Wet Ink

Enemies of truth do battle with twisted words shaped to delight or confuse the ear and mind with the singular purpose of further deluding those who are ever and always looking for a new justification for being their own authority over their lives.

His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords. Psalm 55:21, NIV

Truth itself uses the same ancient and honest words it has always used to warn unruly souls of the multiple perils surrounding them in this life and the ultimate peril of forfeiting joy and rest in the next realm.

The body of Christian truth is exclusively where this true Truth is to be found. Be advised. When a new word or phrase is invented that does not have obvious meaning until the perpetrators tell you what it means, suspect it to be the latest contrivance to distract you from using the good mind that God gave you.

There are no new battles for the mind to fight. Just new words in the enemy’s arsenal. The original battle still rages, and it boils down to the Enemy’s original sneering question, “Did God really say that?” Genesis 3:1, NIV

My opening suggestion to you is that you not shy away from the word religion. Since the word can mean many things, many of which do give you reason to shy away, I will try to equip you to be able to peg the word correctly when you hear it.

Put in the simplest terms, a person’s religion is that interest of theirs about which they are passionate. A person may be religious about physical fitness or about healthy eating. No god is involved in these religions. Atheism may honestly be labeled a religion. But, when you try to shift to talking about some outside spiritual being or force, the conversation changes.

An outside spiritual being may or may not be a god as we think of gods. For instance, those who are drawn to the dark side may find company in satanic cults which are religions oriented around a dark spiritual being.

What should matter to every person is whether or not there is a supreme being that should have some sort of attention from us. The suspicion throughout human history that there is such a being is evidenced in the many versions of religion that have taken shape around man’s various attempts to solve the ultimate riddle of existence and then lay out some prescriptions to follow.

The proponents of many religions do not particularly care about whether their religion has any trustworthy foundation for its beliefs, prescriptions, and practices. The bottom line is staying out of trouble with an unpredictable deity and obtaining such favors from the deity as might be gained. All religions in this general category represent man’s attempt to stay on the deity’s good side through efforts that man is told might possibly be effective. These religions can be good, if they have a positive effect upon human behavior. They can be bad if they do not. And they can be ugly if behavior becomes worse than if they had no religion at all.

Many would-be and actual founders of religions have realized the necessity of claiming some kind of unusual story behind the beliefs and practices they prescribe. It might take the form of a swoon or a trance, a vision, a touch of magic, or even a drug-altered state of mind. Any version of these options paves the way to announcing abnormal insights or even some new grasp of the obvious. Either will do for starting a religion. For one, the discovery of transparent stones through which one sees and deciphers divine truths works just fine. Taking direct dictation from God is another. Worst of all, building upon the psyche of depressed people is authority enough for some. Again, these religions can be good, bad, or ugly for the same reasons already mentioned.

Now, to totally upset the apple cart of world religions, we who are Jesus followers claim that there is one God and only one God who had determined ways to be known which did not depend upon man’s human efforts. In fact, in the case of many of God’s chosen agents, the was a resistance to being chosen as a prophet rather than a using of their encounter with God to lift themselves up. These chosen ones knew that being a channel for messages from God would more likely make them unpopular.

Another offense in the Christian message is that this God makes it clear that he has no divine competition. The only competition that exists is the imaginations of mankind. He also unmistakably declares that there is absolutely not more than one road that will get you to him.

This God claims to be the creator of all that exists. This God gradually unfolds who he is and how he is to be honored. This God reaches out to rebellious man out of a purity of holiness and flawless justice that would justifiably warrant the extermination of his rebellious humans from the earth, and maybe start over.

But, this God is also a God of mercy and grace that is revealed in his totally unique pathway for man to be restored to his true God.

This religion, if I may call it that, is also good, bad, and ugly for totally different reasons than the others. It is good because it is man’s only hope in a world that is reeling toward greater disaster. It is bad, because it goes against man’s pride and desire to exercise his free will in choosing some kind of religion, or rejecting them all. It is ugly, because there are dire and eternal consequences for turning one’s back on their only hope.

The gradual unfolding of any reliable knowledge of this One and Only God began with communication that was apparently audible to the first humans. Then, communication receded to being available only through selected spokespersons and those often reluctant prophets. The forms of communication culminated with a see-hear-touch manifestation of God in the God-man Jesus Christ, whose appearance on the human scene was foretold by those specially drafted and often mystified prophets.

In God’s clearest communication to date, uttered through Jesus, recorded in John’s Gospel, we have the ultimate line in the sand when it comes to tolerance. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”  John 14:6, NIV [The Gospel of John, Chapter Fourteen, Verse Six.]

With the earthly visit by the Son of Man, Jesus of Nazareth, and the subsequent spiritual directives by chosen apostles and church leaders, divine revelations, or “special revelations” ceased.

God’s next involvement in human history will be the Son of God, Jesus, returning in great power to judge the earth and set everything right, the very thing that humans have been trying to accomplish on their own without any significant success.

Some of the most stimulating studies for me have been in philosophy and logic. Thinking philosophically is something everyone does, whether consciously or unconsciously, keenly or carelessly. Becoming a philosopher-for-others is a different matter.

Celebrities, famous because of their acting or entertaining skills, or even athletic feats, often think that they have become qualified as philosophers. Almost every issue of COSTCO magazine contains a feature or interview of an accomplished lime-lighter who suddenly is ready to explain how to live life. You can find better philosophers than most of these.

The true role of the philosopher is to confront us with the kinds of questions that force us to think outside our comfort zone. Philosophers usually go on to develop philosophies, but their forte, really, is posing life-probing and reality-probing questions.

Teachers are another matter. Their qualifications should be that they know a whole lot about something that we know far too little about. Teachers are there to fill in the blanks out of their expertise. You likely had one teacher who was no more than one day ahead of you learning French or calculus. I had one of those. Choose your teachers and your philosophers wisely.

Martyrs share a distinction that we do not covet. These are often the philosophers and the teachers who pay with their lives for upsetting ours. Martyrdom happens when a society defends the status quo to the death…the death of the interloper. The martyr’s role is to amaze us that some souls think some things to be so true and so essential for the rest of us that they are willing to die for their beliefs.

Thank goodness for kings, I think. The role of the king is to step in and straighten everything out, his way. He recruits his minions under the guideline that “it’s my way or the highway.” In recent history we have had two king-like presidents in the good ole USA. Each seized the opportunity to set things right, by fiat, as he saw fit.

Thus, we live, confronted by philosophers and teachers, confused by martyrs and kings.

Among those rare individuals who have excelled in all four roles, Jesus of Nazareth stands out from all the rest.

As a philosopher, he asked a slew of questions that often baffled his hearers and not infrequently left them speechless, affronted, or furious. Bible students have found in the Scriptures 307 questions that Jesus asked in his three years of public life. Jesus himself was asked some 183 questions, of which he answered about three. This is the philosopher at work.

As a teacher, Jesus knew his material well. His core course offerings were Life, Creation, Purpose, and God. He was uniquely qualified to teach all these subjects in that God Almighty engineered creation through him as the pre-earthly Christ. People often give me answers to questions that I had yet to think to ask. Jesus did that. And he did not shy away from giving politically incorrect answers. This is the teacher at work.

As a martyr, Jesus was lifted up above all others. He led the way for a procession of martyrs to follow, and the train is getting longer by the day. In the midst of a torturous death process he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Christian martyrs continue to face their mortal enemies with the same prayer. This is the martyr at work.

As a king, Jesus has yet to fully reveal an authority that will be saturated with justice, a legitimate concern of many today. A cartoon on the office wall of a local attorney depicted a lawyer asking his client, “How much justice can you afford?” Should we laugh, or cry? Neither. We should wait.

In Israel’s earlier days, David was anointed king years before God let his rule begin. Jesus is God’s final anointed-in-advance king. Pure justice for all is coming. Date to be announced only by his sudden re-appearance.

Within minutes of moving into our new neighborhood, or maybe the next day, the gregarious next-door neighbor was in our front yard glad-handing us. Ray probably had twenty-five years more life experience than I, and of a radically different kind. One example; I had not spent years in a penitentiary.

Ellie was also friendly and kind but within more customary norms. It would often be the ever-effervescing Ray on the step when the doorbell sent my kids racing to greet the visitor. The sight of him brought quizzical looks to their faces. That may have begun on the day Ray beamed through the screen that Santa Claus, who was to my kids no more than a fun Christmas myth, would be coming soon. “Daddy, does Mr. Ray really believe in Santa Claus?”

Time would reveal the fog of despair that chilled these two lives next door. The day came when Ray rang our phone asking us to come over. Ray stayed seated with Ellie on a love seat while he summoned us to enter. Waiting, untouched, on Ray’s lap was a revolver. Before my shock could leap to fear Ray spoke. “Tell me why my wife and I should not commit suicide.”

You and I are always prepared to answer such questions, right?

Well, something did come out of my mouth. All I can remember now is that we listened and then offered the encouragements of true Truth. The next day I gave them a book that talked about life as they had come to experience it. Within a day or two they had finished devouring the book. Moreover, they responded and accepted its life-rescuing message.

Recently, my wife and I were gazing at a puffy pile of cumulus hurrying across a sapphire sky. We got to remembering the many times we had remarked to someone nearby about a breath-taking vista quite visible in the moment to us all. How often we would get a response that could be roughly translated, “Huh?”

While there are many folks who do appreciate the beauties of a God-absent, evolutionary accident in the cosmos, my wife and I realized that what grabs our eyes and souls also lifts us into an involuntary gasp of worship offered toward our Creator God.

Ray was back in our yard before long. He was exuding a different kind of excitement. Ray simply had to tell me that he had never seen the grass and trees so brilliantly green nor the sky so remarkably beautiful. Ray had gotten new eyes. They had come with the package of God’s Spirit entering his own.

To the day we moved away Ray and Ellie remained fully alive and free.

Seat belt fastened, key in ignition, start the engine. Time to play the road game, “Where’d you get your license?”

Draw a card, any card. If I’m in a hurry, I seem to draw Pokey Driver who blocks my next move. If I feel relaxed and in the mood for some pleasant motoring, Bumper Buddy shows up. Some times I draw Signal Fluid Empty, Traffic Weaver, or Big Pick-up Passes Me on the Right Shoulder. And, no one wants Semi Pair Blocks Both Lanes.

In my better moments I can find the game amusing, imagining a website for mail-order drivers licenses.

But, the worst for me, worse than Go Directly to Jail in Monopoly, is Brake Rider. What, if anything, is going on in their head? Is B.R. afraid of an imminent crash? Is their right turn coming up in the next five miles or so? Or, are they simply using proper texting precaution?

Brake Rider does not show up that often on the road, but I do frequently find him, and her, on the road to eternity. They are curious enough about God to get on the road, but scared enough of Jesus to ride the brake. Again, what is going on in their head…and heart?

As a young man I once had to hitchhike home from work because my car was in the shop. An old guy picked me up and offered to drive me the twelve miles to my house. On the way he began talking about stuff in the Bible. He took pains to convince me of the reality of the devil, who, in my book, was a fairy tale character. Couldn’t wait to get out of his car! The freaky conversation caused me to ride my brakes for some time after. Eventually, though, I learned that he was right on.

So, back to this scary Jesus person.

Jesus called himself The Way to get to The Father. He said that no one gets to the Father except through him. And, you can’t get by him on his one lane road.

A lunatic statement, if not true. But, The Way became the way by sweeping clear the road ahead of our considerable sin debris.

Those with their foot on the brake might consider an upcoming detour to a historical site with meaning for today. It is the site of an execution. You’ll find the right hill when you see an ancient instrument of death by torture, a cross, perched on the summit. On that site, by God’s pre-determined plan (and using bad people), the only pure and holy man that ever lived was judged by God in our place so that we could be pronounced “forgiven”. God wanted to do that for us. That’s the message of God. You can read more on this on the page called Entrance.

Yes, definitely, you ought to brake for the Cross of Christ. Contemplate it. Respond to its meaning for you. Then, get your foot on the gas and get on your way to The Father and the life he has for you.

One of my favorite reads is almost anything by G.K. Chesterton. He was a brilliant thinker, journalist, editor, and prolific author of more than 5,000 articles and books.

G.K. was once approached by a newspaper to write an article on the subject, “What is wrong with the world”. That was back in the 1800’s. Obviously, such an observation on the world and the search for explanation is not new. In fact, even the ancient Greek philosophers put in their two drachmas on the problem.

Chesterton duly submitted his article. It contained one of the most profound answers to the question that has ever been put forth by human ponderers. It is also likely the shortest. I’ll quote his article here in its entirety.

“I am.”