cairns

I was doing the story of the prodigal and father with a group of young Muslim boys in a discussion format, getting their responses and reactions to each part of the story as it unfolded. They couldn’t imagine a person doing what the son did. They could imagine trying to go home rather than starve. But, they imagined going in fear of death, or at least severe punishment or rejection. I asked why they thought a father would respond that way.

One said, “He disrespected his father,” echoing a theme we had been pursuing the day before about true respect growing from love not fear.

Then E said it. If the father allowed the prodigal’s behavior to go unpunished, “He would be bad too!”

They could scarcely imagine a man acting like the one in the story. To imagine God behaving that way was shocking. Shame requires the restoration of honor for the family, not forgiveness of the wayward member. It was one of the moments when the difference in our world views became clearer to me. I have read about it in good books over the last couple of years. But, here it was– not Islam vs Christianity — but a world view like Jesus’ hearers would have held responding to one of His parables with the emotional response it deserved.

There was no flannel graph blandness to it. I could see the gravity and wonder of it on their faces and in their eyes. This was Jesus making the world changing claim that God will do ANYTHING to welcome us home. I heard the same boy who told me that writing his opinion of Allah would be “against Islam” repeating more than once, “It was a come home party!”

I sit here humbled, relearning my own God’s love for me. Do we know how deeply loved we are?

peace

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Kids are taught to say this phrase like cults teach their children key responses to questions which might break the conditioning.

But this young man was patient and willing to go beyond the phrase and explain to me what he meant.  We had just looked at the stories of “Too many fish for one boat” prepared by a team member for use that day, “Loaves and fishes” told excitedly by one of the youngsters who said, “I know a story about Jesus!”, and “the Prodigal” told by me.  We discussed what these stories say about the nature of God.  Then I asked them to write in their daily journal what they thought God was like.  Two of the older guys quietly sat without writing.  When I pushed for whether they understood, didn’t have an answer, or didn’t want to answer, they told me, “It is against Islam.”

God is God and they have already been taught that it is incorrect for man to even dare to express an opinion about God seeing as how God is so far superior to us.  I thanked them for explaining and assured them that I did not want them to violate their own beliefs.  I explained that I believed what I had been telling them about honoring parents, and I also would not want them to do anything for me that would violate the rules their parents have given them.  Their verbal explanation was enough and we went on to other lighter things.

Now, there is one small part of me that wishes Christians were a little more awestruck on the topic of God and a little less prone to spout opinions as lightly as comparing brands of clothing or events on the evening news.  OK, it is a big part of me.

But, to see them believe that we simply must live out obligations, with no hope of ever knowing the Divine, with no right to wonder, ponder, and share our journeys was very sad to me.  Later in the day, one of the young men who had now been with me two weeks said it would also be OK if I shared with him how I believe God sees him.  I recounted the many positive things I had seen him do,  his concern for the small boys when they joined our games, and the respect that he showed to elders even though he is aware of our different beliefs.   And, I assured him that God already loves him very much.  Perhaps a little too heavy on works vs grace, but for a kid who knows only works with no expectation of grace or love in return, it was enough.  He was grateful.  I left promising them that I will be praying that God  will reveal Himself to them — because I already know Him to be the Father looking down the road and loving them very much as He watches their journey home.

peace

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My cousin gave me a wonderful book explaining the Catholic mass through the book of Revelation.  The whole book was a revelation to me as I am shamefully ignorant of the mass and its parts.  But, what continues to linger most in my mind and heart right now is the Eucharist.

The contrast between the high Catholic view of it as becoming the actual body and blood of the Savior to be adored and attended is poles away from my current church’s constant use of the word emblems to refer to what I have always called the elements.    And, I suspect honestly that some of it is a protestant desire not to sound catholic rather than carefully thought out meaning and observance.  I mean, “emblems?” Really, emblems?  To me the Nike swoosh  and the McDonald arches are emblems.  Idolatrous symbols of the fast, trendy, commercialized world of the post-modern west.

To be fair, my church takes what we know as The Lord’s Supper seriously and invites all believers to come into quiet reflection of the sacrifice, and our standing with God and each other as we partake.  So, I would be wrong to imply that they in any way take the issue lightly.  But, ‘have a symbolic cracker’ is so far from “receive the body and the blood” that I have been contemplating, and reading, and listening.  I read about complicated theories on the meaning of the words and whether the elements become literally the body and the blood, both body and bread, spiritually the body and the blood, or emblems.  By the way I have yet to find a good written source for symbols or emblems if anybody feels inclined to guide me to one.

I prefer to hear the words in my ear, mind, heart and soul as the Bible records them, “This is my body” and “This is my blood,” not to leave out “Do like wise.”   I do not need to analyze and know exactly how God does what God does.  I know my Savior said here is my self and my life given for you and establishing the new covenant with God.  Continue to do this as you remember me.   (Yes, I have also read the moderns who say He may never have said it and the early church probably made it all up — I am not convinced.)

I will receive the elements knowing they are holy sacrament, a continual giving by God of His very being to me and the community of faith.  I will take care to remember His sacrifice and His dangerous words.  How many of us who eat the small meal are truly willing to “do likewise” if it means to literally do likewise, to offer our bodies and lives for one another in remembrance of Him?  I will do my best to shove the distracter off my shoulder and away from my ear when you call them, “emblems” so that I may focus on the Christ and the Call.  But really, I would be more comfortable hearing a priest offer me “The Body and The Blood” than your invitation to “hold these emblems.”

I have more than enough emblems in my life, I need His holy presence!

peace

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It was the Dalai Lama (in a presentation at IU) who said in no uncertain terms that the difference between Christianity and Buddhism is that Christians believe there is help from beyond and Buddhists believe we are on our own. As I reflect further on what I have learned of Islam, read more of what they gave me and try to sort it all out, I am sensing a parallel I did not expect. Since Islam speaks of Allah, and in US propaganda equates Allah to the God of the Bible, I did not expect a similarity. And yet, there it is.

What I am finding is a way of life, a respectable (at least within its own logic) way to go about meeting the physical needs of life for oneself, one’s family, and the larger society. God is there, and the basic beliefs include obligations to him. But, I see no presentation of any relationship with God. There is no promise of his aid in life. There is little guarantee of a better after life. And all bad jokes about the virgins in paradise aside, even paradise is NOT presented as including the presence of Allah — except perhaps in the final layers of the seven tiered heaven. I do not know, I do not understand those yet or what hope one has of obtaining them.

It makes sense I suppose for a religion coming out of the unpredictable world of the Arabian peninsula. But, as a way of life with no promise of contact with the divine here or later, I have to say I prefer the Dalai Lama’s teachings or even those of the secular humanists. That is if I did not know Jesus. I feel a great sympathy for the devout in this religion, faithfully meeting all of their religious obligations, doing the best they can for their families and fellow man — with no presence of God to comfort, empower, transform or redeem. It seems to me a very sad difference.

peace

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Today I will celebrate my ancestors break with the tyranny of monarchy. I will not celebrate their slave ownership, or permanent neglect of those who already inhabited their new land.

I will celebrate those brave men and women, including my father, who defended this country in times of dire world crisis. I will not celebrate the imperialism which entangled us in places we did not belong or the bad diplomacy which helped create the monsters we then found ourselves fighting. Neither will I celebrate the bully club way we have wasted our strength not the failed diplomacy that has allowed too many atrocities to go unchallenged.

I will celebrate a land which has outdone the world in honoring freedom of speech and religion, allowing men and women many and varied paths to seek the divine. I will not celebrate the pettiness with which we have abused those freedoms, or the new trend to limit free speech about religion in order to shield the ears of listeners. I will not celebrate watching both foreigners and native sons who believe in hate, control, and dominance use those freedoms to further their ends while “nice” folks sit back and say nothing.

I will celebrate the God who allows man freedom to see Truth even as Truth pursues man. I will celebrate the truth that for a time in history, this my homeland, was a leading light in a world of oppression for honoring that freedom. I will celebrate the thousands of missionaries who have gone across the globe to share good news, (without being side tracked by the economic results of too many of those efforts) — those dear servants of God went with clothes packed in coffins to share one thing, the Gospel. I will celebrate the prophets, authors, teachers, preachers, young people, poets, and singers, and perhaps again a politician who continue to call out that we can be what we claim to be.

I will celebrate hope, faith and charity in my land until that day when our global reunion with Jesus Christ renders only love preeminent and final. I will express to God great gratitude for the unbelievable abundance of my life and ask him to make me wiser in helping those who have less. I will celebrate friendship with children from Europe, Haiti, Africa, Russia, Malaysia, Mexico, Yemen and beyond in a land which in spite of fear still allows them to come. I will sing praise to the God who continues to gently guide us toward the day when we all worship Him, the Lion and the Lamb, Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Redeemer, Rescuer, and Ruler together as one.

What if for one day, we put down the explosives and knelt in genuine prayer for His presence? Praying not our way or dominance…just world wide prayer for knowledge of Him and His presence in our lives and affairs? Imagine a world without our self glorification and greed, not because there is no heaven, but because when we turn in worship to Him, its here.

peace

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If nothing happens, click the word Music!

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Actually, a bunch of lambs’ heads!  The butcher was very proud of his shop and gave us quite the tour.  Yes, people really buy the heads.  But, my mental imagery will never be the same when somebody starts speaking in poetic words or tones about the slain lamb.

No wonder folk from a religion which sees God as all powerful and unreachable have so much trouble when we start talking about God willingly dying, let alone using images like the slain lamb.

By the way, the local lamb dishes were delicious!  I am making arrangements to go back soon with a small group of friends to help with camp, love the kids, visit with people when appropriate, and eat some more shwarma and falafel!

peace

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My experiences of last week, and my processing now, force me into the realm of “Is there Truth?” I firmly believe that some things are True, not accurate constructions of individuals or groups — but True for eternity. The corollary is of course that many other things are false no matter how well they are packaged — or how loudly they are screamed.

But, we seem to live in a time when the uninitiated skip the issue with, “We all have our own ways and ideas.” A good thought for tolerance and not attacking the other, but not good for defining the core nature of things separate from us. The academic and (more dangerously the) political worlds seem to have turned to “and any statement that says Truth is found here and not there is abusive of others and not to be tolerated.”

You are OK in that system as long as the truth you proclaim matches the PC version of the institution. But, dare to express counter views and you may think you live in another culture. We appear to have accepted it while holding on to the idea that at least the government is separate and we do not face trial there. Now, there are disturbing trends to label all statements about singular Truth as hate speech, not because they contain any element of hate or animus towards the others, simply because they affirm one view not held by others.

I loved the people I met last week. I believe most are sincere in searching for the right life. They have things in their culture we might wisely consider whether we left behind to our own good or harm. The simple act of daily family gatherings in parks means that parks remain safe community gathering places rather than drug and prostitution centers. How many of our city areas would improve if the people they were built for simply took time to regularly go there?

But, I have continued to study after getting home, including the materials they gave me, and the teachings of their religion are false — many to the point of ridiculous. Think that was pushing it, watch out!

All I can find is a violent ethnocentrism we condemned and crushed when it appeared in white Germany. Where is the tolerance our society claims to value in a religion that claims only those who read their language can see the truth? (In Sudan, read an accurate report and see that after eliminating all those infidels who do not hold their views, they have turned against people who share the faith but not their ancestry!) Can you build a case for why they would want a religion that says they are the chosen? So can I, for both them and the Nazi. It does not make it True, equal, or safe and worthy of tolerance. Moderates are allowed to win converts, but radicals rule. This is a group that intends to force everyone everywhere to be them or subject to them. Their moderate salesmen meeting with liberal clergy in big press covered meetings to declare its really all the same do not represent the true nature of their beliefs any more than the liberal Christian who says our Gods are the same represents me.

Read the reports coming in from around the world of how Christians are treated when their group gains power.

Read the reports of new laws in North America and around the globe making it a crime to maintain any view as Truth, or to try to show others the way to God is different form their own.

Read the Bible.

We are called to love True, speak Truth,and be Truth while loving those who disagree with us. We are called to always ready to give an answer for the faith that is in us, but not to attack the other side. I am telling you, we are entering a time when we deal with large numbers of people from a very different system who do not play by those rules. And there are signs that our governing philosophy has brought us to a place where they will be defended and you will be asked to keep any belief that the Bible presents True God to yourself.

It is time to remain in love, but be very alert to what is happening in our own culture(s). We may have to take stands that will not be popular.

For too many brothers and sisters around the world right now, “Stand Firm.” is the last marker on their earthly journey.

peace

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