The Holocaust

A few days ago I met a very interesting man named Bill.  He is a good man.  One of the really fascinating things that I learned from him was that his parents were both survivors of the Holocaust.  His father was sent to Auschwitz while his mother was exiled to a labor camp.  In the end, when Hitler saw that he was going to lose the war, he gave orders to kill everyone – even those in work camps.  Bill’s mom was shipped from the labor camp to a death camp, along with many others, and she narrowly escaped execution there.  The camp’s name was Bergen-Belsen and she told Bill how the corpses at the camp were piled high in a pyramid type fashion that seemed to reach “up to the sky” as she used to say.  After the war was over, his mom and dad met at a reunification camp in Europe that was set up by the United States and just a few months after Bill was born his family made their way to America.  Even though both of his parents are now deceased, based on his parents’ narratives, Bill can still describe, in precise detail, story after story of horrific events.  In fact, the stories were relayed in such detail to Bill that he can suffer similar feelings of trauma that his parents experienced when he finds himself in parallel circumstances that they described.  Not only are blue eyes or high cheek bones transmitted from parents to children but so are parental effects of trauma and fear.

I have reflected a lot on my conversation with Bill.  How can a person (or group of people) get to a place where not only is it preferable but it is essential to annihilate an entire race of people?  Really.  How does that happen?  When does a person become just a breath away from seeing another person as an “enemy” and as disposable?

The thought that has really haunted me is how much our words and behavior toward others matter.  Although certainly not on Hitler’s level, what I say or how I treat another person impacts their life. . .and often generationally.  I know that as well from my profession as a counselor.  Oftentimes an individual can suffer extreme emotional pain due to the effects of another person’s behavior toward them – or toward their parent(s).

My biggest question after talking with Bill, however, is how do people safeguard themselves from being a “breath away” from “Hitler-ish” behavior?  Where, with their words and behavior, they can annihilate a person’s self-esteem or dreams or relationships?

Thinking about these reflections has been a bit disturbing for me and I know that I need help from outside of myself for this safeguard.  For me the help is prayer.  A funny thing happens with prayer I think.  In prayer I often think I am helping God by asking Him to do things the way I think they should be done.  But in this process of prayer, I am observing, God uses it to change me. . .to soften me. . .to open my heart to see people the way He does.  God is good like that.  Thankfully.

Wouldn’t it be great if God would change us so that we could speak to and treat others with such love and care that the effects of those interactions could flow over into the lives of their children. . .and grandchildren?

Daily Quiet Time with God (Part 3)

I am hesitant to share what I do in my daily quiet time with my God because I do not want to appear to be tooting my own horn or fishing for kudos.   If I know my heart, this is not my motivation for I am well aware that in my life the only ground for boasting is how God is involved in it.  My motivation for these three posts is the desire to help people who may be searching for a closer walk with God.  Perhaps my story will benefit other God-seekers.

Now, let me pick up where I left off in my last post.  After I finish my three-column Bible study and read my selected commentary, I talk to God.  My usual practice is to begin my prayer with the Scripture for the day.  I find plenty of prayer-fodder there.  For example, this morning’s passage was John 1:8-9.  In my prayer I thanked God for sending Jesus (and John) into the world and for his enlightenment.  I asked God to make me like John and grant me opportunities and courage to witness to the light.  After I pray through the text, I pray through my daily planner.  Today is an Annual Day at Shults-Lewis Children’s Home.  I cannot attend, but I prayed for the children’s home and thanked God for Bob Kallus.  Becky returns home from a national conference today so I prayed for her safe arrival and that the speeches she hears today and the conversations she has will be enriching for her.  I plan to call Mom and Dad and my brother, Kenny, so in my prayer, I thanked God for them and asked him to care for them in specific ways.  I plan to do some dissertation reading today so I asked God to help me stay on task for that and for help to cover a lot of ground.  (The Lord knows I need his help with that one!)  On the docket today is planning for worship in our home tomorrow evening with some friends.  So I prayed that God would give me direction for that period of worship and discussion and that he would bless that gathering.  Well, you get the idea.  My daily activities and the people I encounter through the day become my prayer concerns.

That’s it, the last of the trilogy.  Again, thanks for reading, and I hope these posts have been somewhat helpful.  Please feel free to share your life with me.  Perhaps we can help each other!

A Trip to the Post Office

I had to go to the Post Office this afternoon to take care of some business.  But, I went there with a much more important agenda than to apply for a post office box.  I wanted to say something to the clerk that would give God glory.  I wanted to testify, to say something that would tell of my faith in him.  I wanted to obey my Scripture for the day (John 1:6,7), or better, I wanted to obey God.

The line at the Post Office was unusually short.  (Often, I’m standing in line for fifteen to twenty minutes.  Of course, that provides me an opportunity to speak with the other customers who are in line with me!)  Perhaps, today, there would be time for me to converse with my clerk, I thought.  But, no, I was wrong.  She was all business and quickly took care of it.  I thanked her for her advice, and then she said, “Now, you go on and enjoy the rest of the day.”  There was my opening!   “And didn’t the Lord give us a beautiful day?!” I answered.  With a smile on her face, she replied, “Yes, dear, he sure did.”

God is at work in his world, and he wants us to be his witnesses, to attest to his craftsmanship.  He certainly deserves the credit for a beautiful early fall afternoon.  Today, I left the Post Office thankful to God that he allowed me the opportunity to be a witness.  It’s a joy to obey the Lord!

Daily Quiet Time with God (Part 2)

The Bible study method I presently use in my daily quiet time I learned from David L. Watson.

I use a college-ruled composition book — it must be college-ruled; wide-ruled won’t work — which I divide into three columns.  I use the entire width of the back side of a page for my first column which is entitled “Scripture.”  Then, I fold the facing page in half to make two more columns, entitled “My Words” and “I Will.”

In column one I write out word-for-word the Scripture text I want to cover.  This forces me to read the text through many times.  It’s a kind of forced meditation.  In column two I write my paraphrase of the text.  I try to imagine that I am speaking this text to a friend and using my own words.  Column three is a biggie.  This column is entitled “I Will” and is all about application.  Here is where I try to write down my personal response to the passage.  I try to think about what this particular passage means in my life and how I will “obey” God in this passage.  I try to answer the question, “How will I practice this passage today?”

Here is an example.  Today, the text I read and meditated upon was John 1:6-7.  So, I wrote in my first column: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.”  What a great little passage!  Here is my column two paraphrase: “God sent a man named John to say what he saw and heard about this ‘light.’  Why did John do this?  He wanted everyone to believe through him!”  (I should clarify the phrase “believe through him” but I didn’t because I’m not sure “him” refers to the Word or John.)  After thinking about this text for several minutes, I wrote down these words in my “I Will” column: “I believe God has sent me to Chicago to tell others what the Lord has done in my life.  I want God to use me to create and nurture faith in others.  Today, I will be a witness when I go to the Post Office later this afternoon.”  Now, I just need to “obey” this text and do God’s will for me as it appears in this text.  (Watson is helping me to see again that Scripture is not merely something to know but something to do.)  God, help me put your word into practice today!  For more on this Bible study method, go here.

I consult my commentary only after I have done my own three-column Bible study.  I’m always eager to see what additional light might be thrown upon the text by someone else who has thought through and meditated upon it.  (Unfortunately, who the “him” in verse 7 refers to was not a question Ben Witherington thought important to answer in his commentary!)

More later, and thanks for reading.  Perhaps these words may benefit someone.  Again, please let me know what your own daily appointments with God look like.  Thanks!

Daily Quiet Time with God (Part 1)

I try to spend a little time in Bible study and prayer every morning.  There are certainly days when I fail to keep this appointment, but more often than not, this time with God in Bible study and prayer is a daily activity.  I need to spend this time with God.   I have noticed that my day suffers when I miss this appointment.  A few have expressed an interest in what I am presently doing for my DQT, so let me give a brief description.

I like to study the Bible book by book and feel I get more out of my Bible study when I do so.  I just finished Deuteronomy on August 25, a study I began March 24, 2008.  Obviously, I’m not concerned about how long it takes me to wend my way from the first verse through the last verse of a book!

Now, I have begun a new study, and I am very excited about the journey just begun September 1 in the Gospel of John!  (I like to toggle between Old and New Testament books.  For example, in recent years I studied the Gospel of Mark then Genesis then Hebrews then Deuteronomy.)  Before I explain the Bible study method I use, one I learned from David Watson, I should add that I like to read and “discuss” Scripture in conversation with others.  So, in my personal study of John’s Gospel I’m also reading a commentary on that book.  Usually, I consult Gordon Fee for the selection of a worthy commentary.  Fee wrote a fine little book entitled How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. In the Appendix of his book is a section entitled “The Evaluation and Use of Commentaries” where he lists his commentary recommendations on the individual books of the Bible.  (I remember Raymond Kelcy saying one time that as one puts together a personal library, it would be better to buy the best commentaries on individual books of the Bible than to buy commentary sets.)  I didn’t own one of Fee’s recommended commentaries on John’s Gospel, and this time, I didn’t purchase one.  I decided to save some monies and read a book given to me by our daughter, Susanna.  (It is John’s Wisdom, a commentary on the fourth Gospel by Ben Witherington.  It was one of Susanna’s textbooks when she took a course on the Gospel of John at Oklahoma Christian University.)  My practice is to read the Scriptures and then read the commentary on that passage.  I plan to elaborate on my Bible study method in the next post.

Please let me know what you are doing in your daily quiet time!

It Ain’t Yogurt!

I used to think that acculturation had something to do with making yogurt.  I now know otherwise!  The process of adapting or merging cultures also happens within the boundaries of the United States.  Even though what Kerry and I are (and will) experiencing doesn’t hold a candle to what missionaries experience that move to completely different cultures where there are tremendous lifestyle and language barriers, we are noticing some effects of acculturation.  We are noticing days of extreme tiredness — usually when we have been out and about and interacting with people in our new world.  (Don’t even ask me how long it took us to get new tags, title, and drivers’ licenses!)  We also occasionally notice some “alternative cognitive processes” that are not customary for us — like when I had thoughts of chunking a can of soup down the grocery store aisle because I couldn’t find anything that I needed on my shopping list.  And it might be an acculturation process when I am tempted to honk the horn on my car more than most Chicagoans do!

At the Department of Motor Vehicles one of the clerks said she figured we had just moved here because we didn’t look like Chicagoans.  We asked her if it was the “deer in the headlights”  look that gave us away.  She laughed pretty hard.  We took that as a “yes.”  Not wanting to let this one go, I asked what I needed to look like to look like a Chicagoan.  She told us we probably needed to look tougher.  We have been practicing. . . but we get tickled probably too much when we practice.

On one hand, I hope to get over the “deer in the headlights” presentation and fit into my new culture a little bit better.  I want to feel like Chicago is more like home.  I want to be able to move about the city without a GPS strapped to my left thigh (and thanks to the generosity of our three sweet children and their spouses we now have one!).  However, there is a part of me that doesn’t ever want to feel too much at home here.  I want to fit in better logistically and culturally.  I look forward to feeling more comfortable in my new environment.  But I hope I don’t ever feel too comfortable here spiritually.  I am now a sojourner culturally and spiritually.  When the culture adjustment gets better, however, I hope I don’t ever feel like my heart really belongs here.  I just don’t want to “get over” being homesick spiritually.

The truth of the matter is — we are all spiritually away from home.  And we live in a world that is hostile to refuge and safety. . . feelings of being comfortable and at home.  I believe one of our jobs here on the planet is to try to provide that safe harbor for people who don’t know how to feel safe with other people and who don’t know that what they feel most days in the pit of their stomach is homesickness — for another Home.

I just don’t think I want to look tougher.

The Value of a Song

Although I don’t always succeed, I try to spend some time in Scripture every day.  Perhaps one of these days I will share the daily quiet time regimen I am now following.  And, I would like to hear what others of you are doing to come daily and intentionally into God’s presence (although in some sense, we never leave it) and to listen to him.

Anyway, today’s reading and reflection was in Deuteronomy 31.  In this text God is commanding Moses to write a song and teach it to Israel.  This “song” is a poem which we know as the Song of Moses found in Deuteronomy 32.  According to Peter C. Craigie in his commentary on the book of Deuteronomy, normally ancient Hebrew poetry is introduced as having been sung (see Ex. 15:1; Judg. 5:1).  In Dueteronomy 31-32, the song is said to have been spoken.  It may be that the song was recited initially and that in this manner it was taught to the people with a view to being sung by them subsequently.

At any rate, this song that Moses was to teach Israel was to be remembered from one generation to the next.  It was never to be forgotten (Deut. 31:21).  Why?  Apparently, because this song would serve a useful purpose.  It would serve as a “witness” against Israel (vv. 19, 21).  God told Moses that he knew that eventually Israel would break their covenant with him and serve other gods.  (As Moses is preparing to leave his people for Mt. Nebo and an appointment with death this announcement must have broken his heart!)  When they did turn away from the Lord who alone was responsible for their many blessings, he wanted them to remember this song.  Perhaps the memory of this song would keep them from moving farther from him.

Just here, I like what Craigie writes about the Song of Moses: “The goodness of God is perceived in the gift of the song, for a part of its function would be to warn the people of their emerging intentions (to leave the Lord) and turn them back to God before it was too late.  The role of the Song of Moses in the life of ancient Israel portrays clearly at least one of the roles the Bible plays in our Christian life in the modern world.”

Yes, the gift of song is surely a gift of God!  I’m thinking now of hymns committed to memory that I have sung all of my life, songs and hymns which continue to teach me and keep me in the Lord’s way.  I’m thinking of newer songs recently learned which remind me of God’s love, goodness, and faithfulness.  Thank you, God, for these songs, and please keep them in my heart and on my tongue!

Thanking Your Neighborhood Bus Driver

Becky and I are learning that one of the benefits of living in the city is the availabilty of mass transit.  Using buses and trains is a new experience for us, but we are enjoying the experience!  We love it!  There is a tangible upside to riding the CTA.  You can relax and do other things while someone else navigates city traffic.  That’s worth a lot on the streets of Chicago.  (I’ve never lived in a city where people do so much communicating with their car horns!)  You don’t have to look for scarce and expensive parking spaces.  And, you get to see and converse with people whom you might never meet otherwise.  (More on this in another post.  Becky has an interesting story about a conversation she had with someone on the bus which perhaps she will share one of these days.)

Anyway, we are trying an experiment with the bus drivers.  Most passengers we have observed step into and exit the bus without any greeting.  We are trying to buck the trend to see if and how the bus drivers respond.  When we exit a bus, we try to say “Thank you for the ride!” or “Have a great day!” or something like that.  So far, I can say that almost every driver we greet, smiles and has some return greeting for us.  They seem to appreciate the courtesy.  What is that old cliche about how we all should “practice random acts of kindness”?  Kindness really matters, doesn’t it?  Who knows, those who drive CTA bus routes 11, 49B, 92, and 81 may become familiar with our faces in due time, and our courtesy may open some doors.  Of course, even if it doesn’t open any doors, I suppose we should still show gratitude to the people around us.  Some may wonder what it looks like to be a disciple of Jesus in the city.  For us, it includes saying “Thank you!” to bus drivers.

My “Blessed” Mother

Mom and Susanna at Spring Sing 2008

My brother, Jeff, started a tradition in our family a few years ago that I wish had been started much earlier.  It’s a fine tradition that gives honor to whom honor is due.  When any of us children have a birthday, we send Mom flowers.  I’m thinking of this just now because I just ordered a dozen yellow roses for Mom for my birthday.

Of the worthy woman of Proverbs 31, it was said, “Her chilren rise up and call her ‘blessed.’”  That’s my mother.  She is one of the most spiritual, God-fearing women I know, and I owe much of what I am to her.  Godly parents are a wonderful gift of God.  Thanks, Mom, for being such a gift.  I love you.

Our Daughter’s Wedding

A proud father and a beautiful bride!

My wife and I had a major life experience a week ago Sunday with our daughter’s wedding, and I would like to process some of my feelings in this online journal, if you in cyberspace don’t mind.

Susanna is our baby, our only daughter, and the last of our three children to marry.  May I say that it was quite an emotional event.  I’m sure that is no surprise to you who have married off children, especially you fathers who have married off daughters.  We have married off two sons, but for some reason, our sons’ weddings did not affect me quite like the wedding of our daughter.  Why is that?  My love for them is no less than my love for her.

Her wedding brought out feelings that were all over the chart, for me.  There was some pain.  The joy far outweighed the pain, but there was pain, nevertheless.  I think I was saddened by the feeling that this event really marked a degree of separation from our daughter.  There was a feeling that in some sense, she was leaving our family.  Of course, she will always be a part of our family, but now she has started her own family.  I’m sure that is the way God intended it, but if I had my druthers, I would like to see her start her own family without the feeling that she was leaving ours!  I’m happy to add members to the family; I just don’t want to see any leave!

I think the overwhelming emotion I experienced was gratitude.  The tears were motivated by joy and gratitude, not by sadness.  This is probably too simple of an explanation;  what I felt at her wedding was likely much more complicated.  But, all day I was mindful of the goodness of God, and that touched my heart.  Becky and I have so many precious memories of Susanna and our time with her over the years.  I thought, “God, why have I been so blessed to have a daughter like this, and to have shared so many wonderful experiences with her?”

For those who love God, a wedding is but another opportunity to celebrate another of his countless gifts and to acknowledge his goodness and loving-kindness.  Right?  As I looked into my daughter’s face, as I saw her groom, as I scanned the faces of those who came to celebrate with us — my parents, my in-laws, my brothers and sisters, our friends, my wife, our children, their spouses, our grandchildren, and on and on — I realized again how richly blessed I really am.  God has been good to me!  All of which reminds me of these words: “O Thou fount of every blessing; Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy never ceasing; Call for songs of loudest praise!”

In spite of my joy and gratitude, I must admit that for a day or two, I was noticeably down.  I’m not sure why.  I was just a little depressed.  Has anyone out there shared similar feelings?  Do such feelings come to most parents who see their children marry?  Or, is it me?  Perhaps, I need to alter my perspective.  Thanks for listening.