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.
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