Healthy vs. Unhealthy Growth

Recently, as spring has begun to emerge in all its splendor and (ah-choo!), allergic wonder, I have been reflecting on this notion of healthy vs. unhealthy growth.

I consider myself blessed to have a relatively healthy family, a nice house to live in, a job I enjoy and believe I make a difference in, that also provides a good living for me and my family. I thank God for these blessings each and every day.

Yet, "little things" make me stop and think sometimes.

One of these "little things" is my rather feeble efforts to get some semblance of a healthy lawn growing again in my front and back yards. Ultimately, though I am humbly reminded that none oif it is ultimately "mine,"- it is all part of God's Creation which I have been entrusted with for a little while as a steward.

Anyway, last year we got a tree and stump taken out in the front, which left a conspicuous bare spot about ten feet in diameter right in the middle of the yard. I went to the local lawn and garden store, and asked one of their "expert" associates what they would recommend to get the lawn growing healthily once again. He suggested I thoroughly rake and turn over the soil in the dead spot, mix in some good topsoil, sow starter seed using a spreader, followed by watering twice a day, then followed by starter fertilizer about two weeks later once the grass seed started to take root and spring up. So that is what I did...

Sure enough- about 10-14 days later, nice green, virgin grass was beginning to sprout back up in the spot that had been left bare by the tree. I was both relieved and encouraged- my labors were paying off- or so I thought. Next I began the starter fertilizer as directed, while also continuing the watering twice daily for 1/2 hour each time in morning and right after work.

Much to my dismay, though, I noticed that an ugly sort of grayish-black mildew was beginning to emerge and was engulfing large patches of the grass I had planted and tended carefully (but apparently not carefully enough) . I later discovered that I had watered the grass too late in the day, and had not put down enough straw to absorb excess moisture resulting in the unfortunate demise of much of the new grass.

I am trying again this spring, but another challenge has reared its head in the form of an overwhelming dandy lion infestation. Dandy lions are pleasant and quite appealing to children because the yellow flower looks pretty to kids, but they are a headache to the average lawn and garden owner. Thinking I could root them out, I got out there last week and spent a couple of hours on my hands and knees digging down with my trowel and pulling them out one by one at the root.

Well, they came back- in even greater numbers three days later- pesky buggers! I have heard that the "weed and feed" spray works well- which is what I am going to try next- here's hoping for some "healthy growth"... ;-)

It all got me thinking again, though, about healthy and unhealthy growth.

There are a number of parables in the Christian gospels about healthy and unhealthy spiritual growth. Matthew chapter 13 contains several such parables:

• the parable of the sower (13:1-23)
• the parable of the weeds (13:24-30)
• and the parable of the mustard seed & yeast (13:31-35)

In the parable of the sower- we hear of seed that fell on both good and bad soil under good and bad conditions and how each fared. The seed that grew and flourished in a healthy way needed good soil, the right amount of water and sun and nutrients in order to grow.

The seed that did not receive this nourishment was choked out by the weeds or otherwise kept from growing to its potential in a healthy way. In a very powerful way, this is also a wonderful metaphor for our spiritual lives. We need to nurture our spiritual selves by:

• learning and seeking to live out God's Word in our lives
• cultivating and seeking out Christian community where we can nurture and be nurtured among believers in the family of God
• seek to replenish that well of "Living Water" spiritually in our lives by making time daily for prayer and meditation
• by seeking to live a life of "Shalom" that not only talks about but follows the way of true Peace
• reaching out to others all around us whom we encounter in life to share with them the spiritual nourishment that guides and sustains us in the midst of the challenges and stresses of daily life

In this way, by regularly seeking that spiritual nourishment and Living Water, we are renewed and can grow more fully into the person God created each of us to be.

Shalom on the journey of spiritual growth and discovery!

John

Why did Jesus die?

I have been reflecting on this question again and again recently- having just celebrated Holy Week and Easter. The knee-jerk, Sunday school answer goes something like "Jesus died for our sins... human beings are sinful creatures who chose evil over good resulting in separation from God, and certain damnation without salvation."

That is what I was taught in Sunday school as a child. Very simplistic, uncritical, and I have found the more I read and study critically- a doctrine that did not emerge in Christian writings or tradition in any substantive form until much later.

I have come to believe Jesus life death and resurrection mean so much more than some sort of once-and-done transaction- that we assent to believe then go on with our lives with the promise of heaven secure.

No- I believe Jesus came proclaiming a Kingdom of God that was and is here NOW, and not just some ethereal promise or utopian wish-fulfillment that will come true in the hereafter. It is a radical and dynamic change in one's way of life, and a dynamic and radical change that shakes the core of our being and molds us into a new person. I have come to believe it is not just a matter of 'being saved' that one can trace back to a particular prayer that was said in a certain way or a moment- although there certainly are moments of great meaning along the journey.

Instead it is a life transformation that is continual and on-going. Jesus was willing to be put to death if that is what it took to proclaim liberation from the bondage of domination of the oppressed- which was the reality of most people in his day. Jesus radically challenged the status quo, spoke truth to power, proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God, and preached the life-giving message that his father in heaven had sent him to proclaim.

Getting back to the 'Jesus died for our sins' claim, in fact, the notion of "substitutionary atonement" (i.e. that Jesus needed to suffer and die as 'payment' for human sin), was not a widely held or articulated doctrine until Anselm of Canterbury wrote about it in the 11th century- more than 1000 years after the time of Jesus and the gospel writers.

Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan explore this, and other theological themes in their excellent book about Jesus final week in Jerusalem entitled "The Last Week."



I highly recommend it for anyone who is a Christian or spiritual seeker who wants to dig deeper beyond the pat answers and simplistic Sunday school faith.



Warning: Prepare to be challenged to move beyond your spiritual comfort zone and explore new ways of understanding the person of Jesus.



Peace on the Journey,



John

Prayers for V.T.; peace in our communities

This tragic story is still unfolding, but as of today, there are 32 confirmed killed, and a couple dozen more injured in the s that took place on the Virginia Tech campus yesterday morning.

May we all join together in praying for the families, friends, students, faculty, staff and administration of Virginia Tech as they mourn these tragic losses.

Prayer is the beginning of the journey to healing. These families and students will never fully heal from these emotional and psychological wounds, but my prayer is that they may find comfort in God and one another as they remember, struggle to cope, and hopefully seek to help others in need.

What can we do in our communities??

Already we hear the media machine ramping up its propagation of the culture of fear... Safety and improving rapid response is certainly one of the sad lessons that can be learned from this tragedy. For me, though, it is not the only lesson. Each time something tragic like this- or the situation at Columbine happens, I find myself asking questions like:

How did this person become so enraged and feel so desperate that he would plan such a horrible massacre and unleash such rage?? Had he struggled with mental illness for a long time? Was he abused? What were the warning signs if there were any? What were his 'cries for help'?

We can pray, of course- which is always a great place to start.

Then we can re-dedicate ourselves to working together to make our communities places of peace and healing.

Here in my home city of Philadelphia (I actually live in an adjoining suburb, but I consider Philly my home), there has been a rising problem of gun violence and of alarming proportions- More than 500 killed last year alone.

Some of my dearest friends in the city are out there on the frontlines, seeking to mentor troubled youth, help people struggling to find work and get back on their feet. We can all make a difference- and we don't even have to go into the cities, although there certainly are people in need of hope there too. All around us there are people who feel lost, discouraged, disenfranchised, dejected. We can help make a difference in their lives. We cannot rescue everyone, but making the difference even in the life of one person can make a positive difference exponentially in our world!

I conclude with a prayer for peace from Francis of Assisi- let's not just read and say these words, but also seek to live them more boldly:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

A Prayer for Peace

All across the news, we read of the abuse
The violence fueled by rage by people of any age
Murders in the city-stray bullets shot in enmity
Strikes down a passerby-a child starts to cry

"Why O God? Why have you let something like this happen?"

A life poured out senselessly- another pointless tragedy
Tens of thousands each year in our cities
Felled by guns "how can it be?"

Yet the NRA does say- "guns don't kill, people do" anyway...
How many more deaths will it take for us to realize our mistakes?

33 shot dead today- in a class with learning underway
Voices cry out "Why?" again, what will it take to change, my friend?
Only time and prayer will tell, but I believe God is our Help!
Only God can bring Peace, to the lost and open up our hearts

But for now we join the mourners lament
to pray for peace and providence
The scars of grief and loss may ,
but we must join together with a vision
Stop the violence- pray for peace;
heal the hurt, help the least

The media would have us cower in fear
But there is no place for that here
We must be bolder than ever before
In striving for peace forevermore

Let us walk together in peace.

The Politics of Jesus

Easter was a great time of celebration with family, friends and church. Now that the pace has slowed down a bit, I finally found some time to finish up a few books I have been working on. I just finished reading "The Politics of Jesus," by Obery Hendricks (I know, I know, the title has been used before). This is an excellent book! Hendricks, a thoughtful and accomplished scholar and gifted writer looks at many of Jesus parables in a fresh light that challenges the reader to see them in a new light.

Hendricks interweaves his own narrative along with the themes of social justice, civil rights, and reclaiming mainstream faith from the radical right.

In his chapter "Messiah and Tactician," Hendricks outlines "seven political strategies of Jesus":

1) Treat the People's Needs as Holy
2) Give a Voice to the Voiceless
3) Expose the Workings of Oppression
4) Call the Demon by Name
5) Save Your Anger for the Mistreatment of Others
6) Take Blows Without Returning Them
7) Don't Just Explain the Alternative, Show It

Here is a quote from the "Save Your Anger for the Mistreatment of Others" section that really resounded and hit home with me:

It is important to talk about peace and justice and fairness and equity, but we must also act against the systems that stand in their way. We must move beyond conference after pious conference, meeting after prolonged meeting, beyond flowery pronouncements and empty talk, so we may again enter into systematic struggle to achieve the justice of God for all. We who claim to have biblical faith must remember, with all passion and faith, that, as Paul put it. 'the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power' (1 Corinthians 4:20). It is only through passionate action that we will manifest our authority to dismantle every oppressive and exclusionary principality and power that stands in the way of true community. (166)

So true! May we all find the courage to follow Jesus' example and stand for peace and justice in our world today!

Peace,

John

No more 'drive-by' prayers!

Recently I had an encounter at the supermarket that still troubles me. I was doing errands and about to get in the checkout line with my lunchmeat and a few holiday grocery items I had stopped to pick up. As I approached the line, I saw someone who looked familiar but I could not immediately remember her name (and sadly I still don't which is pathetic of me).

She, whom I will call 'Christine,' was waiting near the in-store pharmacy with her elderly and infirm mother. Christine had been an acquaintence from a previous neighborhood- we had both since moved and lost contact.

Christine had many challenges as I recall from our periodic conversations when we would cross paths while walking down the block. She had some relational difficulties. Her previous partner was mentally abusive, and her parents had shunned her for a time.

The last conversation I recall was her sharing that she had forgiven her parents and her previous partner and was at peace about it all. That was about three years ago.
She had been searching- for peace, for acceptance for being who she is, and for a restored relationship with God and her family. Knowing that I am in the helping profession, she would share bits of her journey with me when we crossed paths on our walks.

Back to the present (or recent past)- I saw Christine at the supermarket, and I froze...

Sadly I found myself pre-occupied with keeping my place in the long check out line, and while trying to at least acknowledge and express concern for her and her family. But I just could not remember her name at that moment for the life of me! Plus I was taken back by the obviously poor condition of her mother's health- she could not walk, was quite frail and her ankles were swollen and almost purple. She also told me her father was in the hospital and that she was caring for both of them. My heart sank. I was speechless, and embarassed for not even remembering her name.

I gave a look of genuine concern, extended my hand and clasped her hand in both of mine for a moment, looked at her, and then her mother and said those words that flow so easily from my lips:

"I will be praying for you."

Just then, the cashier said "Next in line, please!" It was my turn... I had waited for ten minutes to check out, my wife and daughter were home waiting for items I had gone to the store to buy... what should I do??

I mustered a faint consolation smile, and said "It was good to see you. Take care."

Then I hurriedly placed my handful of food items on the conveyer and got out my debit card and club card to pay.

I glanced back and she and her mother were nowhere to be seen.

After getting checked out, taking the receipt and lifting up the bag, I began to walk out of the store. I got to my car, fumbled for my keys, and found myself turning and walking back toward the entrance to the store- I had to at least ask her name again- or her father's name so I could go visit him at the hospital or try to get her some help at home.

She and her mother were gone from sight, and nowhere to be found. I walked up and down the aisles retracing my steps only to realize that had already left.

My heart sank.

I thought immediately of the passage from Matthew 25 where Jesus is quoted as saying

"...as you have done to the least of these, so you have done to me."

So often I find myself throwing out the "I'll be praying for you" line (however genuinely well-intentioned it may be) without really making that extra step- going that extra mile as it were to back it up with compassion in action.

My heart has been convicted, and I hope God will help me to go beyond words to better live a life of compassionate care for the least of these.

Peace,

John