Truth

 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 English Standard Version

Truth is not fungible. Many try and make it so; however, no matter what they say, it is not. We endure a cultural penchant for seeking out inputs that reinforce our previously held positions. In many ways we have things backward, seeking proof for our preconceived ideas before understanding the facts. Yet, adherence to truth forms the foundation for the creation of a workable and defensible worldview. A worldview, well-grounded in truth, provides the basis for successfully interacting with an increasingly chaotic and challenging world. Our world is increasingly integrated, linked to far distant people and places with their own requirements and desires. Decisions made in ignorance and self-centered isolation lead to conflicts, conflicts avoidable if we take the time to search out and integrate truth into our worldview; however, people increasingly ignore truth, seeking out those who say the things they want to hear.

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. II Timothy 4:3-4

This is nothing new. Paul spoke to this over two millennia ago. We like to think that we have moved past believing myths; however, when we actively seek out those that say what our “itching ears” want to hear instead of engaging in the struggle required to integrate truth into our worldview, we choose to believe a myth of our own making. We see this in almost every aspect of modern society; social, political, economic, and religious. Rather than actively seek the light of truth, we build our worldview and then go off in search of those who support our worldview. Then when things go awry, we conveniently blame the other. After all, if they would but adjust their worldview, we would not need to deal with those pesky facts. This cultural penchant makes us weak and easy prey.

Unscrupulous men and women exploit our ignorance. Realizing that we remain wedded to a very specific worldview, they parrot the same dogma, using it to hide their own personal agenda, which is normally gaining and maintaining power. They understand that for many of us, fealty to worldview outweighs truth, which is ironic. We forget that for those of us who claim the mantle of Christian, Jesus made some very potent claims regarding this subject.

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

When we embrace the name of Christ, we embrace fidelity to truth. For the Christian, truth matters, words matter. They matter more than political party, economic system, or personal philosophy. Search for the truth and you’re searching for Jesus, the Word made flesh. Sometimes people will say that truth is hard to find. I do not think finding truth is the problem we face. The problem is facing the truth that we find. Often, we mistakenly go in search of facts to support our beliefs instead of looking for facts and letting them shape our worldview. We fall into the trap of shaping our worldview first and then finding someone who speaks to our “itching ears.” Ultimately, we end up in a sort of echo chamber which serves to reinforce our preexisting beliefs instead of educating us. We do not like the facts so we invent our own. We must unflinchingly face facts, letting them inform our understanding of the world around us. Some might complain that this type of reasoning works against faith. I do not believe that it does. Jesus said that he was the truth. Ultimately truth will lead us to Jesus, not away from Jesus. 

To Whom Much is Given...

 …Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. Luke 12:48

I enjoyed promotions in the Army. Promotions come with more respect, greater authority, and of course, higher pay. As a young private, I stood at the bottom of the ladder, the base of the pyramid. Everyone around me had more authority than I. Their innate intelligence did not matter. They might be a rock with lips (Army speak for dumb), but if they had more rank, they expected and required me to do as they said. On the upside, no one expected much from a private. If I showed up at the right place, in the right uniform, and on time, I was a step ahead of the crowd. Truthfully, in later years, I would look back wistfully on being a private; however, as is usual, I persevered and promotions came, sometimes not when I wanted, but they came, nonetheless. Eventually, the Army promoted me to Lieutenant Colonel, proving once again that if you avoid getting killed on a deployment and wait long enough, the Army will promote anyone. Promotions bring honor.

Suddenly, those who yesterday were my peers were now my subordinates, required to comply with my lawful orders. My pay went up, sometimes substantially. All in all, despite having to purchase new rank insignia, promotion was fun. Then came in the additional responsibility. With promotion comes new levels of requirements, new burdens, new challenges to face, and new decisions to make. Toward the end of my career, I worked around general officers. It stunned me to find that in many ways, I enjoyed more freedom than they. Their days were no longer their own. Some aid with a schedule governed their activities, sometimes down to the minute. Advanced rank comes with advanced requirements. It is much the same in the kingdom of God.

We yearn for the abundant life Jesus speaks of in John 10:10. Jesus yearns to give it to us. He did become human, live on this earth, and die in order that we might partake in this abundant life. But there is the question of what we do with this abundant life? James, the brother of Jesus wrote, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3 God, through James, reminds us that He gives us an abundant life to glorify His name and forward the kingdom, not spend in on our own passions. In a like fashion, the Army did not promote me to give me more glory, I was promoted in order to better serve. Yes, higher rank came with a certain amount of glory. I got new shiny bits to pin on my uniform. Higher rank came with greater responsibility. James clearly links answered prayer with proper motives. For what will I use the abundance God provides? Am I willing to let the Holy Spirit mold me into a vessel fit for service, or do I seek my own fleshly desires? 

One final illustration from the Army promotion system. The Army does not promote based on past performance. The Army promotes based on demonstrated ability to think, speak, and operate at the next higher level. When I was a captain, the Army wanted to see me thinking like a major, speaking like a major, and operating like a major before granting me that level of responsibility. Living into the abundant life that Jesus speaks of comes with many attendant responsibilities. Those who live in that abundance walk circumspectly, giving God glory in all their actions. Abundant livers make decisions that point toward God. Abundant livers take steps that others shy away from. They willingly pour out their lives, as Jesus did, as a fragrant offering to God. I want the abundant life. He wants to provide it. Will I demonstrate the responsibility of living into that kind of life? 

Still Learning

 They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, Psalm 92:14

Throughout our nation young people recently donned funny hats and gowns, gathered with peers, and paraded across a stage to the delight of family, friends, and especially teachers. All of this done to the solemn strains of a song over a century old. It is graduation season! My Facebook page overflows with pictures of happy grads full of hope and confidence for the future. I remember my graduation from High School, some forty-three years ago! I could not tell you who spoke, but I remember standing with my row, walking down the aisle, and shaking the hand of Mr. Chester Mcalpin, the vice-principal of Abilene High. I was finally through and ready to take on the world. I brimmed with confidence in my ability to conquer whatever the future held. I was through with learning. Like most of my peers, I viewed my parents, grandparents, and teachers’ generation with some level of suspicion. They were old and outdated. I was ready and did not really need their instruction anymore. Forty-three years later, my view is different.

I’m blessed with the presence of my parents here in Lubbock. While both approach their nineties, they still live on their own and enjoy some measure of good health. And they still teach me many things, needful things as my future unfolds. They instruct me on how to love your spouse fully. They model gentleness and patience, with me as well as with each other. They show me how to age gracefully, accepting the deleterious effects of passing years without complaint. They unfailingly display concern for those around them, minimizing their own complaints and suffering. Each day they walk out the path in front of them with dignity and aplomb. As the Lord grants them the ability, they continue to serve. Most Sundays, they join us for a traditional sit-down lunch. My mother never forgets to ask if there is anything she can bring. She’s serious about the offer, still gladly whipping up some sort of addition to our repast. Through example and conversation, they still work on scuffing off the rough edges of their eldest son. And when I pray for them each day, I seek the Lord’s blessing on their health and vigor, reminding my heavenly father that my earthly father still has a few things he needs to teach his children.

Memorial Day 2022

  Like most Americans, I will enjoy a day of vacation tomorrow. I have Pork Shoulder in my fridge, Mesquite in the bed of my truck, and will start “rolling smoke” early in the morning. In fact, as a teacher, my vacation is just starting. As a veteran, many friends will thank me for my service in conjunction with the celebration of Memorial Day. But, this is not my day. I always accept their compliments in the spirit given; however, we set aside Memorial Day to remember those who gave that last full measure, laying down their lives in service to their country. On Memorial Day I think of those men and women that I served with that never came home. They spilled their blood into the dirt of various places, never to enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice. I will enjoy a calm if windy, day here in Lubbock. I hope that their widows and orphans will enjoy some measure of peace and comfort on this day. I think of the country they sacrificed so much for.

What kind of country are we building? They poured out their lives for our future. Their sacrifice purchased you a future full of potential. Did they sacrifice in vain? Do we take the actions necessary to build a society and culture that lives up to the high ideals in our founding documents? The documents that lay out the vision of our Founding Fathers, and certain other luminaries that followed them, speak of a future pregnant with promise. They saw a country in which all citizens enjoyed inalienable rights. They envisioned a country that took care of its weakest members. They looked out and saw a land with unprecedented natural resources. So, what are we doing with their vision?

We inhabit a country founded with noble aspirations. During various moments and times, our country has shown exceptional courage and bravery. We’ve overcome significant challenges, physical and cultural. Today, we need to set aside our predilection for focusing solely on our own wants and consider the needs of others. We must address the gulf that separates the haves from the have-nots. We should not tolerate those kinds of laws that serve to estrange so many, consigning them to lives of hopeless ignorance and poverty. We must carefully steward this vast and beautiful land, a great gift from God, so that future generations will enjoy an environment of plenty and beauty. The pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness should not be the future of the well-to-do only. All of us should find success within our grasp. That is the kind of nation they bled and died for.

Tomorrow, when I fly my flag, I will think of those comrades who gave up their lives, in training as well as in conflict. I will purpose in my soul to seek out ways to forward their moral cause, the cause that animates this great experiment called the United States. I do not want their sacrifice, their bequest, to slip away into the morass of self-indulgent excess. That is not what they would want. Their honorable service will animate my efforts to forward the cause of liberty. That should be how I remember them.

What Kind of Society?

  Last week I completed my final “morning-duty” for the 21-22 school year. My morning duty includes standing at the front door of the school directing traffic and ensuring that all students get across the parking lot without becoming a speed-bump. One of the mothers dropping off her child was weeping. I asked her what was the matter?

She replied that she was afraid. As we all had, she had followed the events unfolding in Uvalde, Texas with great consternation. Now, the next morning, she wondered and fretted. Would she receive her cherished child back at the end of the day? I reassured her, explaining that what had happened there was not at all likely to happen here. That is what I’m supposed to do. She responded well, saying that despite her fears, she knew her son needed an education and that he must go to school. She drove off still fretting. That is our age.

It should not be that way. We have created a society that casually accepts the threat of violence and living in fear. In manifold ways we glorify violence. All types of media fairly drip with violence of some sort or another. Many of my students love wearing t-shirts emblazoned with symbolic violence. Music and movies regularly exalt brutality perpetrated against all types of weak individuals. We see the violence, perhaps even decry it, shrug our mental shoulders, and move along. We exchange pithy memes on the social media platform of our choosing and glare at the “enemy” on the other side of the abyss into which our country and society slides. Everyone agrees that this is a problem, but we do not lift a hand to make things better. 

We cherish our “rights” above all. These are my rights, and I will demand them despite the deleterious effect on the greater society. Rarely do we stop and consider what the effect of exercising my rights will have on those around me. Rights are important and we must defend them; however, rights come with responsibility for how we exercise them. As an officer in the Army, I found that increasing rank included increasing rights; but, I also found that those increasing rights entailed an increasing responsibility to exercise them appropriately. In civilian life as a teacher, I enjoy the right to grow a beard, a right denied my students…much to their consternation. What they do not realize and find hard to comprehend even with careful explanation, is that as a professional I am expected to present a high degree of respectability in my dress and appearance. Consequently, I keep my beard well-trimmed and wear sport-coat, tie, and slacks almost every day. I do so without instruction from my principal. I give up my right to wear shorts and Hawaiian shirts, my normal weekend attire, to better serve the community of the school. We need to rethink how we exercise our rights.

We enjoy the many rights enumerated in our founding documents. We must willingly embrace the concept that responsibility accompanies rights. Sometimes when we want to exercise rights that may imperil others, we must accept certain constraints on the exercise of the same. When driving, if I flaunt responsibility long enough, I may very well lose a cherished right. When exercising rights that will ultimately bend society in one direction or another, we must carefully consider how exercising these rights will shape our society. Yes, it is my right to bear arms. But do we really need a society that has 120 weapons for every 100 people (smallarmssurvey.org)? Do we want to build a society in which a mother weeps as she drops her son off for school?

When I was Most Weak

 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6 ESV

 

                The leak of the draft Supreme Court decision regarding abortion released a torrent of emotion. A sea of impassioned faces stares out at me from my screen, some ecstatic others baleful. Pundits in both camps struggle to make sense of this watershed moment. For many, this moment represents a hopeful victory, years in the making. For many others, this portends a savage curtailment of freedoms. For me, I am reminded of Romans 5:6, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” When I was at the most weak and desperate someone in power spoke up for me.

                As a sixty-year-old man, a veteran of over twenty years of active service in the Army, ten years of experience in high school and junior high classrooms, father of three children, and thirty years of marriage to the same beautiful woman, I intimately understand the dynamics of power and relationships. I know what it is like to wield power and what it is like to suffer indignities under the lash of tyrannical leadership. At my lowest and most vulnerable, someone spoke up in my defense, giving up their rights for me. Yes, giving up their rights for me, a concept foreign and anathema to most of us. When I was weak, someone spoke for me. So now, I must speak for the weak.

                And yes, I speak for the weak, enfolded in their mother’s womb. They are voiceless, so I raise my voice for them.

                I speak for the weak, huddled masses along the border desperately hoping for a chance a something better. I speak for them, the sojourners. Some flee persecution and violence. Others flee a future darkened by unending, relentless hardship. I speak for them.

                I speak for the weak children, trapped in crumbling under-supported schools. They spend their days in dank edifices learning just enough to know that there is something better out there, but unable to escape to a brighter future. I speak for them.

                I speak for the weak, enduring a life of grinding poverty, alienated in a country they call their own. They know that the game is rigged against them. I speak for them.

                I speak for the weak, those ailing among us that cannot afford appropriate medical treatment. In a time of historically unparalleled riches, they perish for lack of standard healthcare. I speak for them.

                I speak for the weak among us who struggle to find their place in our culture. Adrift in a hostile environment, they long for patience and understanding. I speak for them.

                I speak for the weak who labor in the service industries that provide the foundation of our economy and the oil for the humming machine that supports our life of ease. They regularly toil in bare minimum wage jobs with no benefits, often working multiple jobs just to keep a roof over their heads and to feed a family. I speak for them.

                I speak for the weak among us whose lives have spiraled down into homelessness. Yes, poor decisions mar their path, but surely, they deserve some level of help and succor. I speak for them. But it is not enough to simply speak.

                We must also act, doing all that we can to provide the impoverished help and succor. The right to life must surely extend past the first nine months and include proper education, food for the table, shelter from the elements, adequate clothing, and perhaps most importantly hope for a future. In a country which is arguably the wealthiest in the world and perhaps historically, we must rid ourselves of our current churlish attitude towards those less well off. When we were at our weakest, raising our fists in open rebellion, someone spoke up for us. Given our astounding resources, physical, spiritual, and intellectual, universal healthcare is within our reach. To withhold such from large sectors of our population reflects our own selfishness. We should provide every child within our borders a high-quality education. To fail in this, simply ensures that we will have to deal with masses of uneducated youth trapped in low-wage jobs with no future. Those of us that enjoy all the benefits of contemporary American or Western culture also enjoy the responsibility of caring for the weakest members of that culture. Long ago, Jesus said, “…Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:48 ESV) Future historians will not evaluate our nation on the numbers of millionaires and billionaires we produce. Every culture produces an upper, wealthy class. The more enlightened, worthy cultures allocate resources to care for and protect the rights of the weakest members of its’ society.

I know that many consider the possibility of a reversal of Roe v. Wade an assault on their rights. And I understand. For centuries, perhaps millennia, women have endured significant depredations at the hands of brutish males, and despite progress, still frequently endure second-class treatment; consequently, the quest to secure rights remains a critical and necessary work. Sadly, especially in some areas, securing appropriate treatment remains a distant goal. Much work remains to eradicate the pernicious weed of sexual discrimination. But a child, resting secure within the safe embrace of its mother’s womb represents the weakest of the weak. Who speaks up for this weak person? When I was weak, someone spoke up for me. Now I must speak, and act for the weak.

 

Pushing Back Against the Darkness

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3 KJV

In the beginning chaos and darkness reigned. We do not know much at all about the time before time; before the clock was off and running. We can say that blackness and confusion abounded. God came and examined the situation, moving about over this formless and disordered expanse. Then the Kol Yahweh rang out and everything changed. Light sprang forth creating an immediate division. Chaos no longer ruled.

But chaos still clamors for control. Whether it is in world affairs; witness the horrifying events unfolding in the Ukraine. Or perhaps something as deeply personal and painful as a ruptured familial relationship. One need not look farther than one’s own heart to find evidence of darkness seeking dominion. We all harbor those untidy places, moments in which the darkness wrestles for control. But despite the heartbreaking, soul groaning, turmoil we stand on a sure foundation.

    5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 ESV

Each day the earth turns and morning dawns. Light overcomes darkness. As a soldier on guard, I experienced that bitter and lonely cold of the night before dawn. But each day the sun rose, and light swallowed up the darkness, bringing fresh hope. The darkness, chaos, did not win. With a slow crunching grind, the stone rolled and once again, the light poured forth claiming victory over the night. Jesus stepped out bringing with him order.

So when I’m tempted to despair, I remember the stone that rolled, the Spirit that hovered, the sea that split, and find relief in Easter and the empty grave. Chaos still seeks to win and often in that cold dark before the dawn seems powerful. But the darkness has not overcome the light. Or as the King James Version renders it, darkness has not comprehended the light. The forces of dark do not understand the power of the light that stepped out of the empty tomb and into my heart. 

He is risen…He is risen indeed!