an·o·mie {ˈanəmē}

a sense of alienation from society, characterized by feelings of hopelessness, loss of purpose, and isolation:

Oxford Languages Dictionary

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.                                                                                 Matthew 10:29-31

I walk- a lot. It is a daily routine for me and for my health, both physical and emotional, but that is a story for another day. As I walk around neighborhoods, I see litter- trash- in gulleys, near a drainage ditch, on the sidewalk, and even in driveways. I just don’t get it.

Yes, this is a bit of a rant of an older man who is decrying a lost value of simple respect for the environment, and a lost respect for social norms that should preclude such rude and thoughtless behavior.  

What is it that informs such behavior? Is it mere thoughtlessness? Selfishness? A sense of    entitlement? Or is it a loss of caring for our community? If it is a lessening of care, or even of hope, I become very discouraged.

Perhaps people feel that what they do makes no difference to anyone else.  In that case, it may point to a larger problem of people feeling that they have no impact on their environment. The great sociologist, Emile Durkheim coined a term for this. He called it anomie.

Indeed, perhaps a deeper dive may indicate that people do not value themselves enough, so of course they would not value their environment. We must remember that God has placed high value on His creation.

Honoring ourselves and our environment honors Him.

Prayer: Lord, help restore a sense of value for ourselves and our environment, Amen

Luke chapter 15

I do love the Book of Luke, possibly my favorite Bible book. Luke captures Jesus as a great storyteller. Those stories indicate the love that Jesus has for those that are lost. He talks about lost sheep, lost coins, and finally a lost son in Luke chapter 15.

These parables were related for a reason. Luke knew that Jesus would want no one to be lost and wandering alone, so he recounted those parables that Jesus told. We are familiar with these stories- they are redemption stories. That which has been lost is found and restored.

In some ways, we all get lost at times, and are wandering alone it may feel. Take heart in the stories that Jesus told. You are not alone. Jesus is always looking for you. Sometimes he does that through friends, relatives, even strangers. Always be open to being found when you are wandering alone.

Jesus would have it that way.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for pursuing us when we are lost, Amen

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.  If you worship me, it will all be yours.”Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”                                                                                                          Luke 4:5-8

 “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”

John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, 13th Marquess of Groppoli

I kind of tend to overlook this fascinating passage of scripture where Jesus is tempted, or tested, depending on your translation. Maybe it is because I believe that Jesus would never have succumbed to such a deal offered by Satan. Yet, I also need to realize that Jesus here was fully man and able to be tempted. He had set aside the divine nature that he possessed so that he could fully identify with us, his creation.

Satan comes to Jesus when Jesus is fasting in the desert. Perhaps Satan thought that Jesus would be weak and vulnerable in this situation. We do see that Satan does claim authority over the kingdoms of the world. He said that they were his, and that he had authority to give it away to others- for a price. The price, of course, is to honor and worship Satan as lord.

Satan is not a threatening presence here. He comes across as reasonable and transactional, but also devious and dangerous. Jesus had the opportunity to seize the power of kingdom offered by Satan. Earlier, Satan had offered Jesus unlimited bread to ease his own hunger, and perhaps that of others.  

Jesus saw the dangers of worldly power. Seizing power always ends up as a trap. The very power one seizes ultimately traps the owner of it. We overcome evil with love, not earthly power. The power of kingdom and authority is indeed enticing, and I fear that many Christians have fallen in love with political power. However, we will never be saved by political power.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the danger of earthly power and authority, Amen

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.                                                                   Proverbs 18:24

I write this blog having just come home from a celebration. It was a 50^th wedding anniversary for one of the couples in our group. “Group”- that’s what we call it- just “Group”. We have four couples in this group and we meet about once a month for prayer, food, laughter and support.

We have done that for the past 40+ years.

We have helped raise each others’ kids through that prayer and support. We have visited the hospital when a member is down. We have been at the funerals for parents who have passed. We have been to graduations, weddings…, well you get it. All the signal events of life.

The children and grandchildren of the celebrating couple put this luncheon together, and they acknowledged that the presence of their parents’ group was so special for them. It gave them a model of friendship and Christian fellowship. They took heart that all four couples have been married over 50 years.

We have been so blessed to have a group such as this. We all know that this is rare. People move away, drift apart- whatever life changes may disrupt such relationships. But our group has stayed together, and we are all better off for it.

My hope is that you can, or already have identified, the tribe that you go through life with. It is an immeasurable blessing.

Prayer” Lord, we are so grateful for the people you have put into our life, Amen

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth   

 Psalm 121:1-2

Remember way back to 2020? You know, that virus and all? Isn’t it amazing how quickly we can put things in the rear-view mirror? I was recently reading about the 1918 “Spanish Flu” that ravaged the world. There are various estimates of the death toll of that pandemic, but those estimates range from 25-50 million deaths worldwide, and as many as 500 million estimated cases.

I don’t know the real numbers, and we will never really know the full extent of the devastation caused by that influenza strain. Actually, COVID-19 is still with us, and it is working its way through the population, with periodic spikes in cases, but with a generally lower death rate.

The “Spanish Flu”, (inaptly named, but that is a story for another day), is also still with us. Because both of these influenza strains have mutated, they are still prevalent, but much less deadly. Thankfully, there was a vaccine developed to deal with COVID-19, which lowered that death toll to a fraction of that of the “Spanish Flu”.  

We are vulnerable people, and we don’t like to think about that. Rightly so. But there are periodic reminders of that vulnerability that can (hopefully) keep us humble. Remembering where our true hope comes from is the best way to allay anxieties about the next pandemic coming down the line.

Yes, God has given us the ingenuity and brilliance of scientific minds to curb the worst effects of such terrible illnesses, but our real hope is in the Creator of those brilliant minds.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us the gift of life, and ways to preserve it, Amen

 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him Matthew 7:9-11

Can you imagine what it must have been like for a pious Jew when they saw Jesus preaching to others in the street or in the Temple? I am guessing, (and I am far from an expert in this area for many reasons), that they were appalled and angry. Here was a “Rabbi” (teacher) who was confounding the very basis of some of their core beliefs. He was telling people that keeping the Shabbat (Sabbath) was less important than meeting the needs of their fellow man.

In other words, if they saw a person in need, it was better to actually do work (which was prohibited on Shabbat) in order to alleviate the pain of others, than to rest and honor God’s commandment on rest and worship.

This was consistent with his larger message that we can best honor God by attending to His creation, especially His people. For as a loving Father, God is most pleased when his children are OK. In fact, we as parents are OK if our kids are OK. To a large degree, if they are happy, we are happy. That’s how we feel as loving parents. God as the Creator and Father of us all, wants that too.

So, I’m sure that those pious people, and I trust that they were indeed pious, were shocked and angered about a Rabbi who was going against what they had held dear for centuries. It was like an attack on the culture and creed that had kept them together as a people.

Indeed, Jesus eventually was put to death for his “heretical” teachings. A death that came because he was sent by a loving Father to do just that.

Prayer: Lord, we are grateful for the life and teachings of Jesus, Amen

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.                                                                                                    James 2:14-17

Words matter, but actions matter more. What do I mean by that. Leading by example is one instance of this saying. “Do what I say, not what I do” is sort of the opposite example that makes the point. Words and actions must match in order to have real power and meaning.

There are studies which show that people pay more attention to eye contact and body language than to the words spoken. We somehow intrinsically trust the actions that are congruent with the words spoken.

If those do not match, we are suspicious, or downright skeptical about the truth of the speaker. Often, we somehow unconsciously look for “tells’ in people to see if they are bluffing or telling the truth. Ask a poker player about that one.

The point I am making is that Christians must have an “orthopraxy” (right practices) that matches their “orthodoxy” (right belief). That is, good belief is not good enough without practices that confirm the truths espoused.  

So, if we see people talking a good game, but not performing loving practices, we should be on guard, waiting for the fruit of the Spirit to show up.

Prayer: Lord, make us people of action to show your love, Amen 

Going to the “wayback machine” today in thinking about how television influenced the culture when I was a kid growing up. Most of us kids watched the same shows, because there were only three networks, and at any given time, there was probably a good chance that the shows we liked would be viewed by many of us.

So, for example, at school the day after a particularly adventurous show of Zorro the night before, the vast majority of kids were abuzz about how cool it was when Zorro stabbed that guy with his sword. You know, boy stuff…

Or the day after the Alamo episode on Disney’s Davy Crockett series. Wow, we were mesmerized. Come on, admit it, you just sang the ballad of Davy Crockett – I know, it’s OK!

The point here is that with the limited amount of TV shows back then, a large percentage of people watched the same things. News was consumed by watching Walter Cronkite, Huntley and Brinkley, or maybe John Cameron Swayze. Mostly, the three networks were how people consumed news in those days, and there was a certain uniformity of reporting the news. If there was a political slant, it was pretty slight and very subtle.

There was a unifying effect when choices were limited. For example, in 1983 viewership of the M.A.S.H. final show was 106 million people or 45.5% of the viewing audience. By 2019, the final episode of the wildly popular Big Bang Theory reached just 18 million people or about 5.4% of the viewing audience. By 2019 there were hundreds of choices on TV and myriad streaming options.  

The things in media that tended to unify the American culture are now fragmented to the point that people now live in media silos – narrow places where there is unity only among a smaller and smaller group.

I will talk more about this phenomenon in future blogs. Meanwhile, enjoy the Davy Crockett theme song. You’re welcome!  

A gentle response defuses anger,
    but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.                                                           Proverbs 15:1 (The Message)

The Bible is full of wisdom. Just the passage above is a good indicator that there is sound wisdom and psychological depth contributed by Bible writers over the years. Of course there are many writers, spread over centuries, translated by others, and passed on orally at times. The Bible, as we know it, is a collection of writings that can be used for the good of humankind.

The Bible is not a history book, nor is it a science book. It is a book of wisdom. The New Testament specifically, is a book about Jesus who is the culmination of the book and the plan God set forth from eternity.

The Bible should be understood in context, knowing the audience for whom it was written at the time, and the message to be conveyed to that audience. The Bible should be honored, but not worshipped. Let’s understand that the point of the Bible is to understand God and his plan.

It points us to the One to be worshipped.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the guidance that we can find in the Bible, Amen

When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him.

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Job 2: 11,13

There was a movie decades ago starring Peter Sellers titled, Being There. It was vintage Peter Sellers, a veteran comic who had been in the very successful Pink Panther movie series in the 1960’s. In the movie Being There, he played a clueless gardener who was taken, because of his silence and naivete, to somehow be a brilliant, wise person.

The movie was funny, but it pointed to a larger truth. Silence, often just by itself, is golden. In the book of Job, Job was beset by calamities right and left. He refused to be shaken by it, but he was comforted, at least initially, by friends who agreed together to visit their friend Job, and just be with him.   

They were a wonderful comfort to him with their presence. Then they decided to weigh in on why he was having troubles. That is where they made their mistake. Instead of being a comfort, they became a source of irritation. They tried to judge his actions, and ascribe to those actions why God was punishing Job. They meant well, I suppose, but they had become terrible “comforters”.

When they just sat with Job and were sad and lamented with him, they were of great comfort. When they started judging, they became the problem.  

So, the lesson is- just being there for someone, not offering advice or solutions, is a great gift. Do not discount the value of “being there”.

Prayer: Help us Lord not to discount the value of just “being there” with friends, Amen