THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Some of you may remember this old hit from the ‘70’s sung by Chad and Jeremy. A group by the name of “Delirious” did a new version, quite beautiful, and in the opinion of some, musically superior to the original. After a close listen, I have to agree. The song catches the dilemma of modern humanity, worshipping at the altars of a neon god who has no power to save, only to distract with self-indulgence and religious gropings into the darkness. They are desperate for meaning and transcendence, but the sound of silence engulfs them. Is anyone at home in the universe? Is my life more than “dust in the wind”? Can anybody hear my heart’s deepest cry for love and significance?

“And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence.”

It is enough to break our hearts, Church, and it should. We who know our God have found that He is a communicator. He speaks, rationally and clearly, into our lives. And He makes sense. Our faith is not a set of rules but a living relationship with a Lord who just happens to love us more than Himself. We see this when we look at those eternally pierced hands and feet. Every day is a love relationship with this man Christ Jesus, who never leaves us, who transforms us more and more into His image, who destines us for His very Throne.  Our Father does not want even one to perish, and neither do we. How tragic to live and die, never knowing why you were born.Only the Holy Spirit can convict of sin, righteousness and judgment. Only He can break through the sound of silence and open the deaf ears. Let’s pray as never before for a fresh move of the Holy Spirit in our own lives, our families, our churches, our country, our world.

UGLY GIRL

A study in chaos. She catches me by surprise in Macdonald’s as I wait for my ice cream on this hot July day. Wild unruly brown curls. Faded orange shirt, stained and rumpled.  Arms and legs frantically jerking, moving in patternless disarray. Eyes roaming out of control, looking for some point of reference in her universe, finding none.

I look away, repulsed. A tiny wizened caregiver, half her size, tries valiantly to keep her under control. Auntie? Grandma? The only person left to care for her? Mumbled words. “No, you can’t have another toy. You have too many already.” Moan of despair.

Oh, no. The Holy Spirit, that “comforter”, is invading my personal space. Here He comes again, chipping away at my sugar candy coating of religiosity. “So you love people?” He queries. Ouch. Jesus died for her? Well, He died for me.

Okay. Test failed. Lord, I need Your eyes, Your ears, Your heart. More of You.

PHONE EVANGELISM

Today an unpleasant task reared its ugly head. I was called upon to tackle a tedious number of phone calls and web interactions with several businesses, and I braced myself for recorded voices, long waits, and officious personalities. And sure enough, that’s how it started off. But I began to think about Jesus and how He touched people in every situation. Could I take a different approach? How was Jesus viewing the person on the other end of the line? Oh-oh! Calvary came to mind, thanks to the Holy Spirit.

So when I finally encountered a live person, I decided to go for it. First of all, I used the person’s first name with as much affection as I could muster up, no matter how irritable he or she seemed, or how long I’d been on hold, or how many times I’d been dropped.  Secondly, I warmed my voice and asked a question like, “How’s your day going?” or “How’s the weather where you are?” Astounding changes began to occur. A softening of the other voice. A real human being emerged on the other end of the receiver.

 A few compliments occurred to me: “You’re really good at your job!” “Thanks so much for your patience and help!” “I couldn’t get through this without you!” And then there were the little jokes that produced a chuckle on both ends.

Well, it wasn’t John 3:16, but it was something delightful. I could sense the fragrance of Christ working into each situation. And I knew, I just knew, that the Holy Spirit was doing His work. So why not? It’s a lot more fun than getting upset!

THE CHURCH THEY CAN’T IGNORE

Some Christian writers have recently observed that our post Christian culture has moved beyond Christianity while still “feasting on its fruits”. The theologian Tom Holland in his 542 page tome “Dominion” (yes, it’s worth the read!) makes a pretty much irrefutable case for the fact that Jesus and Christianity have vastly improved our world over the past 2000 years. (We can argue about the Crusades and the Inquisition at another time). To bolster this opinion, all we have to do is think for a moment about such things as hospitals, women’s rights, orphanages, and a host of other compassion-based changes. Toleration is Jesus’ idea. It certainly has no roots in the Greco- Roman pagan world. It’s glaringly obvious that the Gospel of Christ began to turn the world right side up. Yes, evil is real and horrific. Christ must reign, until all things are put under His feet. We the Church are His Body, by the way, so we are involved in this cosmic process. The Kingdom of God is indeed coming.

A learned Catholic priest, Fr. Dwight Longnecker, notes that materialism rules our culture. And this is not just about shopping sprees. It’s more about embracing the idea that the physical is all there is. We live, we die. If God is not there, all we are is dust in the wind.  “If that’s all there is,” as Patti Page sang so wistfully, let’s just go have a good time while we can. We can see how deeply this idea informs the way that the average person lives out life, maybe never considering the question, “Is there something more, something transcendent? Was I born for more than this? Why do I feel this emptiness, this unfulfilled longing?”

Oh, how humans long for the transcendent, and here is where Jesus’ Church comes in. We have the answer. But are we living in its fullness? One writer claims that Christianity has been reduced to “moralistic therapeutic deism”, gutted of its power. It’s easy enough to comfort ourselves with our faith while laying aside its practical implications. Where is Jesus calling His Church , in our day? How might He desire to bring life to our broken world through us?

I was struck by a Facebook post by a dear friend of mine, whose mother found herself pregnant and alone at the age of 20. Her boyfriend insisted that she get rid of the baby, but she refused, and he walked out. God-sent adoptive parents took this baby girl in and loved her. She is now a beautiful wife and mother of five grown children, one of whom is adopted. My friend’s point? Stop arguing. Stop proving your point. Get out there and do something. Find your calling and jump in. The world can argue morality and theology with us until the proverbial cows come home. But…what if the Church were to move, as never before, into a demonstration of the compassionate power of Christ, under the anointing and guidance of the Holy Spirit?

 It’s very difficult to argue with the goodness of God.