The Story of God

What do the Song of Songs and the movie “Man of Steel” have in common?  

On the surface, not much.  The Song of Songs is a love poem and “Man of Steel” is a movie about Superman (which my son Josiah and I went to go see last Friday).  It was good one-on-one time for Josiah and me, but as I always tell him, all great hero stories tell the story of Jesus (I won’t ruin the movie for you, but my theory was right again).  

But, the truth be told, all of our stories fit into the greater story of God.  The Song of Songs is part of the story of redemption - the redemption of intimacy within the future coming of God’s kingdom.  And in a little scene that has caught some attention, “Man of Steel” pictures how the larger redemption was bought for us - Superman is told by his Kryptonian father (his “heavenly” father) that he can save all humanity.  At that point, Superman floats out into the sky, his arms extended in the shape of a cross before he flies back to earth to save humans.  The story of God is written in all corners of life.  The questions for us are - Are we reading it?  Are we living it?

Be Considerate

C.J. Mahaney, a pastor and teacher, wrote a wonderful thought about intimacy in his little book, Sex, Romance and the Glory of God.  His line was simply this: 

“Before you touch her body, touch her heart and mind.”  

As we continue in this series on the Song of Songs, what a great sentiment about our marriages—we should care about others, not use them.  We should place others first, not second to ourselves.  So whether it is your spouse, a friend, a relative, another member of the Body of Christ, or an acquaintance, the principle is the same: to be Christ-like is to be considerate.  

Or as Paul puts it, “in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Learning To Pray

I am reminded again, now that summer is almost upon us (and the weather is getting warmer and walk-friendlier) of the necessity of prayer.  I pray best while walking in the woods (and warmer weather certainly makes that more conducive).  But prayer is more than simply finding opportune times.  It is about learning the mind of God.  Indeed, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his little book on the Psalms:

“The phrase ‘learning to pray’ sounds strange to us.  If the heart does not overflow and begin to pray by itself, we say, it will never ‘learn’ to pray.  But it is a dangerous error, surely widespread among Christians to think that the heart can pray by itself.  For then we confuse wishes, hopes, sighs, laments, rejoicings - all of which the heart can do by itself - with prayer.  And we confuse earth and heaven, man and God.  Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one’s heart.  It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with Him, whether the heart is full or empty.  No man can do that by himself.  For that he needs Jesus Christ.”

Let us remind ourselves of this discipline beyond feelings or opportunities and learn the language of true prayer.

Thanking God In The Midst Of Tragedy

I don’t think I will ever get used to hearing people of the Christian faith thanking God in the midst of tragedy.  It is always amazing how people of a mature Christian faith can actually embrace suffering.  And yet, listening to the folks whose homes were leveled by the tornado in Oklahoma, I kept hearing people of the Christian faith thanking God for His protection and trusting Him for their future…to the utter befuddlement of reporters.  

Suffering is a part of life and the Christian is given a unique perspective on it through the work of Jesus Christ.  But, to hear it outside the safe four walls of the church building and in the middle of the complete devastation is simply a proof of the truth that we carry in our persons.  

I will never get used to hearing such maturity in the faith and I will never grow tired of it.  Indeed, it is inspiring, aspiring and challenging!

How Could A Loving God Condemn People To Hell?

As we close our series on the 6 Tough Questions, we end on the topic of God’s love and justice as it pertains to the reality of Hell.  For us, the question that we pose is, “How could a loving God condemn people to Hell?”, but the question for an era gone-by was, “How could a just God spare the wicked?” 

Christian philosopher Anselm answered the question this way: God’s character encompasses both love and justice and they are never in conflict with each other.  “God is never at cross-purposes with Himself”, writes A.W. Tozer. 

God is both the God who establishes absolute justice and also offers comprehensive mercy.  The choice of which one it will be rests on our willingness to surrender to Jesus…or not.

Sacred Opportunity

What a week of mixed emotions!!  Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight all discovered alive after 10 years!  I was moved by the unfettered joy of Gina’s father and yet saddened as I heard one newscaster say, “Finally, it is all over.”  Sadly, no, it has only just begun for these families as they sort through all kinds of pain and anger and grief, etc.…  

This has been a reflective week if we are paying attention.  This is something to celebrate - akin to the overflowing joy of the father of the prodigal son who exclaimed, “My son was dead, but now he lives!!”  But it is also a time of prayerful contemplation - not every parent receives this good news.  

The questions of “Why some but not others?”:  “Where does this kind of evil come from?”  “What is God’s solution, the church’s role?” bring a sacred opportunity for the church to think hard on its mission and role in bringing hope to the overwhelming hurts in this very, very broken world.

Homosexuality & Redefining Marriage

The full court press going on in our society surrounding the issue of homosexuality and re-defining marriage could not be more tangible.  

For the Christian, there will always be a tension to uphold the holiness of Christ and the love and mercy of Christ.  We must, by our very calling, both connect and yet confront the culture.  These will be days that demand great courage, great clarity, great wisdom and great peace.  Sometimes, the follower of Jesus must stand alone—misunderstood, accused, labeled, dismissed, even attacked.  It has been the way of the church since its inception.  Christians like Mary Magdalene or Athanasius or Jackie Robinson or Dietrich Bonhoeffer often found themselves standing all alone.  

Yet, in the words of Bonhoeffer in a sermon in 1934, our response is always one of peace: 

“These brothers and sisters…are not ashamed, in defiance of the world, to speak of eternal peace…Even in anguish and distress of conscience there is for them no escape from the commandment of Christ that there shall be peace.”  

The way forward is not compromise nor is it condemnation.  The way forward is a presentation of loving truth with the heart of peace.