The Parable of the Reading Glasses

I recently got reading glasses. Not real glasses where you go and they match frames with lenses and your prescription… no, the kind they sell at pharmacies and Wal-Mart… you know, basically magnifying glasses in ugly frames prebuilt on a spinning display. Yep, those ones. The very ones I have often made fun of through the years, “You have got to be kidding me! Who actually buys these things?” Umm, I guess the answer would be… me.

For about the last year I have started to notice it, how reading books and magazines has become increasingly difficult. Not that I couldn’t see, but in lower light, or if the font was small or against a distracting background, I found that I was not able to easily focus. And then once focused, I could not easily un-focus when I was done. Then the ‘trying different distances’ started… first I put books closer, no good. Then I tried arm’s length, that was better… but never once did I think I needed reading glasses.

I am not sure what triggered it, maybe I saw myself in a reflection as I tried moving a magazine out and back in front of my face, or maybe someone commented that this was normal for “my age”… but somewhere along the line I realized I just couldn’t see clearly enough to read. Once I admitted that, one quick trip to the pharmacy took care of the issue. Now I can read again because now I have reading glasses.

It seems to me that my whole adventure is much like our fallen human condition. We are a messed up people, a sinful people. And I do mean all of us… (Romans 3:23 anyone?) But like me going through all the motions of trying to read, we try all sorts of things to cure ourselves. And we never admit that we have a problem.

Maybe that is the sticking point. Maybe that is the place we need to start… just to admit that we have a problem. Admitting we can’t read, leads us to reading glasses; admitting we are sick, leads us to the doctor; admitting we have a need, leads to filling the need; and admitting that we are fallen, leads us to the Cross of Christ.

Elvis Impersonators and Jesus Imitators

At a recent festival, I went on to do my set after an Elvis impersonator. He was a pretty good one, too… blue jumpsuit, mutton chop sideburns, full head of black hair (his own too!), the arm movements, tossing teddy bears and scarves to the crowd… and he had the voice.

A couple of years ago I was in Branson and caught a show in one of the theaters featuring the Liverpool Legends, a Beatles tribute band. Just like the Elvis impersonator, these guys had done their homework… the outfits, the guitars, the hair, the accents, the onstage behavior… a good show!

I started to really think about these folks who do the tribute shows – how they must read all the biographies, watch the videos, listen to the records, and practice practice practice to be able to impersonate Elvis or the Beatles. In other words, they eat, drink and breathe the character. It reminded me of what we as Christians do… we read the Bible, we gather in worship, we sing, we attempt to act like Jesus… ideally Christians eat, drink and breathe Jesus. But as I thought in that direction, I must confess that I was also bothered… if we are just like these folks, who are in reality actors of a type, do we end up being no more than Jesus impersonators? And let’s be honest… the phrase ‘Jesus impersonator‘ doesn’t sound good!

Ephesians 5:1,2 tells us to ‘Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ (NIV) Paul says to imitate God, so that would make us Jesus imitators, not impersonators… now, you might think that is just semantics but I think it is a big difference. An impersonator, by definition, is pretending to be someone. While an imitator, by definition, is using the subject as an example, something to model him or herself after.

An Elvis impersonator is only pretending to be Elvis for that time on stage… it is a character, a costume he puts on and takes off, if you will. It isn’t really who he is. When an Elvis impersonator faces a moral decision, I doubt very much that he asks himself “WWED?” In fact, to be a good impersonator you have to separate and remove yourself from the character. You have to look and act like Elvis, not like you being Elvis.

Christians, on the other hand, are not trying to be Jesus at all. We are trying to be like Him. Life in Christ should not be a costume we put on and take off in different situations. And we should definitely be asking ourselves what Jesus would do in any given situation. A fascinating difference between impersonator and imitator is that God calls us to be totally ourselves, we are all part of the Body, after all (1 Cor. 12:12). We are not supposed to remove ourselves from the equation, rather we are called to be totally ourselves infused in every way with the character of Jesus.

Obviously, the biggest difference is that Elvis doesn’t actually live inside of the impersonator,  no matter how accurate the impersonation. But as Christ followers, we are actually inhabited by the Holy Spirit, no matter how shallow the imitation. So, may we all go forth and be imitators of God!

Just Like You, Daddy!

I was dropping my youngest son off at school the other day when the Music Teacher came up to me. She told me that my son had announced that he was going to be a musician just like his dad. At first, I must admit, I was very touched and full of love for my little boy – how cool that he wanted be like me!

The incident stuck with me through the rest of that day and kept cropping up in my mind… but as the day went on, it lost some of its shimmer. After a hasty, snarky comment I remembered it… after I let my thoughts wander, I remembered it… after I wasted some effort on unproductive activities, I remembered it… how much of ‘me’ do I really want my boys to imitate? And for that matter, what parts of ‘me’ are making the biggest impact on them?

The apostle Paul put it this way, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9) He doesn’t stop at the official press release… not just what you have learned about me on my web site where I can control how I appear… he includes it all… what you have learned from me, received from me, heard from me (the controllable factors) as well as what you have seen in me (the uncontrollable). In other words, balance what I say (in the guarded moments) with how I act (in the unguarded moments) and the sum of that shows you who and what I really believe.

I have often heard it said that people will see the real you whether you want them to or not. No matter how hard we try to whitewash the outside, patch up the cracks and smooth the sharp edges, eventually our real selves will be seen. This, I think, is true for everyone regardless of race, gender or philosophy. But, as a Christian, this takes on a deeper meaning… when we are honest about our faith, we want others to see not just us, but Jesus sanctifying us by His presence in us. And what critics of our Faith often bring up is the way we blur that. What they see is not Jesus in us, but rather us standing in front of Him and using faith as a tool to get something.

So, back to my son and his comment… knowing that he will see the real me and have to reconcile that with the ‘web site’ me… I want to actually become the man that is worth imitating. I want to become the man after God’s own heart, as David was described. I want the me inside to match the me outside and know that both inside and out, I am being sanctified by His presence.

Quest For Love?

I love the idea of quests. They intrigue me, they call to me.

I am drawn to them in stories – whether in the legends of King Arthur; the worlds of Tolkien, Lewis, and others; or even in the gritty back alleys of espionage tales.

I enjoy them in games – I am a paladin on the Adventure Quest website – and can recall vividly employing a long stick as a sword questing down the creek near my grandmother’s house as I imagined the feeling of seeking glory, death or victory last stands and snatching life from the jaws of death on the battlefield.

I have even experienced them (to a point) in real life… the adventure of making a living as a musician (even naming my first record company QUEST Records…), the undertaking of training for a black belt in karate, but most pointedly in the area of finding love. The quest for love. Apropos in February, no?

In a couple of weeks I will be at a Jr Hi Retreat and the theme is love and I am once again drawn to the quest for love. Pictures and memories flit through my mind as I recall the many attempts I have made in this area, mostly comical, some sweet, and even one successful. Discovering that when I completed what I thought was the quest for love, and I got the girl, then the real quest for love began – to make and live a life together. I even recorded a CD about that quest (insert shameless plug for Everyday With You here…) As I prepare for this retreat I am struck by a thought… our many quests for love are actually glimpses into Love’s quest for us.

One more quest before I close… the Magi… they went on a long journey following a star, informed by prophecy and travelling (according to scholars) some 2 years looking for the newborn King of the Jews. All by itself, it is a fantastic tale… and yet, there is a larger story here. The very King they sought was, in reality, looking for them first. That newborn King of the Jews was the same one who first caused the Star of Bethlehem to rise, who in ages past had given the prophecies they learned, who said (in essence) “This quest you are on to find me is an illustration of the larger quest I am on to find you.”

So seek love, quest after dreams, and realize that you, yourself, are the treasure sought by the King, Himself.

The Deeper Mysteries and Intrigue of Christmas

Thanksgiving is over and we are diving into the season of Advent and ultimately Christmas… and as the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! But, maybe not for the reasons that first come to mind… **SPOILER ALERT** If you are a devotee of Santa Claus, don’t read any further as this article contains spoilers!

Don’t get me wrong, I did the whole Santa thing as a kid, loved it, believed it, and survived it when I found out that the jolly old elf was really my mom and dad. It was actually more nerve wracking for me as a parent… do I perpetrate as truth something I know is not? Does it somehow wreck Christmas if I don’t? What if my kids, upon finding out the truth about SC, look suspiciously upon everything I have told them? Especially when it comes to the truth of Christ…

I remember the transition I went through as a kid… and as I recall, after that initial shock, I was fascinated by what I discovered Christmas was REALLY about. I loved the FAO Schwartz toy catalog and all, but the deeper mysteries and intrigue of the first Christmas completely outstripped the glitz of a polar toy maker. It was the difference between candy and steak; one tantalizes and the other satisfies.

What was that first Christmas really? It was the moment when prophecy from years past came true… when the God who is behind all of the universe injected Himself into our story in a real and physical way… it was the ultimate undercover spy operation, the King Himself taking on the guise of a human baby to grow up behind enemy lines and by the ultimate act of self sacrifice, opening a way of escape for all of us… it was the moment in history when angels looked on in awe as God took on the form of lowly humanity and placed Himself on the path to the Cross; it was the moment when Mary and Joseph must have wondered what they had gotten themselves into; it was the start of a two year quest as wise men sought to find the reason for the Star; it was a happening that has fired human imagination ever since in the form of stories, songs, traditions and continual remembrance; it was the birth of the Messiah who would later capture the heart of a third century man by the name of Nicholas…

That first Christmas really was earth shattering… it was the first move in what would become the pivotal moment in all of human history. Regardless of what you believe about Jesus, there is no denying that He is the central figure in our drama… eastern and western, male and female, believer and unbeliever. So… Merry Christmas and God bless us, everyone!

More ‘Old Man’ Sightings…

People who have seen me at camps have heard me mention it. Folks who have followed this blog have read the occasional posting about it. And thanks to the Apostle John, I am thinking about it again this week…

What, you may ask? The answer to that is the ‘old man’ character of fantasy novels. Let me quote myself from an earlier blog posting, “Think about it, you have Gandalf, Merlin, Zeddicus, Obi Wan, the Old Professor, and Dumbledore just to name a few. What is it about the ‘old man’ character that provides a prominent place in so many books? They seem to exist to provide stability and direction in many stories; they often are the paragon of whatever virtue is being espoused in the plot line; they are trustworthy and even though they are not always understandable, they come through in the end. They aren’t necessarily the flashiest or the strongest, but they are comfortingly consistent. I think that this character is often times my favorite.”

I have, for the last several weeks, been reading the writings of John in the New Testament. He stands apart from the other Apostles as having been the only one not to die a violent death; in other words, to grow to a ripe old age, to become one of the ‘old men’ characters of our faith. And because of that, I feel drawn to him and his example, and I am struck by words from his First Letter, “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2: 5b,6)

It seems like the modern world has placed the emphasis on producing, on getting, on moving up. Even in the church we often talk about numbers and accomplishments and programs. And while there is nothing inherently wrong with any of that, there is a subtle danger as if the proof of our faith depended on the outward trappings. John states simply that the proof is our lives themselves, lived after the fashion of Christ. Regardless of prosperity, regardless of who is in the White House, regardless of health, regardless of good times or bad… we are to live like Jesus. Knowing that our lives are to model He who is unchanging, should give us comfort in an ever changing world.

Packing It Away

We have all just finished up a busy summer… vacations, the Olympics, cook outs, swimming, gigging through the midwest, projects around the house, building decks, reading, block buster movies, summer camp for the kids… whew! Just typing it out makes me tired! And now the kids are back in school and adults are breathing a collective sigh of relief as we focus in on what needs to happen this Fall.

As each season passes, we pack away the trappings of one and get out the trappings of the next. One of the ongoing questions throughout the year is “What things do I keep out and what things do I pack away until next year?” In essence, what things do I need to have all the time and what things are expendable?

One of the camps I spoke at this summer used the Olympics as its theme. Citing Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 9:23-25, we talked about what it meant to go into training and what the prize we strive for is. Many kids said the prize we strive for is Heaven, and yet when we give our lives to Christ, Heaven is the very thing we get right off the bat! Almost like a welcome home gift! But if we get Heaven just for signing up, what is the goal? It seems to me that the goal is not Heaven, but Jesus Himself!

One of the great complaints through the centuries has been that when people try to share Christ they are often guilty of trying to pass on not only faith but their culture as well. And yet, this Jesus who is the very goal of our faith has impacted both men and women in every culture and in every time period. Whether the government was socialist, communist, democratic, a monarchy, a dictatorship, Jesus has changed lives. Whether the civilization was modern or medieval, Jesus has changed lives. Whether faith was legal or illegal, fashionable or detested, safe or not, Jesus has changed lives. Jesus and the life He calls us to has little or nothing to do with the type of culture we find ourselves in. And hence, living out our faith has little or nothing to do with perpetuating or furthering the type of culture we find ourselves in.

So, as we pack away all of our Summer gear and get out the Autumn sweaters, I think we ought to examine our faith and see if what we are living out (and hence passing on) is all Jesus or part Jesus, part culture. Maybe now would be an excellent time to pack away the expendable and fleeting things of culture and keep out only the things of Jesus, timeless and unchanging.

Anticipation…

Here in NY schools are finally winding down and kids are chomping at the bit to get out for the summer. Anticipating all of the adventures awaiting them in the hot months ahead…

Puts me in mind to consider all the places I anticipate, all the adventures I look forward to… some come around every year – Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, vacations… while others are more ‘once in a lifetime’ sort of events -weddings, births, the release of a new CD… When I am anticipating, I run through different scenarios of the event, I try on different versions and outcomes, I read articles about the subject, I research (my wife would say I obsess) and try to understand all I can, I immerse myself…

I remember a time in college when I read the following verses: They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10,11) It really struck me and I recall spending several days walking around town and sort of looking intently into the sky… wondering what it will be like when Christ returns, and feeling that seed of anticipation start to grow… to not just know that He was coming back as an intellectual thing, but as a coming event, that yearning for seeing a long gone loved one who is coming… makes me want to go back to Scripture and immerse myself in it and revel in the anticipation…