Light in the Midst of Darkness

December of 2020.  What a year it’s been!  As we look at the Christmas season – normally so full of busyness and shopping, of packed calendars and traveling to family and friends– sometimes it’s easy to wonder about how to celebrate the joy of Christmas in a year with such turmoil, upheaval, confusion and sadness.  

But the truth about Christmas has not changed. 

It is still about Light shining out of darkness.

It is still about a God who sees people in their pain and remembers His promises.

The promise of Jesus the Messiah coming has always brought joy to the people who waited for Him.  But it wasn’t until this morning that I put myself in the place of the people who would have first heard the prophecies.      

Let’s set the stage and talk about King Ahaz.  Not Ahab, the evil Israelite king who married Jezebel and threw a pity party over Naboth’s vineyard.  This is Ahaz, who ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah for 16 years.  (But he wasn’t much better than Ahab.)

Here’s what life was like during his reign (2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28):

            1.       It was a time of war (with the king of Aram and the king of Israel). (2 Chronicles 28:5-8)

            2.       It was a time of unholy alliances (with the king of Assyria) that cost precious things. (2 Chronicles 28:16)

            3.       It was a time of misguided/evil worship.

a.       God’s temple was destroyed:

                                                               i.      The temple of the Lord was broken apart (2 Kings 16:17-19);

                                                             ii.      Silver and gold from God’s temple were offered to Assyria (2 Kings 16:8; 2 Chronicles 28:21)

                                                           iii.      The doors of the Lords temple were shut (2 Chronicles 28:24)

b.       False gods were promoted:

                                                               i.      Various idols were cast and set up for worship (2 Chronicles 28:2-4)

                                                             ii.      Altars were built designed off of the pagan deities of Aram, to try to win the favor of the “gods” who defeated them (2 Kings 16:10-14; 2 Chronicles 28:23-25)

                                                           iii.      Altars and high places were set up in “every town” and on “every street corner” (2 Chronicles 28:24-25)

                                                           iv.      Ahaz even offered his own children as sacrifices to other gods (2 Kings 16:3-4; 2 Chronicles 28:3).

Ahaz was described by these two phrases: 

        1.       “He had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD.”  (2 Chronicles 28:19b)   

        2.       “In his time of trouble, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.”  (2 Chronicles 28:22)

Whew.  Wicked and unfaithful.

And when he died, Ahaz was not placed in the tombs of the kings.  He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs (most likely because of his unfaithfulness).

Now I couldn’t help but imagine being a faithful Jew living during the reign of Ahaz.  Talk about turmoil, upheaval, confusion and sadness!  How discouraging would it have been to watch the nation crumble and leadership refuse to be faithful to the God you knew to be true?

And in the midst of this chaos and evil, some of the most beloved prophecies proclaiming the Messiah’s birth were penned.  We still sing some of them today.

        1.       When talking with Ahaz, Isaiah the prophet said:  “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  (Isaiah 7:14).  Immanuel.  God with us. 

        2.       A few chapters later, in the midst of describing the darkness and gloom that results from looking away from the LORD God, Isaiah talked about the promise of a future great light.  And as Handel so famously put to music in the masterpiece, the Messiah, Isaiah said:  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”  (9:6-7)

        3.       Around this same time, Micah the prophet penned:  “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.  Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.  He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the LORD his God.  And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.  And he will be their peace.”  (Micah 5:2-5).

At the time of these prophecies, the nations of Israel and Judah were DARK. 

But the promise of an Eternal, Undefeatable, Peaceful Ruler broke light a beam of light through the darkness.

That beam of light still shines.   

I’m not here to argue about the current political climate or whether 2020 is more or less dark than the time of Ahaz.  I don’t think that anyone would would argue that we’re living in darkness right now.  But I’d rather focus on remembering the God that chooses to remember us. 

This Christmas we get to celebrate that He came 2000 years ago.  The promise of His first coming from the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah was fulfilled!  Yet, we also get to look forward to when He comes again soon to make all things right – to wipe away every tear from our eyes, and to bring us to a place that will have no more sadness or mourning or pain.

Until that time, we wait. 

In the waiting, may we believers (especially me!) be searching our own hearts and asking for God to do a work in us so that we can share that light with others.   May we seek to spend time with Him so that we can see His movements in the midst of what is visibly happening in our world.  It could be that the time is ripe for many people to turn towards Him and find Him!  I want to be a part of telling the world this good news…this hopeful beam of light in the midst of darkness…that a good King, a humble King, a selfless King is coming one day to rule. 

2020 doesn’t have the last word.  And neither will COVID restrictions, political turmoil, wars, or whatever comes in 2021. 

Jesus will.  And the Bible fittingly ends with:

“Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

Am I Ready?

According to the dictionary, the adjective “ready” has a few meanings:

          1. In a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared.

a.       (of a thing) made suitable and ready for immediate use

b.       keen or quick to give

c.       in need of or having a desire for

d.       eager, inclined, or willing to do something

e.       in such a condition as to be likely to do something

       2.  Easily available or obtained; within reach

Am I ready?

This has been the question I’ve been pondering since last week – when, yet again, a story struck me with the truth I needed to be reminded of.  There is something so poignant about stories, isn’t there?  Stories have a unique ability to not just tell us truth – but also to develop a love for the truth in us. 

On my 9 hour road trip just a few days ago, I listened (yet again :)) to the Chronicles of Narnia.  The interactions of people and creatures with Aslan, the Great Lion, nearly always bring me to tears.  These fictional books, written by C.S. Lewis, are meant to be in part an analogy to the Christian life – and Aslan is meant to represent Jesus Christ. 

This trip, I listened to the book, The Magician’s Nephew.  And as I drove in the darkness and thought of the things ahead of me and behind me (literally and figuratively :)), this following scene struck me. 

“Son of Adam,” said Aslan.  “Are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?”

“Well, I don’t see what I can do,” said Digory.  “You see, the Queen ran away and – “

“I asked, are you ready?” said the Lion.

“Yes,” said Digory.  He had had for a second some wild idea of saying, “I’ll try to help you if you’ll promise to help my Mother,” but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with.  But when he had said, “Yes”, he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came into his throat and tears in his eyes and he blurted out:

“But please, please – won’t you – can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?”  Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face.  What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life.  For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes.  They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.

“My son, my son,” said Aslan.  “I know.  Grief is great.  Only you and I in this land know that yet.  Let us be good to one another.  But I have to think of hundreds of years in the life of Narnia.  The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again.  But it need not be yet.  It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years.  So this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds of doubt come over the sun.  You must get me the seed from which that tree is to grow.”

“Yes, sir,” said Digory.  He didn’t know how it was to be done, but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it.  The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion’s kiss.  And at once Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.

“Dear son,” said Aslan, “I will tell you what you must do…”

Aslan - painted by the talented Lauren Kunkle! Etsy or willowbranchstudio.com

Dear friends – we live in a world of brokenness.  It has been so evident in the past months.  All of us are broken and have a part in the brokenness.

Like Digory, we may be unsure of what we can do.  How do I love people around me?  Will heartbreak never end?  How can I reach outside of myself when I inwardly struggle with sorrow and hurt?  Does God even see me?  What could I possibly do to help the world?

God doesn’t ask us if we are strong enough. 

He asks us if we are READY.

For, you see, like Digory, if we look into the face of Jesus, we will find compassion.  We will find Someone who not only knows our sorrows, but weeps with us in them.  John 11 tells us the story of Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, a man whom He was about to raise from the dead.  The Author of Life, even as He is in the process of renewal, takes time to meet us in sorrow and let us know that we are not alone. 

But, also, like Digory, if we look into the face of Jesus, we will find strength.  We find Someone who is strong enough to help us overcome.  This Defeater of Death is not unaware of what we are walking through…He is more than a conqueror, just as we can be (Romans 8:37).  We will find strength and courage when we spend time looking at Jesus, realizing what He has already done for the world...allowing ourselves to dwell on His unimaginable love for us.  We, too, like Digory, can experience the "kiss" of the Lion when we see the cross.  

We just have to remember that the strength we seek doesn’t come from us.  There are moments when we will be unsure what to say, how to respond, what next steps to take, etc.

I don’t know what is on your horizon.  I am about to start another school year as a teacher – and after 10+ years of teaching, the unknowns are greater than the knowns.  I’m not sure what to expect in my job, in my country, in the world.

But, God doesn’t ask me to understand everything.

He asks me to be spending enough time with Him so that I will hear what He asks me to do.  I can be fully prepared and within reach of the Master’s hand even as I struggle with the brokenness both inside me and around me.

He asks me to be ready.

And with His help, I know I can be.

We all can.

Orpheus & Hope

It’s been awhile since I typed on this blog.  I have a bit more time now…as school is on hiatus because of the Coronavirus.  I’ve been gardening and reading, grading and planning for online school, practicing “Sweet Home Alabama” on the guitar and working out with Heather Robinson’s free 12 week challenge (you should join me :)).  I’ve been trying to learn new things – and tonight as I watched another TED-Ed video on “Myths from Around the World”, I saw the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. 

Let’s be real for a moment.

Greek myths are RIDICULOUS.  (We can be glad that Greek gods are myths and not real beings). 

But as with any story, we can learn.

Here’s the myth in short:  Orpheus falls in love with Eurydice.  Right before they get married, she dies.  Orpheus decides to go get her back from the underworld and uses his amazing ability to sing to get past the 3-headed dog, over the river Styx, and ultimately to convince Hades to let her go.  The catch?  He has to walk out of the underworld without looking back, trusting that Eurydice is following.  And just before he makes his final steps…he looks back.

Rats.

Now, you may be thinking…I know this story!  Isn’t there a newer Broadway musical about it?  Well, you are more with it than me, because as I scrolled down to see the comments on this YouTube video – Hadestown was all anyone was talking about.  So, like any good internet user, I did some searching. 

I now have read the Wikipedia synopsis and listened to quite a few of the songs.  And, I would have to say that Orpheus and Hadestown put some things into perspective for me.  Like any good story, they took me deeper into life and reminded me of truth.

Hadestown does not follow the original myth exactly, but it does still have that shocking ending.  Instead of the hopeful reunion of Orpheus and Eurydice, it ends with a gasp and a separation as Orpheus turns at the last moment and dooms Eurydice back to Hades.

In the song, Road to Hell (Reprise), the cast slowly sings:

It’s an old song

It’s an old tale from way back when

It’s an old song

And that is how it ends

That’s how it goes.

Don’t ask why, brother, don’t ask how

He could have come so close

The song was written long ago

And that is how it goes

It’s a sad song

It’s a sad tale

It’s a tragedy

It’s a sad song

But we sing it anyway

Cause here’s the thing

To know how it ends

And still begin to sing it again

As if it might turn out this time

I learned that from a friend of mine:

See, Orpheus was a poor boy

But he had a gift to give

He could make you see how the world could be

In spite of the way that it is

Ooh.  What a line.  He could make you see how the world could be in spite of the way it is. 

Our world can be so beautiful.  But, sometimes, what we see around us is tragedy.  I’m not just talking about deaths from COVID-19 or the potential economic consequence of social distancing and government shut-downs.  I’m talking about broken relationships, broken homes, devasting natural disasters, uncertainty, fear, confusion, etc. 

But what if, my friends, there is more to the world than what we see?  Is this sadness all there is?

To quote some other fictional stories:

What if Samwise Gamgee was right when he said: 

“Gandalf!  I thought you were dead!  But then I thought I was dead myself.  Is everything sad going to come untrue?  What’s happened to the world?”  

(Tolkien, The Return of the King)

What if Emily was right? 

“It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty.  Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside – but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond – only a glimpse – and heard a note of unearthly music.”

(LM Montgomery, Emily of New Moon)

I believe the fictional stories of Orpheus & Eurydice, Sam, and Emily all strike a chord in me because they are a hint of a Greater Story.

In that Story, a powerful God created a perfect world.  Being a gentleman, He allowed his creatures to choose to follow Him or not.  When they chose to reject Him and rebel, the world became broken.  That brokenness showed up in a myriad of ways (broken relationships, natural disasters, horrible diseases).  However, this God refused to watch His creatures suffer without doing something about it.  He ENTERED His created world, took on His creatures’ form and consequences for their own rebellion, and made a way for all the sad things to be made untrue.  Simply by re-submitting to His Lordship and accepting His gift, His creatures could be restored to relationship with Him!  This God ultimately defeated death so that death was no longer the end! Yet, this God did not completely destroy all evil right away.  He knew that some of His creatures (who themselves were evil) would choose Him in time.  So, currently, His followers are left waiting to be united with the God of infinite beauty and kindness.  While they wait, they sing His songs, in the hope that others may choose to follow Him as well.

If this story is true, fictional Sam’s wish is granted – sadness will be defeated.

If this story is true, fictional Emily has sensed what is REAL – beauty beyond this world that she one day gets to join.

If this story is true, fictional Orpheus could bring people hope by singing  - not of a world he wished was true, but of world where each story can have an happy ending.

My friends, I believe with all my heart that this Great Story is not fictional at all.  It is found in the Bible and gives us HOPE in the midst of tragedy and uncertainty.  The hero of this story is not some narcissistic Greek god, but the Son of God:  Jesus Christ. 

The very last song of Hadestown is called “We Raise Our Cups”

“…some birds sing when the sun shines bright – our praise is not for them.

But the one who sings in the dead of night – we raise our cups to them.

Some flowers bloom where the green grass grows – our praise is not for them.

But the ones who bloom in the bitter snow – we raise our cups to them.”

It’s hard to sing in the dead of night and the bitter snow...unless you have hope.

Orpheus, for all his beautiful singing, failed to save Eurydice and was left to live life without her.

It doesn’t matter how many times we sing this song or watch Hadestown…Orpheus will still turn back.

But in the Greater Story, Jesus takes on the cross and wins back those He loves!

If you know Jesus as your Savior – may you be like Orpheus, singing with a song more beautiful than any earthly stain of music – so that other people seek to know the Great Story.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior – may I implore you to read His story and see if it’s true?  I’d love to talk to you about the hope it can bring you.

Because it’s not a myth about a failing hero.

It’s a story about forgiveness and love.

And it’s TRUE.

Cantus Firmus

Great Heart was my theme of last year.  And it wasn’t until June that I was reminded of the fact that for all of my trying, God is the one who gives me a great heart.  Psalm 119:32 says, “I will run in the path of your commands when you enlarge my heart!”  What a freeing thought!

As I sat on my porch, drinking my tea and reading back through my journal this afternoon, I realized that God has expanded on this theme of “Great Heart” throughout this school year.  This year, He has repeatedly to told me to sing.

“You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  Psalm 30:11-12

It started back in July, when I read about the cantus firmus.  I had just gotten through sharing with friends some of my favorite Latin phrases (carpe diem, carpe aeternitatem, coram deo…) and this appeared in my inbox as the daily Slice of Infinity from RZIM.  A new Latin phrase!  Woot! :)

Here a few direct quotes from what Jill Carattini said:

·       The cantus firmus, which means "fixed song," is a pre-existing melody that forms the basis of a polyphonic composition. Though the song introduces twists in pitch and style, counterpoint and refrain, the cantus firmus is the enduring melody not always in the forefront, but always playing somewhere within the composition. 

·       "God wants us to love him eternally with our whole hearts, not in such a way as to injure or weaken earthly life, but to provide a kind of cantus firmus to which the other melodies of life provide the counterpoint... Where the cantus firmus is clear and plain, the counterpoint can be developed to its limits." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters & Papers from Prison, p. 303)

·       For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, life was a great work of sounds and symphonic directions, and the cantus firmus was the essence, the soul of the concerto.

Ooh.  So good.  I love that musical analogy even thought I am not a trained musician by any stretch of the imagination. 

***Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote many books, but was able to use music as an analogy to the Christian life because he knew it well.  At one point it was thought that he would become a professional musician because of his skill at playing the piano.***

After reading Bonhoeffer’s words, in my journal I pondered: “In a great heart – what is the heart’s song?” 

Is my heart singing a cantus firmus on which to base my whole life around? 

And how do I get a good cantus firmus?

As I continued to read my journal, I saw God repeatedly reminding me that the way to a Great Heart and a beautiful cantus firmus is time in His Word, discovering more about His character. 

I recently read more about two women who allowed their knowledge of God to come out in beautiful expressions of worship:

1.     Fanny Crosby was born in 1820 with sight, but her eyes were blinded in infancy after a well-meaning doctor mistreated an eye infection.  She had limited physical vision but was blessed with incredible spiritual insight.  Part of that insight came from the work of her grandmother, Eunice, and Mrs. Hawley, the Crosby’s landlady.  Both women were committed to helping Fanny memorize the Bible as they read verses to her and reviewed chapters.  With their help Fanny memorized the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), the four Gospels, most of the Psalms, all of Proverbs and other portions of the Bible.  No wonder she could write more than 8,000 hymns in her 95 years!  What she filled up with flowed out of her heart.  For example:

I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.

I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.

2.     Catherine of Siena was born in Italy in 1347, and although she only lived for 33 years, she dictated 380 letters, 26 prayers and 4 treatises.  Yet again, a Slice of Infinity from Jill Carattini in October made my mind think on this more:

a.     “In Catherine’s prayers, the editor notes, ‘Her theology becomes her doxology.’  Namely, what Catherine professed to be true about God became in her prayers – and arguably in her life – an expression of praise to God.  It struck me as a beautiful notion – what we know of God being something that moves us to sing to God.  And then I was quieted by a thought:  Shouldn’t all theology naturally lead us to doxology?”

b.     “What do you know about God?  What have you seen of God’s character and known of God’s goodness?  Might this theology become a song worth singing.  In your knowledge of God and in your knowing of Christ, might you find in word and deed, in prayer and song, your life a doxology to the goodness of a Creator who wants to be known.” 

Both Fanny and Catherine allowed what they knew of God to be displayed in their lives.  Their theology became doxology…and an offering of praise to their great God.

Is my heart so filled with Christ that like Fanny Crosby I can say, “I sing for I cannot be silent, His love is the theme of my song”?

He is The Cantus Firmus. 

He is the fixed song.

And only when He is the enduring melody of my heart can all of the other melodies find their proper place.

“Ever since you rescued me,

You gave my heart a song to sing

I’m living for the world to see

Nobody but Jesus.”

– Casting Crowns/Matthew West

Elijah's Last Lesson

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’  As some of your own prophets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

~ the apostle Paul, speaking in Athens (Acts 17:24-27)

In America, we have set aside today to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. – someone who called on all of us, Christians especially, to recognize the truth that all men are created equal.  I had the privilege of reading “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” earlier this year, and found it very convicting.

I am so grateful for people who are willing to stand up and speak truth in a world that so often refuses to listen.  King spoke about the truth contained in the verse above:  God has made all men from one man, showing our equality.  We are precious because we are made in God’s image.  He cares about each one of us.  As the verse goes on to say, he even cares about the times and places in which we live. 

Location matters.

History matters.

The other day I listened to a series of talks on the life of the prophet Balaam by Ravi Zacharias.  The talks were very good, but what stuck out to me was a side comment he made about the calling of Elisha.  And, again, I was struck with the fact that places…and history…are important.

In 2 Kings 2 in the Bible, we are told that God is about to miraculously take Elijah up to heaven.  Elijah and Elisha are just coming from Gilgal when Elijah tells Elisha to stay while he goes on to Bethel.  Elisha is not easily dissuaded and follows Elijah to Bethel.  While in Bethel, Elijah tells Elisha to stay while he goes to Jericho, and Elisha again refuses to leave his master.  In Jericho, Elijah tries to leave Elisha behind again while he journeys to the Jordan, and still…Elisha stays with Elijah.  They reach the Jordan, Elijah miraculously separates the Jordan River by striking it with his cloak, Elisha asks to inherit a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, and Elisha sees Elijah taken up into heaven by a chariot and horses of fire. 

Wow, eh?  We see what seems to be a random assortment of trips…Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, the Jordan…almost as if Elijah is trying to either lose Elisha…or test him.  But it appears that Elijah was giving Elisha one last lesson about God before Elijah handed his job off to his apprentice.

What happened at each of these locations?

1.       Gilgal:  In Joshua 4, the Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan River on dry ground, entering the promised land for the first time.  One man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel picks up a stone from the middle of the river bed, and after they cross, they place these stones in a memorial at the first place they camp:  Gilgal.

a.       At this same place, God also asks the Israelites to be circumcised, recommitting to their covenant with God by doing what they had neglected to do while they wandered in the wilderness.  Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word for “roll”, and it was there that they respected God’s holiness by following his commands, and it is said that God “rolled away the reproach of Egypt” from the Israelites at Gilgal.

2.       Bethel:  Bethel means “house of God,” and any good Israelite would remember that:

a.       Abraham pitched his tent west of Bethel (Genesis 12:8)

b.       Abraham first built an altar to the Lord at Bethel (Genesis 13:3-4)

c.       Jacob dreamed of the ladder/stairway to heaven, and God promised to give him the land and be with him at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22)

d.       God told Jacob to settle in Bethel and to build an altar there (Genesis 35:1-7)

e.       Jeroboam set up a golden calf as an idol in Bethel for Israel to worship (I Kings 12:28-29).

3.       Jericho:  In Joshua 5:13ff, after the Israelites crossed over the Jordan and were circumcised, they see the power of God as the highly fortified city of Jericho comes tumbling down after 7 days of silently walking around the city (Joshua 5:13ff).  It is completely miraculous, because all the people do is walk, play trumpets, and shout – and the wall comes down! 

4.       Jordan:  the Jordan River was such a big part of the landscape of Israel, connecting the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, separating the nation of Israel as it traveled North to South.  God splits the Jordan River in Joshua 3 as the priests step out in faith into the flood-stage river…and the people walk over on dry ground.  And, in 2 Kings 2, Elijah strikes the water with his cloak and the river splits.

How could I have missed this before?  Ravi mentioned that Elijah was reminding Elisha of God’s holiness at Gilgal, his faithfulness at Bethel, and his power at Jericho.  It wasn’t until I read up on those places that I understood what he meant. 

Elisha would have seen the 12 stones commemorating the crossing of the Jordan and through the name Gilgal remembered the circumcision that took place there to please a holy God. 

He would have seen the altars and recognized the faithfulness of God even when Israel turned away to idol worship. 

He would have seen the still fallen walls of Jericho, not rebuilt: a testament to the miraculous power of the God he served. 

And when Elisha got to the Jordan?  How could he miss the lesson there? 

God used sandals of men walking in faith to split that river in Joshua 3.

God used the rocks from the middle of the river to remind the Israelites of who He was and what he could do in Joshua 4.

God used the cloak of a prophet to split the river in 2 Kings 2.

Inanimate objects could be used to give glory to God.  Because it wasn’t the inanimate objects themselves, but the God behind them.

As Ravi said, “Even stones can be a testimony for God…how much more a person empowered by God?”

So, on this day commemorating American history, I think it’s good to go back to Biblical history as well and realize God cares about the times and places in which we live. 

He cares about the places He leads us to and through, if only momentarily. 

If we look and listen closely, I think we can’t help but hear the testimonies of those who have gone before us, pointing to a God who made the world and everything in it.  A God who is not far from any one of us.  A holy God.  A faithful God.  A miraculously powerful God.  A God who desires that we should reach out and to seek Him.  And a God who is willing to use the simplest things to share his truth and grace with others…even Christians…if we’re up for the challenge. 

As God used Elijah to show Elisha, all we might need as impetus is a short history lesson. 

Great Heart

In C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy Pevensie called out for Aslan’s help when she and her shipmates were surrounded by thick, distressing darkness.  A beam of light appeared, and “Lucy looked along the beam and presently saw something in it.  At first it looked like a cross, then it looked like an aeroplane, then it looked like a kite, and at last with a whirring of wings it was right overhead and it was an albatross.  It circled three times round the mast and then perched for an instant on the crest of the gilded dragon at the prow.  It called out in a strong sweet voice what seemed to be words though no one understood them.  After that it spread its wings, rose, and began to fly slowly ahead, bearing a little to the starboard.  Drinian steered after it not doubting that it offered good guidance.  But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, ‘Courage, dear heart,’ and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face” (p. 159-160).

That image of whispered encouragement has always been precious to me. 

Aslan, as the Christ-figure in the Chronicles of Narnia books, whispered “Courage, dear heart” to his beloved daughter in darkness.  How often I need to be reminded of that very same thing – that no matter where I go and no matter what I do, I am dear to the heart of God.  Because of that, I can have courage.

The old hymn puts it well: 

So nigh, so very nigh to God,

I cannot nearer be;

For in the person of His son

I am as near as He.

So dear, so very dear to God,

More dear I cannot be

The love wherewith He loves the Son

Such is His love to me.

~ C. Paget (A Mind at Perfect Peace with God)

This past September, God saw fit to give me another heart reference as my theme for the new school year.  But it wasn’t an albatross whispering.  This time, it was a wizard speaking to a horse.  :)

I admit:  until this past September, I had put off reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  But I fell in love with them!  J.R.R. Tolkien has written so many quotable lines and come up with many analogies that help me to go deeper into my own life.  But, laughably, the most impactful quote for me was on page 262 of the Two Towers, where Gandalf says:

“Away now, Shadowfax!  Run, greatheart, run as you have never run before!  Now we are come to the land where you were foaled, and every stone you know.  Run now!  Hope is in speed!”

Thank you, Pinterest.  Definitely not my picture.

Great heart.

Horses have really big hearts.  No, really.  At 1% of their body mass, we’re talking about 9-12 pounds of pure muscle, pumping the needed oxygenated blood to the rest of the body for peak performance.  Partly from genetics and partly from training, the thoroughbred racehorses are known to have the largest hearts of all horses.  Phar Lap (from New Zealand) had a 14-pound heart, and it is believed that Secretariat’s might have been even bigger.  (Comparatively, human hearts are 0.5-0.8 pounds.)

Although Shadowfax was a horse, the encouragement from Gandalf to run and the name he was given spoke of more than the physical size of his heart.  “Greatheart” also spoke of Shadowfax’s noble character.  (You can’t read the books and not be impressed by Shadowfax, let alone not wish that he was your horse.)

Now, run with me on this… (see what I did there? :))

I can always imagine God whispering to me, “Courage, dear heart.”  I know that I will always be dear to the heart of God. 

But being called “Great heart”?  That’s a very different thing.  Being a “great heart” is not a guarantee.  It is the result of my choices.

My title of Dear Heart is dependent on God.  The title of Great Heart is dependent on me.

What would it look like this year to have a Great Heart? 

Could it be helped by:

·       A good cleaning?

o   emptying me of myself so that God has more room to work in my life?

o   clearing out the junk (or even good things that aren’t best) that so often fills my heart?

·       A bigger perspective?

o   caring about God’s plans more than my own?

o   considering others better than myself and serving in humility?  (Philippians 2:3ff, Mark 10:43)

·       More exercise?

o   the more I practice living for God and not for me, the more my heart might expand. (I mean, really – Dr. Seuss said the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes when he stopped being selfish. :))

Why is having a Great Heart so important? 

“For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:14-19

Christ dwells in my heart. 

Does He feel at home there?  As Jonathan Brower asked a few weeks ago at my church, “In my life, is God’s presence dwelling where He wants to dwell?”

It sure seems like pursuing a great heart is a worthy goal this year.  I know that at times I will fail in my pursuit, but thankfully God is greater than my heart (I John 3:18-20). 

However, feel free to join me this year in praying that God would increase our hearts. 

That way, we can listen for the whisper of “Courage, Dear Heart,” knowing that He is speaking to us…

As well as…“Continue, Great Heart,” as we run in the paths and places in which He has presently called us to be.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.” 

Ephesians 3:20-21