A Little Birdie Told Me

Ever wonder where certain expressions came from? The expression "a little birdie told me" comes from Ecclesiastes 10:20 and it says "Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter". I find the Scriptures to be very timely even in our high tech world. The wisest man in the world, Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes could not have foreseen the social media crazed world that we live in today. Yet this verse is more relevant today than it ever was.

The point is that what you say seemingly in private will come back to haunt you in public. Does this ring true with today's presidential candidates? Both candidates have said something whether in text form or speaking that they never expected would be public and yet they were. Digital assets record just about anything that comes out of our mouth or through our fingertips. We are just a notch below a creator God who knows everything that we are thinking even if we don't say it. The cure for the "little birdie issue" is not to not say it but to examine our own attitudes and beliefs.

As an example, this past week our Indians were in the World Series against the Cubs. My wife is from the Chicago area, I went to college near Chicago, our daughter lives in Chicago with rabid Cubs fans as friends and family. Both Deb and I ourselves are Cubs fans. I went to a number of Cubs games when I was in school. So we found ourselves engaged in a little "smack talk". But it was very good natured and when the Cubs pulled it out, we were happy for our friends. There was no bitterness involved. When Lebron James went to Miami, I found myself bitterly rooting against the Miami Heat. It did not feel healthy and it lasted for one season. Bitterness towards others is never healthy.

Getting at the root is the first step. Self-examination is a theme rooted throughout the Bible. Jesus said to look at the log in our own eye before examining the speck in someone else's eye. When we do this, we are less prone to want to say or do something that a little birdie will carry out to others.

2016 Election - Is This the End of Civility?

A friend of my wife recently commented to her that she prayed before voting early this year and then after casting her vote, she just cried. Such is the state of this election year. This election has separated co-workers, friends, and families. It has even impacted our own family.

I love our freedom in our country to vote. And I appreciate that we have the ability to say what is on our mind about who we vote for. However, I look at it and say I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ and as such it is not remotely worth it for me to cloud my Savior with who I want as President. The two are not tied in any way whatsoever. So why would I want to risk confusion of one vs. the other. So I don't put politics on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. I won't even tell you who I am voting for. I will cast my vote, but in a few weeks I will support whoever wins the election because that is what I am supposed to do (Romans 13).

There is an aspect of this election that is even more troubling however. As cantankerous as previous elections have been, this one rises to a much higher level. I cannot remember EVER this level of personal attacks. John Kasich vowed to stay positive and it probably cost him. Barbs, jabs, and personal attacks seem to be the mode of our Reality TV era. Does this trouble you like it does me? James the writer says we are to be "Quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God". It seems to me the evidence of a society that is slowly unraveling. Moving to Canada is probably not the answer. But being a change agent of casting aside bitterness and rancor probably is. I pray our country moves past this point and embraces the kind of common good we had in the days immediately after 911. 

Leaving Family, Going Home

Whenever I have an employee take another job, I always ask the same question. Are you "going to something" or "leaving from something". This is a matter of gauging intent. The strange thing is when someone dies, they are doing both and it is not a question of intent. They are going home and they are leaving family. They are ripped from those closest to them but ushered into a new home, one they have always longed for. This brings this a strange conundrum of mourning and celebration together.

My friend Greg Gerycz passed away suddenly Thursday morning. Greg was part of a circle of friends that we have been close to for many years. Greg was my age so it reinforced a sense of my own mortality. It has really brought it close to home. Greg leaves a loving wife Gail and two adult boys, two daughters-in-law, and one grandchild. Greg had a relationship with Jesus Christ and I am confident that he was ushered into his presence on Thursday.

Home is somewhere we long for. To the believer, this world is not our home. We are sojourners and ambassadors, but not citizens. Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20) and we eagerly desire to go there. Jesus is putting the light on (to quote the Motel 6 commercial) and preparing the place for us to go (John 14:1-3) and it will be a lovely place indeed (Psalm 84). Most importantly, Greg is now forever in the presence of Jesus, something we groan for (Rom. 8:23, 2 Cor. 5:2). From 1998 or so to 2005, I traveled a lot. I was gone most every week. It never got old to arrive back home and be back in my own house with my family. Greg has been on a very long business trip; he got a lot done; built a lot of friendships, but now he has arrived home. And that is cause for celebration.

So why do we also mourn? Because Greg has left us. Death is a result of the fall, resurrection is a result of the gift. So death carries a bitter sting (1 Cor. 15:56) - someone is ripped from our presence leaving a huge hole. I find it interesting that when Jesus raised Lazarus to life, he wept before doing so. Jesus knew He would heal Lazarus - that is why He delayed. So why would He weep? Because Jesus in his perfect humanity knew the pain death leaves behind. So mourning is to be expected. But the Scriptures say we are not to mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13).  We can say the Bible is full of hope. The word hope appears 132 times in the Bible. Why - because our hope is in Christ and that means reunification. The Berlin Wall separating us from loved ones who pass on will eventually come down. We will soon be with Greg again. The closing words of 1 Thess. 4:18 states it perfectly "therefore comfort one another with these words".

The Wrong Story

A woman leaves three kittens in a hot, overheated car causing the kittens to go into severe distress before someone spotted the kittens and called police. The police break into the car and rescue the kittens and arrest the women on a felony charge of animal cruelty.

This might be the end of the story - we would all agree that leaving kittens in a hot car is truly negligence and the woman should be charged. As I read this story, I was struck by what was mentioned as an afterthought. The woman was homeless and had gone into a church seeking help. I love animals as much as anybody but they are not human beings made in the image of God. Something is deeply troubling when we elevate animals above people. I am also troubled that the place that she should expect help is in a church. Instead the article focuses on the plight of the kittens.

My heart went to this woman and what she must have been thinking. I don't know anything about her, but I do know she had no place to go and she went to the right place. Now there may have been more to the story - I don't know. Maybe the woman received the help she sought. If so, that would have been a better story. If not, I think it is a misplaced story because our callous hearts must go to our sister first. 

I Like You

My wife and I have a strange, but nice pattern where when we encounter each other, we say "I Like You". What we are saying is that we appreciate the strengths and the mutual affection we have for each other. This phrase "I Like You" does not replace love. Love is an act of the will and has nothing to do with the other person. My wife could be completely unresponsive and I would still love her. But in saying "I Like You", I am saying I appreciate all that is contained in her being. This is consistent with the words for love in the bible. The word agape refers to the unconditional love, the covenant commitment love whereas phileo refers to brotherly affection or the Greek word equivalent of like.

I have started to use my Fitbit more. The other day I realized something. After I charge the Fitbit up fully, it flashes on the screen "I Like You". Wow, I did not realize my Fitbit likes me. I could sit on my lazy butt for weeks on end and after I charge my Fitbit, it will still say "I Like You". That is not agape love or phileo love, but self-love. The programmers of the Fitbit software (it's always the software) figured out that we better put motivational concepts in or people will get discouraged or apathetic.

It got my thinking how many people confuse self-love with brotherly love, or even worse with covenant love. Self love can never stand alone. The bible says to "let another praise you and not your own mouth" (Proverbs 27:2). I can come up with all my own motivational statements all day long but in the end, I must have someone else to admire something in me, even when I am a complete screw-up. God has wired us to long for the affection and admiration of others. It is part of what keeps us in relationship.

The Case of the Hidden Pearl

A Filipino fisherman in western Palawan island has found possibly the world's biggest pearl, but he didn't know it. For 10 years, the 34-kilogram (75-pound) pearl was hidden in a bag under a bed. The fisherman's family would rub it with their hands before going out to sea in the belief it would bring them luck, said relative Aileen Amurao.

Amurao, who is also Puerto Princesa city's tourism officer, said Thursday that the man gave her the pearl last month for safekeeping because he was moving to a new place. The pearl was sitting on a bench in her home for weeks until she found time to check the internet, and she was shocked to learn that it could be the world's biggest at 2.2 feet (67 centimeters) long and 1 foot (30 centimeters) wide. The estimated value of the pearl is 100 million dollars.

This story reminded me of the story of the "pearl of great price". This story in Matthew 13:45-46 says that a merchant was seeking fine pearls and upon finding one, he sold all he had to go and buy it. I am struck by the differences between the two stories:

• The realization of value - the fisherman must have known that he had something of value because he hid it under the bed. But he really did not know the true value of what he had. The gospel is of unlimited value but many don't realize it.
• The response of what to do with the value - the fisherman rubbed the pearl for good luck. How many of us treat the gospel as just a good luck charm. No doubt the merchant of the gospels saw the pearl as a fantastic investment because he was an investor of pearls.
• The reaction upon finding the pearl is of high value is shock to the fisherman but obviously not shocking to the merchant who knew the value he had. I wonder how many people will be shocked to find that the gospel is "good news" to so many and it is just waiting for those who will embrace it.

The pearl of Matthew 13 is something that intrinsically people would regard as high value. Not much more needs to be said. Jesus says in Matthew 7:6 says not to cast pearls before swine. The idea is you shouldn't have to convince somebody of something that has intrinsic value. It is one of those things that is self-evident, unless of course we misunderstand or misapply it. 

The Summer of Weddings

It seems like each summer these days is packed full with weddings. It seems to be the confluence of a number of factors.

1. We are at an age where the next generation is getting married so our friends kids, friends of our kids, etc. getting married.
2. One of our ministries is being marital mentors through our church.
3. I am married to a wedding coordinator.

So between Deb and I, we will have about 10 weddings under our belt this summer. It is not a problem and I am not complaining because I love weddings. We always are comparing notes about what went well and what didn't, etc. As a wedding coordinator, Deb works very hard to make sure the wedding goes without a hitch. Yesterday was the first time that I actually was both an attendee at the wedding as Deb coordinated it as well.

Weddings can be very informal - yesterday was in a barn in Geauga County. Or it can be very formal and buttoned up. To me, what makes the wedding special is not the venue or the food, but the vows. The vows are everything and we tend to downplay them. I took my vows very seriously and that is why at my own wedding over 30 years ago, I almost backed out (for the second time I might add). A vow is a lifetime covenant in front of witnesses in God. That should be a serious matter for all of us. Marriage is the human symbolism of Christ's relationship with the church. Christ's relationship with the church is permanent as the marriage should be.

But honoring a covenant is a marvelous thing. When our marriage was hanging on by a thread, the covenant before God was honored by us and then a work began in each of us supernaturally. I believe that God even works in marriage through those who do not profess faith in Christ if they treat the covenant in the same way. It is one of those "common grace" items because marriage is a spiritual institution. From time to time I replay those vows I made 31 years ago to remind me of that covenant. I have a ring on my finger that reminds me of that covenant I made 31 years ago.

Deb reminded me yesterday that ours was a morning wedding like the one we attended yesterday. I completely forgot that fact and the weddings come and go, but vows are forever.