Brainwaves

“Some people find it easy to believe everything written in the Bible. Others say it is a great strain to believe a book in which almost every page contains supernatural elements. I, for one, find it very difficult to believe in something if I can’t see it or hear it or smell it or trip over it. I have never seen the laws of physics suspended and I have seen enough hoaxes to doubt the claims of any whom say they have. Because such miracles are completely outside my experience (and frauds are an everyday occurrence), I find it quite a task to believe that any miracle ever happened in the past. Yet here we are, living proof that somehow, sometime in the past, everything must have come out of nothing-and there is just no natural way for such a thing to occur. It turns out that physicists are saying that the universe has been very precisely fine-tuned to make life possible and this puts me in a bit of a dilemma. Here I am, disbelieving in miracles while the whole universe is apparently an indescribably enormous miracle. How does the skeptic resolve such a dilemma? Is it resolvable?”…Fred Heeren who, in his book “Show Me God”, cites the following quote in George Barna’s “The Invisible Generation: Baby Busters”

“All I want is reality. Show me God. Tell me what He is really like. Help me to understand why life is the way it is and how I can experience it more fully and with greater joy. I don’t want the empty promises. I want the real thing; and I’ll go wherever I find that truth system”….Lisa Baker, age 20.

It occurs to me that, while the above statements were expressed concerning man’s wish to define his existence, they also reflect my present mood with the current Presidential debate. An Alaskan governmental official being interviewed last night put forth her opinion of this country presently being the “Divided” States of America; and, while I agree with her, if one examines our history, it’s pretty well a condition we’ve shared from the very beginning. At no time have we ever been “united” other than in our common belief that all men possess a God-given right to freely pursue their own course. Argument has always been there, a part of the process. It’s when disagreement is allowed to fester and ferment, to “boil in our bellies”, that problems develop. It’s that word “far” that turns right and left thinking into a gun, a bomb, violence rather than co-existence….

Is Obama the anti-Christ? Is McCain just four more years of Bush-nomics? I’m with Lisa Baker. All I want is reality. All I desire is integrity. I’m tired of politics as usual and I’ll go wherever I find, as best I can, that truth system. I learned long ago that peace can not be found in a person, but through an inner connection with the One who can take all my mental anxieties, drop them into a Holy Ghost “plop-plop-fizz-fizz-oh-what-a-relief-it-is” remedy, and let me relax in the knowledge of His hand in life. Show me God. The rest is all just circumstantial…..

(For those pondering my title, check out the September 4th post on Under the Overpass)

My middle daughter lives in Lexington, over an hour drive from our neck of the woods, and while that may not be a great distance, it has nonetheless separated me from her and my grandson in more ways than one. She stays connected with her mother via telephone, but dad, not the conversationalist, remains merely joined at the heart, bumping into her as occasions arise. An e-mail last night, however, asking prayer for a friend, opened up rare dialogue between us and she spoke of Steven’s Eighth Grade Literature teacher assigning him a novel to read concerning prostitution. When she complained about both the subject matter and the language therein, the instructor not only replaced the book, he also revised his agenda; but last week-surprise!-the lad came home required to name five Bible tenets, where they are found, how many times referenced, and why they are good beliefs to hold…..

That, of course, set my own wheels spinning as to how I, myself, might answer the issue. Although I find no need, here, to provide all details as set forth, my first choice would be “belief”, itself. It is, after all, the place where the author of Hebrews tells us that all must begin. Not in some rigid, definite assessment of the facts, but more an “everything seems to point to-if You are there, help me” surrender unto an Entity bigger than ourselves. It is where we remain in most areas of our walk, leading us into my second pick: “faith”. This I see, not as something we produce, but rather what God brings forth in us, proving Himself unto us as we go. Our anchorage is not in what we cannot see, but in that which has been divinely cemented in our existence. The third item, then, is “hope”, created out of what we possess thus far. We reach out to Him because we know He hears our cry…..

Fourth on my list would be “life” as represented in the Trinity. Christ rose from the dead, and with His resurrection provided for us more than the promise of Heaven waiting for us beyond the grave. If flesh was translated to sit at the right hand of the Father, opportunity was freely given for men to once again know spiritual connection with their Creator; and, if we settle for anything less, what we have is religion, words and definitions void of His breath breathed into them, not the gift in its totality. Likewise, “grace”, my fifth and last, isn’t just a synonym for forgiven, but a realization of the Holy Ghost “in” me, indeed a confirmation of all that God “is”, working in me, flowing through me, meeting me in my humanity. When He, alone, remains the source of my salvation, it leaves less room for me to worship my own doctrinal totem, to self-inflate in my own righteousness…..

It seems like everything encountered yesterday spoke to me concerning the human spirit. My one-on-one charge this year in Special-Ed was absent, but his vacancy didn’t permit my sucking up coffee in the cafeteria all day. Rather I was asked to help with another lad whose autistic character doesn’t lend itself to acts of aggression, but does demand it gets its own way. The home-front, as well, requires such freedom afforded unto him; and what that has produced, in my opinion, is tragedy. There is great potential quite evident, verbal ability to communicate, computer skills, an understanding of at least some basic elements for a foundation to learning; but, with no “restraint” allowed, his days amount to constant behavior problems, always into something he shouldn’t be, interrupting other work being attempted in the room.......

Last night, then, a segment on “Dateline” dealt with conditions in Serbia where parents of children born with physical or mental abnormalities are encouraged to abandon them unto the state and, as revealed, what that equated to was “life” in a deplorable, ill-kept agency back in the corner of nowhere. I didn’t watch it all. Just enough to mix with earlier views expressed in relation to McCain’s Vice-Presidential pick, Sarah Palin having “chosen” to raise a Down syndrome baby. I don’t recall the identity on Fox News who thus addressed the issue. Some representative of women’s rights who acknowledged her decision against abortion as hers to make, but also applauded the other side of the coin being an option for any mother who didn’t want to deal with the situation. Suffice it to say: when my head hit the pillow about eleven, it was filled with questions.......

For me, the mystery is not so much a matter of “at what point does a person become a person” as it is “is there more to me than just the flesh” and, if so, when did “I” begin to exist, am “I” accountable to more than just “me” for decisions I make. While it is, indeed, the unborn who are being exterminated, surely it is we who accomplish the task that must examine ourselves about the matter. If our substance is but an evolution of cells surviving within an environment, then it all comes down to circumstantial achievement and Forbes was right: “He who dies with the most toys wins”. If, however, a Creator programmed us from the beginning to possess both an inner soul and a spirit, then shouldn’t believers, as representatives of “Truth”, be extending unto others the reality of a reconnection with the One who designed us instead of just thumping our version of the Book?.......

I would describe myself as a semi-retired, happily married, middle-class living just above poverty level (thanks to what my school check brings to my pension) Christian who has been around long enough to realize that no matter which way this election goes in November what we get is another politician. I listen to all the mud-slinging they feed us via the television ads and wonder what any of it really accomplishes when just about all of us have already made our choice and there’s probably little, at this point, that any of us aren’t willing to forgive and forget concerning whichever candidate we’ve picked. The other guy, in our opinion, is either a liar or blowing the truth out of proportion; and we’ll just stand behind our decision all the way to the sanctity of that booth. As far as the conventions, it seems to me that the enormous amount of money required to stage such affairs could have been much better spent reaching some of the very goals both parties pledge to pursue. Let’s vote, put it in God’s hands, and get on with it…..

If I fail to let all the hoopla and hogwash leading up to the main event stir me, however, my wife seems to let it keep her in a constant state of aggravation. When this started, it was a toss-up as to who infuriated her more, Hillary or Obama. She views the former as merely a more cunning version of her spouse and the latter as a potential representation of the anti-christ. After the last few days of glitter and gusto, she snorted and sneered as I was leaving for school yesterday morning that she wondered just how much coverage the media would give HER man when the Republicans do their thing. My favorite quip she’s come up with lately, though, was a tongue-in-cheek comment concerning her own opinion of an attack Barak’s campaign has utilized against McCain: “If I had the money to do it,” she blurted, “I’d make my own commercial stating I only have SEVEN pairs of panties. How many does MiCHELLE have?” I smiled and left her to continue digesting the new's anchor's recap of the prior night's festivities.....

After more than three decades of membership with the old assembly, four years ago I finally found myself no longer “in tune” with the pastor’s evolved sense of “vision” and settled in elsewhere. It yet remains, however, that two of my daughters still attend the former and that means every so often I return to witness some event involving one or more of my grandchildren. Sunday afternoon, a phone call informed me that the oldest boy would be in a drama skit during the evening service. I’ve see a few before. A dozen or so teenagers physically enact the verses to a song, always entering into each one with a desire to worship; and, when that happens, they capture my heart…..

Cody has been raised from infancy to know the pew and “the community of believers”. Now an Eleventh Grader, he has attended the church school since kindergarten. If he’s ever before displayed some outward expression to a possession of “faith”, however, I’m unaware of it. There was a moment at Youth Camp this summer that perhaps suggested something about to be birthed, but last night was even greater. He was centered and to the rear of the others and, as singers behind them filled the sanctuary with a declaration of “Lord, You Are Holy”, he and his team brought the entire congregation into unified praise of an almighty God. The Spirit’s presence was thick over the altar area…..

Then, about halfway through their offering, Cody just stopped. I thought that maybe he had just lost the movements and didn’t know how to rejoin the group; but when a friend behind him reached forward, laying a hand upon the back of his head, the touch brought more than assurance. My grandson, not fully understanding such possibility of divine revelation of an inner Indwelling, nonetheless surrendered unto that which was trying to overflow the vessel. They led him to me; he buried his head in my chest; and the two of us prayed together in a mixture of tears and tongues. This evening we talked of how the experience is his to define, his to take forward in a relationship with Christ…..

We can postulate all we want, create our creed and build upon a Biblical blueprint; but, if somewhere in the living of it He doesn’t confirm the reality of His promise, all we’ve really got is religion…..

Just ten days into this school year, my routine with this Fourth Grade autistic lad mostly amounts to keeping him busy. We walk from the bus to his old homeroom teacher’s class where she yet is gracious enough to allow him to scribble affirmation in her students’ planners of their mother’s signature. Then, after unpacking his lunch and notebooks, next he pushes a dust mop a few times through the gymnasium hallway, allowing me to grab a cup of coffee on the way there. Upon return, we join some others for calendar group, then back to our own private room for an attempt at an academic task. So goes the day: mixing manual labor with ABCs, anything that keeps him busy, happy, and thinking he’s having his way. I pray about our relationship. It’s too easy for this to become “just a job”, and all too human, during one of his temper tantrums, to lose patience. I want God “in” this; but was surprised Thursday morning, as we strolled across the cafeteria to restock the plastic utensils and trays for the noon meal, to suddenly become aware of His presence speaking to me of approval. Not so much in words as it was an inner sensing of merging into Him. I could have stopped right there and fell to my knees; but duty had me involved with the boy and I knew He understood as I worshipped with my heart…..

On our way to the rescue mission Wednesday evening, Bob and I both confessed to being fatigued, empty, and dry. Each of us had hoped the other would be overflowing enough to make up for what we lacked and it didn’t help matters when, upon arrival, we learned that Tony, our third member of the team, wasn’t able to come. Two guys, no message, and an hour to span. Then, again, thumping home a three-point sermon has never been the focus of our monthly visits. We go to worship; and we’ve found these fellows quite willing to join us, especially if one approaches them, not as homeless heathens, but as equals in the brotherhood of man. Even so on this occasion. Without taking God for granted, we went in and were honest in our situation. Opening prayer, a couple of hymns, and a sharing of “Christ in me”. My buddy spoke with them for a few minutes of Martha and Mary, noting that it is always He who brings substance to whatever we attempt. While I followed with a bit of my own view on faith being the substance that He brings, mostly what came forth was simply a testimony of my journey as a believer. From beginning to end, nothing was set in doctrinal concrete and demanded of others. From beginning to end, His presence in the room was noticeable, an inner flow overflow connecting us all…..

Saturday evening Beth and I watched the Saddleback Forum and I thought it just about the best “confrontation” between two political opponents I’ve ever seen. Possibly, that was because it didn’t offer either man any opportunity at all to attack the other. Pastor Rick Warren interviewed them one at a time, the “third man in the fire”, so to speak, in a sound-proof room back stage somewhere; and what that extended to me was: chance to see each in his own character. Both answered the same questions. Both had the same freedom to respond for as long and in whatsoever manner they might choose…..

There are those who no doubt might disagree with a church conducting such discussion and in the past I may have voiced my own opposition; but this was not religion behaving like the world, merely believers sitting down for a cup of coffee with the next President, letting the world in on the conversation shared. While several viewpoints, as expressed, brought manifested approval from the audience, not one evoked anger in any form. This wasn’t an inquisition designed to purge the White House of potential heresy, but a chance to meet the candidates and then vote your own conscience…..

The last couple of decades have soured me on where television evangelists have taken the Gospel. I wouldn’t give you a nickel for three-fourths of what occupies the shelves of any bookstore’s Christianity section. Nonetheless, my critique of this event is void of any faultfinding. Skip the debates. Ignore all the negative mud-slinging taking place on every channel every ten minutes or so. Go up to You-Tube or call the Fox Network and ask for another presentation of this two-hour special. This sort of examination ought to be cloned and repeated with senators, representatives, and state governors…..

My gratitude to Saddleback…..