When We Die

When Steve Jobs died at the age of 56, we all paused to reflect. He had resigned just six weeks earlier as CEO of Apple.. His user-friendly computing innovations including the iPod, iPhone and iPad transformed the way we live. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer eight years earlier, he addressed his own mortality in a commencement speech at Stanford:

“No one wants to die,” he said. “Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.”

Death is inevitable. But what happens after we die? The book of Job asked the question we all ask sooner or later: “If a man die, shall he live again?” After years of suffering and serious arguments with his friends and with God, Job emerged with a powerful conclusion. “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! “ (Job 19:25-27).

The issue of life after death is central to the Christian faith. While most people believe that some kind of life exists after we die, Jesus provides the only verifiable evidence of life beyond the grave. Each of the Gospels gives an eyewitness account of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Luke says, “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3).

The Apostle Paul wrote, “The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 The Message).

Jesus promised something far better for us when we are “cleared away” by death’s inevitability. He said, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

Fathers

This Sunday the scent of sizzling steak will drift across the back yards of America.  I guess it is a guy thing, and I guess that is why we celebrate Father’s Day around the grill. There is something about standing around a fire, even if it is propane, and cooking meat.

My own father died 38 years ago. But I still remember the steaks he cooked on picnics at the lake.  I remember his hand upon my shoulder encouraging me when times seemed tough.  And I will never forget the grin on his face when I hit a home run.

I became a father 40 years ago and it seems like yesterday that I stood with my face pressed against the nursery window watching the newborn that wriggled in a bassinet on the other side.  I wore a tie, hoping those who saw me would think he had a respectable dad.

Father’s Day started in the United States in 1910 in Spokane, Washington. Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd got the idea while sitting in church observing Mothers Day. Her father raised her after her mother’s early death, and she wanted some way to honor him. The city and its churches adopted the proposal with enthusiasm. Since that time our nation has paused on the third Sunday of June to celebrate the role of fathers in our families.

The role of fathers is unmistakable in the Bible starting with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Honoring our fathers and mothers is the “first commandment with a promise” among the Ten Commandments. (Ephesians 6:3; Exodus 20:12).

The U.S, Department of Health and Human Services recognizes the importance of fathers.  Their web site quotes Dr. David Popenoe who makes the observation that "Fathers are far more than just 'second adults' in the home.  Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring."

If fathers want to have the healthiest influence on their children, it starts with marriage.  The DHHS manual for CPS workers states, “A father who has a good relationship with the mother of their children is more likely to be involved and to spend time with their children and to have children who are psychologically and emotionally healthier. Similarly, a mother who feels affirmed by her children's father and who enjoys the benefits of a happy relationship is more likely to be a better mother.”

It isn’t rocket science.  Good fathers create healthy homes and healthy children.  Statistics overwhelmingly indicate that children who grow up in homes without fathers face significantly greater obstacles and have a higher rate of suicide, drug abuse and socio-psychological problems.

According to US Census data, currently one in three children live in a home without their father.  This is especially significant when we consider that in 1960 only 11 percent of children lived in a fatherless home. 

The Bible indicates that the father-child relationship was important to the coming of Christ.  The book of Malachi predicted a prophet that God would send to introduce the Messiah: “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”  (Malachi 4:6).  When the angel told Zecharias that he would have a son in his old age who would be the forerunner to Jesus, the angel said, “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children.”

This Father’s Day reminds us that few things are as important to our nation and its future as the role of fathers in the lives of their children.

When Life Overwhelms

My cousin calls it “clumping:” those times when demands upon our life converge in a perfect storm. We face demands from employees, employers, clients and supervisors. We face demands from our family: marriages that need nurture; children who struggle with growth issues from the cradle to college; aging parents with failing health. Unexpected illness strikes us when we least expect it. “Clumping” times steal away our breath and rob us of our energy. Sleep is illusive, and, when it comes is often filled with restless nightmares of unfulfilled obligations.

Even Jesus experienced “clumping." As his fame spread, the demands made upon him multiplied. The Gospels say that he did not even have time to eat. At one point he was so exhausted that a life-threatening storm could not wake him. Thousands pressed in upon him from dawn to dusk seeking help. His own family rejected him. His closest followers disagreed with him. His enemies hounded him.

But in the midst of these demands Jesus always demonstrated a calm confidence and a quiet center. He refused to be hurried or harried. He never snapped back, never became irritable. And, in the end, he changed the world. No life has impacted the world more profoundly than Jesus.

What are the clues from Jesus that can help us when “clumping” strikes?

“Clumping” is temporary. The time when demands and crises seem overwhelming will ultimately pass. Jesus could face the overwhelming demands that fell upon him because he knew it was temporary. Hebrews says, “For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross.” Having learned this truth from Jesus, Peter wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.”(1 Peter 1:6-7)

Sooner or later life will “clump.” Prepare for the “clumping” stages of life before they come. Jesus told the story of two men who built their houses, one upon sand and the other upon rock. When the storm came, which is inevitable, the house built on sand collapsed. If we continually practice honesty, goodness, generosity, forgiveness and faith when times are easy, we will be able to overcome when times get tough.

Build quiet space for prayer in the midst of life’s demands. Even though the demands upon Jesus were intense and unrelenting, he always found time to get alone with God. Mark writes, “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” (Mark 1:35-36).

Constantly look to God. Perhaps this more than anything else was the secret of Jesus’ success. He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19).

Miracle of the Mundane

Did Jesus do dishes?  The very question sounds sacrilegious.  That might be the point.  Sometimes our “religion” prism causes us to miss the real miracle about Jesus.  The whole idea of “religion” tends to confine our thinking to “church” related activities and theological conversations.  To most people, Jesus never enters day-to-day conversation because to do so is to introduce “religion,” and daily life is uncomfortable with religion.

Those who knew Jesus, who met him, heard him, saw him, ate with him and walked with him were struck by his humanity.  He was real, but, as some say, “not real religious.”  He went to the synagogues and spoke there, but it was the religious people who had difficulty with him.  He ate with tax collectors, visited with prostitutes and befriended lepers, violated religious laws by healing the sick and allowing his disciples to harvest grain on the Sabbath.

Jesus’ divinity was there for all to see:  he made the blind see, caused the deaf to hear, lifted the lame to walk and raised the dead.  Even the wind and the sea obeyed him.  But, as important as all those things were, especially to the individuals who experienced it, he elevated the mundane to the miraculous.

John described him like this:  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1) The Word became flesh and lived among us and we saw his glory, glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). The writer of Hebrews wrote:  “For we have not a high priest who is not touched with our infirmities but was tempted in all ways like as we are, yet without sin.” 

The Bible never says that Jesus did the dishes.  It does say that he washed feet. Which, it seems to me, required a great deal more humility than washing dishes.  I expect dishes were prized possessions in most homes of Galilee. They weren’t cheap.  You could not pick up dishes at the local Walmart or the Dollar store.  They were all hand crafted and often passed down from generation to generation.  Most homes likely had little more than the bare essentials when it came to dishes. They did not pile up in the sink waiting for someone to unload the dishwasher.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if Jesus helped his mother out, or even lent a hand to Martha in the kitchen at Bethany, and washed dishes.

I always think my wife will be most impressed when I buy her flowers.  She does appreciate them and she likes them. But what she really seems to like is the times that I do the dishes.  It may be that the most spiritual thing you may do today is to do the dishes.  It could be a God thing.

Memorial Day - Remembering

Tom Brokaw called them “The Greatest Generation.”  They grew up in the Great Depression.  They drove some of the first automobiles on the first paved highways in America. They went to work for the Works Progress Administration and built our nation’s infrastructure.  They strung wires across our country and brought electricity and telephones to homes throughout America. They bought radios and invented the first television. They landed on the beaches at Normandy, raised the flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima and defended our freedom in World War II.  They were the first to enter space and chose to go to the moon.  Today, their generation is vanishing from the earth. They once numbered more than twelve million but only 1.2 million survive. One thousand members of the WW II generation die every day.  

On Memorial weekend we remember those who have gone before and paved the way for our future.

My father’s brother entered Nuremberg, Germany on April 14, 1945 as a tank commander in the final push to occupy the city.  Years later, when my wife and I went to Nuremberg to serve an English speaking church, he remembered, with the quick smile that always illumined his face, that it was difficult to get a tank through the narrow streets of the old city. 

He was wounded in the battle and spent three months convalescing in the hospital in Nuremberg.  With the war over, he toured Italy and Switzerland for few months following the war, then headed home.  His first agenda was to seek out the love he left behind  They were soon married and spent more than sixty years as husband and wife.

He was a gifted artist.   One of his paintings hangs on the wall of my office, a family treasure reminding me of his love and encouragement across the years. 

In his later years the sounds of artillery returned to haunt him, one of the incurable symptoms of post-traumatic stress.  Crowds and locations with loud noises bothered him. But he remained outgoing, enjoying friends and family. 

As his health declined he faced death with the same courage, confidence and faith with which he faced it in his youth.  He was buried January a year ago at the Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas. 

This weekend I will remember Richard H. Tinsley, as we all remember those close to us who have been willing to put their lives on the line for our country.  Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.”  (John 15:13).

Nigeria: Setting the Captives Free

On April 14, the Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, abducted more than 300 girls who were taking exams at the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Nigeria.  Fifty-six managed to escape. But 276 remain captive.  Amnesty International reported that the Nigerian government had four hours of warning before the abduction, but did not act for fear of engaging the armed rebels. It appears the majority of the girls are Christians who are being threatened with their lives to convert to Islam.

The Boko Haram leader initially vowed to sell the girls, some of them into Cameroon and Chad.  More recently he has sought to use many of them as hostages promising their release in exchange for Boko Haram prisoners held in Nigeria.  

This Saturday, May 17, France will host a summit where representatives from Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Benin, the United States and Britain will meet with the President of Nigeria.  The event has refocused the world on the widespread problem of Islamic extremism and human trafficking. 

Around the world, the poor, oppressed and helpless continue to be forced into prostitution and slave labor. They become victims in wars that seem to never end. The absence of human dignity, respect, compassion and justice is appalling. According to the U.S. Department of State, “There are approximately 600,000 to 800,000 children, women and men trafficked across international borders annually.” 80% of these are women and girls. Up to 50% are minors.

Sometimes we are overcome with the evil that exists in the world.  But widespread violence and injustice is not new.  King David wrestled with the same realities in Psalm 10.  He wrote:
“Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?  In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted. … His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.  He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair.  ^…  O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble. You will strengthen their heart. You will incline your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.”
Jesus had no illusions about the world and its evil.  He predicted we would have wars and rumors of wars. That nation would continue to rise up against nation. But He also had no illusion about the purpose of His coming.  He said, “ The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”(Luke 4:18-19).

In a world that harbors pervasive evil, we must continue to pray and work for the release and rescue of these girls in Nigeria while we seek to establish justice and righteousness around the world.  

Mothers Day

This week we will honor our mothers.  Husbands, sons and daughters will elbow their way to the greeting card displays in search of the perfect card.  Florists will put on extra staff to handle the demand. Restaurants brace for business.

Regardless of our nationality, ethnicity or gender, we were each carried in our mother’s womb, given birth through her labor and, in almost all cases, nursed and nourished to life by her care.  It is fitting that we set aside this special day.

No office and no position wields greater power and influence over the future of humanity than the influence of a mother.  The memories and lessons given in infancy at a mother’s hand surpass every other classroom and instruction.  The faith of a mother inspires and instructs more effectively than any pulpit or pen.

We see it in history, and we see it in the Bible.

In a log cabin in Kentucky, Nancy Hanks Lincoln recognized the early gifts in her child.  She not only taught him to read, but instructed him in the principles that would shape his life.  Without Nancy, and Sarah, who became step mother to her children after Nancy’s death, it is unlikely that Abraham Lincoln would have ever surfaced to lead our nation in its greatest hour of crisis.

If it were not for Moses’ mother, the world would have never known the great law-giver who led Israel from captivity and gave us the Ten Commandments.  It was she who hid him in the reeds at the river to save his infant life and it was she who cared for him in Pharaoh’s court. 

How many mothers have petitioned God for the birth of a child, as Hannah prayed in the presence of Eli, the prophet?  Without her prayer, Samuel would not have been born, and would not have been present to anoint David, the king of Israel.

In the fullness of time, in an obscure  Galilean village, another young woman  lifted up her eyes to heaven and sang, “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His handmaiden; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For He that is mighty has done to me great things, and holy is His name.” (Luke 1:46-49).  Without Mary we would never have known Jesus, and the world would remain lost in its sins without a Savior.

Paul referred to the importance of a mother’s faith when he wrote to his young protégé, Timothy: “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”  (1 Timothy 1:5). 

This Mother’s Day stands as a memorial to all our mothers who have shaped us and made a better world.  It also stands as a challenge to all those young women who give birth to the next generation and shape the future of the world to come.