REDO!

A Baptist church was destroyed today!

Well, not exactly.

450 pounds of dynamite and 1,200 charges imploded four buildings of an esteemed Dallas institution, First Baptist Church of Dallas. The Burt, Christian Education, Ruth Ray Hunt, and Veal buildings went down in a cascade of smoke and debris at 8:15 yesterday morning. FBC Dallas, a part of the cityscape since the mid-1800s was moving into the 21st century.

When the dust settled, the historic sanctuary still stood, shining in the sunlight. That structure will remain a vital part of the new campus to which the four imploded buildings contributed 600,000 square feet of space.

“Now,” pastor Robert Jeffress declared, “we are seeing the sanctuary in a whole new light.”

Dedicated effort went into protecting this sanctuary, a mere 50 feet from the nearest point of implosion. Plywood covered all the stained glass, and a barrier of dirt prevented debris bouncing off the ground to hit the old building. It was a roaring success!

The new campus includes a new 3000-seat worship center, a new education building, a fountain plaza, a sky bridge across a downtown street, an acre of public green space, etc. Supposedly the most expensive (and extensive) renovation of a Protestant church ever!

All set to open Easter of 2013.

The Gospel of Mark tells the story of another impending implosion, of another institution, in light of another imminent “Easter.” It’s an odd account, one of those Markan “sandwiches,” with a split outer story (the two halves of a “bun”) and an inner story (the “patty”).

The outer story is one of a fig tree that, green and leafy, promised much but didn’t deliver. First half of the “bun”: It had no fruit and, as an object lesson, it was cursed. Second half of the “bun”: Peter’s exclamation.

Peter said to Him [Jesus],
“Rabbi, look, the fig tree
which You cursed has withered.”
Mark 11:21

It’s the inner story, the “beef patty,” that explains the whole passage: Jesus drives out the traders and merchants and moneychangers and dovesellers and other such mercenary folks from the Temple, a glorious edifice that also promised much but wasn’t delivering.

“Is it not written [in Isaiah 56 and Jeremiah 7],
‘My house shall be called a house
of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a ‘robbers’ den.’”
The chief priests and the scribes
heard this, and began seeking
how to destroy Him.
Mark 11:17–18

A malfunctioning institution of worship. It would be imploded.

And Jesus said …
“Do you see these great buildings?
Not one stone will be left upon another
which will not be torn down.”
Mark 13:2

So then what is the proper function of such institutions?

The new community of Christ-followers, the church, Jesus said, would be characterized by two essentials: faith and forgiveness.

A house of prayer that demonstrates faith towards God ….

And Jesus answered saying to them,
“Have faith in God. …
Therefore I say to you,
all things for which you pray and ask,
believe that you have received them,
and they will be granted you.”
Mark 11:22, 24–25

And a house of prayer that displays forgiveness towards one another ….

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive,
if you have anything against anyone,
so that your Father who is in heaven
will also forgive you your transgressions.”
Mark 11:25

The new sanctuary, the body of Christ, the church.

Faith and forgiveness. May those be the characteristics of FBC Dallas and every other church in the world.

A redo … because of the first Easter.

NATIONS!

A blissfully mild 60° here in Mt. Hermon, CA, today. What a place! Nestled in the redwoods, a delightful “piney” smell permeating the atmosphere, everything so green, and Mandarin and Cantonese like confetti all around me.

Yup! Mandarin and Cantonese. You heard right.

All those linguistic, tongue-warping, tonal delights produced by a 500-strong army of Fongs and Laus and Engs and Kwoks and Leungs and Yews and Lees and Shens. Etc.

I’m here speaking at a church retreat for Chinese Independent Baptist Church, Oakland, CA (affectionately known as “CI”).

CI has a long and storied history of ministering to the Chinese immigrants in N. California. And an equally long and celebrated association with Dallas Theological Seminary: many in their congregations have attended DTS (and some still do); many of our faculty have spoken at CI and its retreats—this is actually my second ministry venture with these marvelous folks. In fact, CIBC, which has been in existence over a hundred years, just created their Mandarin group a couple of years ago. What a remarkably enterprising bunch of Christ-followers this is!

So CI has this annual retreat for their three congregations: English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. All together. In one place. At the same time.

Well, not exactly. Your humble blogger is completely at sea as far as the last two of the aforementioned languages are concerned. I can barely tell them apart when I hear them, though, I must admit, I’m getting better. And, no, I’ve not been suddenly gifted with the abilities to preach in Cantonese and Mandarin; I’m speaking to the English congregation; the other two have their own speakers in their respective languages.

What is interesting, though, is to sit in on their singing times. English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. All together. In one place. At the same time.

The lyrics projected on the screen in front are in English, Cantonese ("traditional"), and Mandarin ("simplified"). All together. In one place. At the same time.

And everyone sings. In English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. All together. In one place. At the same time.

Fascinating! A delightful blend of languages praising God! Heaven!

And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You …;
for You were slain,
and purchased for God with Your blood
those from every tribe and tongue
and people and nation.
You have made them a kingdom
and priests to our God;
and they will reign upon the earth.”
Revelation 5:9–10

Yes, that’s God’s heart. For men and women of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Jesus commissioned His followers:

“Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations ….”
Matthew 28:19

For that’s what God is all about—to bring the whole mass of mankind to Himself, into the peaceable Kingdom of His Son, through the recreating work of the Holy Spirit.

And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That those of every people,
nations and language might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13–14

A kingdom of all peoples. And we will all sing His praise forever.

Praise the LORD, all nations;
Laud Him, all peoples!
For His lovingkindness is
great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD is everlasting.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 117:1–2

Indeed!

All together. In one place. At the same time.

AUTHORITY!

The Presidential gavel. This week, your faithful blogger was inducted as President of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and presented with this fancy implement.

This little ceremonial hammer is typically used as a symbol of authority of the chairman or presiding officer of an organization, to call meetings to order and to close them. (Some auctioneers and judges use them, too.)

I had the pleasure of striking it to adjourn the Business Meeting that conducted the election. That’s about all the power the President of the EHS has! Bang!

(Maybe I ought to use it the next time I preach, in lieu of pounding the pulpit. That ought to be impressive. Wearing my Aberdeen red robe. Breathing fire and brimstone. Yeah!)

Robert’s Rules of Order, however, prohibits its use in such authoritarian fashion. You can’t use it, so saith Robert, to shush an obstreperous member. You can’t lean on it. You can’t twiddle it, juggle it, or otherwise handle it disdainfully. Needless to say, you can’t use it to whack another on the head. And as for pounding pulpits, nope, that’s forbidden: you can’t use the gavel to emphasize your remarks. Robert hath spoken!

Robert’s dicta are constantly disobeyed in Congress. In a heated debate in 1954, Vice-President Richard Nixon broke the 200-year-old Senate gavel, made of ivory! Incidentally, upon request, a replacement was gifted to the Senate by the government of India; it is still in use today.

And the House? They utilize a plain, vanilla, wooden mallet. It breaks regularly—surprise!—and apparently there is a large box of back-up instruments on the Speaker's Rostrum.

The long and short of it is this: A gavel’s no use—it ain’t got no power.

In fact, real power, true power, is possessed only by one Being—God. And it is from Him all temporal authority is derived.

For there is no authority
except from God,
and those which exist
are established by God.
Romans 13:1

The absolute and divine authority of the Son of God resounds through the New Testament.

And Jesus came up
and spoke to them, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth.”
Matthew 28:18

All authority. Over embodied beings …

You [God the Father]
gave Him [God the Son]
authority over all flesh ….
John 17:2

… and over disembodied ones.

He commands even the unclean spirits,
and they obey Him.
Mark 1:27

As God, Jesus can forgive sins.

… the Son of Man
has authority on earth
to forgive sins.
Matthew 9:6

He is over all, above all. The Almighty One.

And on His robe and on His thigh
He has a name written,
“King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
Revelation 19:16

And this One, this Superpower, is coming again. Soon. And He’s coming to set things right. To rule and reign. Forever!

And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
that those of every people,
nation, and those language
might serve Him.
His dominion is
an everlasting dominion
which will not pass away.
And His kingdom is one
which will not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:14

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the preeminent authority.

For in Him all the fullness of Deity
dwells in bodily form, …
and He is the head
over all rule and authority.
Colossians 2:9–10

So relax, Christian, for the One with authority is on our side.

To the only God our Savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty,

dominion and authority,
before all time and now and forever.
Amen.
Jude 1:25

And He don’t need no gavel!

MARK!

That’s Mercury (to the Romans) or Hermes (to the Greeks).

Notice what he is carrying in his left hand: a winged staff with two snakes–the “caduceus.” Nobody really knows why this is Hermes’ symbol. Some speculate he was originally a snake god. In any case, the vocations patronized by Hermes have adopted this symbol of the reptilian double-helix —merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars, and thieves.

Yup, I know what you are thinking: “Hey, you missed doctors!”

You’re right, I did … deliberately. The caduceus is not really a medical symbol. Somebody in the U.S. Army Corps messed up in the late 19th century and began using that as its “mark.” It was all a big mistake, now perpetuated by the majority of medical professionals. The original medical symbol is actually the rod of another god, Asclepius: a one-snake, non-winged rod.

So one author wrote: “It is hard to trust a profession that cannot even get its symbols straight.” Rightly so, since Hermes’ caduceus protects even those of doubtful virtue.

“As god of the high-road and the market-place Hermes was perhaps above all else the patron of commerce and the fat purse: as a corollary, he was the special protector of the traveling salesman. As spokesman for the gods, he not only brought peace on earth (occasionally even the peace of death), but his silver-tongued eloquence could always make the worse appear the better cause. From this latter point of view, would not his symbol be suitable for certain Congressmen, all medical quacks, book agents and purveyors of vacuum cleaners, rather than for the straight-thinking, straight-speaking therapist? As conductor of the dead to their subterranean abode, his emblem would seem more appropriate on a hearse than on a physician’s car” (Stuart Tyson).

Amen!

Then again, quite ironically, maybe it is appropriate that the commercialized business that medicine has become has the symbol of tricksters, shysters, and cheaters as its mark.

Not that the other guy, Asclepius, is a lot better. He and his snakes exercised considerable mystical powers of healing. His temples were infested with these creepy things that crawled over those afflicted with disease; supposedly these folks were cured. But this happy tale ended in tragedy: Zeus killed this ancient medic with a thunderbolt for raising a dead man … for gold.

All in all, I’m not very convinced about either Hermes or Asclepius, both dodgy characters. As a physician, I’m not sure I want their mark!

What’s the mark we bear as children of God, as Christians?

… I bear on my body
the brand-marks of Jesus.
Galatians 6:17

Paul, here, is referring to suffering. That was his mark!

… we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body
the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our body.
2 Corinthians 4:8–10

That’s the brand-mark of Jesus: suffering. And that’s brand-mark we’re called to bear.

Amy Carmichael (1867–1951), missionary to India, put it well, in Jesus’ voice …

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star:
Hast thou no scar?

No wound? No scar?
Yes, as the master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound? No scar?

Suffering. Wound. Scar.

The true mark! Of Jesus followers.

IRREPROACHABLE!

Mercury. AKA Hermes (to the Greeks). A bronze by Giambologna (1529–1608) in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence.

Hermes is best known as the messenger of the gods, the one who bore their communiqués to mortals. Hence, “hermeneutics”—the science of interpretation, primarily of God’s Word. So there he is, with winged hat and winged sandals (as well as a staff with two serpents—but more about that next week).

Preachers and teachers of God’s Word—hermeneuts—therefore have Hermes as their patron saint! Perhaps that is why Hermes is also the god of orators and poets.

Unfortunately, he is god of more than those ….

Apparently Hermes was quite precocious. On the first day of his life, he invented the lyre. That same night, he stole the immortal cattle of Apollo, driving them back to Greece and hiding them. He is said to have walked the cattle backwards to fool those giving chase (rather confusing, if you ask me, but who am I to argue with Homer?). Despite these stratagems, Hermes’ thievery was discovered, but he enchanted Apollo with the lyre (which he had just invented); Apollo allowed Hermes to keep the cattle in exchange for the instrument.

Thus, Hermes is also the god of thieves, perjurers, and miscreants and malefactors of every shade and shape. A deified trickster—this Hermes.

And for some reason, Hermes is also the one who escorts the dead into the underworld.

Altogether, a rather unsavory character, who is known to have had a whole collection of lovers and sired a large number of offspring, among whom are Pan, the god of nature, and Eros/Cupid, the god of love.

Not necessarily an icon for good!

Of course, some folks considers preachers and deceivers to be of the same ilk; Hermes, then, is an appropriate god for both!

Hopefully that is not the case with us believers who interpret and apply God’s Word.

You are witnesses, and so is God,
how devoutly and uprightly
and blamelessly we behaved
toward you believers;
just as you know how we were
exhorting and encouraging and
imploring each one of you
as a father would his own children,
so that you would walk in a manner
worthy of the God who calls you
into His own kingdom and glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:10–12

While we are all, one way or another, hermeneuts interpreting God’s Word for application in our lives, Hermes ought not to be our mascot. Paul is a much better model.

For our proud confidence is this:
… that in holiness and godly sincerity,
… in the grace of God,
we have conducted ourselves.
For we are not like many,
peddling the word of God,
but as from sincerity,
but as from God, we speak
in Christ in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 1:12; 2:17

For those who expound the Word of God (formally or informally) are held to a higher standard of holiness.

Let not many of you become teachers,
… knowing that as such
we will incur a stricter judgment.
James 3:1

Indeed, all God’s people, but especially God’s leaders—both men and women—are called to be irreproachable.

… blameless and innocent,
children of God above reproach.
Philippians 2:15
An overseer, then, must be above reproach ….
1 Timothy 3:2
… give the enemy no occasion for reproach.
1 Timothy 5:14
… keep the commandment
without stain or reproach
until the appearing
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 6:14

As someone said, we may not be above sin, but we can be above reproach.

Definitely better than Hermes!

REPROOF!

A sad story.

Police were called out a robbery the other day, at a Wal-Mart in Ohio. But the suspected thief, accused of shoplifting $1,000 worth of the good stuff, was nowhere to be found.

Then an hour later 911 got a call. Apparently our sticky-fingered man had hopped into a dumpster behind the store to hide. Unfortunately for him, the dumpster was immediately picked up, and the trash (with our friend deep in it) was unceremoniously deposited into the garbage truck.

Emergency operators heard the frantic man yelling, “I’m in the back of a trash truck that keeps compacting me! I’m dying!! My bones are being crushed!!!” The dispatchers told him to calm down.

That’s a bit hard, I suppose, to be calm, when one is literally being compacted with 10 tons of rubbish. The poor guy.

Now this was no novice at robbery: he already had a rap sheet that ran into 26 pages. In fact, he’d been convicted before, of stealing from the same Wal-Mart. Some folks never learn.

Sin is a hard thing to escape. Especially when it is in our nature. Forget theft. How about …

… a depraved mind …,
being filled with all unrighteousness,
wickedness, greed, evil;
full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
malice, gossiping, slandering, …
insolence, arrogance, boastfulness,
disobedience to parents, …
not trustworthy, not loving, not merciful.
Romans 1:28–31

Ouch! That’s me. Sinning. Over and over and over again. 26 pages? Nay, a lifetime of stuff. Will we ever learn? Learn God’s wisdom—the way to live His way, not ours?

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your sight;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.
Proverbs 4:20

The trashed guy from Wal-Mart was heard declaring to dispatchers at one point that he didn’t care what happened to him afterwards with the cops; he just wanted to live.

I like to think he’s learned his lesson. The hard and very unfortunate way. I wish he’d learnt it before this mishap.

I wish we would, too. Learn to avoid sin before something grievous befalls us. For the chances are that something will. We must learn, even if it is from discipline and reproof as the Bible oft exhorts.

My son, do not reject
the discipline of the LORD
Or loathe His reproof,
For whom the LORD loves
He reproves ….
Proverbs 3:11–12

For the commandment is a lamp
and the teaching is light;
And reproofs for discipline
are the way of life
Proverbs 6:23

Whoever loves discipline
loves knowledge,
But he who hates reproof
is stupid.
Proverbs 12:1

Poverty and shame
to him who neglects discipline,
But he who regards reproof
will be honored.
Proverbs 13:18

Back to our flattened miscreant in the trash truck ….

Emergency officials triangulated the signal from his cell phone and found the truck before it emptied its contents at a recycling plant. Police had to have the trash dumped, before they could find the man. “He was in pretty bad shape when they got him out, he didn’t look too good,” a police spokesman told reporters.

I believe he survived. Hopefully, he’s learnt his lesson.

I hope we do too. So that we may learn to live the way God’s wants us to. So that we may align our lives to His will.

Listen to counsel
and accept discipline,
That you may be wise
the rest of your days.
Proverbs 19:20

Let’s be wise!

PRISONER!

The Mamertine Prison is an ancient place of incarceration in Rome dating back to the 7th century B.C. Traditionally, it is held that Paul and Peter were imprisoned in this place, on top of which there is now a church.

The place is a gloomy and dank two-level prison in to which Rome’s high-profile enemies (including the Goth Jugurtha and the Gaul Vercingetorix) were cast, to die of starvation or strangulation. The ancient Roman historian Sallust (86-34 B.C.) noted that it was 12 feet below the ground and “neglect, darkness and stench make it hideous and fearsome to behold.” The bottom level is the prison proper into which captives were dropped from a hole at the top. Apparently, there is a stone that bears the imprint of Peter’s head from when he was hurled in. (I wonder what imprint the stone left on aforementioned disciple’s head. Then again, maybe he wasn’t called “Rocky” for nothing!)

It is possible that Peter was detained here before being executed by Nero, and Paul before his own. The latter, at the end of his third missionary journey, was mobbed in Jerusalem by Jews who accused him of desecrating the Temple by bring in a Gentile (Acts 21:27–30). The Romans took him into custody—two years in Caesarea, and later in Rome (Acts 25:9–11), perhaps right here in the Mamertine Prison.

It strikes me as amazing that here was this guy, always being accused by Jewish rabble-rousers, at least twice being imprisoned by Roman oppressors, calling himself not a victim of the Jews, nor a captive of the Romans. Rather …

I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus ….
Ephesians 3:1
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus ….
Philemon 1
I am … Paul, the aged, and now also
a prisoner of Christ Jesus …
Philemon 9

That has got to be one of the most powerful assertions of the sovereignty of God. For Paul, nothing happened without God’s allowing it. And, for Paul, if God allowed it, he was OK with it. In fact, he could see God working in and through his imprisonment.

Now I want you to know, brethren,
that my circumstances have turned out
for the greater progress of the gospel,
so that my imprisonment
in the cause of Christ
has become well known
throughout the whole praetorian guard
and to everyone else,
and that most of the brethren,
trusting in the Lord
because of my imprisonment,
have far more courage to
speak the word of God without fear.
Philippians 1:12–14

So convinced of God’s sovereignty, he was content … even in prison.

And He has said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness.” …
Therefore I am well content
with weaknesses, with insults,
with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ’s sake;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9–10

Content, he simply seeks to be faithful to One who called him … even in prison.

… pray on my behalf,
that utterance may be given to me
in the opening of my mouth,
to make known with boldness
the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains ….
Ephesians 6:19–20

And this jailbird exhorts the rest of us—freebirds—to be “imprisoned” to Christ, to be faithful, as he was … even in prison.

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord,
implore you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling
with which you have been called.
Ephesians 4:1

Let’s be faithful … prisoners of Jesus Christ.

SWORD!

While it is called St. Peter’s Basilica, the other great pillar of the church, St. Paul, is not forgotten here in the San Pietro in Vaticano. In fact, he’s there, right in front, on one side as one approaches the Basilica. On the other side is the Basilica’s own, St. Peter.

The original statues of the two were sculpted by Paolo di Mariano in the mid-1400s. They were replaced by Pope Pius IX in 1847; he commissioned Adamo Tadolini to do Paul.

Both are about 17 feet tall on pedestals about 15 feet high. Towering and colossal. Each one holds an item that marks them. Peter has the key.

Paul has the sword. That’s appropriate for the one who, as the human agent of God, penned most of the New Testament.

So Paul is depicted as bearing the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God.

(And, BTW, that’s the balcony from which the Pope pronounces his blessings.)

And take
The sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

And, to reinforce this symbolism, in his other hand, Tadolini has Paul holding a scroll, on which are the words:

I can do all things
through Him
who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

That’s a 10-foot-long sword the dude is holding! Deadly weapon!

No wonder, for the Bible speaks of the lethal nature of the tongue and its products—words.

There is one
who speaks rashly
like the thrusts of a sword.
Proverbs 12:18a

On the other hand, words are also health-giving.

But the tongue of the wise
brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18b

So also the Word of God. Both deadly and healthy. Lethal and life-giving.

Lethal to the disobedient.

Therefore I have hewn them
in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them
by the words of My mouth.
Hosea 6:5

And one day the Judge of all mankind, Jesus Christ, will come again, bearing a sword, a vision of which John, the apostle, glimpsed.

In His right hand
He held seven stars,
and out of His mouth
came a sharp two-edged sword;
and His face was like
the sun shining in its strength.
Revelation 1:16

Yes, the Judge is coming and final judgment is coming—and its criterion will be the unshakeable standard of the Word of God, the sword.

Not only then—one day in the future—but even now, the sword-like Word continues its discriminating judgment of our deeds, our motives, our attitudes, our thoughts ….

For the word of God is
living and active and sharper
than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as
the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts
and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

The sword of God’s Word is also life-giving for those who trust Him.

Sustain me according to Your word,
that I may live.
Psalm 119:116

And so, a famous hymn of yesteryear goes this way:

Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life;
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven.

Sweetly echo the Gospel call,
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
Wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior,
Sanctify us forever.

Philip P. Bliss, 1847

Wonderful words, indeed! Spend time in them.

REMEMBER!

Well, folks, here it is: aBeLOG installment #262. Magic number. Five years of rambling thoughts and random Scripture. Dispatches from Plano, Dallas, Paris, Aberdeen, London, Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, Zurich, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Vienna, Rome, Florence, …. A ramble indeed.

I appreciate all who have stayed with me throughout this 5-year ramble. No promises for the future, but I’ll try. Thus far, I’ve been buoyed by the dubious distinction of not having missed a single weekend of the aBeLOG. I am thankful I’ve made it up to #262 successfully.

Doing the aBeLOG has compelled me weekly to examine closely what’s going on around me. God is everywhere and in everything, omnipresent that He is. And it’s been great, having to look for God’s workings and doings and sayings in Scripture, and to connect them with His handiwork in the world, in my life, in my circumstances. It’s becoming a habit and—for a change!—a good habit at that: reflective living.

I’ve often felt that one of the gaping holes in our lives is the lack of reflection. Too busy, we are, with stuff going on all day, all week, all year. And before we know it, time has slipped by, age has caught up, weariness has set in, and there it is—an unreflective life.

God warned His people over and over again about this. Reflection and remembrance was to be part of their lifestyle.

Remember the days of old,
consider the years of all generations.
Ask your father,
and he will inform you,
your elders, and they will tell you.
Deuteronomy 32:7

Reflect on the deliverance of God.

You shall remember that
you were a slave in the land of Egypt,
and the LORD your God
brought you out of there
by a mighty hand and
by an outstretched arm;
Deuteronomy 5:15

Reflect on the power of God, so as to be able to face the dread of the future.

… you shall not be afraid of them;
you shall well remember
what the LORD your God did
to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.
Deuteronomy 7:18

Remember, that we may remain faithful.

Beware that you do not forget
the LORD your God by
not keeping His commandments …
Deuteronomy 8:11

Remember the provision of God, even in times of plenty, that we may be ready, when the dark days come.

But you shall
remember the LORD your God,
for it is He who is giving you
power to make wealth ….
Deuteronomy 8:18

Reflect on the discipline of God, that we may not fall again.

Remember, do not forget
how you provoked the LORD your God
to wrath in the wilderness ….
Deuteronomy 9:7

Reflect on the mercy of God, that we may be merciful to others.

You shall remember
that you were a slave
in the land of Egypt,
and the LORD your God redeemed you;
therefore I command you this today.
Deuteronomy 15:15

And then, God’s people beseech Him not to forget, that He may remember His promises and deal graciously with them.

Remember Your servants,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;
do not look at the stubbornness
of this people or at their wickedness
or their sin.
Deuteronomy 9:27

And, thankfully, ours is a God who never forgets.

For the LORD your God is
a compassionate God;
He will not fail you nor destroy you
nor forget the covenant with your fathers
which He swore to them.
Deuteronomy 4:31

What a relief—He doesn’t forget! The One who gave His Son for us always remembers. So must we.

Live reflectively.

And, in the process, I’ve sharpened my Photoshop skills!

RICH!

There aren’t any roads directly leading up to it, but you can hear it as you get closer. The excitement mounts, the hubbub increases, and—suddenly!—there you are in front of the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain). Rome may have its Vatican and St. Peter’s and such, but the Trevi is its true icon, its center. The largest Baroque fountain in the city, about 90 feet high and 70 feet wide, built in the 1700s.

Everyone throws coins into this fountain. Apparently if you do so you will return to Rome in a year. Yours faithfully, having been impoverished by an expensive nephew (just kidding, Jake!), didn’t want to return in 2011, so he kept his euros to himself.

There are other variations on this cunning maneuver: if you cast two coins you will be rewarded with a new romance (nope, not interested), and if you toss three, you can be sure of a divorce (nope, not applicable).

Anyhow, for whatever reason, there are about €3,000 (about $4,000) pitched into the water each day. They are supposed to be collected nightly for the Catholic charity Caritas. A few years ago Caritas noted a sharp dip in the funds and, after a lengthy surveillance operation, Rome’s cops arrested fountain cleaners who were sweeping off more than debris.

But nothing can beat “d’Artagnan” (aka Roberto Cercelletta) who fished coins out of the fountain for 34 years till he was nabbed by police in 2002. He was banned from visiting the fountain. Not so easily deterred, he returned, and in protest of his interdiction, slashed his ample belly with a razor blade. He was arrested again. He confessed to having pilfered coins six days a week, leaving the seventh day’s offerings for Caritas. Authorities think charities lost as much as €12,000 a month as a result. Not a bad way to “earn” money. “If I'm dying of hunger and am forced to return to the fountain to get money, if they try to stop me then, I will cut myself again,” he said from his mobile phone at his house in the Roman suburbs. Starving? On €12,000 a month? Yeah, right!

He is not rich who has a lot.
He is rich who doesn’t want more.
(an old philosopher)

But those who want to get rich
fall into temptation and a snare
and many foolish
and harmful desires
which plunge men into ruin
and destruction.
For the love of money is
a root of all sorts of evil,
and some by longing for it
have wandered away
from the faith and
pierced themselves
with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:9–10

Instead of being greedy, Paul asks us to be content.

For we have brought nothing
into the world,
so we cannot take anything
out of it either.
If we have food and covering,
with these we shall be content.
1 Timothy 6:7–8

And here in the US, if you’re on welfare today, you possess more income than 95% of the people in third world countries. We are rich!

But there are riches that are better than gold and last longer than gold.

A gentle and quiet spirit,
which is precious in the sight of God
1 Peter 3:4
Rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom
James 2:5
Wisdom is better than jewels
Proverbs 8:10
The unfathomable riches of Christ
Ephesians 3:8

We are …

… not to fix [our] hope on
the uncertainty of riches,
but on God,
who richly supplies us
with all things to enjoy.
1 Timothy 6:17

Next time, I’ll toss in a euro.

FORSAKEN?

The fascinating arch, the Arch of Titus, is on highest point of the Via Sacra, in Rome. Its inscription reads: The Senate and People of Rome To the divine Titus, Vespasianus Augustus, son of the divine Vespasian. Built in 82 AD, by Emperor Domitian, it commemorates the victory of his deified brother, Titus, over Jerusalem in 70 AD. (It was restored by Pope Pius VII in 1822.) This Arch has become the prototype for other famous arches: the Arc de Triomphe (1806), the National Memorial Arch (1910) in Valley Forge, the India Gate (1931) in New Delhi, etc.

The Arch of Titus is an incredibly important monument, the only existing depiction of the looting of the Temple of Jerusalem during its sacking—the seven-branched menorah and trumpets are strikingly visible. In fact, the menorah on the Arch served as the model for that on the emblem of the State of Israel. And Roman Jews have always refused to walk under it, until 1948, when, with the founding of the State of Israel, prominent ones in the Jewish community conducted a solemn procession through the Arch, but in the opposite direction to that taken by the victorious Romans. Jerusalem had been “refounded.”

The Sack of Jerusalem occurred on the ninth day of the month of Av (Tisha B’Av; in July in 2010). Tisha B’Av, remembering this sad day of Jewish history, is a day of mourning—the biblical book of Lamentations is customarily read that day. Around one million Jews were killed in that First Jewish Roman War, and about 100,000 captured and enslaved. The Temple was utterly destroyed by fire. Josephus, the Jewish historian, seems to think Titus didn’t really want to destroy the Temple, but to use it for his own Roman gods. In any case, the general (later Emperor) refused a wreath of victory, turning it down saying that there was “no merit in vanquishing people forsaken by their own God.”

This guy, Titus, may have had something there. God threatens to forsake those who forsake Him.

… the LORD is with you
when you are with Him.
And if you seek Him,
He will let you find Him;
but if you forsake Him,
He will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:2

But not for long.

... in Your great compassion
You did not make
an end of them or forsake them,
For You are a gracious
and compassionate God.
Nehemiah 9:31

Though discipline might come, this gracious and compassionate God does not forsake His own for ever.

This theme is echoed in the New Testament as well. God’s people are never forsaken, in the eternal scheme of things.

… He Himself has said,
“I will never desert you,
nor will I ever forsake you,”
so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5–6

Will there be suffering here on earth? For sure, perhaps even peril to life and limb.

For to you it has been granted
for Christ's sake,
not only to believe in Him,
but also to suffer for His sake,
Philippians 1:29

But forsaken? Never, because of the payment for our sins, made by Jesus Christ, God incarnate, on the cross. We will never be forsaken … because He was, on our behalf.

I’m forgiven because you were forsaken,
I’m accepted, you were condemned,
I’m alive and well,
Your Spirit is within me,
Because you died and rose again.
Amazing love, how can it be?
That you, my King, would die for me!
Billy James Foote (1997)

CARRIED!

The other day I was at a family wedding with all the clan gathered to make merry. Among them was Julie, my cousin’s daughter.

I tell you everyone’s getting old! This was the wee one I used to bounce on my knees 25 years ago. Now she’s a bonnie lady, full of spark and cheer.

So I decided to test out my upper body strength and prove to one and all that I, alone, had not aged. All those long hours at Landry Fitness Center (ahem!) paid off.

I did it in perfect style, following all the rules: maintain a stable center of gravity, back straight, feet apart, one in front of the other, knees slightly flexed, object being lifted close to the body, head up, chin in, etc. Yup! They all got a workout: lat. dorsi, trap., erector spinae, glutei, triceps, biceps, and the rest of ye olde musculoskeletal apparatus.

Not that Julie weighed much! (Go eat some JIF, girl!)

And neither did she need any carrying anymore.

But we do. We all do. And God promises to do the heavy work.

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
Isaiah 40:11

This is a tender and merciful God who knows His people need carrying. And carry them, He does. All their days.

“You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;
Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years
I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.”
Isaiah 46:3–4

A carrying God. A delivering God.

For He said, “Surely, they are My people, ….”
So He became their Savior.
In all their affliction He was afflicted ….
In His love and in His mercy
He redeemed them,
And He lifted them and carried them
all the days of old.
Isaiah 63:8–9

Isn’t that amazing—“In all their affliction He was afflicted.” He suffers with us, and He suffers for us. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, paid the prize of our sins.

There is nobody like this carrying God.

“To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?”
Isaiah 46:5

In fact, God challenges us: “What are you carrying?”

“Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith,
and he makes it into a god; …
They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it,
it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.”
Isaiah 46:6–7

What do we carry, thinking it can take the place of God? What do we carry, hoping it can deliver? What do we carry, assuming it can satisfy, fulfill, and delight?

“Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together,
you fugitives of the nations;
They have no knowledge,
Who carry about their wooden idol
And pray to a god who cannot save.”
Isaiah 45:20

Nobody else can, but God. Nothing else can.

“… there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me.
Isaiah 45:21

And this God asks us to lay down what we are carrying and, instead, be carried by Him. The carrying God. Hang on to Him!

POMO?

“You did what! Preach without socks? Really?”

Yup, I did. Really! Without socks. Three weeks ago. At my church.

“Gosh, you must be becoming postmodern,” I was accused.

I tell you, the world is coming to a pretty pass and will soon arrive at a sad end because yours faithfully didn’t wear socks while preaching.

Skeptical about these significant advances in preaching that I had made, he asked:

“Did you wear jeans, and was your shirt untucked?”

Do cargo pants count? And an untucked T-shirt with the inane logo of “Life is Good”? (I personally think eternal life is better, but what do I know?)

“Did you wear glasses with square, black rims, and put gel in your hair?

Listen, one can go only so far, OK? No, no cool glasses or spiky hair for this preacher. I have a reputation to uphold, which, in my adventurous foray into sockless homiletics, has now probably been completely shot to bits.

I do have a confession, though: For the first service on that earth-shattering Sunday (first service = traditional), I did wear a sports jacket and shirt, and put on a different pair of pants, and wore another pair of shoes—yes, with socks, I’m ashamed to say.

But the skeptic challenges me again:

“What next? You gonna throw out the Bible?”

One week if it’s socks that are jettisoned, does that mean next week it’s the Bible? Ne feceris ut rideam, as Cicero would say (“Don't make me laugh”).
Anyhow, there I was. Seemingly postmodern.

“I bet you don’t believe in objective truth, now that you have abandoned socks in the pulpit.”

Fac ut vivas (“Get a life”), I replied, in majestic Ciceronian fashion.

Whether or not postmodernism has rejected objective truth is a matter of debate. But the Bible is clear that there is objective truth.

Your law is truth.
And all Your commandments are truth.
The sum of Your word is truth.
Psalm 119:142, 151, 160

(How clearly we can apprehend that truth is another question. IMHO, we can—not perfectly, but sufficiently, and adequately.)

To God, Himself, frequently the quality of truth is attributed, and it appears to be a constant characteristic of deity.

But You, O Lord, are
a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant
in lovingkindness and truth.
Psalm 86:15

His purposes are true.

All the paths of the LORD
are lovingkindness and truth.
Psalm 25:10

His works are true.

The works of His hands
are truth and justice.
Psalm 111:7

Truth virtually surrounds Him.

Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
Psalm 89:14

God’s truth is forever and ever!

The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your
righteous ordinances is everlasting.
Psalm 119:160

And His truth is truly awesome!

For Your lovingkindness is
great to the heavens
And Your truth to the clouds.
Psalm 57:10

May we remain in God’s truth.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:5

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
And I shall find my peace, my all in all

Thou art the Bread of Life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth, that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with thee above;
Teach me to love thy truth, for thou art love.
Mary Lathbury, 1877, and Alexander Groves, 1913

I’ve gotta go get ready to preach today. Where are my socks?

LAW!

We climbed every dome we visited in Italy—my nephew, Jacob, and I. The St. Peters dome in Rome, the Cathedral dome in Florence, the St. Marks dome in Venice, and other sundry domes we spotted. Quite a healthy exercise, this dome-climbing business. Dingy stairwells, narrow stairs, damp and dark. But the end gain result was well worth the pain—a magnificent and unobstructed view of the particular city.

This picture was taken in the stairwell on our way up the dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral (Duomo) of Florence, the dome of which was engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446).

Clearly the curators of the place want the stairwells clean, especially its walls. “Vietato scrivere sui muri” the sign warns. Good intentions.

So also, nothing wrong with God’s law, His divine demand.

… the Law is spiritual ….
Romans 7:14

Good stuff, law!

… the Law is holy,
and the commandment is holy
and righteous and good.
Romans 7:12

But the effort to regulate is wasted, alas! No sooner had the command been issued, the laws began to be broken. All kinds of remarks—relevant, random, mundane—were stimulated by “vietato scrivere” in the stairwell.

Likewise, …

The Law came in so that
the transgression would increase ….
Romans 5:20

Law has a way of doing that, doesn’t it. Someone commands and the command gets broken.

(One way to get something done, a wag recommended, is to prohibit your children from doing it!)

But sin, taking opportunity
through the commandment,
produced in me coveting of every kind;
for apart from the Law sin is dead.
Romans 7:8

In fact, some wisecrack even issued a diktat of his/her own in his/her own Sharpie hand on the Duomo stairwell: “Do not write on the walls.” An echo? Another rule? A reinforcement of the printed message? All kinds of hermeneutical options!

But one thing is clear: the law has been broken. And, indeed, all of us have broken God’s divine demands.

… for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23

And the result? The Law kills—i.e., the breaking of the law ultimately results in death.

… when the commandment came,
sin became alive and I died.
Romans 7:9

Sad. What promised to be a happy ending for “Hugo y Laura” (as declared on the wall of the stairwell) apparently turned out badly. Hugo, later, seems to have returned to Florence to withdraw his name from the duet. They, it appears, didn’t live happily ever after.

And we won’t either.

The breakage of God’s demands is sin and the consequence is eternal separation from holy God.

For the wages of sin is death ….
Romans 6:23a

Maybe that’s why another scribble-happy dome-visitor inscribed: “La vida duele”—the painful, hurting life!

There really is no hope! Not through law-keeping, for sure.

But there is another way—through God’s grace, His free gift,

… but the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23b

Perfection may be impossible. But forgiveness is not. Somebody, praise God, paid the penalty for our sins. And through Him, Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness.

If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

And so we forgiven sinners continue in obedience.

But thanks be to God that …
you became obedient from the heart
to that form of teaching
to which you were committed ….
Romans 6:17

And don’t write on walls, please!

CLOTHED!

The “clothes police” all over Italy, particularly in Rome, are pretty strict when it comes to entering churches, including the Vatican.

No shorts. No bare knees. No bare shoulders. That’s the rule. Or the clothes cops will arrest, jail, and deport you summarily!

(Just kidding! In fact, in many of the souvenir shops outside the Vatican and other churches, you can buy a one-off pair of paper pants! And a temporary shawl will cover the exposed shoulders.)

But the clothing constabulary stringently maintains decorum. Non-church buildings are exempt from this clothing rule. There’s something about churches and clothing ….

Maybe it stems from the metaphorical use of clothing in the Bible. Appropriate clothing before God, that is.

A fundamental biblical understanding of mankind is that it is sinful by nature—“clothed” with sin.

For all of us have become
like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds
are like a filthy garment; …
And our iniquities, like the wind,
take us away.
Isaiah 64:6

This is an uncleanness that we can do nothing about. No way to get rid of this on our own. God has to take the initiative. Only God can cleanse.

In fact, right after the first human sin, perpetrated by Adam and Eve, one of God’s gracious acts was the literal clothing of this sinful pair. They were given garments of skin, it says, implying death of some animal or another.

The LORD God made
garments of skin
for Adam and his wife,
and clothed them.
Genesis 3:21

In other words, God has to give us appropriate clothing by which we may renew a relationship with Him. The marvelous thing about this is that these “clothes” are free!

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me
with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me
with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself
with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself
with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

Garments of salvation and robes of righteousness, indeed! Appropriate for the bride of Christ.

Let us rejoice and be glad
and give the glory to Him,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come
and His bride has made herself ready.
It was given to her to clothe herself
in fine linen, bright and clean;
for the fine linen is
the righteousness of the saints.
Revelation 19:7–8

This righteousness is, of course, not ours, but that of Christ, who “gave” us his righteousness, exchanging it for our sin.

He made Him who knew no sin
to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

And so for the one who believes in Jesus Christ, God incarnate, that He paid for our sins, there is eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

And our clothing?

For all of you who were
baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Galatians 3:27

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Charles Wesley, 1738

And now, appropriately clothed, we render to God the worship that is due to Him, and to Him alone.

Ascribe to the LORD
the glory due His name; …
Worship the LORD in holy attire.
1 Chronicles 16:29

Don’t let the clothes police nab you!

STRONG!

There he is, one of the Cohors Pedestris Helvetiorum a Sacra Custodia Pontificis a.k.a. the Swiss Guard, effectively the military of the Vatican City. This cohort came into being in 1506 under the aegis of Pope Julius II (who also was the patron of Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Chapel). Huldrych Zwingli, then a Swiss Catholic (later one of the foremost of the Reformers) lauded this recruitment of the Swiss to guard the Mother Church’s freedom. Arguably, these dudes were the best mercenaries in the business, provided they were fed well and paid well. Their task was—and is—to guard the Pope and the Apostolic See.

Yes, you gotta be Swiss, Catholic, male, between 19 and 30 years old, and at least 5’ 9’’. And, if selected, you are sworn in on a May 6 in the Cortile di San Damaso (San Damaso Courtyard) in the Vatican. That day is significant. It was on May 6, 1527, that Rome was plundered by the Habsburgs, and it was only the heavy toll in life paid by the Swiss Guard—147 of 189 killed—that enabled Pope Clement VII to escape, escorted by the remainder of this valiant band.

So, if you are picked, you swear, on a May 6: “I vow to faithfully, honestly and honorably serve the reigning Pope [name] and his legitimate successors, and to dedicate myself to them with all my strength, ready to sacrifice, should it become necessary, even my own life for them.”

The motto of the Swiss Guard is inscribed proudly on their banner: Fortiter et fideliter—“Strongly and Faithfully.” As you are sworn in, your left hand touches the banner, and your right hand is raised with its first three fingers extended in three axes to represent the Trinity.

“Strongly and Faithfully.”

These guys rarely bow the knee. If you watch the telecast of a Vatican Mass, you’ll seek them kneel only once, when, during the recitation of the Nicene Creed, these words are uttered: Et incarnatus est (“And He [Jesus Christ] became Man”).

“Strongly and Faithfully.”

That’s a mandate for all of us who are believers in Jesus Christ, as well.

Be on the alert,
stand firm in the faith,
be courageous, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13

“Strongly and Faithfully.”

Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and
let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27:14

This strength is no self-concoction, no product of auto-suggestion or positive thinking. Not at all. This strength comes from God Himself.

For this reason
I bow my knees before the Father …
that He would grant you,
according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with power
through His Spirit
in the inner man.
Ephesians 3:14, 16

“Strongly and Faithfully.”

And as a result of our strengthening by God, we have a responsibility to be faithful to Him.

It is required of stewards
that one be found faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2

Faithful in everything—all that we say, do, and think.

Women must likewise be …
faithful in all things.
1 Timothy 3:11

(Needless to say, that goes for men, too!)

“Strongly and Faithfully.”

A tough assignment. We know that we are inadequate of ourselves to conduct ourselves strongly and faithfully.

Not that we are adequate in ourselves
to consider anything
as coming from ourselves,
but our adequacy is from God,
2 Corinthians 3:5

And by His strengthening, by the adequacy He provides, we can be strong and faithful so that, one day, we will hear from Him:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Matthew 25:21, 23

Fortiter et fideliter!

CLEANSE!

That’s part of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), on Piazza Navona, in Rome. The fountain is a magnificent piece of sculpture by Gainlorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), a dude who has left his mark all over Rome. This work of art has an obelisk surrounded by four gods of the four major rivers of the world (that were known at that time): the Nile, Danube, Rio de la Plata, and Ganges. This particular god in the picture is the Ganges. But ol’ Bernini got it all wrong: Ganges is female!

Over 1,500 miles long, India’s “national river” spans almost all of the northern width of the country. It is the holiest river for Hindus; in fact, it is a goddess, Ganga; mentions of it (“her”?) are found in the oldest Hindu scriptures. Some devout Hindus consider life incomplete if they have not had a dip in the river at least once in their lifetimes. I remember my Hindu neighbors (this in South India, far, far away from the River) keeping a bottle of Ganga jal (Ganga water) in their home. It is thought that the water from this goddess can cleanse one’s soul.

It’s true, only a divine being can cleanse sin.

Who can forgive sins but God alone?
Mark 2:7

Jesus, claiming divinity, took on that authority, calling himself as the “Son of Man”—his favorite self-referring title.

The Son of Man has authority on earth
to forgive sins.
Mark 2:10

And so the Psalmist appealed to God …

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:2

To be cremated and have one’s ashes dispersed in the Ganga is of great symbolic significance—George Harrison, erstwhile Beatle, did it, too. Not surprisingly, all of this popularity causes pollution to run high in the river: TIME once ranked the Ganges among the ten most polluted rivers of the world.

For Christians, the answer to the problem of sin is the divine being, Jesus Christ.

The blood of Jesus [God’s] Son
cleanses us from all sin.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:7, 9

We all seek that kind of cleansing and forgiveness, that gives us release, redemption, relief.

Wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Psalm 51:7–8

The most important Hindu festivals occur on the banks of the Ganga, particularly the Kumbh Mela every 4–12 years, and the Maha Kumbh Mela every 144 years. The last of the latter was held in 2001, with 60 million people congregating at the Ganges—the largest gathering anywhere in the world in recorded history—all seeking absolution!

God recognizes that need for forgiveness. His love invites us:

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

For those who place their trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, that cleansing is accomplished—sin is no longer an issue separating man from God.

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Elisha Hoffman (1878)

Take a bath!

FREEDOM!

That’s the Pont Sant’Angelo (Holy Angel Bridge) spanning the river Tiber and connecting to the city center of Rome. This, in olden days, used to be the main bridge for pilgrims to get to St. Peter’s Basilica; so, way back when, it was also called Pons Sancti Petri (Bridge of St. Peter). In the seventh century, Pope Gregory the Great renamed it Sant’Angelo, because of Archangel Michael who apparently landed on the roof of a nearby castle and sheathed his bloody sword, announcing the end of the plague that had decimated the city in 509 A.D.

For many centuries, this portal for pilgrims was a place to display the dead bodies of those executed—criminals and other unsavory elements. Pole Clement VII didn’t care for these gruesome spectacles and so, in 1535, erected statues of Peter, Paul, the Evangelists, Adam, Noah, etc., to line the bridge. A century later, the crumbling figures were replaced with a project that has stood the barrage of time and elements ever since. Pope Clement IX, in 1669, commissioned a new balustrade and ten figures of angels bearing the instruments of the suffering of Christ. (A magnificent brainwave of a project, if you ask me!)

So you have an angel with a column (representing Jesus’ being tied to it to be whipped), an angel with a whip, one with Veronica’s veil, an angel with a garment and a dice, an angel with a nail, one with the cross, another with the superscription (“Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews” or I.N.R.I), an angel with a sponge (of vinegar), and one with a lance. Absolutely fascinating—we had fun trying to figure out what each one stood for. All have their backs to the river and so face the throngs of pilgrims making their way to St. Peter’s. (Of the earlier statuary, Peter and Paul still remain, at the south end of the bridge.)

So you basically have angels lining a symbolic Way of the Cross, reminding pilgrims of the Passion of Jesus Christ, as they head towards their destination.

That Passion, folks, is worth remembering!

Even today, believers continue to remember the death of Jesus Christ with concrete and tangible elements—the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper.

… the Lord Jesus in the night
in which He was betrayed took bread;
and when He had given thanks,
He broke it and said,
“This is My body, which is for you;
do this in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way He took the cup also
after supper, saying, “This cup is
the new covenant in My blood;
do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of Me.”
1 Corinthians 11:23–25

Jesus’ Passion (indeed, His life, death, and resurrection) set us free. He freed us from the slavery of sin and the power of death, paying for our sins once and for all.

Therefore, since the children
share in flesh and blood,
He Himself likewise
also partook of the same,
that through death
He might render powerless him
who had the power of death,
that is, the devil, and might free those
who through fear of death
were subject to slavery all their lives.
Hebrews 2:14–15

Freed with a price, a terrible price!

… you were not redeemed with
perishable things like silver or gold …,
but with precious blood, as of
a lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:18–19

For believers, this sacrifice, that won us eternal life, is worthy of remembrance, now and always.

We’ve been freed, never to forget!

WEARY!

The other day it ended. Finally. The longest tennis match in world history concluded in Wimbledon last Friday. American John Isner beat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut after three days of agony and strife! Final score of the fifth set: 70–68!

Neither man could break the other’s serve, and Wimbledon does not permit a tiebreak in the fifth set. So on it went, for 8 hours and eleven minutes of playing time (46 hours and 39 minutes after the first point was played two days prior). At the end of it all, they had bounced the ball 2,976 times before serves, played 2,198 strokes, scored 980 points, and smashed 215 aces. Records tumbled galore.

When it finally concluded, Isner dropped down to the court, rolled on his back and kicked his legs in the air. I would, too. The other guy covered his head with a towel. My sentiments exactly.

183 games total—138 in the fifth set alone.

“I’m tired watching this,” acknowledged three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe. Isner’s coach, Craig Boynton, kept yelling throughout, “That's the right stuff, kid!” They say he lost his voice. Isner, at the end of it, was incoherent. McEnroe suggested calling medics.

Tired? They were dying. “These guys are going to be tired the next day, next week, next month,” Roger Federer said. It was an epic!

“I was worried,” confessed Isner's mother, Karen. “My friends had to sort of hold me back, because I was kind of inclined to go on the court and go, ‘OK. That’s it. We’re done here.’” (Trust Moms to do the right thing!)

After the marathon, Isner and Mahut tried to recover as best they could, with ice baths and massages, by drinking and eating plenty. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, went out and got an assortment of takeout food for Isner and his coach, including pizzas, chicken and mashed potatoes.

Well, Isner returned the next day. He had to. He had another game scheduled against Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker.

He lost. In—get this—the shortest match in Wimbledon this year: 6–0, 6–3, 6–2, in 1 hour 14 minutes flat. Our man Isner, hit no aces Friday. He was … tired.

“I’ve never been this exhausted before,” Isner admitted. “Mentally and physically, I was obviously a bit drained. I was just low on fuel out there. Didn't really have a chance.”

Weary! Just living is wearying!

I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
Psalm 6:6

But there’s good news.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the LORD,
the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
Isaiah 40:28

And this un-wearyable God relieves our weariness.

He gives strength to the weary ….
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up
with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Isaiah 40:29–31

This God specializes in tending to His weary children. Jesus explicitly declared that He was the respite for the weary.

“Come to Me, all who are
weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me,
for I am gentle
and humble in heart,
and you will find rest
for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28–29

Not ice-packs, massages, fast food, calorific drinks, or Mom’s TLC.

Only God!

PARENTS!

That’s my brother and sister-in-law “polishing up” my Dad as we arrived for a wedding-rehearsal dinner last weekend.

Happy Father’s Day, y’all!

Someone once asked why we are scornful of deadbeat parents who neglect their young children, but excuse adult children who neglect their aging parents. That writer mused that perhaps it was because the former task was joyful, but the latter filled with sadness.

Life expectancy in America has gone up from about 50 years in 1901 to about 80 years in 2001. People are living longer … and older. But the mandate hasn’t changed. Reiterating one of the Ten Commandments, the Letter to the Ephesians tells us:

Honor your father and mother …,
so that it may be well with you,
and that you may live long on the earth.
Ephesians 6:2–3

Paul had strong words for those who neglected their own.

But if anyone
does not provide for his own,
and especially for those
of his household,
he has denied the faith
and is worse than an unbeliever.
1 Timothy 5:8

And so in their golden years, as bodies grow fragile and minds frail, we take care of our parents, who may be suffering pain, grief, fear, depression, or anxiety. It is our responsibility.

(Thankfully, our father, a widower, has been free of these agonies thus far.)

I realize that for some this may be impractical: the degree of debility of parents may render professional care necessary; the physical distance from parents that children live, in this mobile society, may create imposing demands; the responsibilities of the workplace and the cost of home-healthcare may make it impossible to watch over them at home.

But the mandate doesn’t change. We are responsible.

And we should never forget the sacrifices they made for us, their children.

[Children and grandchildren]
must first learn to practice piety
in regard to their own family and
to make some return to their parents;
for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
1 Timothy 5:4

Some things are more important … and “acceptable in the sight of God.”

And don’t forget the implicit warning in the Ten Commandments—a lessening of life span, if we don’t honor our parents. And …

Cursed is he who
dishonors his father or mother.
And all the people shall say, “Amen.”
Deuteronomy 27:16

If sacrificial service is the mark of a Christian, then surely such sacrificial service begins at home.

In a series of verses all ending with the refrain “I am the LORD”—dealing with loving our neighbor, avoiding sorcery, revering the Sabbath, being hospitable to strangers, etc.—is this one …

You shall rise up
before the grayheaded
and honor the aged,
and you shall revere your God;
I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:32

Surely that includes our parents?

God takes this very seriously.

Listen to your father
who begot you,
And do not despise
your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22

In their latter years, they are not burdens. They are blessings, for they offer us the opportunity to render humble, sacrificial service. In other words, they give us a chance to be more Christlike.

Have this attitude in yourselves
which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, although He existed
in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself,
taking the form of a bond-servant …
He humbled Himself.
Philippians 2:5–8

And we must, too, as we serve our parents and be the heart and hands and feet of Christ to them.

And enjoy a long life!