Evendays

I don’t know if you heard about it, but it seems the financial world is in crisis. It’s all the talk here.

The money woes of the world make the front page and the opening stories of the Swiss news, and the radio continues to explain the situation, inviting ministers of finance to share their opinions and bank executives to give their take. I don’t understand much of it, though I’m not a neophyte to world markets. But I have enjoyed the illustrations that have been used:

"The bad debt was like a hot potato that got passed around. The important thing was not to be holding it in your hands when the alarm went off…"

"There used to be investment companies, banks, savings and loans, insurance companies… And they were all sealed off from one another. All you had to do was close the hatch, like in a wounded ship…"

The best comment came a bit ago when I asked a Christian, and a partner in a private bank, how he was doing. He said: You know, it’s not much fun. But shake ups like this get people to look at what’s really important. Some people will turn to God. So if that’s what it takes, I’m ready for it."

No one likes to lose money or see the value of their home or their retirement dwindle, but I was appreciative for the perspective.

Here’s a quote from page 723 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, after Harry’s long, plot-explaining conversation with his old mentor, Dumbledore:

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry’s ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” (emphasis mine).

What’s real? Is real what goes on inside your head (especially after having been smacked with a killing curse)? Is it as real as your family, as real as your love for them, as real as the past you’ve shared? Is it as real as your God, as his sacrifice, as your hope?

I remember speaking with a young lady about hope. I mentioned the resurrection of Jesus and that hope was based on this past event. I asked her: Do you believe that event happened? And she replied: I believe that, for you, it happened. But for me, it didn’t happen.

Wow. There were two ways of seeing history: For me the tomb was empty. For her, it wasn’t. The same event. Two realities, and reality inside the head trumps the truth of the actual event.

Would you like to know your future?

If you knew it, would you be tempted to change it?

I know I would. Which probably means that (and this is silly since it can’t happen) that I shouldn’t know the future for the future belongs to Someone who is big enough to handle it. I can barely manage my present, let alone my future!

The desire to manage what lies outside my reach causes nothing but grief. And even if it were in my reach (by use of fortune tellers, divination and the like) I would still be called to give that future to God. That would be a step of faith. Knowing that he has something good planned for his creation, and for me, is a sign of hope. Taking advantage of the present, living as I have received from God, is an expression of love.

Faith, hope and love.

Mom is doing well, at home where Dad and Sister One were taking care of her after surgery. Here’s a morbid thought: Before appendectamies, people died of appendicitis. Makes you thankful…

Today went pretty well, about a 8.2. I started searching for Ukrainian documents that will be useful for the church in Ternopil. The problem is I don’t read Ukrainian (though the Cyrillic alphabet is not a mystery any more). If the word has the same stem as the English word (or French), I can often figure it out. My search took me through 12 large boxes of Father-in-law’s correspondence. Quite an adventure. I found some documents, but pretty sure they’re not the right ones.

Then I studied the Bible with S. and A. They have many challenges in life, but A. told me the studies were doing them much good and they loved learning about God’s will in his world.

After some more searching in the afternoon, Wife and I visited with our elderly neighbor who comes to church. We had a good talk. It is tough when your health takes a dive, the husband’s in a Home, and life’s not finishing how you’d like. But she displayed so much trust in us while sharing with Wife and me. And at 85, her faith is still growing.

The “foolishness” Paul wrote about was not always the foolishness of the cross. An even not-too-careful reading of his letters shows that he especially considered himself a “fool” when he was forced to write about his accomplishments, or when he had to refer to his suffering in order to protect his apostleship and, therefore, the integrity of the Gospel he had entrusted to the believers. Though he quickly gave credit to the One who empowered him and gave him life, he still considered it folly (or the ways of men) to speak of (even humbly) the things he had achieved for Christ, or the persecutions he had suffered in his name.

I can imagine Paul looking over Luke’s shoulder as Acts was penned, cringing as he saw his travels and works, courage and boldness, all scribbled down on that piece of parchment, not wanting to become a hero.

And I can imagine him negotiating with the doctor-turned-author that, yes, he could speak of his acts but only if he included the story of his conversion (in triplicate, please), and only if he underlined that the powerful Gospel was delivered by a chained and weak man who held on to the wisdom of Christ because Christ was firmly holding on to him.

Well, that’s what I imagine, anyway…

If Jesus quenched every thirst, there would be no more temptation, no more sin, no more unfaithfulness.

The truth is, he can only open doors that enter into his home. He only answers prayers that are in his name. He is only found by those who are ultimately searching for him. (Granted, he is found in unexpected places, by people were looking for him without knowing it.)

The desires of my heart are satisfied when they are redirected toward God. This is especially true of religious activity. Worship is never enough if I am at the center of it. Prayer will never suffice if I search for my will and not his. Love will never be enough if moi is at the middle of it. Piety, by definition, is God-centered.

You know that true life is God-centered. When you are searching for God, you find him in your work, your family, your leisure and your dreams. His quest fills your life.

As Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead…

But Paul, don’t you already know him? Didn’t you meet him face to face? Haven’t you spent these many years following him?

Ah yes, he says. But I’m still hungry. I want to know him better. Even to the end.

In the last few posts, I’ve been working through “searching”, basically that we are all searching for something or someone; that God built us that way to look for Him, yet we do so as one groping in the darkness (Acts 17). We resemble, if only a bit, intelligent Googles, continually sending out queries, some essential to life and its meaning, others that are, well, frivolous.

Many of us claim satisfaction because we have found God. Or, in our most lucid moments, we admit that we have found nothing. Rather, we have been found by God.

This finding seems pretentious. But we take seriously the words of Jesus: Seekers find. Knocked-on doors get opened. If you ask, God will answer.

Jesus declared that he is all that was necessary to quench our thirst. And even that rivers of living water would flow from the hearts of those who accepted his water.

He said he is the true nourishment descended from heaven to give life to all those who ate of him, to all who confidently put their trust in him.

If this is true, (and I believe it is), why am I still hungry, thirsty, and (sometimes) still searching?

Happy birthday, sis!
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An old story tells of the millionaire who spotted a beautiful old painting in a book which covered the history of art. He fell under its charms and decided he had to add it to his collection. So he called his curator and charged him to find the work and to purchase it.

A short time later, the curator returned and informed his employer that the masterful work was not for sale. The rich man, used to getting all he wanted, exclaimed: I told you I want it. Buy it. Don’t tell me you can’t. Do whatever it takes.

But the curator held his ground and quietly answered: Sir, you cannot buy that painting because you already own that painting. In fact, it has been in your collection for many years.

It’s just possible that it’s not necessary to climb the highest peak or to cross the swiftest river to find your “treasure”. You may not even have to sing along with U2’s 1987 hit (though it’s tempting):

    I have spoken with eternal angels
    I have held the hands of a devil
    It was warm in the night
    I was cold as a stone
    But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…

Is there  a solution for the thirst that’s in us? Was the disciple right when he said to a brainy crowd:

“God has done all this so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn’t really far from any of us…” ?

Could it be true?

Take a minute and do the ABCs of what people are looking for: Adventure, Beauty, Courage, Direction, Encouragement, Family… Always looking for something. Even the most obscure letter cannot resist our efforts…

God, Honor, Integrity, Joy, Knowledge, Love… We search for noble things. Things that make a difference. Things that last. Things which bring us no shame. Things worth fighting for.

Money, Normalcy, Opportunities, Peace and Quiet… Then there are the less noble things. A certain excitement, pleasure or even exercise of power. Things that energize us for a moment, yet bring us no closer to the person we want to be.

Relationships, Sex, Time, Understanding, Virtue… Perhaps we can learn who people are by examining what they are searching for. If we could know the desire of the heart (even our own heart), would we not also know the person, really know what’s in a man, know who s/he is?

Wealth, Youth, Zeal… There. It’s finished. The question, “What are you looking for” turns out to be less innocent than we may have thought.

BTW, to those who are a bit more perceptive… What about X? Too easy… It marks the spot on the weathered parchment for that long, sought-after treasure.

Have you found it yet?

A little girl is searching the aisles for her mommy while a young man examines the labels for the perfect wine for the perfect meal. An old man goes looking for his medicine at the nearby pharmacy while his wife searches for her bus card in her bottomless handbag.

Everyone is searching for something. Yet not all “searches” have the same value. If the bottle of wine is corked, the evening will still take place. But if the little girl doesn’t find her mother, or if the old man picks up the wrong prescription, the consequences will be terrible.

So what are you looking for? And if you don’t find it, what will be the consequences? For what if, just what if you found love and job and money and family, all those important things, and you missed life? Would that be tragic? Or would it just be the norm for another normal week?

Jesus made it so clear to those who were searching: Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice… How sad it would be to find everything else, and miss the kingdom of God. How sad it would be to miss… Life!