Today’s Readings: Psalm 19; Ezekiel 1:28b-3:3; Matthew 28:11-20; 1 John 5:13-21; Psalm 14
Last night I had dinner with an associate who was talking about the recent controversy regarding a resolution introduced into Congress by Republican Representative Paul Broun from Georgia. The resolution’s goal is to declare 2010 “The Year of the Bible”. In one article the individual read regarding the controversy, the author indicated recent polling showed that an incredibly high percentage of the US population was now identifying as atheist. The person was alarmed by the report and wanted to know what I thought. I often cringe when folks I don’t know well ask me to respond to newspaper headlines in my role as pastor because my response is never quite what they figure. I know, for instance, that the person assumed I supported the resolution. I do not. I think dangerous things happen whenever a government gives preferential treatment to one particular religion/religious perspective. Just examine any of the theocracies that exist in the Middle East, and you’ll better understand my concerns. The second half of her query, however, was more interesting to me: the part that asked about the rising number of folks that identify themselves as atheists. In diagnosing the challenges we modern folks face, Phillip Yancey wrote – in his book “Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference” – “Most of what I am – my nationality and mother tongue, my race, my looks and body shape, my intelligence, the century in which I was born, the fact that I am still alive and relatively healthy – I had little or no control over. On a larger scale, I cannot affect the rotation of planet earth, or the orbit that maintains a proper distance from the sun so that we neither freeze nor roast, or the gravitational forces that somehow keep our spinning galaxy in exquisite balance.” And then he concludes by sharing the humbling conclusion that springs out of these awarenesses. “There is a God and I am not it” (Yancey 37). As the psalmist reminded us in today’s second psalm – Psalm 14 - there has long been pressure to join the “God is gone!” chorus. This pressure has certainly increased as the realm of our knowledge has grown exponentially and our capacity for things like humility and mystery has declined exponentially. If that’s where you are today – tempted to join in the “God is gone!” chorus – I would ask you to take some time today and open yourselves to the wonders of the world around you: the beauty of a sunset, the warmth of an unexpected embrace, the seeds of hope that grows in your heart despite the bleakness of the newspaper headlines… Spend some time sitting with these wonders that defy explanation. Before long, you might find yourself joining in another chorus: the chorus of the psalmist who sang: “Is there anyone around to save Israel? Yes. God is around; God turns life around.” Til next time…
Last night I had dinner with an associate who was talking about the recent controversy regarding a resolution introduced into Congress by Republican Representative Paul Broun from Georgia. The resolution’s goal is to declare 2010 “The Year of the Bible”. In one article the individual read regarding the controversy, the author indicated recent polling showed that an incredibly high percentage of the US population was now identifying as atheist. The person was alarmed by the report and wanted to know what I thought. I often cringe when folks I don’t know well ask me to respond to newspaper headlines in my role as pastor because my response is never quite what they figure. I know, for instance, that the person assumed I supported the resolution. I do not. I think dangerous things happen whenever a government gives preferential treatment to one particular religion/religious perspective. Just examine any of the theocracies that exist in the Middle East, and you’ll better understand my concerns. The second half of her query, however, was more interesting to me: the part that asked about the rising number of folks that identify themselves as atheists. In diagnosing the challenges we modern folks face, Phillip Yancey wrote – in his book “Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference” – “Most of what I am – my nationality and mother tongue, my race, my looks and body shape, my intelligence, the century in which I was born, the fact that I am still alive and relatively healthy – I had little or no control over. On a larger scale, I cannot affect the rotation of planet earth, or the orbit that maintains a proper distance from the sun so that we neither freeze nor roast, or the gravitational forces that somehow keep our spinning galaxy in exquisite balance.” And then he concludes by sharing the humbling conclusion that springs out of these awarenesses. “There is a God and I am not it” (Yancey 37). As the psalmist reminded us in today’s second psalm – Psalm 14 - there has long been pressure to join the “God is gone!” chorus. This pressure has certainly increased as the realm of our knowledge has grown exponentially and our capacity for things like humility and mystery has declined exponentially. If that’s where you are today – tempted to join in the “God is gone!” chorus – I would ask you to take some time today and open yourselves to the wonders of the world around you: the beauty of a sunset, the warmth of an unexpected embrace, the seeds of hope that grows in your heart despite the bleakness of the newspaper headlines… Spend some time sitting with these wonders that defy explanation. Before long, you might find yourself joining in another chorus: the chorus of the psalmist who sang: “Is there anyone around to save Israel? Yes. God is around; God turns life around.” Til next time…
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