January 31st, 2009
Until the mad scientists figure out how to create humans without need of opposite gender participants, each of us owes our existence to the consummation of a “loving” relationship between father and mother. And because we are not only physical beings, but spiritual, we are taught to assign a gender to heavenly (or devilish) beings, be it gods, angels or demons. These are necessary pronouns to complete our dialogue, such as “He loves me” or “She tempted me.”
So unless we are Greek god/goddess worshipers or feminists, we are likely to regard God as “he,” along with his son, Jesus and the only angels mentioned in the Bible as guys. That being said, if we are to speak of God in the third person, how do we address him/her? Or do we just never use the pronoun? Does any of it make any difference to God?
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January 28th, 2009
SIGN IN A MALL: I want to ice fish . . . as soon as I’m done beating cancer.
The phrase accompanies a picture of an elderly man, wearing a fur cap, holding up a fish. The purpose of the ad is to promote a local cancer center at the hospital.
I look at it and wonder if the old man is still alive. Did he beat the cancer? Or was he just a model, posing for the photo shoot, having nothing more than a few arthritic aches and pains? Patient or model, from age alone, are in the twilight years of their lives, disease being the main indicator of how many days they have left.
Cancer is from a Latin word for “crab.” The Greek physicians likened the crab’s appearance to a tumor with swollen veins. The astrological sign Cancer seems to also take its cue from the crab, meaning hard or tough, like the crab’s shell, indicating a personality that was determined or resolute.
We usually see cancer as all bad news, a destroying of life. And life is what we’re here for. Unlike other diseases that can strike quickly and hasten death, cancer can develop unseen for long periods, then proceed to kill with great suffering beforehand.
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January 26th, 2009
Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Genesis 18:25
God didn’t seem to be offended when Abraham recommended what he thought to be the correct mode of action for dealing with Sodom and Gomorrah. But seeing the big picture, we see Abraham’s ultimate motive for wanting to spare the twin cities, that is sparing the life of his nephew Lot. Was it really possible for him to persuade God to alter his intentions for destruction?
What is true justice? The dictionary has several meanings, but the one I think fits best is “the administering of deserved punishment or reward.” And Christianity-at-large is right on board with that. They see God as in charge of giving good or delivering whuppings. But can we, like Abraham, challenge his justice?
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January 24th, 2009
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:130
As true as these words are, it is easy to misunderstand the meaning. What are the words of God? Most people that you ask would quickly point you to the Bible. This collection of writings, spanning better than 3,000 years, is the accepted standard of man’s relationship with his Creator.
It is not only the centerpiece for all of Christianity, it is touted as the only Word of God for most of Christendom. Like the Bible Belt comment for the Authorized King James Version (”If it was good enough for the Apostle Paul, it’s good enough for me!”), we make the assumption that men have always had it, and that God directed the writing and compilation of it.
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January 22nd, 2009
God gave ten to Moses. Jesus told a lawyer that there were two. So who’s right? And why do we have to follow any of them anyway since we’re born again believers in Christ? Even the word “command” is an imperative. It says forcefully, “You have to do it (or not do it) — OR ELSE! In our modern-day, sensitivity-focused society, commands are still often required to get the job done, be it the military or the workplace.
Aside from our daily dose of functional commands, God’s commands are centered on our relationships. Jesus takes God’s ten and sums them up into two categories: Love God; and love your neighbor
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January 20th, 2009
Love and Death make us all children — Can old age be an evil thing, which does the same?
George MacDonald
Childhood is among the most precious gifts that God has given us. It is a period of trust, a time of experiencing and exploring new things, and a sense of security without even realizing it. In Western society the children grow up too quickly. With constant exposure to television and adult drama played out in the home, children begin to imitate, to mimic adult behavior, whether it be good or bad.
Before long the child begins to desire those privileges and responsibilities that only an adult can “enjoy.” Oh, to remain a child for a bit longer! One of the most amazing abilities of the human mind is to remain young and healthy while abiding in frail or broken bodies. While asleep, the crippled dream of walking, the blind dream of seeing, and the elderly dream of bygone days of youth.
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January 18th, 2009
Anyone reading this blog could probably not help but notice that I reference Scottish author George MacDonald fairly regularly. In fact, one of my favorite MacDonald quotes appears on my home page. George MacDonald lived from 1824 to 1905. He was a pastor, poet and novelist. I’d never even heard of him until a few years ago, but I am firmly convinced that God sent him my way, because my exposure to his writing has literally changed my life.
I like to read. I wouldn’t exactly call myself an avid reader, but I have enjoyed reading various books, as well as magazine and newspaper articles over the years. A large part of my reading of books has been in the area of theology. But I am naturally drawn to a bookstore and can be found browsing a variety of subject matter. Oddly enough, I hadn’t utilized the library as much as I should have.
Back to my encounter with George MacDonald. I went through a reading dry spell a while back (more like several years back), and my wife offered for me to look at one or two of her books, novels by MacDonald. She thought I might like them because of the frequent religious/Christian dialogue by the characters.
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January 15th, 2009
atheism -noun 1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God. (dictionary.com)
Did you catch that? Taking a position that there is no God is in itself a doctrine and requires belief. How cool is that! It allows for the fact that you can’t be sure, so you must believe such — just like the rest of us.
Not many people go through life without questioning their existence, as well as their mortality. A recent AARP poll noted that the older folks get, the more they begin to believe in God and the afterlife. Those who make it to their twilight years and face death’s door often see it as fish-or-cut-bait time; invariably, they will go with some type of religion in order to hedge their bets.
Have we ever seen God? Not really.
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January 13th, 2009
Being older has its ups and downs. I will be eligible for early social security income this year, but it’s not like I have one foot in the grave. For one thing, having grandchildren is God’s way of saying, “Thanks for sticking around.” Also seeing your children display some of your traits is both heartwarming and scary.
Running out of breath while I’m down there tying my shoes is a little annoying, and looking at something on the bottom shelf at Walmart, then having to find another shelf that will support you while pulling yourself up is embarrassing. But all in all, life is good. My mind is younger than ever; it’s where I live a lot of time these days.
There are a lot of people, however, young and old, who are just not at home with themselves.
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January 8th, 2009
How true. But as I drove past that particular church, seeing the sign, and knowing something of the doctrine of that particular denomination, I could only shake my head and say, “But they don’t really believe it.”
How could I possibly make that claim? Because their reference to “no one” is, at best, limited, and, at worst, conditional. No one applies only to those who are living in this world. Does God still love any who have rejected him? Sure, they say; God will continue to love them, up until they draw their last breath. But, what happens when they die with rejection still on their lips and unbelief still in their hearts?
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