Mudshot Eyes

I occasionally take time to review The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. I read this book a few years ago, and was profoundly impacted by it. Today as I flipped through, I was looking for wisdom about what life looks like when we place ourselves in the care of God’s rule. Depending on which preacher has the floor, I have heard two different things about life in God’s kingdom.

One idea is that I should prepare for a life of discomfort and difficulty if I choose to follow Jesus. All the relevant Scripture passages are used to support this, like the times that Jesus told his disciples to take up their execution device (cross) and follow Him. Unfortunately, this idea doesn’t tell the whole story. There is also joy in this journey.

The other idea I’ve heard also sounds extreme. The claim is that life with God is the “good life” and that life’s circumstances improve when we are following Christ. It is an attractive extreme that can sell a lot of books and draw big crowds, but it lacks the reality of a Gospel that promises a good life regardless of the circumstances.

Dallas Willard’s approach to the kingdom of God sets the question in balance:

Standing in the kingdom, we make responsible decisions in love, with assurance that how things turn out for us does not really matter that much because, in any case, we are in the kingdom of the heavens. In that kingdom, nothing that can happen to us is “the end of the world.”

Our circumstances have lost their power over us. In God’s kingdom we are taken care of and never overlooked, regardless of how much pain and trial we endure.

Healer God,

Is there more room in the house where the man was dropped down through the ceiling?
Are the crowds so thick that more cannot touch the hem of your garment?

Grant us the wisdom to place limits on the enjoyment of our resources, so that we can place limits on the sicknesses that come to those who have no resources.

Grant us the courage to give
(so that we heal ourselves).

Take away our allegiance to our possessions
(they have made us sick).

May we find our greatest allegiance in You
(our place of refuge).

Heal us all, in Jesus’ name.

Thanks to Black Coffee Reflections for reminding me about the special that 60 Minutes did on the situation in Darfur. I meant to post something about that last week, but it’s been hard lately to sit down and post anything. The 12 minute piece can be viewed at the 60 Minutes web site. It is worth a viewing:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2113182n

I thought it was well done, giving us a glimpse into what is happening in Darfur. It is basically a government-sponsored human slaughter. Keep in mind that what they are doing to the people in their country is on a scale just as evil, but much larger than what Saddam Hussein did to Iraqis or anyone else. More than 400,000 people have been slaughtered, 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes, and the rape and genocide of the people continues with the blessing of the Sudanese government. The Bush Administration has called these atrocities what they are: genocide. More detailed info about the situation can be found at SaveDarfur.org.

My wife, Krista, and I both attended the funeral last week of the wife and daughter of a co-worker. They were both killed in a car accident. It has been difficult for any of us to accept, and our hearts are broken for him. His name is Brad Unland, if you think to pray for him in the coming days. He is left to care for his 3 month old baby, Sarah, who survived the accident.

Krista put some meaningful thoughts on her web site that want to recommend to you. I felt that it captured a lot of what many of us are feeling. Her site is pendrops.com, and the article is titled “These Hourly Bells”.

An opportunity exists to directly help a horrible situation in Africa where millions are at risk. Many of you already support ministries through your church, World Vision, Compassion International, and others who are making an effort to save and rebuild lives in situations like this.

However, please consider taking a look at the web links below regarding the crisis in Africa, as you may be led to give over and above what you are already giving. The situation is on the brink of rivaling the famine in the mid-80s, when almost one million people lost their lives because of the conditions (consider our response if this were happening in America!).

There are other organizations helping, but World Vision is one of those that has consistently proven itself to be trustworthy and full of integrity, with 87% of their revenue going into programs for children and families.

At the very least, pray for those involved as God brings it to mind, and continue giving as God leads.

Here is a short video for review
(This is a video of aid workers in the field talking about the problem—not one of those dramatized videos of people dying).

And a press release about the crisis.

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It is sad to see Senators like Barack Obama of Illinois, and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu use the devastation in the city of New Orleans for political gain. Obama’s comment that Bush “seemed to lack empathy for those stranded by the hurricane” is a cheap shot that resonates with political point-scoring.

Is this the time for speeches that criticize the President’s response? What good does that do us at this point? I do agree that the government responded poorly, but it seems to me that the only reason they have chosen to speak out is that they believe it will result in the most political gain. Other than that I can see no purpose for it at this time. One might say that they are “striking while the iron is hot”, using the emotions that surround such a catastrophe to fuel political advancement, instead of helping Americans channel their emotion into swift action to help those who have been displaced and wounded by the flooding. This is just reason #284 to hate politics.