Book Review: I Heard God Laugh, by Matthew Kelly

Subtitle: A practical guide to life’s essential daily habit

With so many books on prayer out there, I was very pleasantly surprised to find real spiritual depth connected with practical suggestions for connecting with God. In rebuttal to the common joke about God’s response to our plans, he points out that a good father would never laugh at His children’s aspirations and ideas for achieving them. Kelly starts with the story of his own  unexpected introduction to real prayer, followed by his spiritual journey and significant lessons along the way. Without telling the reader that their prayer life is weak and shallow, he offers thoughts on going deeper. 

As some example suggestions (not the complete course) he suggests:

• Ask God what He wants
• Give yourself to prayer - pray with carefree timelessness
• Just keep showing up - regardless of how you feel

As one who has in the past spent hours daily in prayer, he acknowledges that is not the case now (as of when he wrote the book) because he is at a different stage of life. He does not offer suggestions on how to strike the right work/life balance, but it is clear that most of us spend far too much time busy on worldly activities and commitments, and miss the delight of being in God’s presence. And miss the opportunity to prioritize our to-do lists with His perspective and anointing. And ultimately to receive His peace.

There are many possible paradigms for prayer:

• A list of needs and issues
• The events of the past day or coming day in our own life
• Scripture passages
• People

In any of these structures, the important thing in prayer is to ask God what He wants  and to wait on Him, to hear from Him.   He already knows about all of them, and while He delights to hear our voice, He knows the best path forward, has a divine perspective, and will share it with us if we can but take time to listen to Him. 

In conclusion, God’s laughter reflects the joy He has in the best parts of His creation. Hearing it brings clarity to us about what matters: loving God more than anything on earth, and loving people more that they love themselves. Spending enough time with Him to receive His perspective.

Real Wealth: Camelot and Jesus

 Cameron Hilditch uses a passage from  Charles Williams’ Taliessin Through Logres (first published in 1938) to illuminate his excellent article  Money and Markets in Camelot  linking morality and economics. His key point, that a medium of exchange can become an object of obsession and destroy personal interactions, is akin to the Bible’s warnings regarding wealth. Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, but He indicated that love of it will destroy a person’s soul (Matthew 19:16-24, Luke 18:18-26), as Paul explicitly warned his readers. (1 Timothy 3:3, 6:10; 2 Timothy 3:2) 

Hilditch uses the fictitious discussion in Camelot about whether money is a good thing (freeing people to make choices) or a bad thing (becoming an object of devotion) to point out a fact seldom mentioned in traditional liberal vs. conservative debates about government policy. Money depersonalizes human interactions, and hence opens the door to moral wrongs committed anonymously. The flip side of freedom to choose is lack of personal connection between parties. Just pay your money and get the product. If you cheat someone, anonymity is hard to penetrate (dispute resolution, or worse lawyers and courts). If the poor are oppressed, let the government take care of them. The archbishop then quotes Luke 16:9 to put this in perspective: individuals still make moral choices in how they deal with others, whether in barter or a monetized market.

As one example of impersonal vs. personal interactions, consider care of the elderly. In olden times, the elderly lived with their children when they were unable to live in their own household. In our day many live in assisted living facilities with professional care-givers. The cost is higher but the quality of care is better from the perspective of professional qualifications. Money as a medium of exchange enables trained persons to meet the medical and physical needs of people they are unrelated to. But what about interpersonal dynamics? Filial love is absent; interactions of trained professionals with their patients are, well, professional. There is a tension in this trade off. 

Another example. A mother makes a meal for her children, or the children go to a cafeteria to purchase a meal. A trade off between efficiency and personal care. But do we assess options solely on the dollar value of a person’s time? Wouldn’t that depend on whether a family is struggling financially and must make every decision based on that, or if they are struggling relationally and that drives their decisions? Do children miss the opportunity to tangibly savor their mother’s love? Does every family use criteria appropriate to their situation?

Hilditch identifies tension between two paradigms for economic activity:

• “A moral marketplace … emphasizing cooperation, exchange, and a grateful and acknowledged dependence of ourselves on our neighbors and of our neighbors on ourselves.”
• “A model emphasizing competition, self-reliance, and pulling oneself up by one’s own bootstraps.”

This contrast omits one of the key consequences of having money as a medium of exchange. The entity that controls the money wields the power to make or destroy. How much of a role did hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic play in the rise of the Third Reich? What impact does printing money, excuse me, quantitative easing, have on the current apparent economic recovery? Printing money to provide enhanced unemployment benefits helps those in need, but has many other ancillary impacts. It is completely rational to not work if you can collect a better income, but what are the moral implications of financially incentivizing people to not work? (c.f. 2 Thessalonians 3:10)

Hilditch did not intend to address Jesus’ overall perspective:

• He overturned tables of money changers in the Temple, calling them a den of thieves. (John 2:15; Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15)
• He told Pharisees & Herodians to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s (Matthew 22:17-21; Mark 12:13-17;  Luke 20:21-25)
• He commended the poor woman who put a mite, all she had to live on, in the offering box. (Mark 12:41-44)
• He had one of His disciples get a stater out of a fish’s mouth to pay taxes. (Matthew 17:24-27)
• He told a rich young man to give his wealth away to follow him. (Luke 18:18-25)
• He told the parable of the rich man who was going to build bigger barns to store his wealth and then kick back, and then died suddenly. (Luke 12:15-21)
• He fed five thousand people with two loaves and five fish (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, John 6), and later fed four thousand people with seven loaves and a few fish (Matthew 15)

From Jesus’ teachings, what is most important? Relationship; relationship with God. Who really believes that? Although God promises blessings to those who tithe faithfully and give generously,  we can’t buy God’s approval with donations. He can and does provide material needs and He isn’t worried about it. It is clear from Jesus’ life that what matters most is time spent with Him, as that is how we build a relationship with Him.

Bottom line. God put us in the world, so we have to use its mechanisms to function, but we should never mistake them for spiritual reality. Jesus brushed off the need for money, the provision of money when the world demanded it, and the things money could accomplish, because from God’s perspective they are trivial. The spiritual reality that transcends this world is often hard to recognize, but God challenges us to.

Driving through this Earthly Life

Rules of safe driving can set an example for how we should live.  Driving is much more intense than walking, both in the attention it requires  and the potential power wielded by the driver. So we have very strict rules for driving, both in law and in the “rules of the road”. Hence, it provides an amplified object lesson for life as it will be amplified in the hereafter.

The most important element of driving is to arrive at your destination safely.	Your number one priority in life must be to finish the race with faith in Christ. It is not to be rich, famous, or popular. When you reach the end of your life those things won’t matter. It can be tempting to put a spiritual disguise on success - to glorify God by ... but be very careful that He has called you to it. The temptations that go with success (mostly pride)  are a rocky sea coast on which the faith of many has shipwrecked.
Pay attention, don’t get distracted.	In your travel with Christ, don’t let worldly things, however exciting or attractive, distract you from paying attention to what He is saying and doing in your life. Even good things can be a distraction. When He blesses you with a gorgeous sunrise or scenic vista, accept it gratefully, but keep your eyes on the prize.
Never tailgate.	Don’t follow any individual human too closely.  Wise people can impart much wisdom, but ultimately all are human and may stumble. Maintain enough independence and distance so that God has space to warn you if someone wise is going astray.
Flow with traffic unless it’s unsafe.	Choose your friends and associates wisely. You can’t be a lone wolf. Be wary of those with worldly or self-centered agendas. It is often hard to discern wolves in sheep’s clothing. Pray for for enough discernment to recognize them.
Always use your turn signal for a few seconds before you turn or change lanes.	Don’t make your faith a complete secret from those around you. You don’t have to preach at them, just let them know when the Lord leads you to make a change. There is a fine line between a testimony and a self-centered, self-righteous declaration of what God is doing in your life.
Never react to a challenge from another driver.	When someone challenges your faith, be wary of engaging them. The devil has many evangelists. Shun them.
When you change lanes, line up with a gap in the target lane, match speeds, signal for a few seconds, then change lanes.	When you have found the people you think you can trust as fellow-travelers, cautiously try to engage. Choose wisely. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to a church and fellow believers that you will journey through life with.
As an obvious corollary, for everyone’s safety, when someone wants to merge in front of you, let them.	Make space in your group for others to join. There are many guidelines in the New Testament about fellowship, but welcome those who want to join you.

The bottom line on both driving and life should be obvious. Exhibit God’s character in every thought, word, and deed. Be Christ to those you encounter on the road of life.

Book Review: How the West Really Lost God by Mary Eberstadt

 

Book Review: How the West Really Lost God A New Theory of Secularization, by Mary Eberstadt (2013)

 The thesis is straightforward. Family is the bedrock of society, and it is inextricably intertwined with faith, and the institutions of faith. Faith and family rise and fall together, as cam be demonstrated statistically without reference to causal mechanisms. The impact to society can be seen in multiple dimensions. Children raised in broken families (divorced parents, unwed mothers) have much higher rates of lifelong problems and lower church attendance (using church attendance as an external measurable indicator of faith), that correlates with other dysfunctional behaviors. Of course, babies that are aborted never get to church.

The author points out a surprising (to me), but obvious in retrospect, trend. As churches relaxed doctrine regarding Christian behavior with respect to sex and marriage, they simultaneously began to decline in attendance. No super spiritual cause and effect here - fewer families staying together, getting married to have children, and so on, means fewer children raised in church. On the other hand, parents who stay together, work through difficulties, persevere because they are following the teachings of faith, see the need to take their children to church to instill in them similar values, and find friends who will be good influences.

 That the worldly behaviors of Christians are beneficial for society as a whole is obvious to all. Unbelievers, of course, believe that moral actions result from people being good and doing what is right without reference to God. The problem is, that doesn’t seem to be working. Raising children in healthy home environments, donating to charity, living healthy lifestyles, obeying the law — are these behaviors that result from church attendance and faith in God or from growing up in healthy homes? The author’s point is that it is not possible to separate these as causes.

 And yet - this was not the author’s intention - I have to wonder if the spiritual dimension of obedience to the Faith has power that we cannot see. That understanding love not to be Eros but agape carries the supernatural empowerment to be able to love in a way that seeks the best, the highest, the most God-like outcome for the beloved. For surely this is what Ephesians 5:25 both commands and implicitly enables. The world cannot accept this.

 Is there hope for Western society and civilization? The author offers arguments for and against. But in the end, speculating about the future of the effects of removing God are less important than whether we can learn from its roots and change the course of the future. From my perspective, God could act in His sovereignty (and He will), but before that final unveiling (apocalypse), he has given us the responsibility to learn from His word. The kings of Judah the from Solomon to Zedekiah demonstrated the outcomes of obedience or rebellion. Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Hezekiah, Josiah all prospered because they did what was right in the Lord’s eyes. Twelve kings did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes, ultimately ending in the Babylonian captivity. Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah were all taken to Babylon as prisoners. Jeremiah pronounced a curse on future generations:

 Jeremiah 22:28 Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot, an object no one wants? Why will he and his children be hurled out, cast into a land they do not know?

29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord!

30 This is what the Lord says: “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.”

 Will we learn from history, or repeat it?

David's census and the COVID plague

 We Need to Find the Threshing Floor of Araunah

The story of King David’s census of Israel (2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21) warns us of God’s judgment. When confronted about his sin and offered a choice of punishments, David repented, and chose that which would be from God (although really all the choices were ultimately from Him). When the plague reached the threshing floor of Araunah (or Ornan), the angel of death was somehow seen, and David made an offering to God that stopped it there.

What does this mean for us? We can reasonably infer that David’s sin was based on why he counted the people. The records indicate that the census counted the number of men who drew the sword. To puff up his ego David wanted to know the potential size of Israel’s army. He knew better. In his early days he had trusted in God and survived in the wilderness, while Saul used the army of Israel to hunt for him.

What is the modern analog?

Let’s make America great again!

The prophet Gad offered David three options to choose from: famine, military defeat, or plague.

Instructive it is, that the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918-20, followed by the roaring twenties’ unrepentant carnality, followed then by the Great Depression, was followed ten years after that by World War 2. The course of society finally turned in the dark days of the early defeats of the allies by the axis powers.

Is this what we are bequeathing our children, if we “follow the science” and trust in human ingenuity to end this crisis?

Who, how, and where would a meaningful sacrifice to God be offered? Can anyone envision the current President making a public offering of contrition, of worship to God? Where would such an offering be made? The cutting edge of Coronavirus hotspots shifts from month to month, but the epicenter of political pride is unmistakeable. Every month brings incredible new demonstrations of political chutzpah from Capitol Hill. But perhaps the National Cathedral is not the place, despite its location....

The problem is that it is not just politicians who need to repent. Society, from homeless to Capitol Hill (and at all stations in between), exhibits rebellion against or indifference to God. David pleaded with God for his people, knowing he was the guilty party (2 Samuel 24:17). But our elected leaders, in all their babble, espouse the values that we the people chose by election.  A national day of fasting and prayer would be meaningless if only a small fraction of society really repents. So we will reap what we sow, predictably. Who will step into the role of John Wesley, of Jonathan Edwards or George Whitefield, of Billy Sunday or Billy Graham? The challenge is whether Americans, and people around the world, will listen and repent when a modern-day Gad confronts us?

 

Jesus doesn’t rely on Zoom

We have experienced a vivid metaphor for the spiritual life over the past year, but more by way of contrast than simile. Anyone who has used Zoom or equivalent tools is well aware of the limitations of virtual meetings. How does Jesus prevent our relationship with him from being virtual?

 

Three limitations  of virtual meetings come immediately to mind:

• Distractions from activity or items present in the room or on the computer, at home or in the office, making it difficult to focus. When you are in a room meeting with others, although not totally absent, these temptations are much fewer.
• Lack of side conversations with peers, before and after meetings. They have to be deliberately made as a separate phone call. No chance encounters, and ad hoc small subgroup discussions.
• Difficulty in building relationships. Not impossible, but it is very hard to develop trust and connection when you are talking to someone whose facial responses are shrunk to a 2 inch image on the screen.

Even (especially?) school children struggle with virtual learning for one or more of these reasons.

In some respects, our communication with God in prayer is even more disadvantaged:

• Distractions during prayer are immediate and physical, mental, or emotional.
• We can’t make small talk with God. At least, most of us attend to the business of prayer and then turn back to the matters of this life after we have done our duty. The meeting ends and we get back to work (i.e., the things of the world).
• It’s tough to build a relationship with God when we can’t see His face. Those few who do give descriptions that are awesomely terrifying. (Exodus 33:22) 

But God did not leave things this way. Jesus came to the earth to overcome these limitations. People in His presence would leave their homes and go out to the wilderness to hear Him preach. And while there, they had conversations with other followers, and with Jesus’ disciples. And they could look on Jesus’ face without fear (with a few exceptions). Beyond that, Jesus took the initiative to bring God’s presence and truth to people in person. (Matthew 11:1, Mark 6:34, 7:24, 10:1) 

Since Jesus is in heaven, or at least in a spiritual dimension not tangible, how does He overcome the limitations of virtuality. He may be right beside us but we can’t touch or see Him.

• We can talk to fellow believers at church. And we can see tangible results from God working in their lives, in the things that they do.
• The Holy Spirit - the elan vital of God - is within us.
• He answers prayers tangibly, with concrete works to confirm His power
• We share in His suffering, not just vicariously through communion, but physically experiencing a share in His persecution. It is there, when He is with us in the storm, that we truly learn His nature and character.

We are slow learners in this regard, but the spiritual dimension of humans can only learn in this (last) way. Not just a mental conversation with God.  We can have phone calls with Him (often) but we only grow through experience. The challenge of this life is to enter in. Tuition for this class was already paid on the cross, but we still have to do the homework and field exercises. Otherwise He remains just a voice, not unlike those we hear daily on Zoom.

Teddy Roosevelt, The Weimar Republic, and Modern World

The political implications of the comparison are obvious. Are current conditions conducive to political power being seized by a populist totalitarian party? But dimensions of this comparison include far more than populist politics & paramilitary partnership: economics, culture, and moral fiber, but do all these conditions simply reflect a deeper root cause?

 

In his article The Ghost of Theodore Roosevelt, Cameron Hilditch outlines the logic of populist politics and compares the “Progressive” Bull Moose Party to modern times. In effect, he asks if Donald Trump does not get the Republican nomination in 2024, will he form a third party, split the conservative vote, and ensure continuing Democratic hegemony in Washington? Hilditch does not address the Weimar Republic, in which  the November 1932 election resulted in no clear majority for any party, but enough Nazi power in the Reichstag to eventually make Hitler chancellor and rend democracy asunder. And the significance of the role of paramilitary actions by the SA in the ultimate outcome. 

Economics were clearly different from modern circumstances at present. The Weimar Republic was paying reparations imposed by the victors of the World War in 1918. This plus economic policy that resulted in runaway inflation damaged the postwar German economy far more than one year of pandemic-driven-panic policy vectors. But the runaway inflation of the Weimar Republic had a cultural implication. It removed any possible incentive to save, motivating everyone to spend money the same day they got it.  

This was likely a strong factor in the profligate lifestyle exemplified in the movie Cabaret, which was based on real life. (Not that lifestyles were much different in the U.S. in the roaring 20’s). A reasonable question would be whether the lifting of restrictions post-pandemic will trigger such profligacy worldwide (assuming there is a post-pandemic). 

Weimar culture included academic dimensions as well. “Critical theory” was developed to link social problems to social structures, rather than individual psychological factors. In other words, blame your problems on society and don’t accept responsibility for your own actions. Logical positivism advanced the theory that philosophy should adopt the bases and structure of empirical sciences. “Follow the science” - worship as truth our current understanding of nature. Heiddigger and Marcuse advanced other theories; one wearies trying to figure out what philosophers taught. 

What was at the time considered moral degeneration multiplied, including homosexual venues, prostitution, and drug use. And where were people of faith, who might have set the standard?  “Higher Criticism” advanced source criticism, form criticism, and redaction. We remember  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis at the end of World War 2, but he was only active a few years at the end of the Weimar Republic. What happened to the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church, Germany the bastion of faith in Western Europe? Perhaps sectarian warfare over the centuries that had degenerated into jousting for political advantage alienated so many people that the Freethinkers League had 500,000 members in 1933; people so sick of Church politics that they joined together to advocate a theology of atheism. But that seems a symptom of the reality that churches, on the whole, were focused on power and theological points about doctrine.  Salvation through faith in Christ and His atoning sacrifice, and  development of an individual relationship with Jesus ceased to be their mission. Is this the underlying root cause of all the symptoms above?

Where do we stand today in the West? Have economic conditions resulting from pandemic panic further enhanced populist demagoguery and emboldened militias? Has religious hypocrisy so sickened the general public that any religion or lack of it is preferable over the truth about the creator and redeemer of humankind?