Security

I suppose I should explain the word "toshav." The term is the transliteration of the Hebrew term which most English versions of the Bible translate as "sojourner", and, from what I've read, carries a meaning of "resident alien", or "stranger in a foreign land." I'll be studying Hebrew next year, so if I find out I'm using this word/translation incorrectly I'll make amends at that time.

So, what does the word "sojourner" have to do with me? Recently, in my Old Testament History class, the professor was discussing Abraham and the intense amount of faith it would have taken for him to leave his father's family to become a sojourner (foreigner, alien, etc.) in Canaan. Apparently, in ancient near eastern culture one's security and well-being were defended by one's family. There was no 911, National Guard, or hostage rescue team to help you out of a jam. If you and your family were injured or violated there was no court system to hear a civil suit or with which to file criminal charges. There was your family, though. Your family's strength became your security. When Abraham left his family, he left his security. He didn't have a United States Passport which provided him the support of the US should something go wrong in this new country. From an earthly perspective, he was on his own. What he had, though, was God. When he left his family he was making a statement to God that God would be his security. When you think about it, that's quite a powerful statement and one we all should strive to make.

As a Christian, I believe whole-heartedly that this life I live right now is but the briefest of events when compared to eternity. My ultimate citizenship is heavenly, and my ultimate family bond is with my Heavenly Father. As a result, I am but a resident alien, a foreigner, a sojourner in this life. My security rests in God. Despite the loving and devoted wife I am blessed with and adore, my ultimate security is not with a spouse. Despite the compassionate family I get to claim, my ultimate security is not with relatives. Despite being a citizen of a country that offers military protection and religious freedom, my ultimate security is not with the United States. My security comes from the God Almighty!

Here goes nothing

From Alaska to Texas. Some would call that an upgrade, although I like to remind people that if you cut Alaska in half Texas would be the third largest state. Regardless, life has been a series of transitions over the past several months. From secure government employment to the life of a student, from rain and mild weather to the heat and humidity of Texas, from nature's finest scenery to a sprawling metropolis, no matter what perspective you view it from life has changed. It's a good change, though. 

I'm well underway into my training at Dallas Theological Seminary. Classes are in full swing for the semester. Exams are looming, papers have come due, and the stack of books still to be read seems to be growing rather than shrinking. I'm busy, but it's a good busy.

This environment is good for me. I'm referring to the academic environment at seminary not the climate environment, which I really consider to be just short of life-threatening. I get to think and dwell on an infinite God. I get to ask questions and discuss concepts that have been bouncing around in my head but have previously had no outlet. It's where my wife and I need to be right now and is definitely preparing me for a future that I envision will include training up-and-coming Christian ministers.

So, as I ask questions and answer my own questions I hope to share them and explore them on here. Stay tuned... 

How Important Is Justice?

Most of us, at least in America, abhor the idea of injustice. Our minds ring with phrases like, "all were created equal," or, "liberty and justice for all." While everyone is indeed precious in the eyes of the Creator, and while that Creator has expressed His desire to "establish justice in the gate" (Amos 5:15), our insult at perceived injustice can lead to self-centeredness if it becomes misplaced. This is especially true if we seek justice before man instead of justice before God. Our litigious society, which is quick to file lawsuits for misspoken words or unpreventable accidents, readily demonstrates this danger.

In a culture that pursues greed under the banner of justice and defends tolerance of sin behind the shield of freedom and personal liberty one would expect the church to be a beacon of not only true justice but of unmerited love and self-sacrifice. Sadly, this is not always the case as the demand for justice and the expression of personal freedom is exclaimed in many churches at the cost of divinely-motivated love and biblically-based morals. This is seen as abortion doctors are murdered in the name of justice by those proclaiming solidarity with Christ or as sin and morality are redefined in support of civil rights and personal preferences by churches claiming fellowship with God. Maybe, just maybe, the life that seeks to model Christ is the life that endures personal injustice before man while embracing and proclaiming the message of eternal hope and true justice before God.

To illustrate, take a moment to imagine a scene from the first century. Although completely faultless, a man is tried and convicted of a capital offense through the testimony of fabricated witnesses and the presentation of baseless evidence. Appeals are denied and what is perceived by the gathered masses as justice is carried out with vicious efficiency. The punishment is physically brutal and personally demeaning as the convicted man is spat upon, cursed, violated, and abused. There are no injunctions filed by civil liberties organizations, no stays requested by human rights activists, and no pleas by the condemned for mercy or leniency. No lobbyists, no petitions, no rallies, and no lawsuits threatened for wrongful death or email campaigns launched bemoaning the sentence as cruel and unusual punishment. Finally, with no opposition and amidst the applause of the elite members of society, the man, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is put to death.

Had Christ been sent to die in 2007 would we cringe at the display of the world's injustice or would we weep at the display of God's precious grace? Had His trial been conducted in America would we spread the word of the violation of Christ's rights and liberties or would we proclaim the purpose of His selfless sacrifice? We are often asked if we would give our life for our Lord, to which, in the safety of religious freedom, we proudly answer, "Yes!" Instead, perhaps we should begin asking: "Are we willing to endure injustice for our Lord?" Christ endured the absolute injustice of the cross so the only possible sacrifice could be made to pay the ultimate price so the unmerited gift of salvation could be presented to all humanity.

To be like Christ is to be willing to put aside your personal rights, liberties, and freedoms for the sake of the eternal soul of your neighbor. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

Why Christmas Matters

Somehow, amidst the snow, presents, meals and shopping of this Christmas season, we would do well to meditate on why we, as Christians, celebrate this day. You may wonder why it is necessary to be reminded of this since both the church and secular society provide reminders of the baby Jesus, whether through songs, sermons or pithy clichés stating "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." While it is important to remember whose birth we celebrate it is past time that the church dug a little deeper. Look past the shepherds, past the angels, beyond the star and even beyond the manger and ask yourself not "who" we are celebrating, but "why" we are celebrating. That is to say, ask yourself why it matters that Christ was born.

When we look at the baby Jesus, do we recognize the God of the universe? When we think of Him as the divine child, do we realize He became completely human? Philippians 2:6-8 states that Christ, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” While impossible to completely understand, the Bible teaches that Christ was completely God yet completely man. In fact, He took on the nature of a servant and obediently submitted Himself to die for all of us.

This Christmas, look past the manager and see the cross; look past the crowded stable and see the empty tomb. Christ’s birth did not have the power to redeem, but was the necessary beginning of a life with one clear purpose. Christ was born to die and that death is what bought us life.