance into God’s eternal presence and blessing.
One can readily see that this is why Christ’s sermon started with a Beatitude countdown, designed to include both outward actions such as mourning and peacemaking, and inner attitudes like poorness of spirit and purity of heart. His listeners there in the First Century, every bit as much as readers here in the Twenty-first, tend to limit their attention and energies to the urgent business of “doing the right thing,” while neglecting the inner spirit of the law. Not only is it crucial to give attention to both inner and outward aspects of God’s requirements in order to please our Maker...it is also crucial in the practical battle of curing the world’s ills!
Even the most heroic human efforts to quash the forces that cause moral darkness and decay, end up leaving the root cause of the disease unaddressed. This root cause is what theologians have called “original sin,” and the only divinely prescribed remedy is what Jesus Himself described as a new birth--a birth from above (see John chapter 3).
In Matthew 5, immediately after the Beatitudes section, we read Jesus’ famous words to His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world.” Was He simply engaging His followers with a rah-rah-style pep talk meant to energize them before He sent them out to change the world with their unaided manpower? No. He had already listed character traits that set the standard far higher than a merely human cross-bar. These qualities were clearly ones that necessitate a profound, supernatural, spiritual heart transplant!
Let’s paraphrase this for a moment: Jesus told them, “You followers of mine, you who are poor in spirit, weep over your sins, are known for your meekness, yearn to be right with God, are quick to forgive and sacrifice for others, major on keeping a clear conscience, do all you can to heal all grievances, follow after godliness even when it costs you everything...you are salt and light for the rottenness and darkness of this sin-sick world!”
Can we agree that these traits are pretty far off the radar screen for your average heroic type-A human problem-solver? What government initiative or non-profit bureaucracy even pretends to see these as job qualifications for its agents of progress? Only one organization on earth can lay claim to such a roll-call of spiritual prerequisites--the one Jesus claimed He would build on the foundation of the prophets and apostles...the one He would empower to overrun the very gates of Hell.
The shocking, earth-shaking point the Savior is making in this pronouncement is that His church, made up of born-again believers who receive and obey His truth with childlike faith, they are the ones He is counting on to reverse the tide of global corruption and bring the floodlights of divine truth to the darkened corners of Satan’s dominion.
Christian leader, worker, teacher, businessman, official, dad, mom, teenager, writer, blogger, athlete, couch potato, whatever...
Christian: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.
Christian: Go and spread your saltiness on others. Go and shine the light of God’s Good News.
Christian: Do it now. Do it today. Do it everywhere and anyway you can.
God has no other plan.
Horrific episodes such as world wars, mass murders, despotic regimes, sex trafficking, crime waves and the like, leave no doubt that our world is a broken, hurting, often desperate place. Yet, contrary to what the Scriptures teach, a myth continues to prevail in the thinking of average people that unaided human effort will be able, given enough time, money, education, unification, government programs and legislation, to cure this sick world we live in.
At the beginning of Jesus Christ’s most famous sermon--the Sermon on the Mount, after listing the virtues that encapsulate the character of His followers (the Beatitudes), the Lord launches into His stirring interpretation of the law of God. Throughout His message to His disciples, Jesus continues to emphasize the inner spirit of the law, making the point that even the most pious outward behavior of the most devoted law-keeper (such as your average Pharisee) is not enough to earn entrance into God’s eternal presence and blessing.
One can readily see that this is why Christ’s sermon started with a Beatitude countdown, designed to include both outward actions such as mourning and peacemaking, and inner attitudes like poorness of spirit and purity of heart. His listeners there in the First Century, every bit as much as readers here in the Twenty-first, tend to limit their attention and energies to the urgent business of “doing the right thing,” while neglecting the inner spirit of the law. Not only is it crucial to give attention to both inner and outward aspects of God’s requirements in order to please our Maker...it is also crucial in the practical battle of curing the world’s ills!
Even the most heroic human efforts to quash the forces that cause moral darkness and decay, end up leaving the root cause of the disease unaddressed. This root cause is what theologians have called “original sin,” and the only divinely prescribed remedy is what Jesus Himself described as a new birth--a birth from above (see John chapter 3).
In Matthew 5, immediately after the Beatitudes section, we read Jesus’ famous words to His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world.” Was He simply engaging His followers with a rah-rah-style pep talk meant to energize them before He sent them out to change the world with their unaided manpower? No. He had already listed character traits that set the standard far higher than a merely human cross-bar. These qualities were clearly ones that necessitate a profound, supernatural, spiritual heart transplant!
Let’s paraphrase this for a moment: Jesus told them, “You followers of mine, you who are poor in spirit, weep over your sins, are known for your meekness, yearn to be right with God, are quick to forgive and sacrifice for others, major on keeping a clear conscience, do all you can to heal all grievances, follow after godliness even when it costs you everything...you are salt and light for the rottenness and darkness of this sin-sick world!”
Can we agree that these traits are pretty far off the radar screen for your average heroic type-A human problem-solver? What government initiative or non-profit bureaucracy even pretends to see these as job qualifications for its agents of progress? Only one organization on earth can lay claim to such a roll-call of spiritual prerequisites--the one Jesus claimed He would build on the foundation of the prophets and apostles...the one He would empower to overrun the very gates of Hell.
The shocking, earth-shaking point the Savior is making in this pronouncement is that His church, made up of born-again believers who receive and obey His truth with childlike faith, they are the ones He is counting on to reverse the tide of global corruption and bring the floodlights of divine truth to the darkened corners of Satan’s dominion.
Christian leader, worker, teacher, businessman, official, dad, mom, teenager, writer, blogger, athlete, couch potato, whatever...
Christian: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.
Christian: Go and spread your saltiness on others. Go and shine the light of God’s Good News.
Christian: Do it now. Do it today. Do it everywhere and anyway you can.
God has no other plan.
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Finding Heaven
When we kiss I feel a glowing coal
off the altar borne with seraph tongs.
Holding hands with you, my fluttering soul
catches snatches of supernal songs.
Swimming next to mortal friend, I’m braced
by the shocking breath of utmost North.
Silly games below are tagged and chased
by departed pets both back and forth.
Favorite films and readings we rehearse
leave lofty allusions in our mind.
Shopping sprees that empty out your purse
covet treasures of a higher kind.
Mixed with homely smells past kitchen doors
comes a hint of frankincense to me;
and each glass the bottle fills--of course!--
shimmers with a spirit none can see.
Dressed in finery or barely clad,
you appear angelic to my eyes.
Thoughts you share, though happy, proud or sad,
echo from a canyon deep...and wise.
Good pervades this region pilgrims tread,
settling, moving, striving to employ
gifts our Giver gave when “Free!” He said:
“Find my heav’n in every earthly joy.”
by Mark Aikins
November 20, 2015
off the altar borne with seraph tongs.
Holding hands with you, my fluttering soul
catches snatches of supernal songs.
Swimming next to mortal friend, I’m braced
by the shocking breath of utmost North.
Silly games below are tagged and chased
by departed pets both back and forth.
Favorite films and readings we rehearse
leave lofty allusions in our mind.
Shopping sprees that empty out your purse
covet treasures of a higher kind.
Mixed with homely smells past kitchen doors
comes a hint of frankincense to me;
and each glass the bottle fills--of course!--
shimmers with a spirit none can see.
Dressed in finery or barely clad,
you appear angelic to my eyes.
Thoughts you share, though happy, proud or sad,
echo from a canyon deep...and wise.
Good pervades this region pilgrims tread,
settling, moving, striving to employ
gifts our Giver gave when “Free!” He said:
“Find my heav’n in every earthly joy.”
by Mark Aikins
November 20, 2015
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Falling Leaves
Tall and crack-skinned sentinels
unclothe themselves as the sun shies slowly
as the lone wolf winter stalks
this copper hued cityscape.
I waste my time with diligence
uncovering our patch of dormant lawn
with sweeping strokes against the breeze
my feet wading the castaways.
October shapes are all a-round:
a pumpkin month, a warm pie time...
orange-colored dried out husks of
summer plans that simmered away at last.
Still it’s best I feel, to fall
into that windswept drift of dreams
beneath the trunks of undressed maples
welcoming naked winter’s kiss.
To fear the stillness and the snows
seems faithless while green memories
lie hidden in that hallowed crypt
out of which reformation soon will spring.
MNA 10.24.15
unclothe themselves as the sun shies slowly
as the lone wolf winter stalks
this copper hued cityscape.
I waste my time with diligence
uncovering our patch of dormant lawn
with sweeping strokes against the breeze
my feet wading the castaways.
October shapes are all a-round:
a pumpkin month, a warm pie time...
orange-colored dried out husks of
summer plans that simmered away at last.
Still it’s best I feel, to fall
into that windswept drift of dreams
beneath the trunks of undressed maples
welcoming naked winter’s kiss.
To fear the stillness and the snows
seems faithless while green memories
lie hidden in that hallowed crypt
out of which reformation soon will spring.
MNA 10.24.15
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Heart-throbs
A young mom watches as her little child stubbornly refuses to obey and is heading toward a hot stove or an electrical socket. This mom thinks that stern discipline with her daughter would produce terrible guilt feelings, and her heart tells her not to inflict pain on her sweet little girl.
A marine sergeant arrives on the beachhead with his platoon after being released from the VA hospital where he recovered from serious injuries on the battlefield. Every beat of his heart is telling him to order the other teams ahead rather than lead the charge himself.
A lonely Christian man is transferred to a facility in a remote area. There are no good churches nearby and the area is sparsely populated. There are several bars in the vicinity, notorious for catering to attractive females. Each day when his shift is over, his heart yearns for companionship as he drives by them.
Those are just three situations that serve to remind me that the human heart can’t always be trusted. Here’s another:
In spite of his top-flight training and vast experience as a starship captain, Jim Kirk has fallen in love with Edith Keeler, after traveling to earth’s past to prevent his ship’s surgeon from altering the future. As we near the end of this famous Star Trek episode, we discover along with Kirk that Edith had originally died in a traffic accident, but Dr. McCoy came back from the future and saved her life, unwittingly changing all of history. “Jim, Edith Keeler must die,” the ever-logical Mr. Spock tells his captain. What will Captain Kirk do? Follow his heart?
You and I needn’t resort to history-altering sci-fi plot devices to learn the sad truth that our hearts are quite fallible and can readily lead us astray. We don’t like to admit it, but “follow your heart” cannot be the controlling factor for virtuous behavior.
Certainly, following the dictates of our heart’s desires makes our actions understandable. For, normally, all things being equal, most of our desires run in the direction of achieving the most pleasurable goal with the smallest degree of pain or effort. Proverbs such as “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and “No pain, no gain,” and “Anything worth doing is worth doing well” too often fall on deaf ears when our hearts are faced with a painless path, an easy fix, a speedy reward.
People who achieve extraordinary things, things renowned for their great value or virtue, are generally those who take a longer look when it comes to their life purpose and their goal-setting. So often my “heart’s desire” is appallingly short-term, aiming my sights a mere five or ten paces down the road ahead. Especially when my energy is low and I am winding down after a hard day, it takes special effort to picture in my mind the possible vistas that may exist over the next hill, let alone beyond those distant blue mountain ranges of my life.
And yet, the wisest among us ought to allow visions of those distant destinations to strongly determine the kind of day-by-day, moment-by-moment choices we make today. My heart condition at the present hour might be hungering after a Big Mac and fries, but beyond those foreboding peaks out there, my heart may deeply regret such a short-sighted menu choice!
My feelings often seem overwhelmingly real--not just real in the sense of existing as feelings: real in the sense of defining reality itself. When a wave of greed or passion or hate or loneliness crashes over me, the world around me is colored by the intensity of that feeling. The world itself is greedy, passionate, hateful, lonely--not just my feelings. And I’m afraid this also applies far too often to my attitude toward God.
The most important thing to keep in mind--and in heart--about the character and promises of God is that they do not change and cannot fail. As the wonderful old hymn puts it, “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”
Romans 8:28 tells me: “And we know that all things work together for good, for them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” This promise gives me a solid answer for all the fleeting feelings that might lead my heart astray into doubt and disobedience. In His holy word the God of creation has taught me what is right and wrong, and although my heart may be shouting against His wisdom in favor of some short-term pleasure or desire, those feelings of the moment cannot be my guide.
Because my good God is ever in control of all the things I encounter along my path, I can trust Him completely, loving Him with all my heart, mind and strength. After all, He sees the path far beyond those mountains. His goal for me is all mapped out; with His guidance, I cannot miss it!
A marine sergeant arrives on the beachhead with his platoon after being released from the VA hospital where he recovered from serious injuries on the battlefield. Every beat of his heart is telling him to order the other teams ahead rather than lead the charge himself.
A lonely Christian man is transferred to a facility in a remote area. There are no good churches nearby and the area is sparsely populated. There are several bars in the vicinity, notorious for catering to attractive females. Each day when his shift is over, his heart yearns for companionship as he drives by them.
Those are just three situations that serve to remind me that the human heart can’t always be trusted. Here’s another:
In spite of his top-flight training and vast experience as a starship captain, Jim Kirk has fallen in love with Edith Keeler, after traveling to earth’s past to prevent his ship’s surgeon from altering the future. As we near the end of this famous Star Trek episode, we discover along with Kirk that Edith had originally died in a traffic accident, but Dr. McCoy came back from the future and saved her life, unwittingly changing all of history. “Jim, Edith Keeler must die,” the ever-logical Mr. Spock tells his captain. What will Captain Kirk do? Follow his heart?
You and I needn’t resort to history-altering sci-fi plot devices to learn the sad truth that our hearts are quite fallible and can readily lead us astray. We don’t like to admit it, but “follow your heart” cannot be the controlling factor for virtuous behavior.
Certainly, following the dictates of our heart’s desires makes our actions understandable. For, normally, all things being equal, most of our desires run in the direction of achieving the most pleasurable goal with the smallest degree of pain or effort. Proverbs such as “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and “No pain, no gain,” and “Anything worth doing is worth doing well” too often fall on deaf ears when our hearts are faced with a painless path, an easy fix, a speedy reward.
People who achieve extraordinary things, things renowned for their great value or virtue, are generally those who take a longer look when it comes to their life purpose and their goal-setting. So often my “heart’s desire” is appallingly short-term, aiming my sights a mere five or ten paces down the road ahead. Especially when my energy is low and I am winding down after a hard day, it takes special effort to picture in my mind the possible vistas that may exist over the next hill, let alone beyond those distant blue mountain ranges of my life.
And yet, the wisest among us ought to allow visions of those distant destinations to strongly determine the kind of day-by-day, moment-by-moment choices we make today. My heart condition at the present hour might be hungering after a Big Mac and fries, but beyond those foreboding peaks out there, my heart may deeply regret such a short-sighted menu choice!
My feelings often seem overwhelmingly real--not just real in the sense of existing as feelings: real in the sense of defining reality itself. When a wave of greed or passion or hate or loneliness crashes over me, the world around me is colored by the intensity of that feeling. The world itself is greedy, passionate, hateful, lonely--not just my feelings. And I’m afraid this also applies far too often to my attitude toward God.
The most important thing to keep in mind--and in heart--about the character and promises of God is that they do not change and cannot fail. As the wonderful old hymn puts it, “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”
Romans 8:28 tells me: “And we know that all things work together for good, for them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” This promise gives me a solid answer for all the fleeting feelings that might lead my heart astray into doubt and disobedience. In His holy word the God of creation has taught me what is right and wrong, and although my heart may be shouting against His wisdom in favor of some short-term pleasure or desire, those feelings of the moment cannot be my guide.
Because my good God is ever in control of all the things I encounter along my path, I can trust Him completely, loving Him with all my heart, mind and strength. After all, He sees the path far beyond those mountains. His goal for me is all mapped out; with His guidance, I cannot miss it!
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
...a companionship poem
An Offer of Company
I choose to spend this moment
with you, to truth-tell, to help-give, to hurt-heal...
to be trusting...and...trust-worthy
in an hour of put-downs, let-downs, drag-downs
and proud, preening show-downs.
I call for you to call
the shots, pronounce the needs, imply the desires
you wish to be addressed and stamped
and posted on whatever walls (virtual, vital, viral?)
you’ve built before, beside, between.
I only offer presence...
no presents and no prescience...for as long
as it takes, and as soft or loud
as your purring, shouting silence can stand
another faltering person at your side.
I presume your innocence of
hidden interests...and risk the raw investments
that might end in foreclosure’s blush,
for life is rushing on and we each one cash it in
to buy a bit of priceless pantheonic praise.
MNA 8.29.2015 11:59 PM
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Wishing for Companionship?
WHAT KIND OF COMPANION DO YOU WANT?
WHAT KIND OF COMPANION DO YOU WISH TO BE?
Companionship is one of the greatest pleasures you and I enjoy in this world. Having an understanding person who knows us, enjoys being with us, spends time with us, cares about our well being.
Our Creator-God places a high value on companionship. He proved this at the very dawn of time when He formed the heavens and the earth. “Let us make man in our own image...” He said, implying that the human race would reflect His own inner relationship as a being composed of multiple persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three persons of the Godhead have been in a loving companionship from eternal ages past, and it was their desire for men and women to enjoy a similar kind of relationship to one another in this created world.
When we look into the pages of the Bible, we clearly see mankind’s hunger for companionship portrayed in the garden of Eden. The first human being, Adam, was given the task of examining and naming all the other creatures around him. As he did so, he discovered that he himself was unlike the animals in many ways, but as Genesis 2 tells us, “...for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.”
God had already proclaimed that it was “not good that man should be alone” (Gen.2:18). But think for a moment: could God have solved this problem by meeting this need on His own? The Bible says that God would walk with Adam and Eve “in the cool of the day.” Wasn’t their fellowship with their Creator enough to fill this need for man not to be alone? It appears that, even though the man was made in God’s image, Adam had a uniquely different personhood--so different from God’s that it was desirable for the Lord to provide another created person to share this uniqueness with the first man. And that is why He created the first woman.
Some people have taught and believed that it is more spiritual, more godly, for a person to avoid the companionship of other human beings in order to draw close to God and have fellowship with Him. But this Garden of Eden account shows that it is rather the Lord’s will for human beings to desire and to seek after companionship with other like-minded people, so that together they can help one another to praise and serve their Creator.
When the crafty serpent tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden Tree, where was Adam? Was he there to argue against the words of Satan and remind Eve of what her disobedience would cost them and all the people to follow? Apparently not. Either he was some place else or maybe looking on and listening to find out what his wife would do. Either way, the man was failing in his duty of being a worthy companion to Eve. When the woman needed the strength to resist the devil’s temptation, her husband wasn’t available or willing to help her.
This tragedy that brought sin and death into the world brought with it a severe breakdown in the thinking, desires and character of human beings. Now, driven by selfish desires and the absence of faith in our Creator, we tend to seek to meet our needs on our own, or by taking advantage of other people, rather than by mutually bonding with others in helpful companionship. Instead of asking, “how can I help you?” we tend to think, “what’s in it for ME?” Our minds and our hearts have been tainted by sin, making us prone to all kinds of self-centered and lawless deeds.
People will preach about the supposed “Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man,” but if we look around us, we find it is a rare thing to find two brothers who are truly friendly companions. Indeed, the first two brothers, Cain and Abel, were so driven by sin and jealousy (at least Cain was), that their relationship ended in the first murder (Gen. 4). And when God confronted Cain about what he’d done, Cain replied with the famous mockery, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord banished Cain for his sin, placing a mark on him so that he would not be killed by others, but when Cain married and had his own family, his descendants would take his violent tendencies to a whole new level.
Of course, God created marriage as an ideal answer to our need for companionship in this life. Many of us have found husbands or wives who met this need in the ways that God intended. We found a helper to come alongside us and influence us in good and godly ways. If a married person pays attention to the commands and wisdom of God found in his Word, and truly seeks the well-being of his or her spouse, then the delights of marriage can seem like a heaven on earth.
But alas! Because of our sinful hearts, not one of us can claim to be an ideal husband or wife. As individuals, and as a human race, we have failed to value God’s gift of marriage and protect it from the ravages of selfishness and sin. Many, many people get married for money, or for sex, or for the approval of others, even their parents. Being a true, godly helper for their spouses is often the furthest thing from their minds. Most of these kinds of marriages end in divorce or unfaithful-ness, and those that stay together often do so with a sad kind of desperation.
The Old Testament book of Proverbs gives a great deal of wisdom concerning marriage, as well as other kinds of companionship, both positive and negative:
The first chapter of this book contains a warning about choosing evil companions: “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent...My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path” (1:10, 15). The desire and need for companionship is deep in all of us, but if we allow that desire to make us too desperate, we can end up in friendships that cause harm to ourselves and others. Even if our own motives are friendly and pure, the other person may be hiding selfish motives like a fisherman hiding a hook in the bait!
“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones” (12:4). Romantic infatuation has led many men and women into regrettable marriages. Very often, taking the time to deepen a friendship with a possible spouse can reveal areas of weakness in that person that can make romantic illusions less attractive. Unfortunately, the very idea of a marriage bond that lasts for life is becoming more and more rare. But the more one believes in such a bond, the more careful one should be about choosing an “excellent” mate.
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (13:20). The wise man and the fool are contrasted numerous times in the Proverbs. It is possible even for an intelligent person to be corrupted by the folly of his friends. Gaining and following the paths of wisdom is rarely easy. It takes effort and self-denial that don’t come naturally to foolish or frivolous people. Fools are known for taking the easy path, “cutting corners” and placing their hopes in “lady luck,” instead of studying hard, working diligently, or exercising patience.
“Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (16:19). Humility and pride is another set of opposites the Bible often discusses. When we choose to be the companions of proud people, it’s often because they have boasted of their superior status or abilities, or they have accomplished some great feat and are now enjoying the “spoil” that came with that victory. This proverb reminds us that such boasting and pride reveal a character flaw that can end up turning against the proud person’s fans. How much better to spend one’s time with a lowly person who appreciates your friendship and expects no attempt to stroke his ego!
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (17:17). We have all had so-called fair-weather friends, those we couldn’t always count on when the going got rough, or cut us loose when we disappointed or embarrassed them in some way. A truly worthy companion is one who understands that life isn’t always smooth sailing and that no one is perfect this side of heaven! No one enjoys being taken for granted, or having a friend who ALWAYS seems to be in trouble...but you and I are put on earth for a purpose, and part of that purpose is to be helpful to our neighbors who are facing adversity, and the “Golden Rule” always applies, whether or not it is convenient.
“A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in pledge, and becomes surety for his friend” (17:18). There are times, however, when a companion may seek my help in a way that pulls me into the path of folly. “Shaking hands in pledge” would be akin to signing a binding contract or co-signing a loan. When a so-called friend insists that this is what our friendship requires, to assure a creditor of getting repaid, then it’s time to stop and question what our friendship means to him, and look for a wiser path than risking further debt.
“A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment” (18:1). We all need to spend time alone from time to time. But this proverb reminds us that prolonged isolation from companionship--the company of others--can have a damaging effect on our hearts and minds. If I am avoiding all outside contact, it might be a sign that my own selfish desires are consuming me, especially when I oppose the wise advice of those who care about me.
“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle” (18:19). Often it takes great tact and discipline to avoid offending a close companion. It seems that the closer we are with a friend, the more intimate our knowledge of him or her, the easier it can be to say or do something hurtful. But however hard it is to avoid offending a brother or sister, it can be ten times HARDER to repair the damage once he or she IS offended. If I truly care about someone I’m companions with, I’ll treat that person’s feelings with great care as well.
Other proverbs extol the favor of the Lord indicated when a man “finds a wife” (18:22). Encourage us to BE friendly to win friends (18:24). Observe how wealth and poverty can affect companionships (19:4, 6-7). Compare a prudent wife to a rich inheritance (19:14). Compare a contentious one with living on a rooftop (21:9). Warn us against friendships with angry people (22:24-25). Against mixing with drunkards and gluttons (23:20-21). Against envying and desiring the company of evil men (24:1-2). Against blessing a friend too loudly too early in the morning (27:14). And there is one that reminds us how we can sharpen each other like “iron sharpening iron” (27:17).
One of our favorite songs has always been “In the Garden.” I’ll bet that if I started singing it, most of you could join in:
I come the the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.
I could talk about wonderful companionships throughout history like Moses and Joshua, David and Jonathan, Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Barnabbas, Aquila and Priscilla...
But there never was another companion as true and as faithful as the Lord Jesus. God’s own beloved Son, who’d always known the perfect companionship of the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, chose to take on himself a human nature like yours and mine. He became the only perfectly sinless person who ever lived. The Gospel of John tells us that “the Word--Jesus--became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory--glory as of the only begotten of the Father--full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Can you imagine a perfectly sinless person? One who never said an unkind word, thought an evil thought, broke even the most minor of God’s commandments? Why would such a glorious, gracious person want to come and dwell with wicked, rebellious sinners like you and me? But He did come to dwell here. He was born into a poor peasant family, grew up under the rule of a cruel, oppressive government, and became a traveling Teacher who had no permanent home.
Jesus demonstrated again and again that He was a companion people could totally trust. He came with words of timeless truth, not clever deception. He came to touch and bless and heal and help people. Rich and poor, upright and wicked, wise and foolish--all kinds of people found that they could approach Him and find a ready friend in this simple carpenter. The twelve men Jesus chose as His chief disciples were mostly unschooled and poor, many times difficult and slow to learn, and on the night one of His closest friends betrayed Him, all the others forsook their Companion and fled. Only one of the twelve was there to watch as He died on the cross. All of His closest companions failed their Master when He needed them most.
But this was not the end. On the third day, Resurrection Day, Jesus Christ came out of the grave alive, never to die again. Once again He gathered His faltering disciples to restore their friendship with Him and commission them to take His good news of new life and forgiveness to all the nations. And some of Jesus’ final words to them before He ascended into heaven: “And lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). In the first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, quoting Isaiah’s prophecy, the writer says, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated God with us.”
And now, those who have placed their trust in this God-man, this God with us, trust Him to save them from sin and give them eternal life, they have the right to be called sons of God--to have the Lord Jesus Christ as their constant companion, and by the presence of the Holy Spirit, the grace to be the kind of companion to others that Jesus was. We are called to reach out to lonely, sin-sick people with love, truth, help and healing for their broken hearts and lives. Let us all pray that the Lord will make each one of us a “friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Like Jesus is to us.
MNA 8.29.2015
WHAT KIND OF COMPANION DO YOU WISH TO BE?
Companionship is one of the greatest pleasures you and I enjoy in this world. Having an understanding person who knows us, enjoys being with us, spends time with us, cares about our well being.
Our Creator-God places a high value on companionship. He proved this at the very dawn of time when He formed the heavens and the earth. “Let us make man in our own image...” He said, implying that the human race would reflect His own inner relationship as a being composed of multiple persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three persons of the Godhead have been in a loving companionship from eternal ages past, and it was their desire for men and women to enjoy a similar kind of relationship to one another in this created world.
When we look into the pages of the Bible, we clearly see mankind’s hunger for companionship portrayed in the garden of Eden. The first human being, Adam, was given the task of examining and naming all the other creatures around him. As he did so, he discovered that he himself was unlike the animals in many ways, but as Genesis 2 tells us, “...for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.”
God had already proclaimed that it was “not good that man should be alone” (Gen.2:18). But think for a moment: could God have solved this problem by meeting this need on His own? The Bible says that God would walk with Adam and Eve “in the cool of the day.” Wasn’t their fellowship with their Creator enough to fill this need for man not to be alone? It appears that, even though the man was made in God’s image, Adam had a uniquely different personhood--so different from God’s that it was desirable for the Lord to provide another created person to share this uniqueness with the first man. And that is why He created the first woman.
Some people have taught and believed that it is more spiritual, more godly, for a person to avoid the companionship of other human beings in order to draw close to God and have fellowship with Him. But this Garden of Eden account shows that it is rather the Lord’s will for human beings to desire and to seek after companionship with other like-minded people, so that together they can help one another to praise and serve their Creator.
When the crafty serpent tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden Tree, where was Adam? Was he there to argue against the words of Satan and remind Eve of what her disobedience would cost them and all the people to follow? Apparently not. Either he was some place else or maybe looking on and listening to find out what his wife would do. Either way, the man was failing in his duty of being a worthy companion to Eve. When the woman needed the strength to resist the devil’s temptation, her husband wasn’t available or willing to help her.
This tragedy that brought sin and death into the world brought with it a severe breakdown in the thinking, desires and character of human beings. Now, driven by selfish desires and the absence of faith in our Creator, we tend to seek to meet our needs on our own, or by taking advantage of other people, rather than by mutually bonding with others in helpful companionship. Instead of asking, “how can I help you?” we tend to think, “what’s in it for ME?” Our minds and our hearts have been tainted by sin, making us prone to all kinds of self-centered and lawless deeds.
People will preach about the supposed “Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man,” but if we look around us, we find it is a rare thing to find two brothers who are truly friendly companions. Indeed, the first two brothers, Cain and Abel, were so driven by sin and jealousy (at least Cain was), that their relationship ended in the first murder (Gen. 4). And when God confronted Cain about what he’d done, Cain replied with the famous mockery, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord banished Cain for his sin, placing a mark on him so that he would not be killed by others, but when Cain married and had his own family, his descendants would take his violent tendencies to a whole new level.
Of course, God created marriage as an ideal answer to our need for companionship in this life. Many of us have found husbands or wives who met this need in the ways that God intended. We found a helper to come alongside us and influence us in good and godly ways. If a married person pays attention to the commands and wisdom of God found in his Word, and truly seeks the well-being of his or her spouse, then the delights of marriage can seem like a heaven on earth.
But alas! Because of our sinful hearts, not one of us can claim to be an ideal husband or wife. As individuals, and as a human race, we have failed to value God’s gift of marriage and protect it from the ravages of selfishness and sin. Many, many people get married for money, or for sex, or for the approval of others, even their parents. Being a true, godly helper for their spouses is often the furthest thing from their minds. Most of these kinds of marriages end in divorce or unfaithful-ness, and those that stay together often do so with a sad kind of desperation.
The Old Testament book of Proverbs gives a great deal of wisdom concerning marriage, as well as other kinds of companionship, both positive and negative:
The first chapter of this book contains a warning about choosing evil companions: “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent...My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path” (1:10, 15). The desire and need for companionship is deep in all of us, but if we allow that desire to make us too desperate, we can end up in friendships that cause harm to ourselves and others. Even if our own motives are friendly and pure, the other person may be hiding selfish motives like a fisherman hiding a hook in the bait!
“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones” (12:4). Romantic infatuation has led many men and women into regrettable marriages. Very often, taking the time to deepen a friendship with a possible spouse can reveal areas of weakness in that person that can make romantic illusions less attractive. Unfortunately, the very idea of a marriage bond that lasts for life is becoming more and more rare. But the more one believes in such a bond, the more careful one should be about choosing an “excellent” mate.
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (13:20). The wise man and the fool are contrasted numerous times in the Proverbs. It is possible even for an intelligent person to be corrupted by the folly of his friends. Gaining and following the paths of wisdom is rarely easy. It takes effort and self-denial that don’t come naturally to foolish or frivolous people. Fools are known for taking the easy path, “cutting corners” and placing their hopes in “lady luck,” instead of studying hard, working diligently, or exercising patience.
“Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (16:19). Humility and pride is another set of opposites the Bible often discusses. When we choose to be the companions of proud people, it’s often because they have boasted of their superior status or abilities, or they have accomplished some great feat and are now enjoying the “spoil” that came with that victory. This proverb reminds us that such boasting and pride reveal a character flaw that can end up turning against the proud person’s fans. How much better to spend one’s time with a lowly person who appreciates your friendship and expects no attempt to stroke his ego!
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (17:17). We have all had so-called fair-weather friends, those we couldn’t always count on when the going got rough, or cut us loose when we disappointed or embarrassed them in some way. A truly worthy companion is one who understands that life isn’t always smooth sailing and that no one is perfect this side of heaven! No one enjoys being taken for granted, or having a friend who ALWAYS seems to be in trouble...but you and I are put on earth for a purpose, and part of that purpose is to be helpful to our neighbors who are facing adversity, and the “Golden Rule” always applies, whether or not it is convenient.
“A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in pledge, and becomes surety for his friend” (17:18). There are times, however, when a companion may seek my help in a way that pulls me into the path of folly. “Shaking hands in pledge” would be akin to signing a binding contract or co-signing a loan. When a so-called friend insists that this is what our friendship requires, to assure a creditor of getting repaid, then it’s time to stop and question what our friendship means to him, and look for a wiser path than risking further debt.
“A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment” (18:1). We all need to spend time alone from time to time. But this proverb reminds us that prolonged isolation from companionship--the company of others--can have a damaging effect on our hearts and minds. If I am avoiding all outside contact, it might be a sign that my own selfish desires are consuming me, especially when I oppose the wise advice of those who care about me.
“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle” (18:19). Often it takes great tact and discipline to avoid offending a close companion. It seems that the closer we are with a friend, the more intimate our knowledge of him or her, the easier it can be to say or do something hurtful. But however hard it is to avoid offending a brother or sister, it can be ten times HARDER to repair the damage once he or she IS offended. If I truly care about someone I’m companions with, I’ll treat that person’s feelings with great care as well.
Other proverbs extol the favor of the Lord indicated when a man “finds a wife” (18:22). Encourage us to BE friendly to win friends (18:24). Observe how wealth and poverty can affect companionships (19:4, 6-7). Compare a prudent wife to a rich inheritance (19:14). Compare a contentious one with living on a rooftop (21:9). Warn us against friendships with angry people (22:24-25). Against mixing with drunkards and gluttons (23:20-21). Against envying and desiring the company of evil men (24:1-2). Against blessing a friend too loudly too early in the morning (27:14). And there is one that reminds us how we can sharpen each other like “iron sharpening iron” (27:17).
One of our favorite songs has always been “In the Garden.” I’ll bet that if I started singing it, most of you could join in:
I come the the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.
I could talk about wonderful companionships throughout history like Moses and Joshua, David and Jonathan, Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Barnabbas, Aquila and Priscilla...
But there never was another companion as true and as faithful as the Lord Jesus. God’s own beloved Son, who’d always known the perfect companionship of the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, chose to take on himself a human nature like yours and mine. He became the only perfectly sinless person who ever lived. The Gospel of John tells us that “the Word--Jesus--became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory--glory as of the only begotten of the Father--full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Can you imagine a perfectly sinless person? One who never said an unkind word, thought an evil thought, broke even the most minor of God’s commandments? Why would such a glorious, gracious person want to come and dwell with wicked, rebellious sinners like you and me? But He did come to dwell here. He was born into a poor peasant family, grew up under the rule of a cruel, oppressive government, and became a traveling Teacher who had no permanent home.
Jesus demonstrated again and again that He was a companion people could totally trust. He came with words of timeless truth, not clever deception. He came to touch and bless and heal and help people. Rich and poor, upright and wicked, wise and foolish--all kinds of people found that they could approach Him and find a ready friend in this simple carpenter. The twelve men Jesus chose as His chief disciples were mostly unschooled and poor, many times difficult and slow to learn, and on the night one of His closest friends betrayed Him, all the others forsook their Companion and fled. Only one of the twelve was there to watch as He died on the cross. All of His closest companions failed their Master when He needed them most.
But this was not the end. On the third day, Resurrection Day, Jesus Christ came out of the grave alive, never to die again. Once again He gathered His faltering disciples to restore their friendship with Him and commission them to take His good news of new life and forgiveness to all the nations. And some of Jesus’ final words to them before He ascended into heaven: “And lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). In the first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, quoting Isaiah’s prophecy, the writer says, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated God with us.”
And now, those who have placed their trust in this God-man, this God with us, trust Him to save them from sin and give them eternal life, they have the right to be called sons of God--to have the Lord Jesus Christ as their constant companion, and by the presence of the Holy Spirit, the grace to be the kind of companion to others that Jesus was. We are called to reach out to lonely, sin-sick people with love, truth, help and healing for their broken hearts and lives. Let us all pray that the Lord will make each one of us a “friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Like Jesus is to us.
MNA 8.29.2015
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
The Descent of Hero
Curious George with his paper boat...
Mike Mulligan with his steam shovel...
Pooh-Bear’s pot of honey; Charlotte’s wondrous web...
Johnny Tremaine and the redcoats...
Huck, Tom & Becky versus Injun Joe...
Space Angels and Mushroom Planets...
Shari Lewis and Captain Kangaroo...
Charlie McCarthy and Jerry Mahoney...
Ventriloquism and Whoopie Cushion ads...
Protectors faster than speeding bullets...
Super-saviors with x-ray eyes...
Galactic guardians and green energy rings...
Mutated humans with insect intuitions...
White-hatted horsemen with silver bullets...
Indian companions craving for justice...
Bowie and Crockett dying in a Texas mission...
Hitler-hammering GI’s raising flags of freedom...
Rocket-riders braving a void beyond all breath...
Mercury men and Gemini jockeys paving the path aloft...
Apollo demigods exchanging Earth for Sister Moon...
“One small step”... “One giant leap”...
Wars hot and cold, dis-United Nations...
Fear of falling disintegration, terror far away...
Agent protectors who shun the light, “shaken, not stirred”...
“Dr. No” and “Thunderball” and love without looking back...
Leaders gunned down and caught in foolish falsehoods...
Armies heading home with little hope of heraldry...
Future fantasies brighten as present dreams are dimmed...
Starships warp and saucers are spotted on the dark horizon...
UFO’s abduct our fancies, horoscopes plot our day...
Substance submerges, symbolism reigns...
Symbols lose their meaning and are set aside...
Finally, the only one left is the letter “I”...
I and the life I live...
I and the world as I find it...
I and the feeling I feel...
I and the ones I can tolerate...
I and the story I’m in, where...
I am my own hero.
MNA 8/2/2015
Mike Mulligan with his steam shovel...
Pooh-Bear’s pot of honey; Charlotte’s wondrous web...
Johnny Tremaine and the redcoats...
Huck, Tom & Becky versus Injun Joe...
Space Angels and Mushroom Planets...
Shari Lewis and Captain Kangaroo...
Charlie McCarthy and Jerry Mahoney...
Ventriloquism and Whoopie Cushion ads...
Protectors faster than speeding bullets...
Super-saviors with x-ray eyes...
Galactic guardians and green energy rings...
Mutated humans with insect intuitions...
White-hatted horsemen with silver bullets...
Indian companions craving for justice...
Bowie and Crockett dying in a Texas mission...
Hitler-hammering GI’s raising flags of freedom...
Rocket-riders braving a void beyond all breath...
Mercury men and Gemini jockeys paving the path aloft...
Apollo demigods exchanging Earth for Sister Moon...
“One small step”... “One giant leap”...
Wars hot and cold, dis-United Nations...
Fear of falling disintegration, terror far away...
Agent protectors who shun the light, “shaken, not stirred”...
“Dr. No” and “Thunderball” and love without looking back...
Leaders gunned down and caught in foolish falsehoods...
Armies heading home with little hope of heraldry...
Future fantasies brighten as present dreams are dimmed...
Starships warp and saucers are spotted on the dark horizon...
UFO’s abduct our fancies, horoscopes plot our day...
Substance submerges, symbolism reigns...
Symbols lose their meaning and are set aside...
Finally, the only one left is the letter “I”...
I and the life I live...
I and the world as I find it...
I and the feeling I feel...
I and the ones I can tolerate...
I and the story I’m in, where...
I am my own hero.
MNA 8/2/2015
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Over Coffee with Jason
I found you in a grim gathering
where embers glowed warm
just beneath the tender crust
of honest orthodoxy.
You and I were searching for
and hoping for and praying
for the pearl among the pebbles--
for the ‘closer than’ of the Proverbs.
I saw in you a Jonathan
putting Philistines to flight
but unwilling to put self forward
even at a mad king’s bidding.
You saw in me a Promised
version I could never see of myself
who spent my desperate decades
stooping in caves and dodging spears.
You knew that I had been despised
by far more likely siblings, but
we take the time for those left behind
and we tried each other on for size.
So I prize a friend and a brother
who sharpens and stands guard for me
over early Friday steaming cups
of generous, fragrant joy.
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
The Enemy
It was so dark there in the old junkyard next to Beggars Swamp, that Josh lost all sense of direction as he felt his way around. The foul reek of the neighboring mires had long ago settled on the rusty and crumpled discards, and Josh couldn’t help but feel defiled touching first a tilting washing machine here, a pile of crusty rags there, groping along into the heart of the darkness.
Josh heard the old man’s approach long before he saw him. Heavy, boot-clad feet dragging through the litter-strewn dust let him know that the appointment had not been the hoax that Josh had hoped it would prove. He dreaded this confrontation, knowing full well that it was as inevitable as the downfall of rain in April. Of course, he knew, no riot of May flowers was as sure to follow...only the assurance that he would be torn apart and away from all he loved and cherished.
The old man lumbered relentlessly closer, likewise feeling his way between the stacks of thrown away whatnots, some of them creaking and groaning, others crashing over unheeded in his wake. Miraculously, two glimmering points of light suggested eyes to the waiting Josh as he rooted himself to a spot next to a Pisa-tower of tractor tires. The approaching eyes were the only lights to be guessed at in this oppressive gloom.
Somehow, the size and shape of the closing figure was outlined against that gloom as the faint, blinking eyes of the old man hovered like fireflies several feet higher than Josh’s head. The old man’s shuffling, lumbering gait surely didn’t mean that he was sick, weak, or even fatigued. The rumble of his breathing was deep and sounded as capacious as the fifty-gallon oil drums that rattled here and there as rats and other scuttling prowlers disturbed their aging slumber.
“Well?” the old man said. His voice was like the pedal-tone of an organ’s fattest pipe, yet it purred like an elephantine feline just aroused from dreams of devoured prey.
Josh’s voice was steady, but sounded reedy and weak by comparison. “I...I am impressed. You’re much larger than I expected you to be. Of course, I’d heard plenty of stories about your exploits. Every country...every city, village, family...they all have such colorful tales. You...have my compliments for--”
“That’s enough.” The dark giant’s breath made the fetid air swirl around Josh’s face. “Your words are wearisome to me. What do I care for colorful tales or the hearsay of your feeble race? Every story is the same. Every one has the same ending. So shall it ever be. Your words cannot change what is.”
Josh brushed hair out of his eyes and glanced right and left. The dark felt closer, as if it were a living thing--a growing menace expanding inward all around him. “So,” he said, “you have nothing to say to me? You are the one who arranged our meeting, you remember...”
“True enough,” answered the old giant. “Yes, young Joshua, I have heard of you as well, if you must know. I’m sure you’ve been enjoying yourself, meddling here and there with my affairs. Boasting to all and sundry that I’m not the man I once was. Even mesmerizing your admirers with your little bits of flash and trickery. I heard the reports and could hardly believe them. ‘Who does this little upstart think he is, pretending he can poach on my territory and meddle with my slaves,’ I said to myself. But I figured if I could manage a parley, maybe you’d see reason, little man.” These last words were spat out in a kind of choking hiss.
“I’m always willing to reason, with somebody who’s truly reasonable,” Josh replied. “But I’ve discovered that so few people are. Reasonable people are willing to set aside their own interests and view things from a neutral perspective. Somehow, my friend, I doubt very much that you are willing to set your own desires aside. Your endless travels...your terror and your violence...your lust for blood...your--”
“Silence!” the looming behemoth roared. Josh’s hair was blown horizontally behind him and he raised both hands to shield his eyes from the blasting breath. “You little creeping maggot! You sicken me with your words...words, words. Words prove nothing. You know as well as I do that what I do is all I can do. What I have ever done. What must ever be done. Do you think it is so pleasing to me that I’m feared? Hated? Loathed? Fought against at every turn? Arrrgh! Even my allies shy away from me! No friend in the world for me, only cursed, writhing, pitiful, creeping insects like YOU!”
“No friend in the world...?” Josh took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. Then, he slowly spread out his hands toward the old giant in a gesture of peace. “Would it surprise you to find out that I could end your misery? Be the friend you always craved?”
The towering monster made a noise of disgust and impatience, his flickering eyes turning aside as if shaking a fly from his head. Silence grew between the two of them until the croaking of frogs and fowl could be heard a furlong off. Finally the old man stooped a little toward the waiting Josh.
“You don’t LOOK crazy,” he growled in a cavernous whisper. “And I can see well, even in the dark, little man.”
“I don’t doubt that your vision is excellent,” Josh replied.
“But I have known my share of demented dreamers like you,” the old man said. “And many of them have pretended to strike bargains with me. What make you any different?”
“But I don’t pretend to strike any bargains, sir...I have none to offer. What I’ve come here to offer you is nothing less than your FREEDOM. You have stalked our world for long, long ages, aimlessly wandering, searching for release from your own slavery.”
The monster-man stooped even lower, his eyes now level with Josh’s. “I am known throughout your race as the MASTER of slaves...how is it you know that I am one MYSELF?” His voice was now as soft as lint carried on a breeze. Josh bent forward ‘til their faces almost touched.
“A little bird told me,” he said.
“But if you’ve heard that about me,” the giant mumbled, “then you must have heard that I cannot be freed from my tasks until every drop of debt is paid back. And after all these years, there is still enough out there to turn every swamp into a mighty river.”
“For one who is weary of words,” Josh whispered, “you are becoming quite poetic.” And Josh could almost hear a gentle chuckle catch in the old man’s throat.
“Poetry or no,” his friend fretted, “the debt is far from paid for--in fact, it’s growing all the time. The swamps stink with it...the cities belch it out like smog...and every lousy debtor on your wretched planet must meet me in the end.” He bowed his head. “Including you.”
“Well,” Josh explained, stroking the giant’s scaly head, “let’s talk about me, now that you’ve mentioned me. This ‘little bird’ who told me all about you, he had some surprising information about myself as well. You see, I was sent here on a kind of MISSION. And, believe it or not, my path and yours lead in the same general direction. Your task is to rule over poor, helpless slaves who are unable to pay back what they owe. And finally, to put them out of their misery...”
“Right,” the old man agreed.
“...And MY task,” said Josh, “is to bring people relief for their debts...to provide a brand new ending to the curse that caused that debt in the first place...and as a result, to offer YOU a new and glorious task!”
“And this is the FREEDOM you mentioned? But what kind of ‘glorious’ job am I good for?”
“You’d be surprised, my friend. You might not know this, but it was my own Father who gave you your job in the first place. And He is superb at giving surprising assignments to the most unlikely characters!”
“Nobody ever cared about me before. How do I know I can trust you?”
“Reason it out, friend. After all, what is your alternative?”
“Why, to KILL you, of course!”
And Josh smiled as a ray of sun began peeping through the mountains of rubbish.
“That is how all the debts will be paid. That’s how the end will begin. That’s WHY I’VE COME!"
Josh heard the old man’s approach long before he saw him. Heavy, boot-clad feet dragging through the litter-strewn dust let him know that the appointment had not been the hoax that Josh had hoped it would prove. He dreaded this confrontation, knowing full well that it was as inevitable as the downfall of rain in April. Of course, he knew, no riot of May flowers was as sure to follow...only the assurance that he would be torn apart and away from all he loved and cherished.
The old man lumbered relentlessly closer, likewise feeling his way between the stacks of thrown away whatnots, some of them creaking and groaning, others crashing over unheeded in his wake. Miraculously, two glimmering points of light suggested eyes to the waiting Josh as he rooted himself to a spot next to a Pisa-tower of tractor tires. The approaching eyes were the only lights to be guessed at in this oppressive gloom.
Somehow, the size and shape of the closing figure was outlined against that gloom as the faint, blinking eyes of the old man hovered like fireflies several feet higher than Josh’s head. The old man’s shuffling, lumbering gait surely didn’t mean that he was sick, weak, or even fatigued. The rumble of his breathing was deep and sounded as capacious as the fifty-gallon oil drums that rattled here and there as rats and other scuttling prowlers disturbed their aging slumber.
“Well?” the old man said. His voice was like the pedal-tone of an organ’s fattest pipe, yet it purred like an elephantine feline just aroused from dreams of devoured prey.
Josh’s voice was steady, but sounded reedy and weak by comparison. “I...I am impressed. You’re much larger than I expected you to be. Of course, I’d heard plenty of stories about your exploits. Every country...every city, village, family...they all have such colorful tales. You...have my compliments for--”
“That’s enough.” The dark giant’s breath made the fetid air swirl around Josh’s face. “Your words are wearisome to me. What do I care for colorful tales or the hearsay of your feeble race? Every story is the same. Every one has the same ending. So shall it ever be. Your words cannot change what is.”
Josh brushed hair out of his eyes and glanced right and left. The dark felt closer, as if it were a living thing--a growing menace expanding inward all around him. “So,” he said, “you have nothing to say to me? You are the one who arranged our meeting, you remember...”
“True enough,” answered the old giant. “Yes, young Joshua, I have heard of you as well, if you must know. I’m sure you’ve been enjoying yourself, meddling here and there with my affairs. Boasting to all and sundry that I’m not the man I once was. Even mesmerizing your admirers with your little bits of flash and trickery. I heard the reports and could hardly believe them. ‘Who does this little upstart think he is, pretending he can poach on my territory and meddle with my slaves,’ I said to myself. But I figured if I could manage a parley, maybe you’d see reason, little man.” These last words were spat out in a kind of choking hiss.
“I’m always willing to reason, with somebody who’s truly reasonable,” Josh replied. “But I’ve discovered that so few people are. Reasonable people are willing to set aside their own interests and view things from a neutral perspective. Somehow, my friend, I doubt very much that you are willing to set your own desires aside. Your endless travels...your terror and your violence...your lust for blood...your--”
“Silence!” the looming behemoth roared. Josh’s hair was blown horizontally behind him and he raised both hands to shield his eyes from the blasting breath. “You little creeping maggot! You sicken me with your words...words, words. Words prove nothing. You know as well as I do that what I do is all I can do. What I have ever done. What must ever be done. Do you think it is so pleasing to me that I’m feared? Hated? Loathed? Fought against at every turn? Arrrgh! Even my allies shy away from me! No friend in the world for me, only cursed, writhing, pitiful, creeping insects like YOU!”
“No friend in the world...?” Josh took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. Then, he slowly spread out his hands toward the old giant in a gesture of peace. “Would it surprise you to find out that I could end your misery? Be the friend you always craved?”
The towering monster made a noise of disgust and impatience, his flickering eyes turning aside as if shaking a fly from his head. Silence grew between the two of them until the croaking of frogs and fowl could be heard a furlong off. Finally the old man stooped a little toward the waiting Josh.
“You don’t LOOK crazy,” he growled in a cavernous whisper. “And I can see well, even in the dark, little man.”
“I don’t doubt that your vision is excellent,” Josh replied.
“But I have known my share of demented dreamers like you,” the old man said. “And many of them have pretended to strike bargains with me. What make you any different?”
“But I don’t pretend to strike any bargains, sir...I have none to offer. What I’ve come here to offer you is nothing less than your FREEDOM. You have stalked our world for long, long ages, aimlessly wandering, searching for release from your own slavery.”
The monster-man stooped even lower, his eyes now level with Josh’s. “I am known throughout your race as the MASTER of slaves...how is it you know that I am one MYSELF?” His voice was now as soft as lint carried on a breeze. Josh bent forward ‘til their faces almost touched.
“A little bird told me,” he said.
“But if you’ve heard that about me,” the giant mumbled, “then you must have heard that I cannot be freed from my tasks until every drop of debt is paid back. And after all these years, there is still enough out there to turn every swamp into a mighty river.”
“For one who is weary of words,” Josh whispered, “you are becoming quite poetic.” And Josh could almost hear a gentle chuckle catch in the old man’s throat.
“Poetry or no,” his friend fretted, “the debt is far from paid for--in fact, it’s growing all the time. The swamps stink with it...the cities belch it out like smog...and every lousy debtor on your wretched planet must meet me in the end.” He bowed his head. “Including you.”
“Well,” Josh explained, stroking the giant’s scaly head, “let’s talk about me, now that you’ve mentioned me. This ‘little bird’ who told me all about you, he had some surprising information about myself as well. You see, I was sent here on a kind of MISSION. And, believe it or not, my path and yours lead in the same general direction. Your task is to rule over poor, helpless slaves who are unable to pay back what they owe. And finally, to put them out of their misery...”
“Right,” the old man agreed.
“...And MY task,” said Josh, “is to bring people relief for their debts...to provide a brand new ending to the curse that caused that debt in the first place...and as a result, to offer YOU a new and glorious task!”
“And this is the FREEDOM you mentioned? But what kind of ‘glorious’ job am I good for?”
“You’d be surprised, my friend. You might not know this, but it was my own Father who gave you your job in the first place. And He is superb at giving surprising assignments to the most unlikely characters!”
“Nobody ever cared about me before. How do I know I can trust you?”
“Reason it out, friend. After all, what is your alternative?”
“Why, to KILL you, of course!”
And Josh smiled as a ray of sun began peeping through the mountains of rubbish.
“That is how all the debts will be paid. That’s how the end will begin. That’s WHY I’VE COME!"
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Friday, July 3, 2015
What About Bombadil?
A good friend I frequently meet for coffee on Friday mornings always brings up stimulating topics for discussion. He and I are often drawn to the same kind of books, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy The Lord of the Rings offers plenty of material for our conversations.
The last time we met we happened onto the subject (I forget how or why) of that funny, surprising, enigmatic character named Tom Bombadil.
Of course, in the wondrous made-up world of Middle Earth, Tolkien has placed a host of fascinating, imaginative, complex persons: hobbits, wizards, goblins, elves, dwarves, trolls, giant tree-people...even humans! Names such as Gandalf, Frodo, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn...just to name a few of the important ones...poplulate the story’s pages. In the course of this lengthy tale, Frodo Baggins and his friends meet up with surprising secondary characters such as the Gaffer, Farmer Maggot, Barliman Butterbur, Bill Ferny, Elrond, Treebeard, King Theoden...and the list goes on.
Tom Bombadil, however, stands totally alone. His very existence presents a unique puzzle to every Tolkien fan you might chance to speak to. Ask a LOTR reader, “What do you make of Bombadil?” and you are bound to get one of any number of answers and opinions.
For the uninitiated, Bombadil is a man (apparently), fairly short by human standards, who lives in the midst of the Old Forest bordering the Shire where most of the hobbits live. He is heavy and brown bearded with a weathered red face, and spends his time hopping and dancing through the hills and the woods, making paths along the river valley, gathering water lilies for his pretty lady who lives with him, and singing nonsensical songs about himself and his little land. A brief example of his singing:
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow;
Bright blue his jacket is and his boots are yellow.
None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the Master;
His songs are stronger songs and his feet are faster!
It’s interesting to note that, while Tom often sings or chants verses to communicate--to others and to himself--pretty much everything he has to say follows the same metrical, poetic pattern! Obviously, there is a kind of rhythmic flow to his thoughts and speech that wells up from deep inside him.
Bombadil displays an awesome, elemental kind of power over both the natural world and the spirit world. For example, when an enormous willow tree tries to engulf or devour two of the hobbits, Tom rescues them by shouting at the tree, beating it with a branch and singing into the crack in the tree’s trunk. The old willow obeys Tom’s command like an angry, wayward child. Later, when a ghostly barrow-wight captures Frodo and the other hobbits, Bombadil arrives to save them once again after Frodo remembers a call for help that Tom taught him to recite earlier.
Tom Bombadil’s pretty lady, Goldberry, also a kind of elemental being--described by Tom as the “river daughter”--had some things to say about Tom as well. When Frodo asked whether Tom was the owner of the surrounding woods where their house was situated, Goldberry replied, “No, indeed! That would indeed be a burden...But Tom Bombadil is master! No one has ever caught Tom yet. Tom Bombadil is master!”
I recall an illuminating interview with Ian McKellan, the excellent actor who portrayed Gandalf the wizard in Peter Jackson’s LOTR movies. An admittedly gay man, McKellan obviously rejected the idea of finding any Christian symbolism in the writings of Tolkien. He pointed out that, in the idealistic realm of Middle Earth, there is no such thing as a church, clearly implying that, in a utopian society, Christianity would be an unnecessary commodity.
It is clear to me, however, that J.R.R. Tolkien’s Christian understandings of creation and of God Himself permeate the fictional world that flowed from his pen.
Tom Bombadil is, to me, a clear example of this fact.
Attributes of Christianity’s God characterize this jolly, wise, powerful, untroubled being, whose presence in the story provides a restful haven for the four hobbits who are being pursued by the evil forces of Mordor’s dark lord. In the house of Tom Bombadil, the travelers spend several days of peace and renewal, while the old man tells them marvelous tales about the natural world, the history of bygone kingdoms, and indeed, pre-history stretching back to the dawn of time. Tom’s memory and wisdom are awesome and profound. And when Frodo lends him the magical ring of power that all the free peoples consider such a terrifying threat, Bombadil merely laughs, tosses it in the air and makes it vanish and reappear like he’s playing with a trivial trinket.
In short, Tom Bombadil seems to represent the joyful, free, sovereign, omnipotent, all-wise nature of our Heavenly Father. A Being who has no fear, who can treat the weighty troubles of this world as the trifles they truly are, when compared to Him.
When the Black Riders of this age of the “real world” are hunting us down to destroy or devour me, when I weary of the journey and the dark forests and forbidding mountains along the path, when I get lost and bewildered and the enemies of my soul threaten to enchant and entrap me...
...it is at those times that I am invited to repair to the home up, down, underhill...a quiet, safe haven that is untroubled and free of care...a realm where a joyful Master can chase away all attackers with a song that seems like nonsense...and then can turn about and teach me the secrets of the universe as I sit at His feet.
It’s truly a shame that this peculiar character didn’t make the cut when Peter Jackson and his team wrote the screenplay for their films...perhaps they just didn’t know what to make of him.
But to me, Tom Bombadil will always inspire me to find in my untroubled God a sweet haven of peace along the dangerous road of life’s journey
MNA
7/3/15
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
A Man Called "Bill"
A boy who loved his mom and worked the land,
Who made his friends with ease and lent a hand
In times when scarcity made living hard;
He grew up loving peace and standing guard.
This child who heard of conflicts far away
He went to shore up freedom in his day...
Returning with his patriot heart still warm,
He chose to stand guard in another form.
And, marrying well, he drove his brave patrol
With children watching him fulfill his role.
So, whether daughter's eyes, or wife's, or sons',
All saw in him a peace not forged by guns.
Indeed, I well remember Father's claim
That suspects don't deserve a crippling shame.
He taught me that all men deserve respect--
To try hard in the bad, good to detect.
In fact, I find it rare that Dad would speed
To judge a fellow man of careless deed.
Yes, many lessons he has left behind...
And, as he mounts in years, we children find
That Father's shoes become harder to fill.
And that we'll always love a man called "Bill."
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
The Argument
We often hear the old saw: "There are two sides to every argument." I think the reason this proverb exists is that, for all our accumulated wisdom, truth is often hard to come by or to clearly discern.
This past week we all heard the horrifying news of yet another seemingly mindless shooting incident that rocked a church in South Carolina--a congregation peacefully gathered to offer up prayers and praises to God. The perpetrator of this murderous outrage snuffed out the lives of nine men and women, ostensibly because of their skin color. He is a young man in his twenties, obviously racist, whose father had given him a gun for his birthday.
Today, on the other hand, I have the privilege of delivering a brief address at another young man's graduation ceremony. This one is the oldest of eight children, home-schooled his entire life, who now plans to attend a Christian college in Florida. As far as I know, he is a loving, obedient son, a loyal and exemplary brother, a sharp, insightful student, and an honest, hard worker.
I asked my daughter on the phone yesterday what she thought I should say to this eager young graduate...what encouragement she would have appreciated at his age when she anticipated the beginning of "life on one's own" in an uncertain world. After marveling that this youngster she and I had known for so long had so suddenly arrived at this juncture in his life, she suggested that I counsel him to take time to get to know people. Resist the urge to isolate himself and bury himself in his studies, shutting out the world at large. Good advice, I thought, and told her so.
There often appears to be a two-sided argument when it comes to people. There always seems to develop among groups large and small a definite "pecking order," to use the old barnyard metaphor. Often, we are tempted to fall into this pattern of evaluating and categorizing the other homo sapiens we know personally, encounter casually, or view from a distance. Some rise to the top of the heap, others sink to the bottom, based on talent, appearance, economics, intelligence, physical prowess, religion, philosophy, upbringing, personal hygiene...the list of value factors goes on.
But the argument in its basic form is one of worthiness, it seems to me. That young man in South Carolina had come to the shocking conclusion that some of the people around him weren't worthy enough to go on living. Whatever hateful, fanatical, twisted thoughts or propaganda had led him to that conclusion are not really the issue. The type of weapon he used or its availability doesn't really matter much either. What truly matters is that the worthiness of one human life ought never to be an argument with two sides.
People die every day all over the world. People have been dying for thousands of years ever since Adam and Eve. Some have given back the life-gift God gave them in a willing, noble fashion, many even choosing to sacrifice it for the lives of others. Many...too many...have had that gift stripped or ripped from them by the two-sided argument of someone who counted them unworthy.
The young man graduating today has been taught faithfully by a loving mom and dad over the last eighteen years, taught that a gracious God has given life as a free gift--the most precious gift of all. He counts every person alive to be worthy of this gift, no matter where, what, who, and how they are.
And God expects every person alive to cherish and protect this gift--for oneself, and for all others.
This past week we all heard the horrifying news of yet another seemingly mindless shooting incident that rocked a church in South Carolina--a congregation peacefully gathered to offer up prayers and praises to God. The perpetrator of this murderous outrage snuffed out the lives of nine men and women, ostensibly because of their skin color. He is a young man in his twenties, obviously racist, whose father had given him a gun for his birthday.
Today, on the other hand, I have the privilege of delivering a brief address at another young man's graduation ceremony. This one is the oldest of eight children, home-schooled his entire life, who now plans to attend a Christian college in Florida. As far as I know, he is a loving, obedient son, a loyal and exemplary brother, a sharp, insightful student, and an honest, hard worker.
I asked my daughter on the phone yesterday what she thought I should say to this eager young graduate...what encouragement she would have appreciated at his age when she anticipated the beginning of "life on one's own" in an uncertain world. After marveling that this youngster she and I had known for so long had so suddenly arrived at this juncture in his life, she suggested that I counsel him to take time to get to know people. Resist the urge to isolate himself and bury himself in his studies, shutting out the world at large. Good advice, I thought, and told her so.
There often appears to be a two-sided argument when it comes to people. There always seems to develop among groups large and small a definite "pecking order," to use the old barnyard metaphor. Often, we are tempted to fall into this pattern of evaluating and categorizing the other homo sapiens we know personally, encounter casually, or view from a distance. Some rise to the top of the heap, others sink to the bottom, based on talent, appearance, economics, intelligence, physical prowess, religion, philosophy, upbringing, personal hygiene...the list of value factors goes on.
But the argument in its basic form is one of worthiness, it seems to me. That young man in South Carolina had come to the shocking conclusion that some of the people around him weren't worthy enough to go on living. Whatever hateful, fanatical, twisted thoughts or propaganda had led him to that conclusion are not really the issue. The type of weapon he used or its availability doesn't really matter much either. What truly matters is that the worthiness of one human life ought never to be an argument with two sides.
People die every day all over the world. People have been dying for thousands of years ever since Adam and Eve. Some have given back the life-gift God gave them in a willing, noble fashion, many even choosing to sacrifice it for the lives of others. Many...too many...have had that gift stripped or ripped from them by the two-sided argument of someone who counted them unworthy.
The young man graduating today has been taught faithfully by a loving mom and dad over the last eighteen years, taught that a gracious God has given life as a free gift--the most precious gift of all. He counts every person alive to be worthy of this gift, no matter where, what, who, and how they are.
And God expects every person alive to cherish and protect this gift--for oneself, and for all others.
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Fantasy Lost
I dreamed of children soaring
to isles beyond the blue...
but the dust of fairies faltered
once they’d aged a year or two.
Sweet pixies used to sparkle
and flit a merry dance...
until love’s cool rejection
rained a mire upon romance.
Unicorns often galloped
through meadows of my mind...
their twisted horns were bloodied
when I left boyhood behind.
My playmates once took pleasure
in simple jest and sport...
now, "play" means a casino
or an overpriced resort.
Bright eyes reflected wonder,
adventure, friendship, fun...
then, lust and greed and boredom
rose like tow’rs to block the sun.
Remembering the treasure
we gathered without cost...
I long to flee and vanish,
following that which was lost.
MNA 6.3.2015
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Crying Out in the Darkness
“Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done...”
If you are like me, you can echo the words of that cheerful song most of the days of your life, and you can list blessing after blessing given to you by our gracious God. As Ethan the Ezrahite says in Psalm 89, “The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.” Every breath I take, every beat of my heart, every wonder of nature I behold, is a good gift from my heavenly Father. And the greatest gift of all is the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life for me on the cross!
But, likewise, if you are like me, there are days of sadness, fear, doubt, and discouragement--times when our heavenly Father seems to be far away, seems to have turned his back on me, even seems to be afflicting me with severe punishment! This is the kind of experience that Heman the Ezrahite is writing about in Psalm 88.
Someone has said that this is the only Psalm in our Bible that doesn’t contain words of praise, joy or thanksgiving. Apparently, Heman the Ezrahite was referring to a time in his life that was so dark and dreadful, all the blessings and benefits of knowing God seemed blotted out. What kind of trouble could account for this?
Perhaps it was a time of terrible sickness: an illness that threatened his life. He refers several times to being near the grave. Of being like one who is without strength. If you have ever been sick with a severe fever or bedridden with a wasting disease, then you know what it’s like, perhaps, to lose any hope of recovery: you cry out in your soul for God to deliver you. Or, you might even imagine that you are so close to death that not even He could help you. We must remember that God “knows our frame, he remembers that we are but dust.” The Lord created us and he knows that when we are weak and sick and played out physically, those are the times we find it hard to trust him and go on “counting our blessings.”
Maybe the darkness and trouble Heman refers to has to do with his relationships. There are times in all our lives when the people around us are difficult to deal with. People are fallible, sinful, unreliable, often careless. They make us promises and fail to keep them. They claim to be our friends but then betray or abandon us. They are greedy and ambitious, so they tend to manipulate or attack those who stand in their way. Heman complains to the Lord that He has taken away his closest friends and made him repulsive to them. Heman understands that God is in control of all things, even the relationships in his life that have gone wrong and become hurtful.
Do you and I cry out to the Lord when people in our lives let us down? Do we give God the credit He deserves for the friends and loved ones we treasure and rely on? We must remember that God declared “It is not good for man to be alone.” He created us to desire and to need companionship. And that is one important reason God became a man--the Lord Jesus Christ--to be our closest companion, even when all other friends and loved ones fail and abandon us.
It is clear that Heman the Ezrahite felt himself to be in real, immediate danger. Time and again in his Psalm he mentions being close to death, pleading with God on the basis of soon facing his own grave and the oblivion death represented to him. He even says that the closeness of death has plagued him even from his youth. There may have been an episode in his boyhood days in which the death of a parent or a friend affected Heman deeply and permanently. It became a scar on his heart and in his mind that tortured him throughout his life. Indeed, the Bible speaks of death as a great enemy--a terrifying force to be reckoned with as long as we live in this sinful world. Once again, Heman lays the complaint at the feet of God, telling the Lord “Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.”
I sincerely doubt that Heman is referring to God’s wrath against his own sin. Nowhere in the psalm does he mention his own need for repentance because of some wrongdoing. I rather believe he’s referring to the fiery intensity of the trials he is going through, seemingly an angry outpouring of punishment that could only be coming from the hand of his Creator. Does a God of perfect love really cause fiery affliction to fall upon his children, so that they begin to despair and lose hope? If we are honest and read the scriptures faithfully, we will see that the answer is often “yes.”
Joseph faced afflictions and trials at the hands of his own brothers, as well as those who owned him as a slave in Egypt, and he spent years in prison unjustly, before God cause him to be raised to the office where he could save his own people. Later, God caused his people the Israelites to be oppressed as slaves in Egypt for four hundred years, before He brought them out in the Exodus and made them a nation.
Finally, the ultimate affliction God dealt out was upon His own beloved Son, in whom He was “well pleased.” One of the lessons we must learn again and again is that God has a good purpose in everything He does and everything He allows in our lives. The suffering and death of Jesus was the most terrible and unjust thing that ever took place on earth. And yet it was part of God’s perfect plan to atone for the sins of His beloved people.
I believe that this is a lesson that Heman the Ezrahite had learned. For even in the darkness of the terrifying pit, the place of fierce affliction where darkness was his closest friend, Heman cried out to the right person. “O Lord (Jehovah, the covenant God of Israel, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ), the God who saves me, day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.” Yes, he complained and expressed his fear and grief and pain and loneliness. But he knew who to complain to and he knew where his only hope of salvation lay.
When I wake up and find myself in total darkness, one of the first things I probably do is to feel around for a light switch. Even though the God of our salvation may lead us into a dungeon of darkness for a time to teach us to trust in him alone, this God has assured us that His light “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
When you and I face our darkest days of affliction, it can be a comforting and reassuring thing that we know whom to cry out to. And He has promised that His light will conquer the darkness one day, forever.
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Maytime Musings
It arrives...the merrie month of May. We find ourselves surrounded by sweet springtime and the greenery for which our frozen souls have been longing.
Even the most stay-at-home layabouts appear on the trails and the lawns and the verdant avenues where newly pupated insects begin to buzz. Buds adorn more than beer cans and leaves of bound paper give way to those burgeoning on branches of beeches, briers and bushes.
Life emerges from stasis to rub crusty eyes and once more reveal its Author’s genius. A drive through the countryside harbors no fear of impassible lanes or invisible ice, and friendly regiments of Sta-puft clouds stand at attention on a vermilion parade ground as their brilliant, blazing commander lazily swaggers by.
Threats of April’s forgetful frosts at last lie buried. Bulbs are in the showered ground, seedlings rescued from their hothouse dungeons. Hats on passersby provide decoration rather than defense from the elements.
And I...I want to move about in May. I want to breathe in the pollens and the mown grass and the cookout coal-smoke from neighbors' fires two blocks away. I want to get to know the unleashed animals who go about marking their turf, and the elderly gent on the corner who lost his missus last year. I want to taste snow-cones and hotdogs in their natural habitats again and forget that all this lovely life was ever swallowed by winter.
At long last the atmosphere feels perfect for a night at the drive-in and there’s a new blockbuster being cast on an open-air screen. Outside beckons with its wandering, wayward, wistful, wicked wiles. Possibilities scattered like Hansel’s crumbs, leading my senses out of a dark, lonely wood.
Children used to dance around a pole with streamers. Nowadays they hop about a hoop on the playground with a big orange ball. Or shuck off their spring jackets to hang on bars like monkeys. Pretty soon trucks full of treats will come around chiming their annoying jingles.
I imagine youngsters still get antsy in May...school days seem so much longer when sunshine smiles through the windows and the growl of lawnmowers leaks into their classrooms. I used to wander into daydreams of Roseland amusement park’s opening scant weeks away, and the reward of free rides earned by respectable report card grades. They called it the “Sunshine Special.”
But now that I’m knocking on seniority’s door and Roseland has been paved over by time, I ride the carousel of colors, odors, flavors and cadences created anew every sudden spring...
...by the arrival of merrie May.
Even the most stay-at-home layabouts appear on the trails and the lawns and the verdant avenues where newly pupated insects begin to buzz. Buds adorn more than beer cans and leaves of bound paper give way to those burgeoning on branches of beeches, briers and bushes.
Life emerges from stasis to rub crusty eyes and once more reveal its Author’s genius. A drive through the countryside harbors no fear of impassible lanes or invisible ice, and friendly regiments of Sta-puft clouds stand at attention on a vermilion parade ground as their brilliant, blazing commander lazily swaggers by.
Threats of April’s forgetful frosts at last lie buried. Bulbs are in the showered ground, seedlings rescued from their hothouse dungeons. Hats on passersby provide decoration rather than defense from the elements.
And I...I want to move about in May. I want to breathe in the pollens and the mown grass and the cookout coal-smoke from neighbors' fires two blocks away. I want to get to know the unleashed animals who go about marking their turf, and the elderly gent on the corner who lost his missus last year. I want to taste snow-cones and hotdogs in their natural habitats again and forget that all this lovely life was ever swallowed by winter.
At long last the atmosphere feels perfect for a night at the drive-in and there’s a new blockbuster being cast on an open-air screen. Outside beckons with its wandering, wayward, wistful, wicked wiles. Possibilities scattered like Hansel’s crumbs, leading my senses out of a dark, lonely wood.
Children used to dance around a pole with streamers. Nowadays they hop about a hoop on the playground with a big orange ball. Or shuck off their spring jackets to hang on bars like monkeys. Pretty soon trucks full of treats will come around chiming their annoying jingles.
I imagine youngsters still get antsy in May...school days seem so much longer when sunshine smiles through the windows and the growl of lawnmowers leaks into their classrooms. I used to wander into daydreams of Roseland amusement park’s opening scant weeks away, and the reward of free rides earned by respectable report card grades. They called it the “Sunshine Special.”
But now that I’m knocking on seniority’s door and Roseland has been paved over by time, I ride the carousel of colors, odors, flavors and cadences created anew every sudden spring...
...by the arrival of merrie May.
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
The Good of Goodness
What makes it good to be good?
Whence does morality come?
Who says life must at all costs be preserved
Even though this one counts less than some?
What makes it bad to be bad?
Why not just serve “number one”?
When did self-centeredness score such a loss
And self-sacrifice hit a home-run?
What makes it good to be kind?
Nature devours all the weak!
Mercy and peace are unknown in the wild:
Only sharpness of tooth, claw and beak.
Power and swiftness are prime.
Prowess and ruthlessness reign.
How did we humans escape jungle law,
Far more “civilized” rules to sustain?
What makes a virtue so fair?
Even when vice offers thrills...
Even when I welcome temptation’s lure,
It’s tough virtue deep pleasure instills.
Why do such heroes inspire
When “giving in” would cost less?
What makes self-serving excuses seem vain
Every time good is put to the test?
Is good a matter of choice?
Did we all simply “count heads”?
Was it a sociological poll
Or a weaving of DNA threads?
Is good a meaningless mist?
Is moral outrage a joke?
Are peace and genocide equally just--
No more crucial than “Pepsi or Coke?”
Is good a practical truth?
Simply the best way to thrive?
Is then “pragmatic” the highest of heights?
Then, why should the weak be kept alive?
Or why make beautiful things?
Why waste our time on such frills?
Such window dressing serves no basic need--
Only practical stuff “pays the bills”!
The good of goodness is God.
His is the law in our hearts.
Yes we might doubt or deny it is so,
But the whole beats the sum of its parts.
For God’s own image was breathed
Into His first Garden pair...
And though that likeness is fallen and scarred,
That law’s echo and voice are still there.
MNA 5.17.15
Whence does morality come?
Who says life must at all costs be preserved
Even though this one counts less than some?
What makes it bad to be bad?
Why not just serve “number one”?
When did self-centeredness score such a loss
And self-sacrifice hit a home-run?
What makes it good to be kind?
Nature devours all the weak!
Mercy and peace are unknown in the wild:
Only sharpness of tooth, claw and beak.
Power and swiftness are prime.
Prowess and ruthlessness reign.
How did we humans escape jungle law,
Far more “civilized” rules to sustain?
What makes a virtue so fair?
Even when vice offers thrills...
Even when I welcome temptation’s lure,
It’s tough virtue deep pleasure instills.
Why do such heroes inspire
When “giving in” would cost less?
What makes self-serving excuses seem vain
Every time good is put to the test?
Is good a matter of choice?
Did we all simply “count heads”?
Was it a sociological poll
Or a weaving of DNA threads?
Is good a meaningless mist?
Is moral outrage a joke?
Are peace and genocide equally just--
No more crucial than “Pepsi or Coke?”
Is good a practical truth?
Simply the best way to thrive?
Is then “pragmatic” the highest of heights?
Then, why should the weak be kept alive?
Or why make beautiful things?
Why waste our time on such frills?
Such window dressing serves no basic need--
Only practical stuff “pays the bills”!
The good of goodness is God.
His is the law in our hearts.
Yes we might doubt or deny it is so,
But the whole beats the sum of its parts.
For God’s own image was breathed
Into His first Garden pair...
And though that likeness is fallen and scarred,
That law’s echo and voice are still there.
MNA 5.17.15
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Beauty's Renewal
I woke to find a world devoid of war
where no one bears a grudge or locks his door
or fears to wander naked in the wild
or trust an unknown neighbor with his child:
a world where threat and peril walk no more.
I opened eyes to gaze upon a garden
where none still knows the need to plead for pardon
or beg for alms or seek a healing balm
or find a sage her tortured mind to calm:
a place of grace and peace beyond the Jordan.
I rose to walk in wonder down the strand
now free from heaven’s curse on life or land
where oceans churn with only gentle tides
and nature with its lords no more collides:
a paradise unstained on every hand.
I left my dreams behind to enter bliss
where death and wrong my Prince will all dismiss
and offer there with riven hands and feet
the prize which here is only bittersweet:
the sleeping Beauty’s pledged, awakening Kiss.
MNA 4.26.2015
where no one bears a grudge or locks his door
or fears to wander naked in the wild
or trust an unknown neighbor with his child:
a world where threat and peril walk no more.
I opened eyes to gaze upon a garden
where none still knows the need to plead for pardon
or beg for alms or seek a healing balm
or find a sage her tortured mind to calm:
a place of grace and peace beyond the Jordan.
I rose to walk in wonder down the strand
now free from heaven’s curse on life or land
where oceans churn with only gentle tides
and nature with its lords no more collides:
a paradise unstained on every hand.
I left my dreams behind to enter bliss
where death and wrong my Prince will all dismiss
and offer there with riven hands and feet
the prize which here is only bittersweet:
the sleeping Beauty’s pledged, awakening Kiss.
MNA 4.26.2015
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Challenged and Cheered
Paul writes in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” No sooner does the apostle explain this, than he proceeds to paint a very painful picture of the human race. A race of people doomed to experience the wrath of God for their sins.
The point that Paul is making is that the gospel of God--the “good news” regarding Jesus, God’s only Son--can only be seen as good news as it is proclaimed against a backdrop of a fallen world. This is a world that is rendered fallen by a rebellious, treasonous, disobedient human family, of which each of us is a guilty member.
This bad news about people marks out the irreconcilable “no-man’s land” that separates so-called liberal Christianity from what may rightly be called evangelical Christianity. Full-orbed biblical faith in Jesus Christ is based on truth which insists on a radical antithesis.
When I use the label “liberal” here, I am referring to those who believe in unifying humanity under a banner of fallacious hopes and wishful thinking. These well-intentioned folks want to see peace and healing for a hurting and divided mankind...but they believe they can be attained by basically human, non-miraculous methods.
This became clearer to me recently as I pondered the apparent aims of some spiritually minded poets. These writers urge us to look within ourselves to discover the common ground and universal desires that can unite us all. They imply (or preach openly) that if flawed, mistaken, dissatisfied men and women would rally together under a banner of brotherhood, or a love of nature, or a desire for self-preservation, then...all would be well. After all, we are all “in the same boat together,” and together we are sufficiently equipped to get things right in the end.
Only a casual glance through the pages of Scripture will show that this view falls far short of the plight of mankind as the Bible describes it. Rather than facing a self-perfecting building project that merely requires a beefed-up quantity of concerted effort, humanity is, in reality, in the middle of a to-the-death cosmic combat of God-sized proportions! Our Creator is extremely mad...because people are extremely bad. And eternity in either a real Heaven, or a real Hell, hangs in the balance.
This biblical picture presents too sharp an antithesis to the liberal mind. In order to avoid such a God-vs-Man confrontation, one must do one’s best to equalize the two sides in the conflict. The liberal must either inflate man’s goodness and perfectibility, or deflate God’s nature as powerful and holy sovereign. Or both. Making man more god-like than the Bible paints him, or making God more man-like, is the key.
A favorite tool of such theological makeovers is modern textual criticism: taking the plain language of Scripture concerning God, His nature, His demands, His action, judgments and decrees, and re-interpreting it to render it more manageable on a purely human level. To a large degree, the biblical God has died the death of a thousand re-interpretations. Liberal theologians have taken God’s wrath, laws, miraculous powers and sovereign providence--even His plan to save sinners, and have reduced them to symbolic signposts that humans can use on their own journey toward self-perfection.
Those divine qualities, no longer seen as simple and factual, have been ripped from their spatial and historical context and boiled down into Aesop-like moralisms. In the modern theologian’s mind, there’s no genuine conflict--there’s only a moralistic stew where all of man’s good intentions (including his assumptions about God) are simmering together on the fire until we all wake up to the fact that we’re really all the same. All is One. There is no real antithesis to worry about.
When I, as a Christian poet, seek to reflect my faith in beautiful verses, the resultant lines cannot avoid the antithetical. To me, the truth of the biblical faith is just that: truth. And the truth forces one to make distinctions. The universe is not all “A”...it is also “non-A.” The reason that humanity is divided is that we’ve sinned against our Maker. The existence of evil in our world and in ourselves makes this perfectly plain, even if it wasn’t for the biblical testimony.
Furthermore, now that our Maker has provided a way to be saved from the punishment our sins have earned--Jesus--we turn our noses up at that gracious way, and go on devising our own ways--including the self-perfectionist path of the liberal.
The call of God from time immemorial has always been, “Repent”--to turn from non-A, and return back to A. This was the antithetical call of the judges and prophets of the Old Testament, the call of the Christ, as well as His forerunner and emissaries in the New Testament. To repent is to surrender before the challenge of God that stands against the proud, false hopes of those who imagine salvation is within their own grasp.
The Christian antithesis is that only the perfect work and atoning death of the divine, historical Jesus can provide a saving record of righteousness for sinners in the courtroom of a holy God. Every other path of salvation is “non-A.”
The liberal thinker may ask: “Are things really that desperate? Is the message of Jesus really so stark, judgmental and exclusive? Isn’t there room to flex, to leave our doors open a crack for sincere Buddhists or Jews or Hindus or Muslims? Can’t we all get along on a platform of good intentions?”
To those with such hopes I would simply point to the manger...the cross...the empty tomb...and ask the question: “Why?” If our good intentions were always good enough, who, then, really needs a Savior? Jesus said He came to earth “not to bring peace...but a sword.” He became the most challenging, antithetical figure who ever lived. But in love, He gave His life “as a ransom for many, to bring us to God.” And He claimed to be God’s only Way. His sole, unique Savior for the lost. That’s His challenge.
Only those who surrender before the challenge of Christ’s gospel, can truly be cheered by it.
Mark Aikins
April 12, 2015
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Friday, April 10, 2015
New Beginnings?
January marks the beginning of a new year...yet it feels like the continuation of a bitter, cold season.
New relationships can be enticing and fun...until you start being haunted by memories of old ones and the baggage you still carry.
Favorite TV shows promise premiere episodes that resolve the cliff-hangers from last season...
It seems like every new beginning sneaks in a remnant of the past.
Everything new is old again...or is that vice versa?
The Preacher from Ecclesiastes looked and looked in vain for “something new under the sun.”
Every new day is a repeat of the day before: sun rising and hurrying to the place where it sets,
long shadows shortening...then lengthening the opposite way, blossoms opening and closing again.
Looking forward to the new, rewards one with the assurance that one may look back on recollections of the old.
Time’s passage makes newness a fleeting spark that never burns.
New Year’s resolutions may be well-intentioned...but how many last into February?
Wedding bells ring every June...divorce court gavels hammer just as often.
Birthdays arrive, hailed and unhailed, reminders of a primal cry...and the approaching last gasp.
New stars in the heavens are truly exploding novae, heralding the death of faraway planets.
Bored teenagers hunger for novelty...then they fall in love with dead film stars, and their fashions.
Old people come to fear novelty...then, in their dotage, see old friends as newcomers.
Witness Protection Programs promise a new beginning: protection from the past, of course.
True newness must be a spiritual thing...for under the sun, ain’t no such thing!
MNA 4/9/2015
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Friday, March 13, 2015
What Is the Matter
Dying things and dying people,
Passing seasons, passing years,
Ebbing tides and ebbing powers,
Falling empires, falling tears...
Leaving friends and leaving dwellings,
Flagging hopes and flagging joys,
Caving buildings, caving virtues,
Hopeless ventures, hopeless ploys...
I have often felt abandoned,
Left behind by life’s advance--
Relegated to the quagmire
Of a cosmos run by chance...
You are not alone in searching
For the hidden face of God
As you peer into the blackness
Of the soul and sky and sod...
Death of morning, death of meaning,
Death of fruit and flow’r and seed,
Death of wishing or desiring,
Death of all-consuming need...
Could it be I could not face it,
Nor could you, while drawing breath,
Face what truly, finally matters,
Were it not for death--sweet death?
MNA 3/12/15
Passing seasons, passing years,
Ebbing tides and ebbing powers,
Falling empires, falling tears...
Leaving friends and leaving dwellings,
Flagging hopes and flagging joys,
Caving buildings, caving virtues,
Hopeless ventures, hopeless ploys...
I have often felt abandoned,
Left behind by life’s advance--
Relegated to the quagmire
Of a cosmos run by chance...
You are not alone in searching
For the hidden face of God
As you peer into the blackness
Of the soul and sky and sod...
Death of morning, death of meaning,
Death of fruit and flow’r and seed,
Death of wishing or desiring,
Death of all-consuming need...
Could it be I could not face it,
Nor could you, while drawing breath,
Face what truly, finally matters,
Were it not for death--sweet death?
MNA 3/12/15
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Unburied Treasure
“Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and thieves do not break in and steal...
for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
(Matthew 6:20-21)
Bilbo Baggins the hobbit gazed down miserably from Ravenhill, into the valley between two great arms of the Lonely Mountain. There before him a vicious battle was raging, pitting dwarves, elves and men against a ghastly host of goblins and their allies, the evil wargs.
His adventure had come to an end. Chosen by Gandalf the wizard and Thorin the dwarf-lord as the “burglar” who would spy out the dark passages of the Mountain and venture into the fearsome lair of the wicked dragon, Smaug, Bilbo, with the aid of a magical ring, had amply fulfilled his contract. He had rescued Thorin and his twelve companions several times during their journey, had played a key role in discovering the way into the mountain halls, and had even reported Smaug’s weak spot so that the mighty bowman Bard was able to shoot down the dragon in its flight with his final arrow! For these remarkable services, the tiny hobbit had been promised one fourteenth share of the dragon’s stolen and hoarded treasure.
But now, what had seemed like a tremendous victory was turning into a calamity greater than the death and destruction dealt out by the dragon himself. This Battle of the Five Armies was the direct result of the news that Smaug’s golden hoard was no longer guarded by the monster, and Thorin, heir of the dwarf-kings of old, was unwilling to divide his treasure with other races, even when their claims seemed valid.
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, dwarves were described as expert miners, smiths and craftsmen, digging, delving and building vast underground cities. Beneath the earth they sought out the natural treasuries of iron, copper, silver, gold and gems, which they fashioned into works of inexpressible beauty. With so much hard work invested in their treasures, it is easy to see why it filled Thorin’s heart with such hot desire, and made him willing to guard it with his own life, as well as the lives of his companions.
But later, at the side of Thorin’s death-bed, Bilbo would hear words of repentance from the lips of this proud King Under the Mountain. The hobbit cared little for the glitter of trinkets or the light of jewels...he had repeatedly longed only to return safely to his comfortable home under the Hill back in the Shire, with or without his fourteenth share of dragon-treasure. Thorin praised these simple desires in the end, confessing that if more people desired such things above the lust for gold and other riches, the world would be a merrier place.
Tolkien then put even more telling words into Thorin’s mouth as he was dying. He told Bilbo that he was about to go to sit among his ancestors and wait with them, “until the world is renewed.” What a poignant reminder that this world--Middle-earth or our own world--is not our final dwelling place. Nothing here that we value so highly is of permanent value; all will pass away. I might dig and dig for an entire lifetime, unearthing mineral riches that will satisfy even a dragon’s lust for treasure. It will vanish in the end. The Creator of heaven and earth, who spoke this universe into being, will just as easily speak it back into nothingness.
What will endure beyond the world’s renewal are the lives of the people around us. Contrary to the naturalistic fatalism of our times, physical death is not the end. None of us faces oblivion when he or she passes out of this world. Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes that God has placed eternity in the heart of man. We instinctively know that we are destined for an eternal, unending existence. Here, on this planet, we value things for their beauty, their splendor and craftsmanship, the passing pleasure they give...and, most of all, their “permanence.” But we know down deep that this permanence is not truly permanent, after all. You and I will outlast these things we cherish so highly. We will enter eternity someday and face our Creator. And he will either hail us as his beloved children, or judge and banish us as his bitter enemies.
Earthly treasures will not comfort us on that day. Fortunes we have amassed on planet earth will be left behind. Power, prestige, possessions and all our noble plans for the future will be stripped away. All that will matter is the treasure of knowing Jesus Christ.
How can I obtain this Person? This priceless treasure? Not by paying for it. Not by earning or deserving it. Jesus gives Himself to me freely as my Savior and King. I must merely reach out empty hands of faith and receive Him.
All during his adventurous travels, Bilbo Baggins kept longing for home. That is where his chief treasure lay. He eventually made it back there in one piece.
By God’s grace, may you and I do the same--and may your Treasure be waiting there to welcome you.
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Beyond
Fair faces launched at least a thousand ships
And chained the heart of many-a warrior king;
This treasured fire braved wastes and walls and whips
To gain the sole possession of one ring.
How many hearts are welded to a dream
Of ever-after happiness and bliss,
To merely grasp instead handfuls of steam
As turtle-doves expire with-a serpent’s hiss?
Four-letter word, with such a checkered past:
Why do all youths fall victim to your flame,
When all can see how rarely it will last
And aging suitors hang their heads in shame?
I early came to know the lonesome curse--
A heart cut off from free, unfettered joy--
The lauded idyll of the poet’s verse,
Eluding every hopeful, heartsick boy.
My mind and soul cried from an empty well
Their call to mate with some ideal I’d lost
Somewhere between bright heaven and dark hell,
Between Passover’s pains and Pentecost.
For many passions throngs have dared to die
Rather than lose the loves for which they fought;
But who would seek a sinner sick as I,
Who only could by royal blood be bought?
Was I--O truly?--meant for love beyond
All passions those on earth might undertake?
Do best affections here, reflect the bond
Eternity itself will never break?
Beyond the smold’ring ash, beyond the death,
Beyond the wasting, wanting, weary earth...
Beyond the ever-after war for breath,
Is there, indeed, what all lost loves are worth?
MNA
2/15/15
And chained the heart of many-a warrior king;
This treasured fire braved wastes and walls and whips
To gain the sole possession of one ring.
How many hearts are welded to a dream
Of ever-after happiness and bliss,
To merely grasp instead handfuls of steam
As turtle-doves expire with-a serpent’s hiss?
Four-letter word, with such a checkered past:
Why do all youths fall victim to your flame,
When all can see how rarely it will last
And aging suitors hang their heads in shame?
I early came to know the lonesome curse--
A heart cut off from free, unfettered joy--
The lauded idyll of the poet’s verse,
Eluding every hopeful, heartsick boy.
My mind and soul cried from an empty well
Their call to mate with some ideal I’d lost
Somewhere between bright heaven and dark hell,
Between Passover’s pains and Pentecost.
For many passions throngs have dared to die
Rather than lose the loves for which they fought;
But who would seek a sinner sick as I,
Who only could by royal blood be bought?
Was I--O truly?--meant for love beyond
All passions those on earth might undertake?
Do best affections here, reflect the bond
Eternity itself will never break?
Beyond the smold’ring ash, beyond the death,
Beyond the wasting, wanting, weary earth...
Beyond the ever-after war for breath,
Is there, indeed, what all lost loves are worth?
MNA
2/15/15
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Music as a Memory Tool
Recently I was challenged by one of my pastors to commit a passage of Scripture to memory. I have many fond memories of verses learned in childhood at Sunday school class and Bible clubs and Christian camps. And I’ve grown up understanding the importance of memorizing Scripture, hiding God’s word in my heart, “that I might not sin against” Him (Psalm 119:11).
It suddenly struck me as I considered the passage my pastor had assigned me, that I could use a familiar hymn tune as a mnemonic device (a memory-aid), if I could find a melody that closely followed the rhythm of the words of the Scripture in question. Some of the words might have to be combined with a single note in some cases, but who knew? I decided to give my idea a try.
The tune I landed on for my experiment was the famous Beethoven theme, “Ode to Joy,” often used for the hymn poem, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.”
With this melody in your mind, try fitting in the following words from Titus 2:11-14 (ESV):
“For the grace of God has appeared,
Bringing salvation for all people,
Training us to renounce ungodliness
And worldly passions, and to live
Self-controlled, upright and godly lives
In the present age, waiting for
Our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory
Of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
(repeat last four lines of the tune)
Who gave Himself for us to redeem us
From all lawlessness, and to purify
For Himself a people for His own
Possession who are zealous for good works”
What a great, encouraging passage! And after singing it over and over in my mind, writing it on a card and glancing at it to jog my 58-year-old brain, I could actually type it out word-for-word from memory! I did this about a month ago, now, and the passage is still fresh in my mind, partly because it is forever linked to that melody by good ol’ Ludwig von B.
Once I’d succeeded in that first experiment, I simply couldn’t resist trying it again with other passages. I went back to my pastor and reported my success, requesting that he choose another section from the Bible for me to commit to memory. Here is the one he suggested. It comes from Psalm 73:21-28, and I used the tune to the hymn, “The God of Abraham Praise.”
“When my heart was grieved,
And my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant,
I was a brute beast before You.
Yet I am always with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel and afterward,
You will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and heart may fail, but You are the strength
Of my heart and my portion forever.
All who are far from You will perish;
You destroy all who’re unfaithful to You.
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made
The Sovereign Lord my refuge. (repeat last line of tune)
I will tell of all Your deeds.”
I know...it’s hard to fit in some of those words to the Abraham tune, but you have to divide up some of the quarter notes into eighth notes, such as in the second line of the second stanza:
“And earth-has no-thing I-de sire-be sides You”
(the dashes indicate where a quarter note has been replaced with 2 shorter notes)
Again, that passage is one well worth taking time to memorize! And I found that the choice of tune works well in jogging my memory when I want to recall those wise words of Asaph.
This musical memory technique became so rewarding, I stopped waiting for my pastor to make suggestions and started hunting for target passages on my own! Here is a great section from the New Testament book of Colossians that one of my pastors is beginning to preach on. I chose to memorize it to the tune of the hymn, “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.”
“Since then you have been raised with Christ,
Set your hearts on things above,
Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above,
Not on earthly things; for you died,
And your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ who is your life appears,
You also will appear with Him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whate’er belongs
To your earthly nature: sexual immorality,
Impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,
Which is idolatry.
(I found that stanza especially challenging!)
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
You used to walk in these ways
In the life you once lived, but now you must rid
Yourselves of all such things as these:
Anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language
From your lips. Do not lie to each other,
For you have put off the old self with its practices
And have put on the new self,
(Now, repeat lines 3 and 4)
Which is being renewed in knowledge in
The image of its Creator.”
Believe it or not, I’m typing all of these out from memory!! This might be just a quirky thing that works for odd-balls like me, but I thought I would share it with my readers, in the off chance that they might wish to give it a shot. After all, knowing God’s word has always been important for believers in Christ--and it promises to be all the more important in the years and generations ahead.
Why not try this technique for yourself, or come up with your own and share it with your friends? Having helpful passages of Scripture “at my fingertips” and singing these truths to myself has become a major source of joy and spiritual blessing for me, and I hope you will find it likewise.
Here’s one more passage I’ve worked on, from Psalm 51, to the tune of “What Child Is This?”
“Have mercy on me O God,
According to Your steadfast love;
According to Your abundant mercy,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin,
For I know my transgressions and
My sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You may be justified in your words
And blameless in Your judgment.
Behold, I was bro’t forth in iniquity
And in sin did my mother conceive me;
Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being,
And You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean,
Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness, make
The bones You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sin
And blot out all my iniquities;
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence and
Take not Your Holy Spirit from me;
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will return to You.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation. (repeat last line)
And my lips will sing aloud of Your righteousness.”
It suddenly struck me as I considered the passage my pastor had assigned me, that I could use a familiar hymn tune as a mnemonic device (a memory-aid), if I could find a melody that closely followed the rhythm of the words of the Scripture in question. Some of the words might have to be combined with a single note in some cases, but who knew? I decided to give my idea a try.
The tune I landed on for my experiment was the famous Beethoven theme, “Ode to Joy,” often used for the hymn poem, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.”
With this melody in your mind, try fitting in the following words from Titus 2:11-14 (ESV):
“For the grace of God has appeared,
Bringing salvation for all people,
Training us to renounce ungodliness
And worldly passions, and to live
Self-controlled, upright and godly lives
In the present age, waiting for
Our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory
Of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
(repeat last four lines of the tune)
Who gave Himself for us to redeem us
From all lawlessness, and to purify
For Himself a people for His own
Possession who are zealous for good works”
What a great, encouraging passage! And after singing it over and over in my mind, writing it on a card and glancing at it to jog my 58-year-old brain, I could actually type it out word-for-word from memory! I did this about a month ago, now, and the passage is still fresh in my mind, partly because it is forever linked to that melody by good ol’ Ludwig von B.
Once I’d succeeded in that first experiment, I simply couldn’t resist trying it again with other passages. I went back to my pastor and reported my success, requesting that he choose another section from the Bible for me to commit to memory. Here is the one he suggested. It comes from Psalm 73:21-28, and I used the tune to the hymn, “The God of Abraham Praise.”
“When my heart was grieved,
And my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant,
I was a brute beast before You.
Yet I am always with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel and afterward,
You will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and heart may fail, but You are the strength
Of my heart and my portion forever.
All who are far from You will perish;
You destroy all who’re unfaithful to You.
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made
The Sovereign Lord my refuge. (repeat last line of tune)
I will tell of all Your deeds.”
I know...it’s hard to fit in some of those words to the Abraham tune, but you have to divide up some of the quarter notes into eighth notes, such as in the second line of the second stanza:
“And earth-has no-thing I-de sire-be sides You”
(the dashes indicate where a quarter note has been replaced with 2 shorter notes)
Again, that passage is one well worth taking time to memorize! And I found that the choice of tune works well in jogging my memory when I want to recall those wise words of Asaph.
This musical memory technique became so rewarding, I stopped waiting for my pastor to make suggestions and started hunting for target passages on my own! Here is a great section from the New Testament book of Colossians that one of my pastors is beginning to preach on. I chose to memorize it to the tune of the hymn, “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.”
“Since then you have been raised with Christ,
Set your hearts on things above,
Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above,
Not on earthly things; for you died,
And your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ who is your life appears,
You also will appear with Him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whate’er belongs
To your earthly nature: sexual immorality,
Impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,
Which is idolatry.
(I found that stanza especially challenging!)
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
You used to walk in these ways
In the life you once lived, but now you must rid
Yourselves of all such things as these:
Anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language
From your lips. Do not lie to each other,
For you have put off the old self with its practices
And have put on the new self,
(Now, repeat lines 3 and 4)
Which is being renewed in knowledge in
The image of its Creator.”
Believe it or not, I’m typing all of these out from memory!! This might be just a quirky thing that works for odd-balls like me, but I thought I would share it with my readers, in the off chance that they might wish to give it a shot. After all, knowing God’s word has always been important for believers in Christ--and it promises to be all the more important in the years and generations ahead.
Why not try this technique for yourself, or come up with your own and share it with your friends? Having helpful passages of Scripture “at my fingertips” and singing these truths to myself has become a major source of joy and spiritual blessing for me, and I hope you will find it likewise.
Here’s one more passage I’ve worked on, from Psalm 51, to the tune of “What Child Is This?”
“Have mercy on me O God,
According to Your steadfast love;
According to Your abundant mercy,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin,
For I know my transgressions and
My sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You may be justified in your words
And blameless in Your judgment.
Behold, I was bro’t forth in iniquity
And in sin did my mother conceive me;
Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being,
And You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean,
Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness, make
The bones You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sin
And blot out all my iniquities;
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence and
Take not Your Holy Spirit from me;
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will return to You.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation. (repeat last line)
And my lips will sing aloud of Your righteousness.”
Trained as a music teacher in Philadelphia, I directed music and worship in several churches for over 20 years. My family and I settled in northern Indiana where until recently I worked in the truck building industry. My goal in writing is to cheer the heart, challenge the soul, and glorify Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)