God is in the storm
With the mercy and the rage
The lightning dances
With His delight
The thunder shouts
Of His glory
What eagle dares to fly?
And what fool dares to boast?
Both will be made low
For such haughty ones as that
The wind and rain
Are a mercy
Because lightning is the last resort
God is in the battlefield
In the clashing of steel
In the dying gasps
Where love and hatred meet
Where the zealot shouts
Where brave men cower
And the strong fall before the weak
In the place of passion
Where deceptions fall to dust
That is where He makes his camp
God is in the storm
Sunday, July 31, 2011
John Green Missed the Point
A while ago, author and internet celebrity John Green made a video about religion. The video was very respectful and it reflected great care and thought. However, as a Christian, I felt that John had really missed the point of the whole issue. The part at which this became most apparent to me was when he compared religion to a voice shouting at a person that their house was burning. His point was that it doesn't really matter whether the voice came from God or a fireman so much as it matters that the person get out of danger, and he ended the video by saying that he felt discussions about God were not as important as the issue of trying to find purpose in life. As far as I could tell, the basic disagreements between myself and John were centered around two points, namely the nature of purpose and the nature of God.
First off, the issue of purpose has been a major question in my life and when I became a Christian, the answer I found in that doctrine became one of the foundations of my faith. Until that point I had found every answer wanting: science, while being highly admired in our culture, simply didn't seem to cut it; happiness was no good because it wound up saying that we were our own reason for existence and if that were the case then it wouldn't make any sense for us to keep looking for something outside ourselves; and being good to people and helping one another failed because when serve one another we do it out of love, but love involves desiring the loved one's happiness and so that led right back to the failed answer of happiness. But I am getting ahead of myself.
The important issue is the nature of purpose. The chief of these characteristics are goodness, transcendence, and timelessness. Goodness is an obvious characteristic and does not need to be discussed the other two are worth a moment of explanation. The transcendent nature of purpose means that it is above us in some metaphysical sense and is of greater value than us. A man may dedicate himself to the cause of an injured animal, but he must do it in obedience to moral law and not in obedience to the animal. In the same way, whatever we derive our purpose (if we have it at all) from must have natural authority over us and the right to demand our obedience. The timeless nature of purpose means that purpose does not perish; when a person on the verge of death is trying to find meaning, they are trying to find something that will not simply outlast them but something that is entirely outside of mortality, outside the power of death.
Next there is the nature of God. In John Green's view, God seems to be simply a human who happens to be all-knowing and all-powerful and always does the right thing. This view is really not that different from pagan mythology except that instead of many gods there is only one, and I assure you that paganism did not perish simply because its mathematics were unappealing. All three of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) agree that God is good not simply because of what He does, but because of who He is. To really understand this idea, the best place to turn is to Plato.
Plato's philosophy was founded on the simple principle that we cannot have knowledge of things that do not exist (even with stories and myths we find that every individual component of the tale is rooted in reality) and that things like the laws of logic, beauty, and goodness must be as objectively real as the ground we walk on. Really, this is not that big a claim, but it is one that our Naturalist conditioning is quick to reject. What Plato ultimately concluded from this premise was that when we say that something is good, it is such because it reflects some ultimate reality called Goodness Itself. After all, if a morning is beautiful, that morning is better because of the beauty and as such it is nonsense to say that the beauty arises from the morning since the morning is clearly the inferior of the two. Or, to give another example, when someone like Martin Luther King does something good, his goodness comes from his obedience rather than from his own inner nature; his own goodness comes from the fact that he tries to make his choices according to a higher standard which is outside of himself. While it is not good to accept all of Plato's ideas, the concept of God's identity being that of Goodness Himself is not in any way at odds with the Bible. In fact, scripture actually provides a lot of support for this idea as it holds that all good things come from God, that our own abilities and goodness are derived from Him, and that "God is love."
Now that we understand the nature of purpose and the Christian understanding of God, we are able to see how John Green's statement misses the point. First off, the claim that we are trying to create meaning in this life may not be wrong, but if it is true then it is also true that we are engaged in a futile venture. Purpose is above us and therefore cannot come from us. Second, there is the idea that God and purpose are two separate issues. If either of these two exist, then that cannot be the case. God is the only possible reason for existence that makes any sense (look back at what I said earlier about my own search for meaning and see if you can come up with another workable option) because in order for there to be any meaning there must first be something which is good in and of itself simply for what it is, just as in logic there must be a premise which cannot be explained because it is itself an ultimate explainer.
In short, the voice in the fire does not simply tell us to escape. The voice in the fire is the escape.
First off, the issue of purpose has been a major question in my life and when I became a Christian, the answer I found in that doctrine became one of the foundations of my faith. Until that point I had found every answer wanting: science, while being highly admired in our culture, simply didn't seem to cut it; happiness was no good because it wound up saying that we were our own reason for existence and if that were the case then it wouldn't make any sense for us to keep looking for something outside ourselves; and being good to people and helping one another failed because when serve one another we do it out of love, but love involves desiring the loved one's happiness and so that led right back to the failed answer of happiness. But I am getting ahead of myself.
The important issue is the nature of purpose. The chief of these characteristics are goodness, transcendence, and timelessness. Goodness is an obvious characteristic and does not need to be discussed the other two are worth a moment of explanation. The transcendent nature of purpose means that it is above us in some metaphysical sense and is of greater value than us. A man may dedicate himself to the cause of an injured animal, but he must do it in obedience to moral law and not in obedience to the animal. In the same way, whatever we derive our purpose (if we have it at all) from must have natural authority over us and the right to demand our obedience. The timeless nature of purpose means that purpose does not perish; when a person on the verge of death is trying to find meaning, they are trying to find something that will not simply outlast them but something that is entirely outside of mortality, outside the power of death.
Next there is the nature of God. In John Green's view, God seems to be simply a human who happens to be all-knowing and all-powerful and always does the right thing. This view is really not that different from pagan mythology except that instead of many gods there is only one, and I assure you that paganism did not perish simply because its mathematics were unappealing. All three of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) agree that God is good not simply because of what He does, but because of who He is. To really understand this idea, the best place to turn is to Plato.
Plato's philosophy was founded on the simple principle that we cannot have knowledge of things that do not exist (even with stories and myths we find that every individual component of the tale is rooted in reality) and that things like the laws of logic, beauty, and goodness must be as objectively real as the ground we walk on. Really, this is not that big a claim, but it is one that our Naturalist conditioning is quick to reject. What Plato ultimately concluded from this premise was that when we say that something is good, it is such because it reflects some ultimate reality called Goodness Itself. After all, if a morning is beautiful, that morning is better because of the beauty and as such it is nonsense to say that the beauty arises from the morning since the morning is clearly the inferior of the two. Or, to give another example, when someone like Martin Luther King does something good, his goodness comes from his obedience rather than from his own inner nature; his own goodness comes from the fact that he tries to make his choices according to a higher standard which is outside of himself. While it is not good to accept all of Plato's ideas, the concept of God's identity being that of Goodness Himself is not in any way at odds with the Bible. In fact, scripture actually provides a lot of support for this idea as it holds that all good things come from God, that our own abilities and goodness are derived from Him, and that "God is love."
Now that we understand the nature of purpose and the Christian understanding of God, we are able to see how John Green's statement misses the point. First off, the claim that we are trying to create meaning in this life may not be wrong, but if it is true then it is also true that we are engaged in a futile venture. Purpose is above us and therefore cannot come from us. Second, there is the idea that God and purpose are two separate issues. If either of these two exist, then that cannot be the case. God is the only possible reason for existence that makes any sense (look back at what I said earlier about my own search for meaning and see if you can come up with another workable option) because in order for there to be any meaning there must first be something which is good in and of itself simply for what it is, just as in logic there must be a premise which cannot be explained because it is itself an ultimate explainer.
In short, the voice in the fire does not simply tell us to escape. The voice in the fire is the escape.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Walking by Faith
Everything looks calm now
It's comfortable
Safe
That place looks scary
It's uneasy
dangerous
I try to look beyond
Here, in the meadow
I can lay out plans
I can anticipate changes
But out there
I've no idea what's coming
But whatever it is
I'm afraid of it
Or at least
It seems like that
I know
That this year
Is not what I
Anticipated
So many things
So many normal things
Caught me by surprise
Every year of my life
But it's so hard
To believe that
Looking to the flow
To the temporary
I know
That's He's stronger
Than all my fears
He loves me
He has plans for me
And He deserves my servitude
I know it all
From experience
From friends
From books
From basic reasoning
I've seen it proved
A thousand times over
But it's so much easier
To trust sight
Than knowledge
I need to get out
Before I forget it all
I push my feet into the sand
Feeling around
Dragging my feet
As I walk
There!
I find it
A mere inch below
One little stepping stone
And then another
And another
The path is laid out
Though I can't see where it goes
I'll walk by faith
And not by sight
I will trust my mind
And not my heart
It's comfortable
Safe
That place looks scary
It's uneasy
dangerous
I try to look beyond
Here, in the meadow
I can lay out plans
I can anticipate changes
But out there
I've no idea what's coming
But whatever it is
I'm afraid of it
Or at least
It seems like that
I know
That this year
Is not what I
Anticipated
So many things
So many normal things
Caught me by surprise
Every year of my life
But it's so hard
To believe that
Looking to the flow
To the temporary
I know
That's He's stronger
Than all my fears
He loves me
He has plans for me
And He deserves my servitude
I know it all
From experience
From friends
From books
From basic reasoning
I've seen it proved
A thousand times over
But it's so much easier
To trust sight
Than knowledge
I need to get out
Before I forget it all
I push my feet into the sand
Feeling around
Dragging my feet
As I walk
There!
I find it
A mere inch below
One little stepping stone
And then another
And another
The path is laid out
Though I can't see where it goes
I'll walk by faith
And not by sight
I will trust my mind
And not my heart
Servanthood
Why are you coming to me?
Don't you know
How screwed up I am?
Do you know
The sin in my blood?
The darkness
That bubbles through my mind?
Can you even begin to count
The wicked rebellions
I fight in just one day?
It's a wonder
An astonishment
But I guess I have no choice
If God tells me to serve
Worthiness is irrelevant
It's a blessing
To speak kindness
To listen to an open wound
To feel a weary confession
It is a delight
To be there
To be the answer to a prayer
To put on the image of the Master
Don't you know
How screwed up I am?
Do you know
The sin in my blood?
The darkness
That bubbles through my mind?
Can you even begin to count
The wicked rebellions
I fight in just one day?
It's a wonder
An astonishment
But I guess I have no choice
If God tells me to serve
Worthiness is irrelevant
It's a blessing
To speak kindness
To listen to an open wound
To feel a weary confession
It is a delight
To be there
To be the answer to a prayer
To put on the image of the Master
Monday, July 18, 2011
Needy
Out among the needy
The lowly
The hungry and the sad
Out with some small gift
And a prayer
Under the rule
Of the Upside Down Kingdom
What reason do I have
To feel proud?
For what possible reason
Could I be patted on the back?
Why the Hell should I be smug?
Seriously
Which lie from the Pit do you want to throw at me?
I wouldn't be here
If He hadn't called me
Sometimes I dread going
It's not in my heart to go
It all comes
From the renewing
The rebirthing
The cleansing and sanctifying
That I cannot do myself
But most importantly
I am the one who benefits
Whatever is done
For the lowest of my brothers
Is done for Messiah
And is it not a privilege
Beyond imagining
To serve Him?
I come to serve
But I am served
I come to help
And I am helped
Out in the streets
Messiah takes me from the world
He cuts away the sign of Moloch
I am out
In a congregation of the needy
Needy
Beyond all understanding
If I am to be the helper
If I am the giver
The provider
The one who tends their wounds
Then we are doomed
I do not meet needs
I myself am full of needs
But the One who does
Who gives the water of life
Who baptises in the spirit
Who dispenses with delight
He who is needed
Is out among us
Please
My fellow sufferer
Honored image bearer
By the Lord's grace
Would you please bless me?
The lowly
The hungry and the sad
Out with some small gift
And a prayer
Under the rule
Of the Upside Down Kingdom
What reason do I have
To feel proud?
For what possible reason
Could I be patted on the back?
Why the Hell should I be smug?
Seriously
Which lie from the Pit do you want to throw at me?
I wouldn't be here
If He hadn't called me
Sometimes I dread going
It's not in my heart to go
It all comes
From the renewing
The rebirthing
The cleansing and sanctifying
That I cannot do myself
But most importantly
I am the one who benefits
Whatever is done
For the lowest of my brothers
Is done for Messiah
And is it not a privilege
Beyond imagining
To serve Him?
I come to serve
But I am served
I come to help
And I am helped
Out in the streets
Messiah takes me from the world
He cuts away the sign of Moloch
I am out
In a congregation of the needy
Needy
Beyond all understanding
If I am to be the helper
If I am the giver
The provider
The one who tends their wounds
Then we are doomed
I do not meet needs
I myself am full of needs
But the One who does
Who gives the water of life
Who baptises in the spirit
Who dispenses with delight
He who is needed
Is out among us
Please
My fellow sufferer
Honored image bearer
By the Lord's grace
Would you please bless me?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Journey of Awe
A journey of discomfort
A journey of obedience
Every Wednesday
Or at least
Every Wednesday
That something doesn't come up
It's been done
Three times now
Once with no responses
Once with a handful of compliments
And once with a word of encouragement
And a word of bitter scoffing
A sign
With "God is desperately in love with you"
Scribbled over it
A couple bottles of water
Three or four songs
Sometimes mumbled
And occasionally shouted
And a whole lot of prayer
This is what I take
There's been equipping
Of the mind
Of the tongue
Of the heart
But the only test so far
Beyond the simple act of going out
Suggests that there is still
Much skill to learn
I look like a freak
I know it well
So why am I out there?
It's all so strange
I'm not out there because I like it
I put up a good bit of grumblings at times
But I also sing
And sometimes
I really mean it
Sometimes
I stop to pray
Shaking back and forth
With unearthly joy
It's otherworldly
It's from the Upside Down Kingdom
It's the pain
And lowly servitude
Which is sought after delightfully
And it's also quite natural
It makes perfect sense
To take to the streets
To share such a message
With everyone you can
Because it is the current world
That is obscene
And unnatural
It's a strange
Uncomfortable
Otherworldly
Holy
Journey
With a message of grace
And driven by awe
A journey of obedience
Every Wednesday
Or at least
Every Wednesday
That something doesn't come up
It's been done
Three times now
Once with no responses
Once with a handful of compliments
And once with a word of encouragement
And a word of bitter scoffing
A sign
With "God is desperately in love with you"
Scribbled over it
A couple bottles of water
Three or four songs
Sometimes mumbled
And occasionally shouted
And a whole lot of prayer
This is what I take
There's been equipping
Of the mind
Of the tongue
Of the heart
But the only test so far
Beyond the simple act of going out
Suggests that there is still
Much skill to learn
I look like a freak
I know it well
So why am I out there?
It's all so strange
I'm not out there because I like it
I put up a good bit of grumblings at times
But I also sing
And sometimes
I really mean it
Sometimes
I stop to pray
Shaking back and forth
With unearthly joy
It's otherworldly
It's from the Upside Down Kingdom
It's the pain
And lowly servitude
Which is sought after delightfully
And it's also quite natural
It makes perfect sense
To take to the streets
To share such a message
With everyone you can
Because it is the current world
That is obscene
And unnatural
It's a strange
Uncomfortable
Otherworldly
Holy
Journey
With a message of grace
And driven by awe
Monday, July 11, 2011
Before, Behind, and Beside Me
He goes before me
Preparing the way
Softening a hardened heart
Setting a trap for my pride
Making a space at the Father's feast
There is an adventure ahead
An eternal romance
And He is preparing my role
The magic trinkets
The dragon-slaying sword
The dragon to be slain
The fellowship to be formed
The hero-to-be
Whom it is my privilege to rescue
His voice beckons
His scarred hands
Have marked out the path
He goes behind me
Watching my back
And mending the broken twigs
I am called away
From tasks half-finished
And trust that He stays back
And knows what He is doing
I stumble
I falter
I give in to evil
But He is behind me
And I can go on
Leaving behind
All worries
And guilt
And fear
For He will fix it
And keep the fiends in their place
He goes beside me
With a helping hand
And a warm touch
In the Valley of the Shadow of Death
He lays me down
In green pastures
Beside quiet waters
Amidst my mortal enemies
He sits me down
To feast without worry
I call His name
And in an instant
I am in His arms
And the wolves flee
I go and dine
With the Enemy of my soul
And He sits there
The whole time
As I ignore
And slander Him
Sometimes He strikes me
Sometimes He just waits
But He is always there
And if I hurt Him
It is because He allows it
If my words cut
It is because He
Has chosen to be soft
Messiah Yeshua
Jesus Christ
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
The Risen Son of God
The Lamb that was Slain
Emmanuel
Deliverer
The King of Kings
The Man from Galilee
Before Whom mountains bow
Oceans cease to boast
And the rocks burst into song
It is He
Who is before
And behind
And beside me
Preparing the way
Softening a hardened heart
Setting a trap for my pride
Making a space at the Father's feast
There is an adventure ahead
An eternal romance
And He is preparing my role
The magic trinkets
The dragon-slaying sword
The dragon to be slain
The fellowship to be formed
The hero-to-be
Whom it is my privilege to rescue
His voice beckons
His scarred hands
Have marked out the path
He goes behind me
Watching my back
And mending the broken twigs
I am called away
From tasks half-finished
And trust that He stays back
And knows what He is doing
I stumble
I falter
I give in to evil
But He is behind me
And I can go on
Leaving behind
All worries
And guilt
And fear
For He will fix it
And keep the fiends in their place
He goes beside me
With a helping hand
And a warm touch
In the Valley of the Shadow of Death
He lays me down
In green pastures
Beside quiet waters
Amidst my mortal enemies
He sits me down
To feast without worry
I call His name
And in an instant
I am in His arms
And the wolves flee
I go and dine
With the Enemy of my soul
And He sits there
The whole time
As I ignore
And slander Him
Sometimes He strikes me
Sometimes He just waits
But He is always there
And if I hurt Him
It is because He allows it
If my words cut
It is because He
Has chosen to be soft
Messiah Yeshua
Jesus Christ
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
The Risen Son of God
The Lamb that was Slain
Emmanuel
Deliverer
The King of Kings
The Man from Galilee
Before Whom mountains bow
Oceans cease to boast
And the rocks burst into song
It is He
Who is before
And behind
And beside me
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Overflowing Joy
I don't know where it came from
I've been distracted
Dwelling on my ego
Full of every manner of sin
There's been some obedience
There's been some worship
But all watered down
With vanity
I guess He didn't care
It can only have come from Him
This delight
This sheer
Overflowing
Joy
In an instant
I am all giggles and grins
It bubbles up without warning
It lights up my whole being
So that even my pride is redeemed
And thoughts of my own worth turn
To how He can use me
Fairy land is tumbling round in my chest
The squeals and laughs of a little child
Are ripening in my throat
The Enemy is at my elbow
Tugging at my shirt
Pouring in
Every conceivable distraction
Pricking me
With every available pin
But what weapon
Earthly or infernal
Can pierce
My Daddy's arms?
I've been distracted
Dwelling on my ego
Full of every manner of sin
There's been some obedience
There's been some worship
But all watered down
With vanity
I guess He didn't care
It can only have come from Him
This delight
This sheer
Overflowing
Joy
In an instant
I am all giggles and grins
It bubbles up without warning
It lights up my whole being
So that even my pride is redeemed
And thoughts of my own worth turn
To how He can use me
Fairy land is tumbling round in my chest
The squeals and laughs of a little child
Are ripening in my throat
The Enemy is at my elbow
Tugging at my shirt
Pouring in
Every conceivable distraction
Pricking me
With every available pin
But what weapon
Earthly or infernal
Can pierce
My Daddy's arms?
Friday, July 1, 2011
Our Inheritance is in the Desert
Go
To the place of hunger
And of thirst
To the land of harsh winds and feral beasts
Go and sleep upon the jagged rocks
And walk barefoot
Beneath a sweltering sun
For that is where you will find your inheritance
Lift a song of praise
With a parched throat
And raise emaciated arms
And joy will overflow
There
Where you have been stranded
Knowing your home is ransacked
And all your accomplishments have fallen to dust
There
The veil is torn
Why do you look out anxiously
Over the city walls
Hoping for an opening?
Don't you know
That this is the Lord's gift?
Celebrate!
Give thanks for the siege!
Isn't it the hungry that receive manna from Heaven
And loaves and fishes?
Why do you long
For the wealth and strength
To save yourself?
How can you fail to delight
In the opportunity
For the Lover of your soul
To come and rescue you?
And what about the others?
What about your neighbors
Who are hungry and sick?
If you will just stop worrying
And get on your knees
You get to be part of the miracle
You have the eternal privilege
Of being the answer to their prayers
Stand up
Shout for joy
Scream with delight
Grin from ear to ear
And weep with tears of heavenly celebration
For you are surrounded on all sides
And only God can save you now
I know that you're afraid
And I know that you had plans
And there are people that you will leave behind
But He knows what He's doing
You'll be surprised how easy it is
When you trust in Him
And let all the rest go
And so will they
It will confound them to no end
How you can continue to bless them
There are no more distractions
There is no more chance of falsehood
You know this is real now
That it's not just appearances
Now that every worldly thing
That attached itself to your faith
Is on the other side
You know who you are now
You are His beloved
It is a blessing
To suffer disgrace for the Name
Even to suffer death
No one forgets the hanged man's sermon
What can they do anyway?
They can break your bones and cut your flesh
But they cannot touch your spirit
They cannot touch you
The water of life is in the wasteland
The bread of life is available amidst the siege
There is treasure in the gutter
And victory in the final defeat
Our inheritance is in the desert
To the place of hunger
And of thirst
To the land of harsh winds and feral beasts
Go and sleep upon the jagged rocks
And walk barefoot
Beneath a sweltering sun
For that is where you will find your inheritance
Lift a song of praise
With a parched throat
And raise emaciated arms
And joy will overflow
There
Where you have been stranded
Knowing your home is ransacked
And all your accomplishments have fallen to dust
There
The veil is torn
Why do you look out anxiously
Over the city walls
Hoping for an opening?
Don't you know
That this is the Lord's gift?
Celebrate!
Give thanks for the siege!
Isn't it the hungry that receive manna from Heaven
And loaves and fishes?
Why do you long
For the wealth and strength
To save yourself?
How can you fail to delight
In the opportunity
For the Lover of your soul
To come and rescue you?
And what about the others?
What about your neighbors
Who are hungry and sick?
If you will just stop worrying
And get on your knees
You get to be part of the miracle
You have the eternal privilege
Of being the answer to their prayers
Stand up
Shout for joy
Scream with delight
Grin from ear to ear
And weep with tears of heavenly celebration
For you are surrounded on all sides
And only God can save you now
I know that you're afraid
And I know that you had plans
And there are people that you will leave behind
But He knows what He's doing
You'll be surprised how easy it is
When you trust in Him
And let all the rest go
And so will they
It will confound them to no end
How you can continue to bless them
There are no more distractions
There is no more chance of falsehood
You know this is real now
That it's not just appearances
Now that every worldly thing
That attached itself to your faith
Is on the other side
You know who you are now
You are His beloved
It is a blessing
To suffer disgrace for the Name
Even to suffer death
No one forgets the hanged man's sermon
What can they do anyway?
They can break your bones and cut your flesh
But they cannot touch your spirit
They cannot touch you
The water of life is in the wasteland
The bread of life is available amidst the siege
There is treasure in the gutter
And victory in the final defeat
Our inheritance is in the desert
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