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. 

The Apocalyptic Unveiling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Watching the Christmas Celebration on the set of The Chosen, the performers and the audience in the song Joy to the World, I was reminded of Revelation 7:9-10:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

This is God’s plan. It is noteworthy that Isaac Watts originally penned ‘Joy to the World’ about the second coming of Christ. 

The current push for diversity, equity, and inclusion in secular politics falls short of God’s plan for His glory. As Bishop Robert Barron pointed out, these are subordinates of God’s standards of love and justice, but not the whole of them. As we work to make our society measure up to divine standards, let us not forget that there are other societies. Not all were visible on the set of the Chosen Christmas celebration, nor could they be.

We know that Christianity has spread to the large people groups in the world. Besides Europe, the Americas, and Australia, there are churches in virtually every nation in Asia. The China Inland Mission propagated the gospel to the Chinese people over a century ago. The Africa Inland mission evangelized many of the people of Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. Islam includes Jesus as a prophet, despite denying His deity.

Unfortunately the Great Commission is not complete. Wycliffe Global Alliance reports that there are 1892 languages, spoken by 145 million people, for which translation of the Scriptures still needs to begin. These represent the last vestiges of the confounding of the languages that occurred at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:7-9). Although the Holy Spirit gifted the early disciples with new tongues on the day of Pentecost to speak of God’s mighty works (Acts 2:4-11), they were not immediately transported to the far reaches of Africa, Asia, or the South Pacific. This is unfinished work for the church.

Let us keep our priorities in order. The highest priority is God’s glory through the revelation of His nature and character, in our lives and in the world.  Attributes of His nature and character include (but are not limited to) justice and love extended to every human being, which therefore motivates us both as to how our society treats various ethnic and social groups (e.g., illegal immigrants), and also sharing the gospel with those in the remotest parts of the world. To keep diversity, equity, and inclusion in context, God’s glory is the paramount value. We are called to fulfill His commands, which include both justice and love, and the Great Commission. (Matthew 18:19-20)  Jesus earnestly desires all to join in that eternal worship.

Responding to God and His angels tests our heart

The idea that people aren’t aware of God is alien to human experience. The key issue is our response. We have the Biblical case of Samuel, who as a very young child was called by God, and advised by Eli to respond, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10). In the case of Saul of Tarsus, this self-righteous Pharisee, when confronted by Jesus, said “Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:5) There are numerous other cases in the Bible, for example of rejection, such as those who, at the return of Christ, say to to the rocks and mountains “Fall on us and hide us from the sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb….” (Revelation 6:16)

In the realm of modern experience, there are countless testimonies. Many meet Christ in church in response to preaching and teaching of the gospel. Many of the questioning, the doubting, and the reluctant (not being in church) are confronted directly by the living Christ (in dreams, visions, or Him speaking directly to us) and make a decision for Christ. One example is C. S. Lewis who described himself as the most reluctant convert when he was dragged into the Kingdom of God. He responded to divine revelation of Truth when confronted.

Angels are God’s messengers. Biblical accounts do not show them as having God’s authority except as delegated, but they do assist humans. Modern sightings are rare (much rarer than God speaking to individuals) but we know they are invisibly around us. How often do we escape near-certain calamity by seemingly the minutest circumstance? We talk about guardian angels and glorify God for His divine protection. But Jesus also gave us a very specific warning regarding guardian angels: “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10) When we see little children, or those who are innocent at heart (e.g., mentally challenged of various types), do we welcome them with due respect for their guardians as Jesus cautioned? 

In summary, every occasion of human-divine interaction affords us a choice and opportunity. We reveal our hearts through our response. We can change our heart, but we must make that decision ourself. We cannot complain of the lack of opportunity or initiative on God’s part to reach out to us. God is not as concerned about whether we will rationally choose to surrender when it is clear who He is, as He is about whether our heart is aligned with His. He will accept us on any terms but clearly blesses those who share a desire for His character.

Faith or panache? The Chick Fil-A Conspiracy

Anyone who has been to Chick Fil-A has heard the phrases “how may I serve you?” and “my  pleasure” from cheerful employees. This is the external indicator of Dan and Truett Cathy’s conspiracy to flood the working world with people who are polite, respectful, and cheerful. These workers will go on to take jobs in industry and government where they will outperform their peers because of these behaviors (assuming they retain them). This is not that they won’t have the same issues as their contemporaries, but that in their dealings with others they will exhibit positive communications skills. This conspiracy could turn the workforce upside down, rewarding and promoting traditional values like respect for others and good manners, rather than aggressive and self-serving focus on advancement. 

How does this relate to faith vs. panache? Flamboyance in style or action is often seen in exuberant worship that can mask the inner workings of faith in a believer’s life. We go to worship services and often don’t have the opportunity to address with others our inner turmoil regarding circumstances, doubts, or challenges. Instead we come before the Lord and participate in faith. St. Paul reflected on this to the extreme in defending his holy boldness. (2 Corinthians 11:21-30) The background is this: it is in our challenges, our adverse circumstances, trials, and temptations that we have the opportunity to engage most strongly and directly with Jesus. Just as teenagers learn to show up for work and be polite when things are grumpy, and therein learn a solid work and workplace ethic, norms, and behaviors, so we believers learn to live in faith and experience the power of God’s grace when we worship in church and interact with God and His people in faith directly despite our situation. This is training for heaven.

“Follow the Science” - politics under color of authority?

“Under color of authority is a legal phrase … indicating that a person is claiming or implying the acts he or she is committing are related to and legitimized by his or her role as an agent of governmental power.” (Wikipedia, 13 November 2021) In police work, it generally is applied to a situation when a police officer justifies assault (violence) far beyond the needed level of force. It is often a matter of judgment when this issue is raised.

In Biblical interpretation, many religious scholars, pastors, and pundits are tempted to claim the authority of Scripture for their interpretation of it. As representatives of God, they are called to preach, along with correct, rebuke, and exhort. (2 Timothy 4:2) The 40,000-45,000 Christian denominations in the world speak to disagreements in the past and present. These have included personality clashes as well as disputes about implementation in matters the Bible does not provide implementation details. Rare is the denomination that does not claim the authority of God for their beliefs and practices. Calling out disagreements amounts to claiming that their unique beliefs and practices are legitimized by the correct understanding of God and His word, which they alone possess.

The new kid on the block is science. The phrase ‘follow the science’ is widely used by politicians to claim that their laws and policies are legitimized by science, and everyone else is ignoring scientific findings. It sounds appealing, but… what is science? “Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the world.” (Wikipedia, 13 November 21)  

The claim of the authority of science is tied to testable explanations and predictions. Easy as this concept is to apply to basic physics, the challenge comes in the complexity of the real world. In doing experiments it is necessary to isolate the phenomenon being tested from all other possible factors. Politicians gloss over this detail in crafting policies based on ‘the science’. An honest statement would have to caveat policy pronouncements with phrases like ‘in my judgment’ or ‘in the judgment of qualified scientists’. This is not to say that the law of universal gravitation is a matter of judgment. Policy issues seldom depend on it. But statistics on the efficacy of a vaccine, mask wearing, social distancing, or lockdowns vary widely because of the innumerable variables involved. 

These politicians want to use ‘the science’ as a kind of trump card to defeat all other considerations, such as limited government and the bill of rights in the constitution. Whether any given measure will work as claimed or not, science does not automatically override all other considerations. Even if vaccines are as effective as their advocates believe, and people are individually better off by getting them, is a public health crisis worth ending the freedom under the rule of law that the United States was established on? Limited government, individual liberty under the rule of law can be eroded by many actions, either by despotic policies from iron-fisted rulers, or by rebellious militias seeking to achieve local autonomy. Anarchy, as described in a previous post on Haiti, arises from hearts not fully devoted to God. But ‘science’-based tyranny claims the acts the tyrant is committing are related to and legitimized by science. What is the risk that these science-citing wannabe dictators are partaking of the spirit described in Isaiah 14:13-14?

I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne above the stars of God,

And I will sit on the mount of assembly

In the recesses of the north.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.

Any of us could be so tempted.

Haiti - Compromised Hearts and Syncretism

The recent kidnapping of 17 missionaries by a Haitian gang, with ransom demands and threats of murder, briefly brought public attention to its failed-state status. Since the UN peacekeeping mission withdrew there has been no real governance or enforcement of civil order. Not that Haiti is unique - Somalia in 1993 got world attention for its civil war (which lasted roughly from 1991-2012) due to the battle of Mogadishu. Afghanistan is probably in a similar condition, although at present news reports are scarce. What is the root cause?

Mankind has a sin problem, going back to Adam and Eve. But the modern consequences have a spiritual dimension, that affects all of society. The Bwa Kayiman ceremony and the Haitian slave revolt of 1791 reflect this primal human sin nature - that the ends justify the means. Is it less evil to use kidnapping and murder as a means to create a better society than to subjugate and enslave people by torture and murder? Veritas ipsa loquitur. To buy just a bit into Satan’s worldview is to contaminate the whole. Whether Voodoo is the cause of Haiti’s social dysfunction or a symptom of it, the desire for supernatural power to inflict evil on another has but one source. This is not a trick question.

What of the professed Christianity - Catholic or Protestant - of a large fraction of the Haitian population? Jesus defeated Satan on the cross, so why are His children subject to Satan’s power? The Scriptures give a few hints. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 describes people who hold to a form of godliness but deny its power. Acts 19:13-16 describes the attempt of some would-be exorcists to cast a demon out in the name of Jesus but not actually knowing Him. We do not know the hearts of the Haitians (God does) but the social acceptance of voodoo speaks for itself. Claiming Christ but also hedging bets by acknowledging voodoo - a compromised heart - is syncretism no different than Jewish idol worship in historic Israel. 

Satan’s deception is extraordinarily sly; he knew exactly how to trick Adam and Eve into their first sin.  When appeals to people who name Christ to repent of and renounce their sin and the world, the flesh, and the devil have fallen on deaf ears, the only(and inevitable) outcome is the determined by cause and effect.

In the U.S. and western countries we view social breakdown and dysfunction as something that couldn’t happen here. But we should heed the warning of this object lesson. Syncretism in Haiti may one day unravel. Syncretism in western culture - worldly religion, Christianity along with worship of economic or political idols, I mean ideals - could engender future disaster for us. We can’t have it both ways. Either Jesus is Lord, and we choose to know and walk with Him, or else not. We can’t create heaven on earth or build the kingdom of God by worldly means. If we have compromised hearts (mixed loyalties), He will use the consequences that result from our mixed religious allegiances to refine us, just as He does others.

I Chronicles 28 records David’s warning and promise to Solomon when he became king just before David’s death. Verse 9 states, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” These words speak to us.