My wife miscarried early in her first pregnancy. This was a tragedy. My sister delivered a stillborn full-term baby girl. This, too, was a tragedy. Tears were shed after each, but the magnitude of my sister’s loss was comparatively far greater than that experienced by my wife and me.

I don’t know what lives either of those children might have led, but I sometimes imagine how our lives and the world might have been changed had their promise and blessing been fulfilled. Their journeys to life, though, were interrupted for reasons known only to God. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord… and blessed be new life with all of the hope and promise of the future. New life comes to us at the conclusion of a spectrum of blessing that begins with conception and is fulfilled with the delivery of that new life into the world. For some though, that journey can rapidly change to a spectrum of tragedy with a new life being aborted. Not by a doctor or any human intervention, but rather by the unknowable will of God.

Regardless of whether you walk in the Light and Life of Christ and accept His gift of salvation, or whether you follow another path, our time on this plane of existence was never promised to be easy. Similarly, the journey to life is often echoed by the journey to death that many of us have witnessed and may experience. As disease and decay take their toll, the body begins its inexorable decline until it can no longer accommodate your spirit. It represents a spectrum of hope for those who have trusted Jesus, and a spectrum of tragedy for those who haven’t. In either case, it is ended by the unknowable will of God.

Secularists would remove God from the equation, suggesting that it is simply letting nature run its course. In doing so, they allow themselves the liberty to intervene in nature’s progress so as to exercise their will in lieu of that of a higher authority. This changes each of these spectra to a spectrum of horror. The magnitude of the horror swells or ebbs at the time chosen for intervention. Intervening on the day after conception is a far lesser magnitude of evil than intervening on the day of delivery. Intervening on the day after diagnosis of a terminal illness is a far greater magnitude of evil than intervening on the day life is slipping away. You see, the horror grows when intervention comes closer to the fullness of life. Horror takes the place of tragedy when evil acts presage the abortion of life. And with the horror comes guilt.

Remember always that no depravity that man commits surprises God, though I am certain that our choices often grieve His heart. Remember that at the time of the crucifixion of Christ there was only one person alive on the earth. Everyone else was dead in sin and trespasses. The depravity of man in killing this one man, Jesus, overshadows everything we had done before or since. But in killing this one man, we washed ourselves in His innocent blood and bought our deliverance from all our depravities.

We live in a fallen world, though in a world imbued with hope for a coming and brighter day. I cling to that hope, and so it is that I pray that we would zealously guard the spectrum of blessing that is fulfilled in new life; despite the possibility of tragedy that it holds. It is why I also cling to the spectrum of hope as old life ebbs. I would not allow my will to supersede the will of God and I condemn the hubris of anyone else that would so presume. For those who would create or defend a spectrum of horror, I pray that their consciences would be pricked to limit their interventions to when the magnitude of the impact of their evil act is least. I take solace in knowing that nothing can thwart the will of God and that He will judge evil.

Even as we move forward in our lives, it is important that we look back occasionally as the past and our understanding of it establishes our trajectory moving forward. In my own life, I realize that I’ve fashioned my own private gallery wherein I’ve framed the events and vignettes in a manner most conducive to justifying where I am and why I am the man I am in the moment.

Shakespeare wrote that “the evils that men do live after them; the good is oft interred with their bones”. So it has been with my gallery. I had an entire wing dedicated to the wrongs that I’d suffered, the injustices, the slights. I could stand in front of each and marvel at the evil displayed with a subconscious sense of pride for how well I had fashioned the frame in which I displayed them.

Enter the Holy Spirit. No one else enters my gallery but I, but the Holy Spirit insisted that I share this part of my heart with Him as well. I confess to being ashamed at the revelation of my handiwork, as it did not comport in any real sense with the handiwork He is working in me. So, it has been that I’ve spent no small amount of time curating my gallery – breaking frames, relegating some works to the ash heap and re-framing others in the context of gratitude.

The Bible tells us that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose₁. For me, being called according to His purpose is not to presume that I am another Moses or a prophet, but rather just another sheep responding to the Shepherd’s call. In understanding that, I understand that I am precisely where God wants me. In understanding that, too, I understand that everything in my life has worked to deliver me to this moment and I am grateful. It doesn’t matter the intentions of others, what matters is God’s purpose. Even when I had strayed, God was there. Jesus suffered immeasurable pain and suffering because of my repeated stumbles and misdeeds. If He doesn’t hold a grudge, how can I?

And so it is that I add one more shingle to my resume. I am also a curator. As I walk the halls of my gallery, I watch for those pieces shaped and purposed by the Artist of all creation, while I keep an eye out for those fashioned by the con artist that had previously dominated the collection. The collection is thinning, but the theme is becoming ever more explicit – God is great in His mercy and His grace.

₁ Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I recently completed 6 weeks of radiation to treat a cancer that was supposed to have been resolved with the removal of my prostate. The surgery had already dashed one of my life’s goals – to exit this world with all the parts with which I arrived. Notwithstanding, it seemed a prudent decision so as to forestall an early departure. But I digress. With the completion of the radiation, I am now in a nether world of uncertainty. I return to the doctor at the end of next month at which time I will learn whether or not I still have cancer. I’ve referred to my present state with my daughter as Schrödinger’s cancer because, like the cat he postulated, the present state of my cancer will be unknown until viewed. If, like the cat, viewing affects the result, I strive to remain positive in hope of gaining a positive result, though I don’t recall a positive attitude playing any role in quantum mechanics.

The challenge for me in doing this is that I am not entirely certain I either want a positive outcome or if I believe that more time on this earth is God’s will for me. Life has always been a tenuous affair – amazing in the miracle of its existence and frightening in the reality of its fragility. That the mutation of one gene can result in such extraordinary changes boggles my mind. I reflect on this when I consider the miracles that Jesus performed during his earthly ministry. When he directed the man with the withered hand to extend it and then made it whole like the other, what was happening? I don’t believe that Jesus considered bone structure, tendons, arteries, veins, and capillaries while healing this man, but yet all of these were healed. When Jesus raised Lazarus from death, He not only addressed the cause of Lazarus’ death, but also the decomposition that followed. When God created man, He created him whole. He didn’t first draft instructions and then put us together like a model kit – Hmmmm, Let’s see… I’ll add the arms later… No, He created us whole and complete.

I’ve often wondered about Lazarus, post-resurrection. I am confident that if he previously had a limp, he no longer did. If he had lost a finger in a threshing accident, the finger was restored. Jesus was the Great Physician – He did not treat symptoms, He restored. Jesus did not say “I think I can make it better”, He made it new. He healed the lame – they did not hobble away with their miracle, they walked, ran, or danced away. He healed the blind – they did not squint and struggle to find their way home, they went boldly with clear vision.

As I consider this, my mind selfishly wanders back to my own situation. Jesus could heal me. In fact, He already may have healed me. But His purpose in performing the miracles He did during his earthly ministry was to bear witness as to who He was, not to preserve flesh. Jesus told us that God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit₁. So, as we strenuously cling to the flesh that shrouds our spirits, it is important to remember that God places us here in this world for a season, and that season is in furtherance of His purpose. Just as I wouldn’t pray that God stay Summer and Winter that I might enjoy a longer Spring, so I wouldn’t ask for more days than he has willed for me. When Job said “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”₂, that was a statement of total submission and certainty that God would preserve and deliver him beyond the confines of his earthly body.

So, regardless of the result I may experience, I praise God and thank Him for His goodness and mercy to me. My positive attitude rests in the certainty that His will shall be done, regardless of the outcome.

₁ John 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

₂ Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

WWJD? A clever acronym for the question “What would Jesus do?” that suggests that we might possess some insight as to what Jesus would do in a particular circumstance. In asking the question, it allows us to exercise the presumption of settling our posteriors into Christ’s judgment seat and pontificating. The question “What would Jesus do?” cannot be answered. Instead, we answer the question with what we would do if we were Jesus. Spoiler alert – If we were Jesus there would be no salvation, no atoning sacrifice, no hope. I’m grateful that I’m not Jesus, and doubly so that you’re not.

A better question to ask ourselves when facing quandaries in our lives is to ask “What did Jesus do?” – WDJD. Should someone inquire about your views on abortion, homosexuality, premarital sex, adultery, or the panoply of ways in which we stumble, we would do well to remember what Jesus did. Jesus loved. He loved sinners – indeed He found a closer connection to them than He did to those who judged themselves righteous. Why? Because flawed though they were, they saw within themselves the hunger that only He could satisfy. The Pharisees asked his disciples why Jesus dined with publicans and sinners₁, the obvious answer was that the sinners welcomed Him in.

What would you imagine dining with Jesus would be like? Do you think He spent the meal lecturing them about how sinful they were? Does the Holy Spirit do that to you? Jesus described the Holy Ghost as the “Comforter” – not the Convicter or the Condemner₂. I suspect that Jesus was very much a comforter in his meals with sinners.  He shared freely of Himself, taught, and encouraged. Do we do the same with those that we encounter? Is our church welcoming? If our churches are to be hospitals for sinners, what is our emergency room like? Modern hospitals are models of cleanliness and order, but the emergency room is where you find those who are often bloodied and battered in desperate need of care. My last visit, predicated by a fall from a ladder, was typical. They quickly assessed the extent of my needs and treated me accordingly. They did not admonish me for my clumsiness or carelessness, they did not tell me I was deserving of my sad circumstance, they didn’t seek a pledge from me to stay off ladders, and they did not judge me. Instead, they cared for me and, had it been necessary, they would have made a place for me in one of their clean and orderly rooms.

Now, think of the emergency room that is your church. Is it welcoming to those who have been bloodied and battered by life? Is it a safe and welcoming place where someone can learn and heal and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus? A wise, old pastor once told me that the hardest thing he encountered in pastoring a church was to keep the old goats from killing the young lambs. One of the primary failings of the Pharisees was that they loved the law more than the Law Giver. They judged themselves righteous while condemning others. I’ve done this, too. I’ve met people whose lifestyles were outside biblical teaching and I did not share the gospel with them. In not doing so, I was in fact condemning them. They did not need me to lecture them, but simply to love them and share Jesus’ love even as it had been shared with me. Love them. Bring them home. Let the Holy Ghost work on their hearts and lead them to truth and salvation. Be a source of comfort and guidance, but only so far as they seek it from you. Don’t worry about what Jesus would do, but simply do what Jesus did.  

₁ Mark 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

₂ John 14: 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Go-o-o-o-llee is probably the first thing that strikes us when we hear the name Gomer. Who could forget the eponymous personification of innocence as portrayed by Jim Nabors. Wide-eyed and amazed at the world around him… He never seemed to lose his innocence. But there is a Gomer we don’t too often think of who is introduced to us in the Old Testament book of Hosea. This Gomer was not a wide-eyed innocent, but was rather a jaundiced-eyed, worldly-wise woman. Her faithfulness was fleeting and she was, in the vernacular of a more circumspect time, a woman of easy virtue.

God instructed Hosea to marry her and to seek her out and bring her back when she strayed. This was at a physical and emotional cost to Hosea, but God wanted to illustrate how He loved His people and how they responded. As we think of Gomer, we can perhaps imagine how she looked. Our preconceptions may illuminate our minds with the image of a woman who was alluring and seductive and desired by countless men; or we may see the image of a woman who is tired and fading who has traded on her charms for too long and has little stock in trade remaining. Both views are comforting, as they paint a picture far removed from our lives. There is a way, though, that we may know exactly what she looked like. Gaze into the mirror hanging on your wall, and there she is.

You may protest that you are not like her. Of course you’ve had your failings, but they’re outweighed by the positives. In doing this, you join the rest of us in excusing ourselves based on the imagined gravity of action. You see, it is not a scale that we must balance (the ancient Egyptians believed this). It is instead, if you will, a matter of geography. Imagine a map, with a big star in the middle saying God is here. Now where are you on that map? Wherever you are on that map, if you’re not with God, you have strayed just as Gomer did. We focus on the scenery in Gomer’s tableau, and fail to grasp that it isn’t where she is that is the issue, but where she isn’t. She’s not with God. If Sunday dawns beautifully and you invest your time at the golf course, or if the weather is miserable so you stay in – the issue isn’t where you are but where you are not. This map is not just geographical, it is emotional and spiritual as well.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. His sheep know Him and follow Him. If even one should stray, He will seek it and bring it back. But notice His focus! It isn’t on where the sheep was, but where the sheep should be. If you are following Him, where you were when He found you is meaningless to Him. It should be meaningless to us, too. Go-o-o-o-llee! His grace is good.

When Christ was crucified, we are told in Matthew 27 that the curtain was torn from top to bottom, revealing the Holy of Holies to all those present. What does this mean? It means that the barrier between us and God had been eliminated, as we now had clear and unobstructed access to God through the person of Jesus Christ. And to what did we gain access? We gained access to truth. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes unto the Father, but by Me”.

Throughout history curtains have been used as symbols of the barriers between us and the truth. In the movie “The Wizard of Oz” who can forget the little dog Toto pulling back the curtain in the great hall , exposing the truth behind the Great and Powerful Oz? We are living today in a world full of metaphorical curtains obscuring the truth, and if you even suggest the existence of the curtains, or worse, acknowledge that you are aware of them, you are likely to find yourself marginalized. This has not been an issue for me, as throughout my life I have counted on curtains to conceal ugly truths. A nice brocade was always more attractive than the view that lay beyond.

A month ago I was happily claiming to be a cancer survivor. Today I still make the claim, but it is with the awareness that survival is a process, not a momentary accomplishment. All the while I was claiming to be a survivor, I was aware of some changes that, in hindsight, could be indicative of a resurgence of cancer. I cracked open the curtains and reported these to my HMO and they did tests, but they were not testing in context of my prior cancer, but instead were testing as though these symptoms were appearing in someone with no prior medical history. I was okay with this, because the brocade was comforting. It was only when I pressed for the testing that would indicate if my cancer had returned that the trajectory of my survival changed. Why did the HMO perform so poorly? I was warned for years that my HMO had a history of doing everything right, but not doing it fast enough. When your house is on fire, putting the flames out should be a higher priority than testing for causes and debating strategies for extinguishing the conflagration. Why didn’t I act sooner? My family has had the tradition of hoping for the best and ignoring the rest – hanging curtains. That tradition may be contributory to the fact that so many of them are no longer above ground.

I share this because this mindset appears to be prevalent in our society today. We have now had seven months of an administration the actions and inactions of which have systematically devastated every aspect of our nation.

• Border in shambles.
• Covid pandemic continuing.
• Freedoms being eroded.
• Abandonment of friends and allies.
• Rampant inflation.
• Stunning deficits.

Whether you acknowledge all of these or any of them, it is indicative of having elected a president who is cognitively impaired and who, in his most lucid moments, is making decisions that reflect limited comprehension and understanding. My HMO could assess his current competency, but we wouldn’t learn the results until he was overtly slack-jawed and drooling in public. But in truth, we don’t want to know the truth. Curtains are so much more reassuring. I’m sure there is someone back there who knows what they’re doing. There are too many of us invested through our arguments or our votes who do not want an assessment of the emperor’s new wardrobe, and we will challenge and shout down anyone who speculates regarding the truth. You’re not a doctor! You’re not a tailor!

The time has come, though, where the consequences of our denial have become too great. The curtain has been torn asunder. Innocent people whose only mistake was to trust us are being slaughtered. Those who actively concealed the president’s decline are actively trying to distract and obfuscate, but as we see desperate innocents falling to their death from our aircraft as we execute a humiliating and unplanned retreat, we can no longer retreat from the reality before our eyes.

At least we can console ourselves that we have an able and competent vice-president waiting in the wings. Wait – Isn’t she the same person who advanced her career by engaging in an extramarital affair with the notorious Willie Brown in California? Old news. No way to assess whether her relationship was based on either affection or avarice. And although she helped Willie violate his vows, they weren’t hers. Wait – Isn’t she the same person who prosecuted minor marijuana offenders in California until it was no longer fashionable? Isn’t she the failed presidential candidate whose principles have been consistently shaped by results of the current polls? Isn’t she the one who has been an abject failure as vice-president?

Someone bring us a curtain! We are left between a rock and a hard place; forced to choose between the decrepit and the cretinous. How did we come to be here? Well, the election of 2020 was the fulcrum. We had an incumbent president we were told was a tyrant, a racist, a would-be Hitler. On the other side we had good-old Joe. The media assiduously managed the message, lest the success of the former and the corruption of the latter would come to light and possibly result in a fair election. No Russians needed, as the tech oligarchs in our own country were colluding to control the outcome. As votes were counted, there was a pause after which the Rosie Ruiz of electoral candidates then suddenly seized the lead.

Was the election stolen? There are certainly anomalies that raise questions, but the HMO, pardon me, DOJ was in no hurry to investigate. What would be the reaction if it was discovered that the tech giants in tandem with either our intelligence community or the Chinese Communist Party had placed their thumbs on the scale? The truth would be too ugly, too reflective of government failures. This is why you can speculate with wild abandon on social media about fake moon landings, assassination conspiracies, international organizations in the shadows pulling the levers of power. However, speculate about the 2020 election and you will be shut down. Not only will you be banished from social media, you will likely be placed on a list of potential domestic terrorists.

There must be some truth in the speculation if our government and tech oligarchs (are they different?) are so invested in suppression. I didn’t invest much in the speculation, since we have had stolen elections before and, once stolen, they tend to stay stolen. But I find my hope for the best, ignore the rest mindset no longer serves me or our country writ large. It’s time to tear down the curtain. It’s time for investigation, examination, and review, as we cannot allow this cancer on our nation to metastasize. I continue to take comfort, though, that in all things we are under the umbrella of God’s will. I am confident and grateful that His will shall be done.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death – doesn’t sound too appealing. Any savvy real estate developer would change that name in a heartbeat. Perhaps Shady Valley – no, shady suggests dishonesty… Cool Valley – no, cool has too many alternative meanings… Green Valley – no, sounds too eco-progressive and restrictive… Peaceful Valley – that’s the ticket! It reminds me of an exit off of Interstate 8 driving east through the high desert. There was actually an exit for a place called Earthquake Valley! But, when real estate development came along, they prudently renamed it Peaceful Valley. After all, purchasing a home in Earthquake Valley might be a shaky investment.

Although David references the Valley of the Shadow of Death in the 23^rd Psalm, you won’t find it on any map. But why should it be, since we are all smack-dab in the middle of it, and the only way out is via hearse. Should we be worried, though? Possibly, if we haven’t made plans. Imagine finding yourself in an airport and being forced to board a plane. Fear of flying notwithstanding, the thought of boarding holds no fear if you have already booked your flight and know your destination. Otherwise, you are at the whim of forces beyond your control or understanding. Although there are pleasant destinations, there are unpleasant ones as well. If you haven’t arranged to have a seat, you may be sent as cargo. Planning is important.

I am grateful that I have an open ticket to board whenever I should find myself in the airport. I am grateful, too, that my ticket was already paid for by someone who gave His all so that I could have this assurance. I am most grateful, though, for those precious souls in my life who showed me this truth and explained that my ticket was waiting at will-call.  It gives new meaning to John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane”.

Seats are still available, and it’s never too early to make your reservation. All you have to do is contact your travel agent, Jesus, and let Him know that you want to take advantage of His generous offer. You don’t even have to use your Frequent Flier miles.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – We’ve all heard this gem of ancient Chinese philosophy, but have we taken a moment to consider its meaning? As Christians, we identify with Jesus Christ who told us that He was the Way. The early church, which significantly identified themselves as Followers of the Way, understood that identifying with and accepting the sacrifice of Jesus was not a moment, but was a journey. Jesus said “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. We were all born once, but that birth was into the certainty of death. To be born again is to be born into the certainty of life. How many of us, though, were stillborn? It may not mean that we will not receive God’s promise, as that judgment is God’s to make. It does mean that we do not experience the fullness of walking in the Spirit, of growing in faith, of gaining a greater awareness of who we are and what has been purposed for our lives.

When I reach into the glovebox of my car I find an owner’s manual. It instructs me on how the car works, but it says nothing about where I can go. However, I need to know the former before I can explore the latter. The Bible does the same thing in our lives. It sets parameters for operation and fosters an understanding of who we are, but it leaves it to us to explore where we can go – where following the Way will take us.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – Wear comfortable shoes!

In the book of John, Chapter 8, we are told the story of a woman caught in the act of adultery who is brought before Jesus:

³ And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

⁴ They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

⁵ Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

⁶ This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

⁷ So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

⁸ And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

⁹ And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

¹⁰ When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

¹¹ She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Many expositions have been written about this passage. The motives of the scribes and Pharisees is obvious. They are seeking to trick Jesus into either affirming Moses against the Roman law or affirming the Roman law against Moses. Some suggest that Jesus wrote their sins on the ground, which convicted them to leave. Others suggest that Jesus forgave the woman as a demonstration of His power as God. Some see it as a lesson in the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

As a simple man, I can extend my interpretation with the certainty that it can be easily discounted. Nonetheless, here goes. Everyone who came before Jesus in this passage is guilty of adultery. The scribes and Pharisees have pledged themselves to serving God, but they have supplanted God with the law. As they approach Jesus, they address Him as Master (Teacher in other translations), but they do not accept Him as such. They don’t accept that He is their master or teacher, much less the Son of God. In their address of Him they flatter and pander while concealing their true purpose to try and ensnare Him so that they may condemn Him. Their motivations in coming before Him convicted them of the same spiritual adultery of which God convicted Israel in the book of Hosea. The woman they brought with them may have been guilty of physical adultery, but she was merely a pawn in their ploy.

What did Jesus write in the dirt that day? We don’t know, and neither probably did the scribes and Pharisees. Have you ever written in the dirt? It is nearly impossible to decipher even if you are the one doing the writing. The scribes and Pharisees knew their guilt in their hearts and feared what he might be writing.

At the end of the passage, all have left. Of them, who did Jesus condemn? No one. Of them, who did Jesus forgive? No one. Jesus did not forgive anyone but simply said that he did not condemn anyone. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus did not condemn anyone. His purpose was to share the gospel, even as He has likewise commissioned us to do. The scribes, Pharisees, and the accused woman left that encounter with neither condemnation nor absolution; but all left with the opportunity for salvation. What they made of that opportunity is unknown to us. The Bible tells us that there will be a judgment day, but it wasn’t that day.