What The Olympics Don't Tell Us

The Olympics fascinate us.

The Olympics fascinate me. I will sit in front of the TV as long as I can, so that I can watch as much as I can. I get up early to watch events live. I stay up late to watch full recaps of the day. Watching as the mastery which these athletes have over their craft make some of the most difficult things appear to be the easiest. Their skill makes you watch the event, and think "I can do that."

No. No I can't.

Why can't I?

Is it because the sport doesn't ooze from my pores? Is it because my parents didn't train me early enough? Is it because I'm just not naturally gifted in that area?

No. It is none of those reasons. The reason I could not do what these Olympians are doing is that I don't train hard or long enough. This is what the Olympics don't tell us. They might mention it - but never for too long. We only see these athletes at their best. We only see the final product. We do not see the hours and hours of training which these athletes go through. We do not see the blood, sweat, and tears which they pour into their craft; because of this, when we watch the Olympics, we might think something is easy and get easily discouraged when we realize that we are not as gifted or cannot do the same thing in the same manner.

Think of the perseverance it takes for these athletes to train for 4 years, for a sport which (for some) might only give them a couple minutes of recognition. This is what the Olympics don't show us.

This is what we need to see though. The glory, the skill, the mastery does not come without the hard work.

So don't get discouraged when you, in whatever discipline, don't measure up to someone - instead use this as inspiration and motivation to keep at the hard work because that is the only way you will be able to master something. We need to do the same thing with our spiritual walk - there are people who have been training their entire life; so don't get discouraged that they might know more verses, or more historical information, or can quote more commentaries. Instead use this as motivation to get to that stage - you will have to work at it and there will be days when it is difficult but it is only through hard work that you can see the growth that you want.

 It isn't going to just happen - just like you won't wake up one day realizing you have been gifted with Olympic talent - you will have to work at it.

Holy, Holy, Holy

In Isaiah 6 we, with Isaiah, are allowed to peak into the throne room of heaven. What we see, if we think about it, is truly terrifying. Isaiah doesn't actually see God he just feels his presence, his holy presence. This presence is surrounded by seraphim who are covering their face in humility and the rest of their body with reverence - all while singing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty; the earth is filled with his glory." The entire room was shaking from their voices as they were proclaiming this; not only was the room shaking, it was filled with smoke - a sign of God's distinctness from humanity, his being set apart, his being Holy.

Isaiah did and said the only thing that any of us would say if we were experiencing this - Woe is me!

When we are presented with God is his holiness the only thing that we recognize is that we are not holy. Not only are we not holy, we are far from holy - we see all the things that we have done which do not measure up to God's perfect standard. I work with a guy who taught himself how to sketch, and he is incredible; when I look at his sketches I am instantly reminded/shown the ways that I cannot draw. I am able to draw a stickman, but when you compare that to his sketches - it just doesn't measure up. The same is true when we come face to face with a Holy God, we realize that we don't measure up.

As Isaiah is saying this though a seraphim flew to him and touched his lips with a burning coal from the altar. The altar was what cleansed the Israelites from their sins - this was symbolic of someone cleansing him. Isaiah did nothing - he didn't ask to be cleansed, or have his guilt pushed aside. Once this happened Isaiah boldly answered the Lord's question of who would he send.

We aren't cleansed by a seraphim; our cleansing is better. We have been cleansed by the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We did nothing to deserve this grace and mercy. We were separated from God and yet he chose to come down and cleanse us through his death and resurrection.

So if we have been cleansed - how much bolder should we be in following God's call? how much louder should we be singing 'Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty; the earth is filled with his glory." This is the truest thing that we could ever be saying either through our words or our actions. Praising this holy being who through his mercy and grace brings us into His presence as adopted sons and daughter.

What are you saying?

They Told Who?

*Since the Prince of Wales Hotel is closed during the actual Christmas season, we celebrated it July 25th; this is the inspiration for this post*

We all know the story.

Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem. There is no room in the inn. Jesus is born. The angels tell the shepherds. The shepherds come and find the baby. A little while later (if you're watching a Christmas production version) the wise men show up...

Wait.

The angels told shepherds?!

This is something that we easily read over. For us shepherds are either Joe Farmer from down the street or it is the little kids wearing their dad's bathrobe - both options aren't bad. However, this is not what a shepherd was - back then shepherds were the lowest of the low. They were known for letting their sheep graze on land they weren't supposed to, they were thieves, they were not religious. They were the outcasts of society. Yet God told them first? This would be like the Queen of England rushing out of the hospital to tell a prostitute, or a junkie, or a homeless man that #royalbaby was born. This just wouldn't happen! Yet it is to these people that God chose to let them know that His son was born.

We are all shepherds. Due to sin, we are all outcasts when it comes to God's holiness - none of us are worthy of this. We are all the lowest of the low - it was for us, shepherds, that God came to bring peace.

Peace from trying to earn our way to salvation. Peace from doubt. Peace from fear. Peace from comparison. Peace from degradation. Peace from judgement. Peace with God. The shepherds marveled at this as they looked at Jesus - here was God's plan to bring them peace, a peace they could already begin to feel. This is what they had been waiting for. This peace was seen when they looked at the face of the baby Jesus in the manger; we can see this peace when we see Jesus hanging on the cross.

The words the angels told the Shepherds told the shepherds still ring true for us - A Savior has been born, He is Christ the Lord - and he came to bring you peace because he loves you.

I used to be humble...but now I'm perfect

Pride.

It's a word that we hear and instantly think of other people. We think of examples when other people boasted of their accomplishments or had an arrogant air around them when we talked with them. It's something that he needs to deal with; it's something that she struggles with; it's never something that I deal with.

We all know that last sentence isn't true. There are times when we all are prideful - I make better coffee than ___________, I'm smarter than ____________, I'm prettier than _______________, I'm funnier than ____________...the list can go on and on. C.S. Lewis says that “pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man" (Mere Christianity). If you are anything like me you know that this is true, we are great at comparing ourselves to other people - in fact it might be one of the things that we are all experts at.

The disciples were no different - in fact they debated about who the best disciple was (Luke 9:46). You have to imagine that it was this conversation which was in their heads as they silently watched as Jesus watched their feet. Why were they silent - it wasn't because he was washing their feet, this was a fairly common practice in Palestine because of all the dirt roads. No, this was shocking, because their master had stripped to his boxers, wrapped a towel around himself, and began washing their feet. This task was reserved for a servant, and not an Israelite servant because it was too humiliating! And now here was Jesus taking that upon himself - he was intentionally humiliating himself because he loved his disciples.

And after he finished, he told them to do the same. He tells us to do the same.

He showed a fulfillment of this type of love when he hung on the cross - a humiliating death - because of his great love. This is the type of love that we are called to have when he tells us to wash each other's feet. It is through this love that people will know we are Jesus' disciples - after all that was his signature, Paul gives us a summary in Philippians 2: he took on human flesh (he is God), he took the nature of a servant (he was the teacher/rabbi), he died on the cross (he was innocent of any sin). Jesus washed the disciples feet of physical dirt, he washes us of spiritual dirt - we are no different than the disciples feet. Our feet get dirty, and Christ humiliated himself so that we could be clean.

So the question is not: how humble are you; the question is, are you willing to humiliate yourself so that others will know the love of Christ?

2nd Greatest Love Story Ever Told

People love love stories. There is something about them that draws a person in - whether it is seeing themselves in the characters or remembering their own story or enjoying the feeling it brings up in them. Now this isn't to say that everyone loves every story - some are too sappy, some have unbelievable characters - each person agrees that there is a hierarchy, they just disagree about what that hierarchy is. Everybody has their personal preferences - Sweet Home Alabama, P.S. I Love You, The Notebook, The Lion King - but there are some stories that everyone agrees are timeless - the best example being Romeo & Juliet. The story of star-crossed lovers is near the top of everyone's list - even if it is just because it is Romeo and Juliet.

The story of Ruth is a story that I think should be at the top of everyone's list as well for a couple of reasons. First, it starts with funerals and grief and ends with a wedding and hope. It isn't just one funeral but it is three funerals, and it isn't just a wedding but the marriage of King David's grandparents. Second, it involves sacrifice (Ruth leaving her homeland), chivalry (almost everything Boaz does), a complication (one who is closer) - everything that a good love story needs.

The biggest reason that it deserves to be near the top of the list is because it points us towards the greatest love story ever. The story of Jesus. The story of how he came to earth and performed the greatest act of love the world has ever known and ever will know - dying for those whom He loved. It is this story that the story of Ruth and Boaz points us to.

In the story of Ruth, Boaz is known as the "kinsman-redeemer". A kinsman redeemer is just what it sounds like - "kinsman", it was someone who was a relative, and "redeemer", it was someone who helped purchase something back (whether land, a person from slavery, or a debt). This was special role that was layed out within the law system, which allowed people to retain the land that their family had been given. Not just anyone could be a kinsman-redeemer, there were three qualifications: 1) They had to be a blood relative, 2) They had to be willing to help 3) They had to be able to help. Boaz fit all those requirements.

Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer - He fits the requirements. By coming to earth and living a human life He became a blood relative of the human race. We read in the Gospels that Jesus willingly gave up His life. Jesus being God could pay the unpayable debt that the human race had incurred. He payed this debt by dying the most painful death known to man - the cross (they had to invent a new word - excruciating - to describe the pain that was felt by someone during their torture and death!) - all because He loved us; it wasn't based on anything we did or could do (let's be honest He's God, what could we do to impress him?) but based solely on the fact that He loved us.

Since he did that for us, that means that we are part of the greatest love story ever told. Not only are we a part of it - we are one of the main characters!

Do we live like it? Do we live like the people in movies - full of joy, happiness, and life? Do we acknowledge what he has done for us, or do we just live apathetically? 

Does it Count as Still if the Earth is Moving?

Psalm 46 has one of the most well known verses in the Bible - "Be still and know that I am God". While this verse is one of the most well-known, do we really know it? When I think of this verse my mind is taken back to a painting that I saw in a Christian store - the image has this verse printed in a nice font in front of an amazing picture. The picture had majestic mountains rising out of a serene lake underneath a starry sky. It brought be back to memories of camping, and sitting and looking up at the stars and feeling "still". It is easy to feel still when that is what is surrounding you...

...but that's not what this psalm is about.

A quick look at the words used in the Psalm and it is obvious that this Psalm is anything but peaceful and serene. This Psalm sees the very foundations of the earth (the mountains) falling into chaos (the poetic meaning behind sea). The nations of the world and raging and roaring. This Psalm was written after a time when Jerusalem was under seige, and the nations were rising up against the people of God - there was no hope. Then God worked mightily and saved His people. The Psalm picks up on this to - while the world is being swallowed by a raging and foaming river, the people of God are saved by a small stream; the nations are roaring and raging, and all God has to do is utter his voice and the entire earth melts away. God is in control.

No matter how crazy or chaotic the situation might be, God is in control. In fact when entire earth falls into chaos - God is still more powerful and in control. This is what this Psalm is about. In fact being still and knowing that God is God is not just some nice phrase thrown in there - it is a command from God at the end of this Psalm. After this entire "story" of a raging world still being under the control of God - he reminds those who follow Him and those who were raging against Him that He is God. This is not about sitting in the still places and being still, this is about being still when the world around you is becoming more and more chaotic. This is about the peace that we have in Christ. This is about being still when the world around you is moving.

Are you still?

To My Fellow Exiles

Today is July 1, and that means that it is Canada Day. People are walking around Waterton sporting red and white shirts, bandannas, face paint, and hats. It is a time of celebrating the things that make Canadians unique, and celebrating the freedoms they are allowed to experience because of living here. This act of celebrating your country is not unique - in 3 days the United States is going to celebrate the 4th of July; a day in which they use the same basic principles to celebrate.

Today is also a good day to remember that we are in a foreign land. Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:20 that "our citizenship is in heaven". C.S. Lewis defends this when he realizes "if I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world". We live in a world which is controlled by sin and death; we know that we have been freed through the blood of Christ on the cross but he have to wait until this freedom is ultimately realized.

In Jeremiah 29 the Israelites also found themselves in a foreign land - while we are not aware of our slavery (think matrix), the Israelites were very aware of their exile. They had been dragged into Babylon after Jerusalem had fallen to the most powerful commander of the time, King Nebuchadnezzar.  It was to these people that Jeremiah wrote the letter which we find in Jeremiah 29 - the people knew that God was going to bring them out of their exile, but they did not know when. Jeremiah was countering the prophets who were falsely proclaiming that it would be a short exile - instead Jeremiah told them it was going to take a while. 

So while they were waiting he gave them some instructions: 1)build houses and live in them, 2) plant gardens, 3) marry and have children. These first instruction make sense as they take care of their basic needs of food, shelter and a future. His next instruction might have been more surprising - they were to seek the 'shalom' of the city they were living in. Shalom is translated as 'peace' but it means more than that, it is a wholeness or when things the way they are supposed to be. It is that feeling when you come home after a trip as you say "ah...I'm home." They were to seek this feeling for the people they were living with. The final instruction that Jeremiah gave was mind-blowing - he commanded them to pray for them as well. Now for those of us on this side of the cross this is normal (Jesus told us to pray for our enemies after all), but for a Jew this is revolutionary. In fact, this is the first (and only) time in the Old Testament that this command of praying for someone other than an Israelite is given!

We too can follow these instructions. While we look forward to the day when we will be in heaven with our Lord, we need to live in a way that does not neglect our earthly needs. We too need to live in a way that brings 'shalom' to the places that we live in - this can mean organizing large volunteer projects to help with your cities needs (floods in Calgary, tornadoes in Oklahoma, etc) but it also means the small things that might go unnoticed (raking your neighbors lawn, paying for someones meal at the drive-thru, doing the dishes without complaining). Living in this way is not always easy, but it is a way that values people as being made in the image of God. Finally we need to remember to pray for the city that we live in - not in a way that demeans the church but in a way that values it and acknowledges the difficulties that it goes through. This might seems strange at first - to pray for these people who you might not know, or for a city but it is something that needs to be done.

So as we celebrate the great countries that we live in, let us celebrate in a way that reflects the blessings that we have received by living where we do and live in a way which seeks the well-being of that city. Let us not forget, we are ambassadors from another kingdom and we need to live in a way the represents that kingdom.