Blog » AFTERMATH
- Nov 7th, 2012 at 2:30 PM (CST)
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Following the presidential election last night I had five interesting conversations alone in the hour or so I spent at the health club. The first was with a Roman Catholic man who never reads the Bible; I told him my emphasis in the future would be to encourage everyone to become more familiar with the Word and especially the Gospel. I likened the radical change in knowledge of the Bible to the shift which has taken place in education.
500 some years ago during Martin Luther's (not Martin Luther King, but Martin Luther, the Saxon priest who began the Protestant Reformation) day the population was illiterate and uneducated. His work translating the Bible was carried to the masses by the Gutenberg's printing press. The world was radically changed as people both become literate and Biblically literate. The Bible was cherished as a prized possession; the Gospel was priceless!
500 years later we have every imaginable Bible type under the Sun, and the Bible is treated with benign contempt bordering on outright derision. FAR too many Christians bullshit their allegiance to the Bible by talking a good talk, but paying little to no heed to the Word. Bibles sit unused, collect dust, are never taken out of boxes, are never worn out from use - as is the tattered copy in my office belonging to Dorothy Deckert, a lifelong believer who's Bible is in ragged condition, with notes, and Christian sentiment cards, etc. jammed inbetween pages.
Dorothy was one of those rare people who commited large chunks of Scripture to memory, daily drawing upon the Word for spiritual strength and refreshment. She was in her 90's when I led her Christian burial service, but she was still vibrant in belief up to her death. She had concern for the young people that they would come to know Jesus and have the peace which comes through faith.
I have collected from the congregation member's "funeral passages," to be used at their funeral. Dorothy chose several, among them John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the father knows me and I know the father - and I lay down my life for the sheep." Dorothy was of the generation where the Word was valued and put into effect as best possible in life.
Today vast numbers of Christians treat the Bible not as a love letter from God, but as a tax bill, something they would rather reject. My wife Connie, and I have in our possession approximately 360 notes and letters, about 180 from each of us to the other, which we penned when we dated and wrote to each other long distance for six months. We treasure those letters and have kept them as our treasure of the love we have for each other.
God's Word, whether heard in mp3, streaming audio, video or text on a screen or printed page is a love letter of His profound generosity in sending humanity a Savior, Jesus Christ. You might think people would love reading it! Human pride, however, is so corrupt, so resistant to God's correction and instruction for our lives that most people resist it. Foregoing the instruction of the Father results in loss of some terrific wisdom and encouragement for life. I think we would have a lot more content, encouraged people if they would be a student of the Bible.
I told the man I was speaking with that having the Bible nearby and ignoring it would be like having a diagnosed disease, but also having a powerful medication to treat it. Who wouldn't want it? Yet, the sin we have is so pernicious that we are deluded into thinking we are "good people," or we "don't have time for it," or just don't get around to it. And the disease keeps growing, killing us.
It can happen on an individual and national level.
As I consider the election outcome, I will recommit myself to encouraging others to spend time with the Word of God. Perhaps the American culture as a whole will not get healthier, but the Lord can use me to assist others in gaining faith and receiving forgiveness and spiritual health in the midst of a culture of Biblical ignorance and antipathy.
The last conversation was with a woman who had a tattooed phrase on her back, somewhat obscured by the strapped running top she wore as she strode on the treadmill. The phrase seemed to say, "Destroy A Life," and I was disturbed at the strength of the message and what may have upset her so as to emblazon it on her body.
I introduced myself as a clergyman and asked about it. She was quick to correct, the message read, "Destiny of Life," a phrase she held powerful feelings about. It was her summary, her principle distilled down to a few words of how we all make choices which impact our future. How appropriate a reminder following the election. Just a few moments earlier I had chatted with another woman who was pained at the outcome of the election. She had voted according to one principle only - saving he unborn. Many years ago she had an abortion; the pain and guilt still hurt her today. I sense she wanted a hand in preserving babies in atonement for her previous experience.
I am ashamed of being an American when our country voted to not preserve sanctity of human life in the womb and heterosexual marriage, two of my core beliefs and beliefs which I feel every authentic Christian holds. But I am unbowed; I will become an even better believer, a better faith-sharer, and God willing get a lot more people to read/listen to God's love letter than I ever have before!
It is such a privelege to speak of the Scriptures internationally to millions of people hungry for the Good News of Jesus globally. I will do my best to focus our attention on Christ and exult in the Word of God.
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