Barefoot, Pregnant, & in the Kitchen? ...

Who comes up with these sayings?  More to the point, whoever believed this was an expected role for a woman?  I have heard of cultural disparities but even against some of those, this tag-line seems extreme.  In “traditional” Japan, for instance, women walked several paces behind their husbands as a sign of respect.  But even more than 50 years ago when this might have been more normal in Japan, women always wore shoes, were frequently out of the home itself, and child rearing was still an important decision – note that not many Japanese families had 10 or 12 siblings.  So where does this stuff come from?

The sad part about tag-lines like this; is that some folks believe this to be the ONLY expected role of a woman, and that somehow God set it up that way.  Of course this is yet another lie spread by the master of lies who often blames God for the things he initiates.  But while most Christians will dismiss this idea of a role as the poop-factory it is, they still cling to a few preconceived ideas about roles we take on in our marriages and the church; i.e. who should have them; and in general our attitude about them.

For instance, the text advising “wives to submit to your own husband’s” is now completely out of favor; mostly because it has been overused, and is rarely quoted completely.  Most preachers stop at Ephesians 5:22 and do not continue the thought all the way to verse 25.  If they did, they would get a better picture of the kind of “submission” the inspired author (Paul) intended.  But in these texts is a key point that has been largely missed by greater Christianity, the role of submission to God.  Even the council to wives to submit to their husbands is followed by saying “as unto the Lord”.  We tend to ZOOM in on the submission part related to the husband, and forget totally the submission part related to God.

This is our human weakness showing.  Men like the idea of a woman having to “give in” to their final authority under the auspices of marriage so this is the part of the text that gets the most attention.  But I submit, the first part is null and void without considering the entirety of the advice.  Submission to God MUST preempt even the thought of submission to men.  Until we are willing to want what God wants, need what God needs, and love how God loves – we are in no position, i.e. we have no ability to submit to each other.  Submission of our will to God is the beginning of Salvation.  It is the mechanism of our freedom from sin, and our entrance into enlightenment.

Through submitting our will to God, we humble ourselves, and accept His gift – the gift of Salvation – of being saved from our sins and ourselves.  This is what God has been longing to give us.  It is NOT about going to heaven.  It is about being made free from the bondage of sin.  To be made free, someone has to do the work, and that someone is NOT you.  You cannot.  More to the point, you WILL not.  Your entire life is proof positive of this.  Humans do not have the will to become perfect, let alone the inclination.  Most of us are content in the evil we hurt ourselves with.  It is a rare thing that the evil produces enough pain in our lives to make us truly crave change.  But were we to see evil as it truly is, were we to understand its horrific affects in our lives, in the lives of those we hurt, in the lives of those who care about us and our victims, we would crave to be freed from the evil we are slave to commit.

And this is the gift of Salvation, a freedom from the bondage of sin, that only Christ can create in the human heart and mind.  We must allow Him to do so.  In order for that to occur, we must submit or yield our evil, carnal, nature, our natural decisions up to God and let Him decide for us, sometimes in spite of us.  If we try to keep control over our decisions, we end up making the wrong ones over and over and over again.  In order for us to achieve Salvation from evil we must learn to submit.  This is our weapon.  It is not our strength of character that frees us from sin, but the recognition of our only hope in God.  It is His strength, made perfect through our weakness, through our submission.  It is His work to eliminate sin in us.  We must let Him and stay out of the way.

But the entire process of Salvation depends on our willingness to submit.  So of course, the devil targets submission and packages it as the worst of all crimes to commit.  Rather than put God in the picture, the devil has only to use the truthful argument that women should NOT be submitting to men.  That is actually true, and even Biblical.  The text does not say for women to submit to men, it says “to their own husbands”.  But it is easy to forget this distinction and maintain the original premise that women should not submit to any man.  The devil fosters a spirit of independence in each of us.  His intent is not to insure we do not submit to each other, but to make sure we forget to submit to God.  Submission to God changes lives.

To further inflame the process, the devil invents tag-lines like the title of this BLOG entry, and then throws it out there as if it were from the Bible itself.  He attacks weak minded men who are already prone to chauvinism and gets them to start misusing scripture to beat women over the head with.  He tries to associate the first part of the text with the tag-line above and blend them together.  But this is all lies, told by the father of lies, intended to keep us ALL from submitting to God.  Submission to God brings about the enactment of Salvation in our lives right here and right now.

After yielding up our will to the Lord, we become changed.  We begin to see things differently.  Where once was arrogance, now we see the wisdom of humility.  Where once was only self-interest, we see now the wisdom of truly loving another – to sacrifice at all costs for the happiness of another without any thought of our own gain in the process.  This wisdom can only come to the changed heart, to the heart that has been literally re-created by our Creator God.  This is what being Born Again truly means.  It is not uttering silly sounds that masquerade as a ‘divine’ language while gyrating across the floor claiming to feel the Holy Spirit.  That chaos is not a sign of redemption, it is a sign of anarchy.  Being Born Again is the process of submitting our will to God, of trusting in Him to save us like a baby must trust its parent to keep it alive.  All of our thoughts, all of our desires, all of our habits must be reborn with a new insight.  That is being Born Again.

But nothing comes to those who strive to maintain control, which is only an illusion anyway.  Women who will NOT submit to their husbands, usually will NOT submit to God either.  But the danger is not just for women.  Men are counseled in that same text to “love their wives as God loves the church”.  Hello!!!  Christ literally died a tortured death to redeem His church.  He loves it more than His own life.  He gave EVERYTHING to it, and for it.  But again men are NOT capable of this kind of love, until they too learn to submit their own wills to God.  Men cannot understand the beauty of this sacrifice, and the deep fulfillment of the gift of loving someone, until their own minds have been freed of the bondage of evil.  Men too must submit, before they are truly capable of loving.  But too many men have ignored this prerequisite and defined “loving their wives” to suit their own self interest.  In this we miss the blessing the Lord intended, and again misuse His word.

Men want to win the arguments with their wives focusing on the idea that their wives should be submitting, without asking themselves first – why is there an argument in the first place?  Is it over money, career, friends, food, or household items?  Then no argument could exist, if like Christ did for His church, the husband simply demonstrated His own love for his wife.  Where men were meant to lead, was in the spiritual matters of the home.  In this area, they were “supposed” to be the authority.  Men were to set the example of submission to God, before expecting their wives to see the wisdom of submission to them.  It is easy to love a man who submits himself wholly to God, as it easy to love a woman who does the same.  But again it is submission to God that BEGINS this process, and for that matter completes it.  Without submitting to God first, failure is sure to result.

Once we accept the humility of submission to God, we are far more willing to accept His council in whatever format it comes.  The roles we take on in the church can come without expectation if we look first through humbled eyes.  When we accept our condition, and our healing, we are thankful for God’s guidance whether it comes from the mouth of a child, or a parent, or a friend, or a stranger, or even an atheist.  God can send us guidance through anyone.  He is not constricted by prejudices against sex, or age, or race, or even orientation or beliefs systems.  He is willing to work for ALL men, and through ANY who are willing to be used.  We should not judge the truth by the package it comes in.  We should accept the truth and adhere to the council without glorifying the messenger, only the message.  Were we to see this, our lives would be so much more full, so much better …

Tall Pointy Hats ...

Have you ever wondered where the tradition of headwear came from?  After all covering our heads in the cold seems like a good idea, but when practicality is no longer the goal, it seems being ornate takes over.  You used to be able to tell the good guys from the bad guys in a western by the color of their hats – good guys wore white, bad guys wore black.  But color has long since lost any value in this regard; John Travolta made wearing black cowboy hats a fad after the movie Urban Cowboy; and as I recall the KKK prefers wearing white sheets on their heads.  So color does not mean anything anymore. 

In times of wars past, a helmet protected the head, and generally identified which side you were fighting for.  Not anymore; these days it looks more like those in a uniform and those who are not.  Berets were worn at one time by elite fighting forces, we even named one of them “Green Berets” but I am not certain the name has remained in effect, it seems to have been subsumed by the terms “Special Forces” or “Rangers” today.  In any case headgear seems to have always had a role in military activities.

I guess the most identifiable place where “hats” make the biggest difference is related to royalty.  Crowns and tiara’s are where the big money lies.  The more ornate the crown of course, the more valuable.  Crowns were meant to be rare, generally only the King ever wore a crown.  Peasants would not dream of such a thing.  But peasants were meant to take pride in the audacity and beauty of the crowns belonging to King and country where they were from.  Adding jewels, adding artistic carvings, constructing them of complex design – all of these considerations go in to the making of a crown that is “fit for a king”.  But then, who wears crowns anymore?  Most are now found on display in Museums.

You could argue that due to the invention of democracy, people think differently about crowns now.  No one would dare to wear a crown anymore, either for fear of it getting stolen, or for ridicule in implying they were somehow superior to their peers.  As I stated above, it is not as though practicality is the goal of headwear anymore.  But there is one trait in ornate headwear that seems to have survived the ages; it seems the taller the hat, the more regal, or more important must be its wearer.   Look at the head-dress of American Indian tribes, the chief has many many feathers, the braves have a few depending on age, and skill.  The crowns of the Pharoah’s of Eqypt were tall for the Royal couple, much less so for any other positions.  Even the grand dragon of the KKK has a more ornate Sheet than his co-conspirators.  And one last place I can think of off-hand, within the Catholic church, the Pope alone wears the most ornate of head-gear left on the planet.  Do you ever wonder why this trait has endured?

I have a theory about it.  I believe the premise was derived from Heaven itself.  I imagine that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has a crown fit for His position in the Universe.  I can imagine it is taller and more elaborate than any the world could ever imagine.  I imagine that He sits at the right hand of His Father, who sits on the Throne at the highest pinnacle, or highest point within the city of Heaven itself.  A brilliant shining beacon of light that emanates to the entire Universe.  So if the most important guy gets the tallest most important hat, then it stands to reason that our God probably has the tallest, nicest one ever conceived.

My guess is that in an effort to foster vanity and inequality in our perceptions of our fellow man, Satan polluted the idea of crowns and introduced them into our various cultures with as much negative baggage as possible.  Examine the contrast for a second; God our Father, despite whatever head-gear He prefers, is willing to give us any good thing at a moment’s notice – He spends His time trying to think of things to do FOR His creation, not what He can get FROM it.  Yet when an earthly king puts on his elaborate crown, he very rarely puts it aside to do the work of a servant.  More often, he gets caught up in the perceptions of superiority that accompany a crown, and does only the work he believes is worthy of him or his position.  When we put on a crown, we become the object of service, not the instrument or the tool of it.

Yet the Old Testament of the Bible outlines very clearly the idea that NO man is superior to another in any way shape or form.  Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Elijah, and many others refused to bow themselves down in the presence of earthly kings or warlords.  It was not the humility they were supposed to lose, but even the remote idea of worshipping anything other than God.  To bow ONLY before God, was to show the proper respect to the proper source that alone deserved it.  Bowing down before idols was considered a major affront to our Creator God.  Sticks, stones, sculptures and our fellow man were not to warrant the same respect as that given to our Lord in Heaven.  Many times Biblical patriarchs refused to bow themselves down to powerful earthly Kings, and risked their very lives in this seeming act of defiance.  Not so with us.

When you consider the Bible’s view that indeed ALL men are created equal, and are equally flawed, it seems the teaching of bowing in submission only to God to be another reinforcement of the gospel itself.  In order to be saved, we must humble ourselves only to God, accept only His gift, and submit our will ONLY to Him.  It is God alone who can change us; not our pastor, or our parents, or our therapists.  It is God alone who can redefine the creation of a man.  It is in God alone we can be born again through the miracle of His redemptive power.

This should be a liberating concept particularly to our pastors and spiritual leaders.  Those who take up the work of the Lord to spread His word, and His gospel, should be freed by not carrying the burden of undo respect or homage by their brothers in Christ.  Pastors are NOT our role models, Christ alone can fulfill this calling.  Pastors are NOT expected to be perfect anymore than the man in my mirror is.  If I seek perfection, I should look to Christ, not to those who try to teach me.  This is a liberating idea that maintains the equality of our humanity, no matter what role He chooses for us in fulfilling His good purposes and work.  All the glory, all the honor, all the respect, can go to Christ – we can save the humility for each other.

As I thought about this, the concept of the pointy hat began to eat at me.  Not only is the papal headwear ornate, taller than almost any other hat on planet earth, it is inscribed with the latin words – Vicarious Filii Dei – meaning ‘replacement for the Son of God’.  Catholic tradition is built on the idea that the Apostle Peter was named the first Pope of the church.  That Christ’s statement regarding building His church “upon a rock” was meant to mean Peter.  Subsequent interpretations of this same scripture have alternate meanings, in that Peter was referred to as a Stone compared to Christ alone referred to as “the Rock” upon which the church would be built.  This has been a point of contention between Catholics and Protestants for years.

But looking past which side of the interpretation you subscribe to, there is a much larger issue at hand.  Where in the Bible anywhere does it recommend that any church leader should put on a tall, ornate, pointy hat?  You see what happens to men in politics when they wear a crown, happens to men in religion as well.  The idea of being servant of all, is replaced by becoming the object of all service.  Men bow before the Pope, kiss a ring he wears on his hands.  Men humble themselves before the Pope and the entire world covers him extensively in their news media.  Why?  ALL men are created equal, and are equally flawed.  It occurs to me, the Pope must suffer much by carrying the undo burden of men bowing to his frailty.  Yet I have never heard of a Pope asking believers to show homage only to Christ.  Should not the greatest teacher of all direct all to the source of love, and true source of worship?  Isn’t that what the original Christ did?

Throughout the life of Christ on earth He wore no kingly robes.  He wore no crown, except one made of thorns to mock Him at His death.  He who should have been King of all, was in fact, servant of all.  Christ served us.  He served the poor in person, with kindness, with healing, with truth taught in gentle humility and love.  He did not command throngs to serve Him, but instead served them all Himself.  Our example, was the Son of Man, the true leader of our faith, of our religion, who dressed modestly, who acted incessantly, and who loved as no other ever could or will.  He wore no pointy hat in our world.  He showed us what to aspire to.  I wonder if there will ever be a Pope of the Catholic faith, who foregoes the pomp and circumstance, who casts down the hat in humility, and directs all those who follow him to follow Christ.  I wonder if other Christians, and leaders of the faith in other churches, will ever cast aside their wealth, put aside their fame, and direct others to follow only Christ.  The danger in our leaders is their belief that they in fact lead, when the truth is that only Christ can lead.  We are ALL only His humble servants …

Building Community ...

One of the distinct advantages (or disadvantages if you prefer) to all of our modern technology and conveniences is our ability to accomplish a wide variety of tasks in fairly short order.  We can get a new recipe from the internet, shop and have the contents delivered, microwave cook our new food adventure, and sit down to eat it in front of a large flat screen TV – all in record time, all by ourselves.  We save countless hours relying on our technical abilities, but at what price to our humanity?

“Do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together.”  This council was given in the time of Christ, and has been used recently to reinforce the idea of attending a formal church service.  But I suspect the meaning (and value) of these words is far greater than we have applied them to date.  Our very nature is not one that aspires to loneliness and isolation.  While there are times we crave “some alone time”, the key word there is “some”.  In truth what we usually mean by those words is simply that we crave a “relief” from the stressors that surround us.  In general, humans have always been social creatures.

Clear back to the Garden of Eden, man exercised a unique particularity of his consciousness, and despite God’s original design – man was unsatisfied.  Man became aware of his own isolation, by witnessing the pairing of every other animal species he encountered as he named them all.  He saw firsthand the reliance on one from the other, he witnessed intimacy even if only rudimentary in its definition, and he wanted what he saw.  Adam might have been less lonely had he been in direct contact with God all of the time, but this was reserved more for evening walks than minute to minute socialization.  Adam saw the work of creation as missing one important element.

The genesis of Eve into the world met the need Adam had identified.  As a part of him, she would be his helper, his heart, and more to his need – a constant companion.  Even as Eve entered the world, the new council from God was to stay together to avoid the pitfalls that must be placed in perfection.  In order that humanity be given a true choice, Satan would be allowed a small representation in their garden home to offer his own – “alternatives”.  God’s original council of defense against this danger was to stay together to meet it.  It was the first casualty in a series of decisions that resulted in our condition we face today.

The simple truth is that groups of people are harder to defeat than single individuals.  There can be greater strength in numbers when in humility all are willing to listen and learn from each other.  We are told we represent the “body” of the church.  Each member has a unique function relative to the body’s whole.  Those who represent the “eyes” of the body can perhaps see truth others might miss, but they are ill-prepared to take the action that those who represent the “hands” might be able to do.  One identifies, another responds, still another offers a different type of assistance based on their role in the body.  None are greater than the other.  None can exist well without the other.  None was ever told they represented the entire picture themselves alone.  It takes more than one to represent the church, it takes community.

The problem with modern technology that ever pushes us into further and further independence is that the subtle message we adopt becomes that we “need” no-one else to survive.  Our communal body starts reacting like the patient who refuses an organ donation.  We reject our brothers, because they do not fit well with our view of the body.  If I were an “arm” for example, I might not like what the “leg” looked like.  It is too long, too thick, not as nimble as I am, and therefore judge its value as minimal at best.  So we look around us devoid of humility, and from our singular perspectives, we use our truth to drive others away from us – leaving our body crippled and near death.  This is the reason why churches look the way they do today.

The message of self-help, self-awareness, self-discovery does not lend itself to socialization or dependence on the whole for results.  No just the opposite, it focuses the eyes in the mirror to find all the answers, and ignores the council of groups.  Our greatest enemy “self” is bolstered by modern thinking that praises individuals above community.  It destroys within us even the desire to be around others, unless to further reinforce our ego by demonstrating our superiority in one form or another.  This thinking is the hallmark of all evil, and runs completely counter to the clear word of God on this topic.  Leaders who encourage their flocks to “try harder” to defeat evil only leave them frustrated and still wanting.

Whether we like it or not, we are not as independent as we think.  We need others.  We need God.  As each of us is incapable of permanently vanquishing evil from our hearts, our minds, and our desires; we must DEPEND on God to do this work FOR us.  In this matter God works alone.  But as His work is invisible, God recognizes our continued need for socialization and reminds us not to forsake getting together.  The work of Salvation, that is, the work of saving us from sin and evil itself, is done by God alone, for each of us, in a one on one setting.  It is highly personal and private.  But the results could no more be kept secret than trying to hide a brilliant light in the darkness.

As we become changed we begin to offer help and hope in a world with little of either.  Though the victories are not really “ours” as we do not do the work – we certainly benefit from the gift we are given.  Freedom!  Freedom to think, to love, and to share unburdened by the former evil that held us back.  Evil holds us down, poisons our minds, and paralyzes our will to act.  But freedom from evil as brought and wrought by our Savior has an exact opposite effect.  It is invigorating.  It is inspiring.  It causes us not to accept the status-quo any more.  It makes us Brave.  It drives us with energy to move forward.  This is something the world lacks.  And when they see it, they will be curious about it, after all those in darkness will respond when they see a great light.  Too few of us have discovered the light of reliance on God to be able to share it thus far, but the kindling is catching on.

There is wisdom in the minds of others.  God speaks to each of us in the ways we understand.  And if we are willing in humility to hear it, we can learn His lessons in the mouths and lives of those who surround us daily.  Not everyone who offers us council speaks for God, but everyone who loves has something of value to offer.  Carry important questions and decisions back to God in prayer, but do not blind yourself to the answers you seek in the lives of others.  Think drinking alcohol to be a good idea?  Consider the life of the alcoholic closely and learn what is possible for those that drink.  Think helping out a homeless shelter is a good idea?  Consider the life of those who help, and find out what makes them do it.  Try it out for yourself.  Make a difference to someone else, and then come tell me if you can beat that feeling some other way.

Remember your role in humility.  If I am to be the “eyes” of the body of Christ, then I am probably ill-suited to speak as His “mouth”.  I am not the best at running as His “legs”, nor do I hear as well as His “ears”.  Do not be overwhelmed by allowing others to ask you to do more than your role would provide.  You are not supposed to be every vital organ in the body, just the one you’re suited to.  If your body lacks a “mouth”, then seek one out, don’t try to simply “add” it to your list.  We are supposed to be a community.  Our community is supposed to look out for one another, even when it is not so convenient to do so.  We are to gather together to draw strength from each other’s strength, and cloth the weaknesses in each other.

In practical terms, this may mean you help someone out changing a car tire when you see them in need.  No-one enjoys changing a tire, but everyone appreciates help when they need it.  It may mean you do the dishes and clean the kitchen up for your family.  Again this is a thankless job, but it has meaning for someone, especially if you’re not the one who usually does it.  It may mean you click on the advertisements on my WEB site or my BLOG that Google provides as this is how I make a living right now.  No, you don’t need to actually buy anything, I get paid per click not per purchase J.  But more importantly, it means you recognize your need of the rest of His body to make you the stronger person you can be.  It is our community that makes us His body …

Mosaic ...

Have you ever seen a painting or photo from a distance that upon closer inspection was actually constructed from a series of little tiny images forming a Mosaic?  When you stand very close to the art, you can see each little picture, and can make out the detail of each life.  But when you stand back at a comfortable distance the “big picture” emerges and tiny unique images seem to fade into the master design.  Facts do not change, distance does. 

Those who reject a God of any kind must believe there is no grand design in life, no master plan, that everything that occurs is simply a matter of random chance and the decisions of others.  The consequence of believing in evolution and random chance as our genesis denies us purpose and meaning in our lives.  If your existence is merely random, your consequence cannot be significant. 

You could argue that even under a random genesis people like Hitler and Gandhi both impacted our world, one for good, and one for evil.  But if both are a product of mere chance, why is either significant?  Either one could have not ever existed, or once coming into existence, either one could have made different choices that radically altered the course of our history.  And now that they are both clearly dead, if only a product of mere chance, their legacy is negligible at best.  Evil remains in the hearts of Neo-Nazi’s, and many other hate groups who use Hitler as their motto or hero.  And pacificism is all but dead in the world, leaving Gandhi’s legacy in steep decline at best.  In another 2000 or 3000 years their memories may be long forgotten; perhaps like king Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian empire from long ago.

But with belief in our Creator God, both purpose and meaning return to our lives in concert with a master plan, not just for our world or our existence, but with the existence of all life in the universe.  This is where the concept of a Mosaic best fits the pictures of our lives today.  On ABC’s new hit series “Flash Forward”, the central plot premise is that the entire world passes-out for 2 minutes 17 seconds and each person has a vision of themselves in the future.  The global fainting causes much death and destruction, and the US agency investigating the phenomenon, creates an online project called “Mosaic” where anyone can post their stories or visions online and check them against others to form an overall picture of this time in the future. 

The beauty of a Mosaic is that you cannot get the big picture without enough of the little tiny images that comprise it.  Pull out 30% of the pieces and the grand design fades.  Nor can any small tiny image claim to be a representation of the overall big picture, it takes many small images in order to construct the bigger one.  It is a balance that you find in all of God’s created works.  Each image is important to the overall creation, but only as it sits in harmony with the others.  The beauty of how our God creates is the level of uniqueness He incorporates in each tiny piece.  Each of us is unique in our appearance, DNA, fingerprints, retinal scans, and frankly in our characters.  Each person created to be a part of his master Mosaic design.  Each person a tiny representation of the whole.  Each person, needed to fit in a particular place, a particular role, in order for the master design to take shape.

So what happens to God’s master plan when those He created refuse to be a part of his Mosaic?  I believe He raises another, or gives another person an opportunity to take up the missing role.  But even in this, He does not simply create a replica of the last person who rejected His calling.  He does not deny our individuality simply because we refuse to play in His symphony.  The uniqueness of the person who rejects His calling perishes with that person.  But the role they were meant to fill, might go to another.  The new person who accepts this calling will not accomplish it in the same way as the one who rejected it.  Our differences prevent this.  But the overall mission, the overall design, will go forward.

In Adventism, in our early church history, God saw the need to make a personal connection with a believer to relay His guidance to the specific questions of the day.  It was His intention to guide and affirm our beliefs through His miraculous power, and through an expression of His love through volumes of written testimony.  The first two people He called on for this responsibility both rejected the calling, though they remained believers.  I imagine they feared the ridicule that always accompanies anyone who dares to testify for God.  I imagine they both had lives they did not want to give up or put away in favor of writing, witnessing, and counseling those in desperate need.  I imagine they had many “good” reasons to refuse God’s work.  And so they did.

Had the first person accepted the call, our church would have a different Patriarch than the one we remember today.  The style would have been different.  The language may have been different.  He may have accomplished more than his counterpart, or perhaps less as men died generally earlier than women overall.  But he did not accept this calling.  Perhaps he did not even believe it to be real.  Until at a meeting a young 16 year old girl stands up and states that God has given her a message to relay to the world.  Then the first man called realizes the reality of his calling, and so does the second.  They both stood and testified as such.  And God’s purpose went forward in the least likely of vessels – a girl – with only a sixth grade education and significant physical health problems from her youth.  But most Adventists today know the name of Ellen G. White, formerly Ellen Harmon.

God’s plan will go forward, the only question is what role we play within it.  The story of Ellen White illustrates that no role is dictated by God, it is only offered by Him.  We must accept what He offers in order to do the work He would have us to do.  Jonah chose to run away from His calling, but Nineveh needed to be saved.  Eventually Jonah changed his mind.  Moses ran away too.  He tended sheep for forty years, but eventually returned to the role God had in mind for him.  Sometimes God pursues those who at first reject His calling.  Sometimes He does not.  But each one is offered a role, and each one must make a decision of what they will do with the offer.  Have you thought about your own?  What role do you play in God’s Mosaic?

God is not one dimensional either.  As God exists on many levels, perhaps more than our finite minds are capable of understanding, so His purposes for us extend to many different areas of our lives.  He may have a role for us to play within His church, within our community, within our immediate families, and within the brotherhood of man for centuries to come in His perfect kingdom we call heaven.  Just like you are capable of more than one emotion, God may have designed you with more than one purpose in mind for His Mosaic.  But it is the whole of your life He is looking to affect, to make better, to free from pain, and to fit in His unique designs.

Those that have no purpose, have no hope.  For your life to have meaning, it is necessary to understand the intent behind your genesis.  You became a living soul because God decided to breathe one into you.  Forgetting the conditions of your birth, your existence upon entering the world marks a new opportunity in the Mosaic God has designed, one in which you can play a vital role.  Not everyone need be recognized as a hero, to impact our world.  Some folks will take on enormous public responsibility (pray for those folks), some will live only quiet lives of selfless service (pray to be those folks), but all carry a purpose within our Mosaic. 

If you don’t know yet where you fit into God’s plan, perhaps you should start asking Him.  However one thing I have learned in my own life, and from seeing the lives of Moses, Jonah, and many others – it is always better to be following the will of the Lord, than trying to do your “own thing”.  I do not know what ever happened to the first two men who rejected God’s call in our early church history, but I will bet they regretted that decision for many years.  I will bet they went to their graves wondering “what if”.  It is one thing not to know what God wants for us yet, it is another to know it, and refuse it.  I pray we all accept whatever God intends for us, and even more that we begin to want what He wants, and learn to see His Mosaic through His eyes …

Imposition ...

How do you balance holding an opinion and attempting to be true to your values while not imposing them on another person whether by intent or not?  It is not easily done.  It is made all the harder, if you are enthusiastic about your views and believe others would benefit from you sharing them.  How do you allow another’s freedom without compromising your own integrity when it comes to issues centered around personal morality?  This is a question Christians seem content not exploring.  Their zeal often impedes their progress in this regard.

Are we who call ourselves by the name of our Lord, Christians (or followers of Christ), brave enough to be the devil’s advocate?  No, I am not talking about becoming lawyers bent on the destruction of planet earth.  Nor am I talking about adopting or embracing any evil practice we come to know.  But I am wondering if we followers of a God who created the freedom to choose against Himself, are brave enough to allow others to make the same wrong choices.  We tend to want to impose the right choice on others, whether they like it or not.  We believe we are doing what is in their ultimate best interest and therefore are completely within our rights to make such an imposition.  But we have no rights.  And often our understanding of ‘better’ choices is corrupted by our own weaknesses of character.  Our impositions may also be a testament to our own lack of faith and understanding.

Back to my question, are we brave enough to defend the right of others to choose to believe in something we think is morally wrong?  God is.  There is no question that God would not wish evil on any of us, but He does permit us to choose it.  However, us reformed prostitutes, tend to be the first to cast stones at others who do not share in our reformation of thinking (if not behavior).  Once we ‘find’ a truth we seem compelled to force it on others.  In this we exert control and mimic the author of all evil.  Instead of becoming the devil’s advocate, we become his mouthpiece and do his work for him.  God is not about control, although He is in it.  God is about choice, as Love is completely about choice.  Power cannot compel love.  Power can compel obedience but not affection.  Power is the tool of Satan, whereas Love is the tool of God.

So often Christians get in touch with their paranoia about being prosecuted by the world and react by enacting moral laws to protect them from unnecessary persecution.  In so doing they impose their moral views of right and wrong on others who may not share their opinions.  Instead of protecting and defending the rights of the few, Christians seek to group together and impose moral law.  Yet as a group we blast others in foreign governments for exactly the same behavior.  Consider Muslim morality enacted into law for a minute.  Were Christian women compelled to wear black head dressing that covers the hair and face, they would react with revolution.  Muslim women do this by choice in our country to honor their religion and beliefs. 

Yet we would not hesitate to compel Muslim women to take off the head dressing for any number of reasons – chiefly because we do not share their moral views, and we are in the majority.  Instead of defending the traditions and beliefs of others, we impose our own, and add an attitude of further intolerance with sentiments like … “this is America, if you don’t like it, leave – go back home.”  Of course this is home to many Muslims born and raised in our country, whose parents may also have been born and raised in our country.  This is their country as much as it is ours.  They do not seek to impose their beliefs on us Christians here in America, why is it OK for Christians to act counter the will of God and impose our beliefs on them and others.

Majority may rule, but it cannot compel conscience.  Instead of offering unconditional love to those who do not share our beliefs and thereby perhaps attract interest in our doctrine, we offer intolerance, indifference, and in effect know nothing of love for our neighbor or our God.  I may despise the beliefs of the Satanist, but I MUST defend his right to hold his opinions.  I must see him as God sees me, an errant child needing to find his way home.  I must NOT make his form of worship illegal simply because I have the power of the majority behind me to do it.  Majority imposition must be absent morality derived from religious doctrine or many will be compelled into behavior against conscience, and worse against the will of God.  No one can love by force, only by will.

God is so misrepresented by those who take their personal moral opinions and seek to make them laws.  It is the character of GOD that comes into question when his servants make so huge a mistake in His name.  Non believers see this imposition for what it is.  Instead of winning the hearts and minds, a decided loss of opportunity is engaged.  Why are we so timid with our faith as to believe it needs the protection of the state to survive?  Why do we trust God so little as to assert His ways must become the punitive law of the land or no-one would choose to follow them?  Do we understand so little of why God does what He does?  Are we truly that blind, or arrogant, or both?

It is election time again in this country.  Another opportunity for big-business to field a set of pre-paid for candidates who talk of change but whose rhetoric outlines plans to keep big-insurance, big-energy, and big-military nice fat and happy for years to come.  Completely irrelevant who wins an election so long as the sponsors earn their due.  Yet each candidate has good intentions.  Each believes they can make substantive changes to improve the lives of the American people.  They sound like us don’t they?

We set out do the will of God.  We talk about change of character, and improvements in the quality of our lives, and making a difference for all around us.  But over time a review of our accomplishments may not quite match our intentions.  We may have become politicians in that we preach about the need for change, but practice very little of it.  We look for change in others, but ignore the need in ourselves.  The candidates make promises of change but neglect to tell you who alone can deliver it.  You might answer that the guy in the mirror is the best one to effect change.  In the sense that each one of us CAN make a difference, you are correct.  But in the sense that the guy in the mirror is ACTUALLY going to change – history tells us this is an optimistic prognostication at best.  That guy is too lazy, too unmotivated, too … pick your adjective. 

So don’t blame the candidates for not delivering change when the guy in the mirror fails to deliver regularly.  However, if you want to talk about real hope.  Then instead of making your mission in life to impose values you do not even adhere to yourself, make it your mission to allow God the freedom to make the changes you know you need in your own life.  Be brave enough to defend the ones who do not share your convictions.  Have faith enough in the goodness of love that it can overcome evil if left alone.  Trust in the goodness of your God that love does conquer all – even what is inside of you.  There is real religion applied.  Not words, not doctrines, not sermons – but life, love, and freedom applied in yourself. 

Herein is the way we reach the hearts of the Satanist, the Muslim, the others – not by embracing their beliefs but by defending the rights of their conscience.  By offering unconditional love for the person, even if their beliefs are blatantly despised in your own eyes; the hearts of unbelievers can be moved from stone to flesh again.  Think about the way God woos you, how He loves you, even though He may despise some of the things you do – even with all your accumulated Christian understanding…