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BJ Richardson


Last Updated: 6/2/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 31
Sign: Capricorn

City: JOHNSON CITY
State: NEW YORK
Country: US
Signup Date: 7/10/2006

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Saturday, October 03, 2009 

Category: Religion and Philosophy
The early Aryans who would be the conquerors of India were a very religious people. Their religion was a progressive one. Literally. Every morning they would create an altar to the east of their tents before dawn. As the sun broke the horizon their sacrifices, with the attendant rituals, would be made to their gods. As a part of their evening ceremonies, these nomadic raiders would move their tents around this altar that would become the centerpiece of their home for the evening. Like I said, this was a progressive religion. It was gradually leading their entire society eastward.
These Aryans also started out with a very violent religion. Their god was a violent god bent on raiding, treachery, and conquest. When they lived on the arid steppes, this was almost a necessary thing. If all around you people were raiding and warring, you needed to be able to do the same or you would very quickly be overrun. This was a society that could live by the sword or die by the sword.
Over the slow course of time this gradual movement eastward brought about two changes. First, they came into more and more contact with another culture that was not warlike. They had a name for this new people group: “easy prey“. Also the land itself was becoming more and more fertile as they moved into the Indus river valley. The need for such frequent raiding became less and less urgent.
The priestly class that were the leaders of this society did not want the religion to die as the situation changed so they began to focus not so much attention on the action of what they were doing but rather on the understanding of why they do what they did. This gradually led to more and more ritualized ceremonies and sacrifices and over time the proper way to perform these rituals became more important than both their theology and even the rituals themselves.
We don’t know who the first one was, but there had to be a first. Someone, somewhere looked at a society that was becoming complacent and said, “there has to be something more.” They looked at what had become of a very ritualized, intellectual religion and said, “there has got to be something more.” He looked at the old ways they were leaving behind and said, “this is not the answer.” He looked at himself and asked, “how bad do I want it?” Then he cut himself loose from his religion and his possessions. He severed his ties with his culture and his family and set out on the great adventure of seeking after Truth with all his heart and soul.
This first renouncer must have passed through another village where another man was experiencing the same discontent. This second man thought to himself, “that guy may not have the answer yet, but he knows how to find it.” That second man also renounced everything that he had in his quest for something more. Soon a third, then a fourth, and a fifth person gave up everything to gain something more. Although they never became a significant percentage of the population, eventually there were enough that, about three thousand years ago, the renouncers made their way into the annals of history.
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The progression of the Aryan religion was not exclusive to them. We see the same tendency in the early church as well. The first few generations of the church were focused on following after Christ. Although they never would have put it this way, it is clear that by the time of the great church councils the focus had shifted from doing what is right living to proper knowledge. Over time even this emphasis gave way to proper church order.
But God provided a cure to this trend. Beginning around Alexandria Egypt first one, then another, then another courageous man gave up everything they had to find their soul. I firmly believe that these early unheralded monastics like: Saint Antony of Egypt, Abba Pambo, Saing George of Choziba, Saint Theognius, and even women like Syncletica of Palestine were a beacon of light that God used to keep the early church from losing its way. In fact, Thomas Cahill has written a book arguing that the next generation of renouncers, the Celtic monastics, saved not just the church but all of western civilization.
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I also am prone to follow in my own life the same trend as the Aryans and the early church. God has wired me with a love to read and study and learn. This makes it easy for obedience to start playing second fiddle to knowledge. As this happens I find myself doing the right thing out of rote rather than from love. This is ritual. I am aware of this and do my best to keep from slipping into this trend by making small sacrifices and surrenders. This makes my spiritual life look like a rollercoaster. Idealy, in the ups and downs, I am over time gradually becoming more and more like Christ. God in His grace is using my floundering efforts to make me less and less prone to wander.
But what if there is a better way? What if, instead of just singing the song, I really did surrender all? What would it look like if I renounced everything for the cause of Christ? How dramatically would I be able to impact my world? How drastically would God be able to impact me?
11:43 AM 
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Sunday, September 27, 2009 

Category: Religion and Philosophy
Israel had been whipped. Assyria came in and literally tore apart the nation. Anyone and everyone of wealth and influence, along with a good percentage of the rest of the surviving population was carried away into exile. We are not sure exactly how much of the population did survive but it was probably far less than we might at first think. Unlike the modern armies of today that (supposedly) do their best to limit collateral, or civilian, damage, Sennacherib and his horde was notoriously brutal. One could say that this evil general-king invented the cesarean section. Unfortunately the sword is not as precise a tool as the scalpel. Not only that but a soldiers hands are the opposite of the tenderness of a doctors. If a baby happened to be born before these “operators” arrives… that’s OK, the young child’s head is much softer than a rock. He did not just want to defeat his enemies. He wanted them destroyed, devastated, and then… displaced.
After this had been carried out, Sennacherib turned his eyes on the other Jewish nation. Hezekiah, then king of Judah, was frantically at work trying to prepare God’s people for the inevitable invasion. He built up the walls of his major cities to prevent them from being overrun. He stopped up all the unprotected wells to make it more difficult for the invading hordes. He also set all the blacksmiths and craftsmen to work making stockpiles of swords, shields, and armor. These military preparations, however, were far less important than the spiritual revival that he ignited and encouraged. Not only was the worship of false gods put down, but even worship of YHVH was, for the first time since David, purified and centralized. He was ready.
When the Assyrian horde first swept into Judah, it looked like they would again be unstoppable. Every major fortification except Lachish and Jerusalem fell offering little or no resistance. Sennacherib then marched up to Jerusalem and began mocking the defenders, their king, and their God. We call this today psy-ops. Hezekiah took a copy of the invading king’s threats, spread it out before God in the Temple, and asked God to honor His Name and His people. A few days later 185,000 Assyrians died outside the gates of the city and Sennacherib goes running, with his head between his legs, back home.

This is all history and we know it is true not just from 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, but also from extra biblical sources. But it is actually an event that occurred After the fall of Israel and before the invasion of Judah that I want to highlight.
As a part of his program of purifying the Temple and the worship of God, Hezekiah called for the biggest Passover celebration in Judah’s history. Not only did he send runners throughout his nation calling everyone together for this most important of festivals, but he also sent runners north to gather in the survivors of the northern tribes as well.
Now you have to understand that when the two nations split, all the Levites, the teachers, migrated to the Southern kingdom. Well the Israelites are guilty of turning worship of YHWH into idolatry with the creation of their two calf idols, the fact is they truly did not know how to “properly” worship God. So when they came south to celebrate the Passover, and in large numbers they did come, they didn’t go through with all the rituals and the purification ceremonies that, for a southern Hebrew would be par for the course. As they began, unpurified, eating the sacrificed animals, the Levites, obviously, were furious.
Hezekiah, here shows great wisdom. In regard to the Israelites he does two things: he prays to God for their protection and then encourages them for their heart. But not stopping there he then turns to the Levites and encourages them as well. He basically tells them to do their best with this beautiful mess.


We, as a church today have these two options before us. I am always so encouraged when I hear reports of God moving in this church or in that service. Praise God. I love it. Since Easter God has been doing some great things as well in our church and our little congregation and on an almost weekly basis one or more person has been getting saved. But these are reports of converts. God has called us to make disciples.
Conversion is a glorious process. God calls, they cry, then they come, the others clap, afterwards, the congregation crowds around to congratulate. Afterward everyone goes home to watch football. Some time during the week we make our follow up call and clarify and questions. And now I’m out of C’s so I’ll stop.
Then they come back next week. At this point they are clearly (hehe, one more) saved, but most definitely not yet sanctified. (are any of us… completely?) If conversion is a glorious process, discipleship is a messy one. While the seasoned saints come in and begin going through the “rituals” of Sunday morning worship, the newcomers come in and start eating up our sacred cows. Ignoring the fact that, perhaps, some of those cows should be eaten, how do we react? Will we get indignant or discouraged like the Levites, or will we intercede for them as God, over time, gives them wisdom while we encourage (and perhaps catch a little of) their zeal.
Thank God for this beautiful mess. I’m a part of it. And in spite of my multiple decades of seasoning as a saint, I am still far more often messy than I am beautiful.
5:09 AM 
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Monday, September 07, 2009 

Category: News and Politics
Cyrus had two sons. After his death, Cambyses, the older son, became ruler of all Persia. The younger son, Smerdis, was made a governor of Bactria and the Defender of the East. As soon as his rule was secure, Cambyses set out on a campaign to subjugate Egypt who was Persia’s only true rival.
Into the scene steps Darius. Darius is the nephew of Cyrus and he is Cambyses’ right hand man on the Egyptian campaign. The problem is, Darius is also very ambitious. He sends a message to secretly that his older brother had died on campaign and young Smerdis needs to hurry to the capital to secure the throne. Then Darius tells Cambyses that his younger brother has gone to the capital to usurp the throne from his older brother.
Cambyses, with his army, immediately turns around and sets for home. On the journey he has an “accident” where he falls from his horse and lands on his sword. The injury proves to be mortal. One down, one to go.
Darius, along with six other conspirators, on the pretense of bringing news of Cambyses’ death to his brother, left the army behind and made a lightening dash to the capital. Upon arriving at the palace they demanded to immediately be brought into Smerdis’ presence. Since he was a man of dignity and importance, no one thought to question Darius’ right up to the bedroom door. There the seven men “delivered their message” through the bloodying of seven swords.
Now here is the kicker. Although Darius now became the next in line for the throne, nobody would accept a man who committed double regicide as their leader. He needed to use some of the mages of the god Ahura Mazda along with the Zoroastrian priests to help spread the story that Cambyses had actually killed his brother long ago and set up an imposter in his place. This imposter had stepped above himself and made a bid for the throne and that is why Darius had come and killed him. In addition to this, they said that Cambyses’ fall from his horse was actually the god Mazda’s vengeance for his evil deed. Not stopping there, a Zoroastrian priest made the prophesy that Darius was the Hand of Truth and anyone who opposed him was an enemy of god and a servant of the Lie.
Darius had hijacked the truth. With the help of an ambitious and corrupt priesthood he successfully rewrote history and social morality so that whoever dared to oppose him was setting themselves against the anointed of god. By having the priesthood declare him the “Hand of Truth” anyone who opposed him would be, by default, a morally bankrupt enemy of the truth.
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I see today, in our society, a political/religious culture that has pulled the same stunt. They ignore such biblical teachings as love your enemy, pray for those that persecute you, and do good to those that mistreat you. Instead they misuse “an eye for an eye” as a weak justification for the bringing down of two sovereign nations as retaliation for the toppling of two towers. They even ignore the fact that none of the nineteen hijackers were from either of these two countries and Saudi Arabia, the country that was home for fifteen of them is still somehow considered our friend.
The whole point of the Hebrew maxim “an eye for an eye” is to prevent the escalation of force. Just don’t bring that up around the Israeli army as they roll in with their tanks to flatten another Palestinian village. They are to busy abusing “an eye for an eye” to retaliate against another lunatic suicide bomber who snapped when he could no longer deal in a world that has beat him down one too many times. If they really wanted to end terrorism Israel and America should instead invest its efforts in putting an end to the breeding grounds of oppression, injustice, and extreme poverty that our greed is so often one of the root causes of. But this culture that has hijacked the truth doesn’t want to hear that. They have drawn a mythical parallel between the current political nation of Israel and the historical children of Israel, God’s chosen. As a result, even though the nation of Israel continues to defy human rights and the world opinion, breaking more UN sanctions than any other 5 countries combined, this culture still believes they can do no wrong.
This dishonest usurpation of the moral high ground does not just occur overseas. Right here at home the so called “religious right” continues to push for the cutting of necessary and humane social programs so that the rich can continue to get their tax breaks creating an ever wider economic gap. I do not know how they can continue to use this name when scripture makes it clear that true religion is to look after widows and orphans in their distress. They must also ignore Jesus’ instructions to the rich man when he said that if he wanted to inherit eternal life he needs to “liquidate his assets” and give all the proceeds to the poor.
This hypocrisy is evident in many other immoral social and political stands of the so called moral majority. But it’s these two titles: “the moral majority” and “the religious right” that, like Darius’ “Hand of Truth” that I find so annoyingly duplicitous. Does this mean that anybody with the courage and integrity to stand up to them is really a part of an immoral minority? If I am neither “pagan” nor “leftist” (or they might prefer, “wrong”), am I required to tow the party line of these “religious right” hijackers of truth?
It was Darius who was stopped cold by the Greeks and who brought about the beginning of the decline of Persian world dominance. If we allow this culture to continue to have such a strong voice in determining our domestic and world policy, are we headed in the same direction? Ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, America has been the preeminent global power, but as we conntinue to let arrogance, greed, and self-righteousness guide our path, the rest of the world is growing to resent us more and more. It is time to take back what is right and good and true from those who have twisted it for their own unchristian purposes.
11:28 PM 
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Thursday, July 02, 2009 

Category: Religion and Philosophy
Deuteronomy 20:3-10
“Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them.”
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When the nation of Israel was to go to war, the officers were supposed to ask their men, “Did anyone just build a house? Go home and live in it for a while. You can come fight with us next year. Did anyone recently buy a new vineyard? Go home and enjoy it. Why let the money go to waste? Is there anyone here who is engaged? Go home. Get married. Trust me, once the honeymoon is over, you’ll be glad to be back out here with the boys. Oh, and is there anyone here who is a chicken? Get out of here. Your cowardice might be contagious.”
Three out of four of these are not bad things. But they still disqualified a man from being a soldier. Not for good. After all, the new isn’t always new. The exciting can often become blasé. Perhaps, when the appeal is not so great they will get back in the fight. More likely, they will find something else “new and exciting” to turn their heads. Israel wanted an army undivided. The best thing was a focused fighting force. But sometimes the good would get in the way of the best and some potential soldiers had to go.
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In the New Testament Jesus gives a similar list. A man wants to throw a party and desires to invite his friends. One bought a yoke of oxen and bows out. Another acquired a vineyard and exempts himself. The third, a newlywed, wants to spend time with his wife. Seriously? The cow and the crop will still be there tomorrow. Relax. And I’m sure the bride would be glad to come along. In general women enjoy dinner parties far more than men do.
But the host doesn’t argue with them. Instead he says to go out and invite everybody. Bring in whoever will come. Whoever *will* come. In the Old Testament they couldn’t come. In the New Testament, they won’t.
In war and peace the principle is the same. God is desiring a people who will keep their focus on Him. He longs for those who have an undivided heart. But all too often there are “good” things that keep getting in my way. The things that once distracted me from fighting for Him are now deterring me from enjoying His presence. What are the things that are turning away my eye? What are the habits that are pulling away my heart?
3:21 AM 
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009 

Category: Religion and Philosophy
They have betrayed the honor of the Lord, bearing children that are not his. Now their false religion will devour them along with their wealth.
(Hosea 5:7 NLT)

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    Day and night he moped around in deep depression. As his son came closer and closer to death the king grew more and more morose. When the baby was awake the king would be at his side, watching, yet helpless for all his power. The best doctors and nurses that money could buy were there, but they too were helpless. This child was destined to die. If the baby was in another fitful bout of sleep, the king would move to the next room where he wrestled with God.
    “The child is innocent… It is not his fault… Take my life and let him live…” With many such pleas this powerful man would wrestle with the One who was all powerful. But it was no use. Slowly the child’s heart was weakening, and gradually the king’s depression was growing. And finally, the baby breathed its last breath. And the king lost the treasure of his heart.

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    It was the perfect shot. No, serious, it was amazing. In all my years up to that point and in all my time since, I have never seen a shot come even close to the distance we got on this one. You see, we were camped at the top of this small hill. There were seven or eight families with a good forty or more people all together clumped in a group of campsites at Letchworth State Park. About twenty or so people had been watching or participating in a competition to see how far we could launch water balloons into the open field below us.
    A little to the left and far beyond where any of our shots was landing was a pavilion where some other group was having their party, or reunion, or barbecue… whatever. They had a few of their guys playing Frisbee football and Mike, Andj, and I had a devious scheme (as any preteen or young teenager would) to see if we could hit one of them on our turn. So as I pulled back with the launcher, at the last second one of them leaned back and the other forward. And I let it loose.
    It was amazing. To be honest, I was expecting the balloon to fall short. I was simply expecting to cause a little mischief. Where they were playing was a bit beyond the far end of the adults range, and us younguns weren’t doing nearly as well. But the balloon just kept going. Like I said, I never in my life have seen such a perfect shot.
    It didn’t hit any of those players. It went well beyond them. This pavilion had a tin roof and that little water balloon landed dead center on the side facing closer to us. We’re talking a hundred feet or more beyond the best launch yet. You couldn’t launch a golf ball that far. And when it hit. Wow. I can only imagine what it sounded like down there. I’m just grateful there were no elderly people (I think) or I would surely have caused a heart attack. The best part is that it landed with such force that it was already starting to bounce when it burst open. So there wasn’t even that to dissipate the noise.
    But now the shock was wearing off and some of those guys playing Frisbee football, those awfully big guys, were heading across the field to the hill. They had actually covered more than half the distance when I was able to snap out of my own awe at what I had accomplished. The water balloon launcher was at my feet. The rest of our circle of campsites was vacant. In the distance you could see a couple people biking away at breakneck speeds. The rest had all shut themselves up in their campers. I didn’t think to try any, but I’m sure every one of those doors was locked. There had been at least a dozen adults around along with as many of my supposed friends. But they had all abandoned me. They had all left me to face the music alone.

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    I was the one who had launched the balloon. It was my idea and I was the one to convince my two accomplices to go along. But I was not the only one my sin effected. My actions reflected negatively upon everybody at the campsite and they all ran or hid in shame because of my actions. King David recognized this fact as well. His sin reflected negatively not only on him but on his entire nation that he was supposed to be leading. More than that, he had betrayed his God. That is why he said during his moments of prayer while the child was dying, “Against You [God], and You only have I sinned.“
    God forgave Him, but he still had to pay the consequences of his sin. The child born of his sin was taken from him. And when it was time for me to face the music, I found that the wealth of my family and friends was taken from me.
    What sins am I still committing today and what will God have to strip away to truly set me free?



4:30 PM 
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Monday, February 16, 2009 

Category: Religion and Philosophy
God just makes sense.

No, Im not saying I can truly understand who He is, or why He does the things He does. My mind isnt even close to really grasping how great He is and I would never presume to know His mind. Im saying that the idea of God makes sense. Maybe its just the way my brain is wired. I simply cant comprehend how somebody would say something as foolish as there is no God. In all issues I really do try to see things from other peoples perspectives as well, but that one just boggles my mind.

Being who I am, I tend to ask myself the why questions more than the how. I dont really have the inclination to spend a lifetime trying to focus on a few specific how questions. Science only interests me at the intersection of my real loves: God and history. That being said, I have read some and it does appear to me that two big questions: how does the universe exist? and how did it start? both have no solid answer. Oh, yes, we have ideas. But any thinking scientist acknowledges that we are just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding and in reality we have only the vaguest idea.

With no definitive answers it seems to make sense to me to use Occams Razor. Use the simplest solution. Looking at the forest rather than the trees I see two things that need to be addressed simultaneously: Contingency and Order. (contingency = who made the apple?; Order = what design doesnt have a designer?) Trying to keep this short the simplest and easiest answer that satisfies both these questions is that all creation had a Creator.

But God makes more sense than just that. After all, there are other more convoluted answers that plenty of other people are more comfortable using as rationalizations for denying God. Then they try to turn the question on its head saying something like, If God is real, why all the suffering in this world? In my opinion that question begs the existence of God in two ways:

1) Who is to say that death is bad? Or murder? Or suffering? In asking existential questions are we not relying on a moral code that seems universal, in its broader points, throughout the world? After all is not nearly all our suffering a product of others moral choices? Would poverty exist in the third world if the West was not so greedy? Would Joe have died if Bill had not been driving drunk? Where did this idea of moral right and wrong come from?

2) In showing discontent in things beyond human control like the tsunami in Indonesia and hurricane Katrina dont we show a yearning for a better world than this? Dont we instinctively recognize that we were made for more than this world has to offer? What other animal or aspect of nature react in the same way? There is something in us that longs for a home and, on some level, we realize that this is not it.

But even this many people will rationalize away to keep themselves comfortable in their ignorance. They would rather remain at alert and oriented times zero than acknowledge their longing for something more. That is their choice but it is not one I cannot make. Beyond this yearning in me, I can see how tens, no hundreds of thousands of people have found an answer to their yearning. Im not talking about lunatics or just simple minds but many, if not most of the best and brightest throughout history. I cannot deny their claims to have had an experience with a living God. It is a subjective experience and I can only look at how it has impacted their life and judge that they really believed.

But, like I said, it is subjective. I can never know for sure how real their encounter with God was. I guess it is possible that such a great number of people were, for one reason or another, all lying. Its not plausible, but it is possible. After all, 0.0001% chance is still a chance. What I cannot deny is how God has impacted my life. I can tell about this experience to others but I cannot really share it. It is something everyone has to experience on their own.

So if you are tired of your denial. If the yearning has become too great to ignore, dont worry. Giving God a chance will not make you a lunatic. Rather it is common sense. God just makes sense.
Currently listening:
This Is Our God
By Hillsong
Release date: 2008-08-12
3:04 PM 
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Saturday, February 14, 2009 
(Some of you might have read this last year, but its good to be reminded)
 
Yellow is my favorite. Besides being the best looking of all the differen't colors of roses, each one means something symbolically. And yellow is my favorite.
Now red is the most common. Today I am sure lots of people will be buying and giving and receiving red roses. After all, they are supposed to represent true love and that is what we are supposed to be celebrating today. I can't think of a better color to represent love. After all, the greatest demonstration of love this world has even seen is when God shed His very red blood for you and me. But on Valentine's Day, that's not quite the love that we tend to think about. So red is not my favorite.
Purple is supposed to represent love at first sight. In a way that is encouraging for me. After all, even though there seems to be nothing in the way of romantic love currently in my life a purple rose reminds me that by tomorrow, even by the end of the day there is the possibility that it could all have changed. But the purple rose also reminds me of the thousands of girls I have met in my lifetime with whom this "at first sight" stuff did not happen. My idealism tells me that love at first sight is a possibility. My pragmatism tells me it is a very slim one if that. So purple is not my favorite.
Orange is supposed to represent desire. Normally here I would talk about how wrong the lust we equate with this passionate desire is wrong, but that is only because what we desire is wrong. There is a right time and place for desire. Paul says, "He who desires a wife desires a good thing." Passion can be a good thing. But the orange rose reminds me more of what is said in the Song of Solomon: "All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him." Yes, I may have the desire, but I have not found her yet. So orange is not my favorite.
Pink is supposed to represent gratitude. It could be gratitude to that loved one for something they have done. It could even be gratitude for them just being who they are. The problem is, it presupposes someone to be grateful for. Now don't get me wrong. I'm grateful to God for more than I could ever express. I'm grateful to my family for allowing me to be a part of the Richardson legacy (Those that know, understand. Those of you that don't know, well... I pity you). I'm grateful to all my friends for being so cool. (Of course you're cool. After all, you're my friend.) But this is Valentines Day. So pink is not my favorite.
Peach is supposed to represent sympathy. Now if there was any justice in the world, I should be getting lots of these today. After all, I've got a running streak of 30 years without having a date on Valentine's Day. I'm batting a thousand. Or I guess it would be more appropriate to say I'm batting zero. The fact is, I would love to be able to say next year that this streak has been broken. I mean if I wanted to I could almost certainly even manage to have a date tonight, but it wouldn't really mean anything. So even though you might be tempted to send me that peach rose... it is not my favorite.
White does come a close second. It obviously represents purity. I can honestly say that I have kept my body pure. The problem is, I cannot say the same with regards to my heart and my mind. I have made mistakes. No, let's call it what it is. I have sinned. That's why I am so grateful that the red God gave me can make my black white again. That's why I'm so grateful or all that snow that has kept me from work today and kept all those chilluns home from school. There's nothing like looking out a window in the morning and seeing white everywhere. You know that once this view showed you plenty of dirt and mud. But God's got it covered. I am thankful that by God's grace my dirt has been washed white. I'm grateful that by His grace I can stay so until that day. I am grateful that by the same grace the mistakes of whoever she is can also be made clean. So even though I love the white rose, it is not my favorite.
The yellow rose is my favorite. It represents hope. It stands for the hope that tomorrow will be better than today. It reminds me that even though my past relationships might have ended in failure or frustration, (Even if all the blame belongs on me) there is hope that the next one might be the one. It reminds me of the promise that God gave the Israelites as they were heading into captivity, "I know the plans I have for you. They are plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." I am in His hands, and those hands are good. So even if I am never to marry, that's OK. He knows far better than I do what is best for me. So if you, like me, see Valentines Day as a day of frustration rather than celebration, here's a yellow rose. Here's to knowing that we are in God's hands. Here's to hope.
great-yellow-rose-closeup-644.jpg

 
5:58 PM 
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Wednesday, February 11, 2009 

Not enough. If I were going to explain why God destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah in two words, that would be it. Not enough. Two entire cities
destroyed. Fire and brimstone ravished an area doing such damage that
to this day the area is still barren. All because of those two words…
not enough. But I get ahead of myself, lets back up and look at what
really happened.


The first thing we need to see actually takes in a neighboring
area. God is visiting with Abraham and he lets the man in on his plans.
Abraham knows Lot is down there and doesn’t want to see his nephew
killed. So he asks God if the city would be spared if fifty righteous
people are living there. God says OK. Now if I were asking for
something in a barter society I would intentionally ask much lower than
what I actually wanted to spend. I would do this expecting the seller
to go high. Part of the social interaction of the day was to try
through argument, debate, persuasion, and cajoling to come to
agreement. If I asked and it was accepted immediately I would know I
asked way too much.


I can almost picture Abraham thinking the same thing on hearing
God’s first answer. So he backs up a bit. “Wait, God. Perhaps I was a
bit too hasty with this. Forty-five. What about forty-five? Would you
spare the city for that.” And God says, “Sure.” Abraham backtracks
again… 40? Yes. 30? Fine. 20? No problem. 10? Yup. Do you see what’s
happening here? In his intercession, Abraham is bartering. But God is
giving ground. I can almost see God eagerly prodding Abraham along to
go lower. But Abraham stops. Later on God Himself says that he was
looking for one righteous man to stand in the gap that Israel might not
be spared. If one man had been enough for a nation, could it not also
hace been enough for a couple cities? Abraham didn’t intercede enough.



- - - - - - - - - -


You know, Lot always seems to get a bad rap. I guess that’s the
problem with being a contemporary of Abraham. I mean, how do you
compare yourself to that guy. If three thousand years from now all the
history books talked about me in conjunction with Mother Theresa I
guess I’d end up a villain too. Lot was a righteous man. Don’t take my
word for it. The Bible itself says Lot was a righteous man who was
tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.



When the two angels who were heading into town to see what the city was
like, they came upon Lot at the city gate. This tells me that Lot was a
respected member in the community. The city gate was where all business
transactions occurred and where disputed were settled. The townspeople
saw something in Lot they respected. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough for
them to want to emulate it. The angels wanted to stay there for the
night but Lot knew it wouldn’t be safe for them. At risk to himself he
cared enough about these strangers to offer them his roof and
protection.


The problem comes when the angels tell Lot it is time to leave. We
see two words that are so convicting to me: “he hesitated”. God has
called us to be light to the world, but often our exposure to it
instead allows the darkness to begin creeping into our lives. He has
called us to be salt. Salt flavors. The world without Christians doing
their job should be recognizably dull. Salt preserves. It is our job to
prevent the world’s natural inclination into decay and decadence. Salt
melts cold hearts. But when Lot left nobody came with him. Even his
wife turned back (and turned to salt!) and his daughters proved by
their actions that they brought a part of Sodom with them. There was
not ten righteous people… or even two, because Lot was not salty enough.



- - - - - - - - - -


And finally we look at the citizens of Sodom themselves. We look
at those who are alert and oriented times zero. When night came, all
the men of town headed over to Lot’s place to um… “introduce” the
strangers into the community’s ways. When the situation begins to grow
tense for those inside, the angels strike everyone with blindness, get
this, “so that they could not find the door.” OK, if I’m doing
something evil and God strikes me blind for it, I would hope to have
enough sense to stop. But these guys were so “blind” to their sin that
a literal blindness wouldn’t even get them to stop. They were like dead
men walking. They just didn’t know it yet.


So what was Sodom’s sin? They didn’t care enough. Don’t believe
me? Listen to what God says in Ezekiel: “Now this was the sin of your
sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and
unconcerned. They did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty
and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as
you have seen.”


Arrogant - They felt they were the only ones worthy of concern.
Who cares about those people in other countries or cities. They can
look after themselves.

Overfed - They were indulgent, fat, and lazy. According to the NCHS,
almost two thirds of Americans over 20 are overweight or obese. But
it’s not just food. We are indulgent in every aspect of our lifestyle.
The world’s population living in the 20% richest countries consume 86%
of the worlds resources. We can only maintain our lifestyle by keeping
the poor, poor.

Unconcerned - Apathetic. Sodom simply did not care enough. And therefore they were destroyed.



God, help me to care. Let me be a voice that is not afraid to speak out
in a dead and dying culture. Help me to be salt. Help me to curb the
decay I see all around me. Help me to be an intercessor. Let me be the
one standing in the gap. Let no one say of me… “Not enough.”


Currently listening:
Take Me Away
By Sarah Kelly
Release date: 2004-02-24
8:33 PM 
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Wednesday, February 04, 2009 

Category: News and Politics
"What is, therefore, our task today? Shall I answer, 'faith hope and love'? That sounds beautiful. But I would say - courage. No, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth. Our task today is reckessness. For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature... we lack a holy rage - the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity. The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets, and when the lie rages across the face of the earth... a holy anger about the things that are wrong with the world. To rage against the ravaging of God's earth, and the destruction of God's world. To rage when little children must die of hunger, while the tables of the rich are sagging with food. To rage against the sensless killing of many, and against the madness of militaries. To rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction peace. To rage against complacency. To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change human history until it conforms to the norms of the kingdom of God. And remember, the signs of the Christian church have been the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove, and the Fish... but never the chamelion."
- Kaj Munk. (Dutch pastor killed by the Gestapo in January 1944)
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Kristy Starling
By Kristy Starling
Release date: 2003-04-22
4:01 PM 
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Thursday, January 29, 2009 

Category: Religion and Philosophy

Halloween night seventeen years ago brought the apex of a storm in the North Atlantic a storm that has become immortalized. But it is unjust to call it simply a storm. It was really a Nor’easter that swallowed up a forming hurricane. So, not just *a* storm, it was *the* storm… the perfect storm. The drama that unfolded that day has become the subject of a bestselling book and a blockbuster movie.
The book, more than the movie, really goes into the background of the lives of the crew of the Andrea Gail who were all lost at sea as well as the para-rescuers who also found themselves in need of being rescued. One of these was sergeant John Spillane. I haven’t read the book myself, yet, but I have heard that it gives this sergeant describing how a rescuer worker will first gauge a victim’s health by a system called alert and oriented times 0-4. Alert and oriented times zero means that an individual is completely unaware of his surroundings. He does not even know who he is. The level of consciousness goes up until you reach alert and oriented times four which is being completely aware and able to react to your surroundings.
It is said that a rescue worker, very briefly, goes through the same stages when first making impact with the water. Upon first he is aware of nothing beyond the fact that he is cold and in pain. This is alert and oriented times zero. Before moving, the first thing the diver needs to orient himself with is up. This is alert and oriented times one. Upon breaking the surface, the first thing a rescue worker will do is make contact with their source, the helicopter. This is to let the others know that they are OK, but also it gives them a fixed reference point for all that needs to follow. This is alert and oriented times 2. Alert and oriented times 3 is when they gauge the direction and intensity of the environment around them but also the direction of those who need to be rescued. When this is done they are now ready to move out and accomplish their mission. In a matter of seconds from impact, they have arrived at alert and oriented times four. Now they need to hurry to accomplish the task they have been sent to do, because, slowly, the environment around them will pull them back down the same path as it is already doing to the victims that they need to help.
Everybody in life is, spiritually, at one of these levels or another. The majority of the world is actually living at the first two. Many people all around us are walking dead and they don’t even care. They are not aware of their own spiritual state and would even mock those who would try to enlighten them. They are living at alert and oriented times zero.
There are others who are drowning and it does concern them, but they don’t know how to find the surface. Desperately they try to make their way to the top, but they are swimming in the wrong direction. It might be spiritualism, or rationalism. Maybe science or perhaps Christian Science. The fact is, these people realize that there is more to life, but they don’t know how to find it. They are stuck at alert and oriented times one.
We do have a source. Those that have broken the surface will immediately recognize God’s spotlight on their lives. Communication between them and the one above can begin and it is impossible to stay above water without being aware of that Source, God, from that point on. But we cannot stop at two. As our life in Christ begins to grow we will begin to recognize the world around us for what it is. Finally, we move on to four. We begin to go out and accomplish the mission we have been sent here for.
So my question is… where are you on this scale? Are you content at zero… in your drowning bliss? Do you recognize that there is more to life but feel that you have been swimming in the wrong direction? We have created a Christian subculture that has made it easy to get stuck at two. It is easy to be fully aware of the God who has saved us while we remain blissfully ignorant of the storm tossed and dying world that needs rescuing. Perhaps like me, who seems to be all too often stuck at three. We are aware of the needs of those around us but we, or at least I, don’t have the courage… or the motivation to actually get on with it.
God, help us to move on to all that we have been called to do. Don’t let me just sit here treading water until You come back for me. As You have caused my heart to break and my eyes to see, also help my hands to reach and my feet to go. Help me not to forget that the glory of God is man fully alive. Help me to live out a life that is fully alert and oriented.
Currently listening:
Open Up the Gates
By Planetshakers
Release date: 2004-05-25
5:05 PM 
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