peace – Hope Walking

Let Him In!

Jack was jogging through his local county park one grey afternoon when he felt an intense pain run down his left arm. Slowing his pace he turned down a wooded path that led back to his car. The light grew dimmer, and then, much to his surprise, the sun appeared and he noticed a wall on each side that he’d never seen before. At the end was a white gate, then a green garden filled with sunshine.

When Jack reached the gate a kind-faced woman opened it, smiled and said, “Welcome Jack. I’m Marie. They’re expecting you. Please sit over by the flowering tree and someone will be right with you.”

Then she walked about 30 yards, went through a door in a hedge, and was gone.

Jack knew he should be disturbed by these strange circumstances, yet he wasn’t. He felt uncommonly relaxed. He was wondering what tree produced such colorful and fragrant blossoms, and where his car had gone, when a young handsome man approached him.

“Welcome, Jack,” he said. “I’m Elias. I just want to ask you a few questions and your escort will take you to your room. Do you have any favorite colors?”

“Well, I really like yellows, bright blue and white. But why do you want to know?” asked Jack.

”We’re getting your place ready for you,” Elias said as he made notes in a file folder. “What view do you prefer: woods, fields, mountains, lake?”
“Lake, please,” said Jack. “But tell me, why am I here? Am I dead?”
“Not anymore,” Elias said.“You had a heart attack on the jogging path. When you walk through the door in the hedge you will enter unending life. There is just one thing you will do before you go to that door. It is our custom here to let the newest arrival greet the next arrival, as Marie greeted you. I’ll stay here with you until he arrives.”

Jack couldn’t tell how long they waited. It seemed to him that time was no longer important. He felt content and joyful like never before. He wanted to sit there forever. Then he heard steps approaching the gate. Elias took out another file and said, “This is Mike. Please open the gate and let him in.”

Jack happily walked toward the gate, but when he saw Mike, everything changed.

A volcano of fear, grief, hate and anger erupted inside Jack. He reheard the shouts, the shots, the explosive crash, saw the blood everywhere and felt the cold face of the friend he loved.

“No!” he cried. “No! I can’t let him in. Elias, don’t you know what he did?”

Elias’s eyes spoke understanding, but his voice was steady and low. “No, I don’t know.”

“Don’t you have his record?” insisted Jack incredulously.

“No, we don’t. All records were destroyed by our Lord.”

“There must be a record somewhere,” Jack insisted.

“Oh, yes, there is, but it’s not here. The Accuser has it. He saves everything.”

“The Accuser?”

“Yes, the Accuser. In Hebrew he’s called Satan.”

“Wait, you have some records. When I got here you knew my name and some of my history.”

“Oh, yes, of course we know some things, like when you started to follow the Lord. Let me see. Michael Sullivan. Born again April 18, 2021, McCreary Prison, Lexington, Kentucky.”

“You have prisoners here?!” Jack exclaimed.

“Oh, no! We don’t imprison anyone. That would be the other place. So, are you going to let him in?”

“Look, I don’t see why I am under any obligation to open the door for Mike. That would be like saying I forgive him for what he did to me.”

“Precisely”

“But I never agreed to that.”

“Oh, but you did. Thousands of times.”

“Thousands of times? When?”

“Did you ever pray the prayer the Lord taught his disciples?” Elias asked. “You call it the Lord’s Prayer.”

“Of course I’ve prayed it. Ever since I was a kid. We even used to pray it in school when I was little. What’s that got to do with this?”

After a pause, Elias continued, “Did you pray ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?’”

After a long silence Jack admitted he had.

“Well, then,” Elias said. “Forgive Mike the way our Lord has forgiven you…totally.”

“But that’s impossible,” Jack wailed.

“God never asks us to do impossible things. Hard, but not impossible.”

“But, can’t I ask God to forgive me even if I can’t forgive Mike?”

“Let me ask you something, Jack. Do you remember the story of the prodigal son? Even when his father begged him, the older son refused to join the party.”

Jack quickly glanced at Mike, waiting to be let in, and nodded.

“Do you still have the letter?” Elias asked.

Jack knew what letter Elias meant, the letter from the Victim-offender Reconciliation Program at the prison.

“Look,” continued Elias. “the door to unending life is right over there. It’s called forgiveness. It’s not called, “I forgive” or “I’m forgiven” it’s simply called “forgiveness.” You either want to go there, or you don’t. As soon as you let Mike in you can go together.”

Jack shook his head. “I can’t. I’m not ready. I need more time.”

“You want more time, Jack?” Elias asked.

Jack nodded.

“Granted.”

Jack felt his body lift and fall. Glaring lights blinded him. He heard a “beep, beep, beep” over his head.

“He’s back,” exclaimed a woman in blue scrubs.

‘Oh, no!” thought Jack. “What have I done?”

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Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

Deliver Us From Evil

What is evil?

As I went to sleep Thursday night Russian forces were attacking Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The plant was on fire, and I did not know if I would wake up to a world covered with radioactivity. The fire died out, and I woke to the relief that at least we were out of that imminent danger – safer than I expected, but by no means safe overall. Evil is still very much with us.

But what is evil?

Most countries of the world agree that Russia’s bombing and invading Ukraine is outright evil. We all have an inner moral sense of what is right and wrong, and we often know an act is evil without having to think about it.

In the Christian worldview recognizing evil starts with recognizing the goodness of God. Our God of love created a world that is good and beautiful. You can see that everywhere. If someone destroys that goodness and beauty you know that is evil.

My grandmother Emma was born near where the war is now raging, so I decided to pinpoint her birth on historical maps. I found she was born in the Russian Empire, to a German family, in a city that is now in Poland, on land that was tumultuously disputed for centuries by those nations. Her young life was also filled with tumult. The family was working-wealthy, but her dad died when she was 10 and her brother was one. Her mom remarried badly, and they fled the country to escape the police chasing her stepfather across the border. When her mom died 5 years later, she put her brother in an orphanage and went to work.

I never got to ask my grandma about her life; she died when I was an infant. But I do know what her favorite hymn was, Be Still My Soul:

Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

Leave to thy God to order and provide

In every change He faithful will remain.

Jesus prepared us for a world plagued with evil when he said, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage —I have conquered the world.”

And the prophet Isaiah instructs us how to not fear:

“Do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary.”

When we have the proper fear of our all powerful, world-ruling, loving God, our hearts will fear no one else.

Be still, my soul; your God will undertake

to guide the future as he has the past;

your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;

all now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know

his voice who ruled them while he lived below.

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Be Still My Soul (Sibelius)

Scriptures quoted: John 16:33 (NET) Isaiah 8:12-14 (ESV)

What Do You Want for Christmas?

What do you really want for Christmas?

We are coming to the end of a very weary year. I am sure peace, rest, and perhaps simply quiet are at the top of many lists. What’s at the top of yours?

If we traveled back in time to the year Jesus was born and asked Mary’s neighbors what they wanted most, their answers would’ve been very similar. They lived under brutal Roman rule, and the news stories of the year were as horrendous as ours. The Jewish people longed for peace, quiet and rest. And they had different ideas of how to get them.

The Zealots were a party of revolutionaries intent on throwing the Romans out of Palestine. This group attracted patriots and bandits, but the means to their goal was the same – force. Physical force would bring the rest they longed for.

Another party we all know was the Pharisees. They often argued with Jesus, but the group had begun with good intentions. When they read the prophets, they had concluded God would send the Messiah to help them when all the people were fastidiously obeying God’s Laws. Their good intentions turned into a holier-than-thou attitude that brought anything but rest to the weary.

Getting away from it all were the Essenes. They took very seriously the prophet Isaiah’s instructions to prepare a highway in the desert, making a road for the Messiah to come (Isaiah 40:3.) Moving into the desert they did get away from the noise and stress of city life in Jerusalem. But their lives were hard and bare, with not much rest.

As Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary walked from Nazareth to Bethlehem, they undoubtably passed members of all these parties. Unknown to them, the Messiah, the mighty king they all longed for, rocked gently in Mary’s womb as she passed by.

When it came time to announce Jesus’ birth the angel was not sent to the hideout caves of the Zealots, the desert homes of the Essenes or the scroll rooms of the Pharisees. The angel was sent to a field filled with sheep and shepherds.

Why God picked these shepherds to first hear the great news is beyond me. But I can guess why he did not pick the parties I listed. I think they would have been quite prone to argue with the angel. “No way!” I imagine them saying. “A baby in a manger in Bethlehem is not strong enough, not pure enough, not mystical enough. He can’t be what we are looking for.”

But he was exactly what they were looking for. And he is exactly what we are looking for when we wish for peace, quiet and rest.

Stop and listen again to what the angel told the shepherds. Listen with all your heart and let the truth sink in:

“Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”

The prophet Isaiah said, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

May Jesus be first on your list this Christmas.

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Scripture references:

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

Luke 2:10-14 (NET))

Pray Like This: Your Kingdom Come

How would you describe the perfect country (the perfect kingdom?) Stop for a moment and think about it. Make a mental list of what that kingdom would be like.

For thousands of years men and women have dreamed of the perfect kingdom, utopias where everything is perfect. They dreamed of places where everyone is fed, everyone gets along with their neighbors, and fighting never molests the peace. Building utopias has often been tried, but has always ended in disasters where tyrannical rule took over. History proves that. There are no Camelots we can point at and say, “There!”

The crowds who followed Jesus fully expected him to usher in the perfect Jewish kingdom with himself as king. But when Jesus was before the Roman ruler Pilate, who asked, ”Are you a king?” Jesus answered,

“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, …. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Jesus taught us to pray “your kingdom come.” He had two basic rules for his kingdom. The second being “love your neighbor as yourself.” Look at your mental list for the perfect kingdom. If everyone followed this simple rule I can project that your kingdom would exist. Easy enough?

So why are we so bad at building utopias? It’s because we do not have it in ourselves to build them. We do not have it in ourselves to love our neighbors as ourselves. If you are married or have children you know that no matter how much you love your spouse or child, self-interest often rules and ruins the day. We want to live in our perfect kingdoms where we are the kings and queens, even at the expense of others. Utopias crumble under the weight of our selfishness.

But Jesus’ kingdom did not crumble. Pilate, who was wise to the ruthless power plays of the Roman Empire, stood stunned before Jesus who refused to even defend himself. Then, in a move to keep his own power intact, Pilate ordered Jesus’ crucifixion. In the greatest irony every, Jesus’ kingdom rose with power when he laid down his life for us, the most perfectly selfless act in all history.

When Jesus asks us to pray “Your kingdom come,” it is an invitation into the unconquerable Kingdom of God where you are loved and cared for beyond anything you can imagine. Jesus doesn’t just tell us to stop acting selfishly, he enables us to do so by transforming us with His overwhelming love.

Take a minute to read about the son who came home in this post and this and this. There’s a big party at the end, but the elder brother refuses to go in. You can read about it here. Let me know what you think the older brother decides, and I will meet you back here next week.

Home!

Dark, cold, seemingly endless interstate roads were a large part of my life for over a decade while I moved around the country for school and military service. Indiana to Bergen County: 750 miles. Denver to Bergen: 1777 miles. Missouri to Bergen: 1147 miles. Mile after miles, and I remember very little of them except for one spot, the lights of Paterson, NJ.

The lights of Paterson are hardly notable but for one thing – when they appeared I knew I was almost home. They’d appear out of the dark in the wee hours of the morning giving me a surge of joy and relief knowing I had made it. When I see them now I still feel it – home!

Home, where I can exchange vending machines and lukewarm coffee for a fridge full of my favorite foods.

Home, where instead of cold, dirty commodes I get my mom’s sparkling bathroom and hot shower.

Home, where weary hours of clutching the wheel turns into a soft mattress and my favorite pillow.

Home, where I feel welcome and safe because my parents love me.

Home!

If we expect all this good from parents, why would we ever expect less from our Father in Heaven?

Jesus told the story of the farmer and his two sons so we know exactly what to expect when we go to our Father.

Remember, the wandering son, as a last resort, was going home to beg his dad for a job as a hired hand. He would have been happy for a bowl of soup and some hay to sleep on. Instead his dad charged down the driveway to meet him, showering him with the best he had: clothes, shoes, ring and a giant party. Your Father in Heaven does the same.

Jesus said, “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

How do you think the farmer would have felt if his son had said, “I don’t want all the stuff you are giving me. I want to live away from you in the barn. Send me some bread and water, and I’ll start work in the morning.”

His dad would have been so heartbroken.

We often turn our heavenly Father into a stingy god who doesn’t want to care for us. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Jesus said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Head for home. Pull in the driveway. Get out of your car and let the Father embrace you. He’s waiting for you.

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Scriptures quoted: Matthew 7:9-11, Matthew 11:28

My Refuge

Recently, as hurricane Dorian traveled up the east coast, seeking refuge was very much in the news and on our minds. We all want to get out of harm’s way when threatening storms approach. But sometimes we can’t.

My grandmother left me a little cottage on a birch-lined road that leads to a sparkling lake in the Adirondack Mountains. It is so peaceful there. But not always…..

One July dawn we awoke to howling winds and havoc.

I was there with my 87 year old dad and two young sons. The day before had been still and hot with an eerie, yellow evening sky. At early dawn heavy rain pelted the windows and woke us. I hurried out on the porch to close windows as the rain came in sideways, driven by 60+ mph winds. Our flag was ripped from its holder and flew down the street. We heard branches in the surrounding woods snapping and falling, along with trees hitting the ground.

My dad, a WWII Navy veteran, got up and remarked, “This is like the typhoon I was in on the Pacific.”

We were in the path of a derecho, a fast-moving, massive wind storm. At any moment a large pine could crash through our metal roof. My sons looked to me for protection, but I was totally helpless.

Helpless on my own, but we were not on my own.

We had often read in God’s word:

The Lord has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “ The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

So we prayed, “God, this is your wind and these are your trees, and we ask You to keep us safe.”

We took refuge in the hand of our Helper and watched the storm pass through. As the wind died down we went back to sleep.

Later the sound of my neighbor’s chainsaw woke us to a clear, bright day. Downed trees blocked the road and leaned on houses, but nothing had landed on our roof.

I often remember the peace that covered me after I prayed in that storm. Storms of life come unexpectedly, but the hand of the Lord my Helper is always with me, and He is my refuge.

Would you like safe refuge from the storm you are in right now? It doesn’t matter if the storm is a hurricane wind at your door or a churning sea of grief and fear in your heart. God is there with you. He knows why the wind is blowing; He made the wind. He knows why your heart is breaking; He made your heart and He loves you.

The prophet Isaiah tells it like this: You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3,4)