Book Review: life is messy by Matthew Kelly

In life is messy, Matthew Kelly writes in a stream-of-consciousness - approximately 75 blurbs ranging from a half page to 3-4 pages on a variety of topics. (This is vastly different from the structure of his recent book I Heard God Laugh). The style subliminally conveys the essence of this book, which is that our lives are not orderly and well-organized, even when we try to obey and serve God. Instead, we live in a crisis reaction state in which crises - whether of our own making or externally instigated - continually steal our attention and decimate our lives. These can either shut us down or be opportunities for growth. The important point is that God is with us in every circumstance, and we need to decide to take one step toward the light when we feel overwhelmed by darkness. 

None of this is new. Among others, Kelly quotes Heraclitus regarding character, and a 20th century poem by Portia Nelson, Autobiography in Five Short Chapters. The scope of things that can potentially derail our lives is vast. Kelly relates a few examples of his own, their impact on his life, and his personal struggles to overcome his own meltdowns. Whether thoughtless actions by others, deliberate betrayal by friends or family, personally disastrous decisions, or the occurrence of circumstances without any individual or group intent - our response is a choice. Do we try to fix the problem ourselves, shut down in self-centeredness, or look to God?

The Israel Bible study sheet on Aleph Bet Insights notes that the words for exile (golah) and redemption (geulah) are strikingly similar. The only difference is the presence of the letter aleph which represents God in the word for redemption (geulah). This demonstrates that we must do everything in our ability to bring God into our lives in order to transform exile into redemption. 

Comparing this to Roy Hession’s 1950 classic The Calvary Road, the different emphases merit discussion. Hession focuses on a response to brokenness that recognizes and accepts that Jesus is our righteousness and source of life. His challenge is to be willing to have the same disposition as Christ, bending our necks for a Calvary experience so that the power of the blood of the Lamb can have full reign in our lives. Hession goes directly to the ultimate outcome of messes in our lives, in the spirit of James 1:2-4.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

On balance, Kelly’s book is much more accessible, written for the everyday person in crisis, (i.e., all of us). We should not shy away from God’s objective, to perfect us in Jesus, but we are far more likely to need the down-in-the-weeds roadmap on what direction the first step should be.  We need to discern the light in the midst of darkness, and take a step in that direction.

Vaccination vs. Trust in God — a False Dichotomy?

Refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination on religious grounds invites ridicule from unbelievers, naturally. If they don’t believe in God, they would have no basis for any divine protection. There is little common ground for discussion. Such is life. They can discuss their rebellion against ultimate Truth with God on judgment day. (I don’t want to be there to hear it.)

But for the community of faith, there is grounds for substantive theological and faith-based interactions. The Scriptures, and history of the faithful, provide a range of perspectives. 

• God revealed one of His names, Jehovah Rapha - the God who heals - in Exodus 15:26. This was in the context of making bitter water drinkable. But God elaborated that He would protect the Israelites from all the diseases of the Egyptians if they paid attention to His commands and kept His decrees.
• God gave Israel detailed instructions regarding health care practices in Leviticus chapters 11-15. In 1963 Dr. S.I. McMillen published None of These Diseases, which detailed how these practices, revealed over 3,000 years ago, promoted both personal hygiene and public health. These may carry supernatural anointing, but they provide practical and effective directions for washing, quarantine, healthy eating, and the like. The consequences of the foregoing have been historically validated through practice throughout the ages, both by Christian and Jews. 

• The whole COVID mess could have been avoided if the Chinese didn’t sell and eat bats (cf. Leviticus 11:19). 

• Psalm 91:3, 6 & 10 promise protection from plague and pestilence. The opening verses cite who this applies to:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)

The context is crucial. Dwelling in the shelter of God Most High is something that only Jesus did fully. The rest of us may to varying degrees sit, dwell, remain in His hiding place or secret cover, but …. The rest of Psalm 91 provides additional context. The recipient loves God and calls upon His name, not hiding in a closet, but potentially at war or in the field near wild beasts. The designated promisee is actively serving God and bringing his dwelling under God’s cover into the world.

• David Guzik relates an interesting story in his commentary on Psalm 91:3, which he attributes to  Boice, about a Lord Craven during a 15th century plague in London. Originally planning to quarantine in the country, God spoke to his heart and he remained in London, ministering to plague victims, and was never personally infected.

• In Matthew 4:5-6, Satan twisted God’s word to test Jesus. Jesus met the conditions of Psalm 91:1-2, 9, & 14, but that is not the whole of Scripture. Satan told Jesus to create an unnecessary crisis to force God to show His hand by jumping from the pinnacle of the temple. Jesus responded in Matthew 4:7 by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, which was in turn a reference to the events recorded in Exodus 17 when the Israelites grumbled about whether God was really with them or not. That had occurred shortly after witnessing their miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea, which they traversed but the Egyptians drowned.  That was not an unnecessary crisis but a crisis of faith - God didn’t deliver water on their timetable. Jesus’ inference seems clear: whether a crisis is beyond our control or not, we must trust God, but not create additional crises of our own volition. 

Medical testing suggests that on the average, outcomes are better for the vaccinated than the unvaccinated. But each case is unique, and medical trials cannot take into account all of the unique details of each individual’s circumstances - only God can do that. From a public health perspective it appears to The Powers That Be (excluding divine considerations) that all would be better off if all are vaccinated: reducing the risk of transmission;  and average outcomes (symptoms, hospitalizations, fatalities) of those infected would be better. 

• This leaves us in the open field of discerning God’s spoken revelation to each individual believer. He calls us to not do stupid things to test His providential care, and in fact is angry with those who do. But He also calls some to serve Him in ways that seem risky and blesses obedience. 

God sees a much bigger perspective than medical public health experts, and His direction to each individual calls each of us to have the responsibility for discerning His voice and choosing to obey. In absence of receiving a rhema spoken revelation, He expects us to follow the best practices from what we have received (i.e., consistent with Lev 11-15 and related medical knowledge). We need to consider the medical evidence seriously, and avoid reacting against stupid statements by politicians (too numerous to list), and on-line rabble-rousers. We each need to hear from God for ourself. If we cannot hear His voice, we need to use the brains He gave us to make wise decisions.