The Saccharine Luddite “Look Up”

Gary Turk’s poem about the dangers of our always connected technology is being called life-changing. If haven’t see the video, it argues:

• We spend nearly all of our time looking at a screen.
• We have traded true interaction for shallow, safe virtual intimacy.
• Our iPhones and Galaxy S5’s have become our masters.
• We are lonely because of our technology, not in spite of it.

Ironically, this video has gone viral on the very social networks it claims to hate.

Idealism Sells

Turk’s message is an overly simplistic one. Social networks are inherently bad, and everything else is naturally good. It seems as though Turk cannot imagine carrying a smart phone outside, and still enjoying the outside. He mentioned being able to enjoy the birth of your daughter because you didn’t bring your phone. He spoke of not having any friends around because a “group message will do.” He said we use social media because we “crave adulation.” Turk is definitely right in attacking these attitudes, but to make it an either/or scenario is simplistic and ignorant.

If I had missed the births of my two children because I was too busy sitting in the corner reading my Facebook new feed, then I have a problem. The problem, though, is not Facebook. It’s me. If a group message to my friends suffices for both them and me, then the problem is not iMessages. The problem is us. If I create a better, more fascinating online persona, then the problem is not Twitter. It’s my insecurity. If I climb a mountain and want to send a picture of my victory to everyone I know, that does not mean I am missing my victory. It means I am sharing my victory in a way that was never possible before.

Balance in All Things

What if instead of quitting our social networks we used them well? When my daughter was born, I was posting updates on Facebook. Not to brag or because I needed my social media “hit.” I lived in California with friends and family spread out over the whole US. I could have called or texted them each individually, instead. But then I would missed the entire birth because I wasn’t using social media. One could argue I could have waited until the delivery was over and then make phone calls. To which I say I could also have mailed them a letter once it was over. I don’t think my mom, in Nicaragua, would have appreciated that.

Social media is an amazing tool for communicating with, and hearing from, dozens or hundreds of our friends. Can it become consuming? Sure. But so can dieting, alcohol, TV, and work. Should we all put those things down and go play at the park like we used to when were kids? Social media is not bad. Technology is not bad.

Obsessive behavior is bad.

Miracles pt. 2

(This post is a follow up to this one.)

I’ve always believed in miracles. I’ve always believed that God could transcend the natural laws of our universe and make something supernatural happen. Not did I believe that he could, but I believed that he did. It’s one thing to say “God can,” it’s another thing entirely to say “God does.”

The Unexpected

I always believed Mary was going to be okay. I was never fearful that the cancer would kill her, but I thought it would be medicine that would bring about a cure. It was going to be a long hard road, but she was going to come through it. I never doubted that.

I also never expected or believed her healing would have no medical explanation. I never expected the doctor to have a confused expression because the cancer was gone.

I never expected a miracle. 

When I heard the news that Mary’s doctor couldn’t find any signs of cancer I had so many simultaneous thoughts. I was elated. I was confused. I was cautious. It felt like a huge burden had been lifted. Our family took a collective breath. There were smiles and laughter and better moods. Not just in the waiting room, but still. We are sleeping better.

We are taking comfort in Mary’s healing.

The Real Question

When I heard the cancer was gone I said, “God is good!” And I was right. Over the next few days, though, I had a gnawing, burning question keep popping into my head.

What would I have said if Mary had died in that operation? What if the cancer was stronger than ever and we were told there was nothing the doctor could do? What if our news was we were going to watch Mary die a slow, painful death?

Would I have still said, “God is good”?

It would have been a healthy response to be sad. To cry. To ask why. All of those things are good in the right circumstances. But would I still have reflected on God’s goodness in that situation?

God is good. His goodness does not depend on circumstances. God is not good because he healed Mary. God is good because of His good-ness.

We don’t know what the future holds for Mary. She may live a long life without ever experiencing the ravages of cancer, surgery and chemotherapy. The cancer may come back. It may come back quickly and strongly. We just don’t know.

If the cancer does come back, we will be tempted to dive into the trough of despair. Just as the news of her healing lifted our spirits and brought us comfort, bad news could throw us back into fear and worry.

Circumstances should not direct our comfort and steadiness.

The Answer

Instead of taking comfort in Mary’s healing, we should take comfort in the God who healed her. If the circumstances change and we more news we don’t want to hear, then our God has not changed. He is still the same God that holds all things together. The same God that gives us peace. The same God whose ways our beyond ours.

I am so very thankful that God has taken the cancer away from Mary. It is an amazing story that needs to be told. But the healing was not the first miracle we’ve seen through this long journey. Mary’s heart was healed, and softened, two years ago. Her marriage to Travis was reconciled. These two miracles alone demonstrated God’s gracious character. Our family is hoping and praying that Mary’s battle with cancer is over, but we never want to forget the changes, and miracles, that were brought about because of the existence of the cancer.

God is good. No matter what. he is good in a diagnosis of cancer. He is good when that cancer disappears. He is good when we are scared. He is good when we doubt. He is good when we submit to him. He is good when we feel self pity. he is good when there are no answers.

God is good.

Eschatology (or The Study of the End of the World)

The book of Revelation is sometimes highly divisive within the Church today. It is also very hard to understand in a short amount of time. John’s visions of dragons chasing a mother who gets eagle wings to escape (Revelation 12) make almost no sense to many modern readers.

Luckily for us, though, many wise and intelligent individuals have read Revelation many times and they  have made their best attempt at explaining it all. Unfortunately for us, they mostly disagree.

We can break down the most common and orthodox views into three main categories: amillennialism, postmillennialism, and premillennialism. I’m sure you noticed each one has the word “millennialism” in it. This is because each of these interpretations focuses on when the millennial reign of Christ is and whether it is a literal reign and millenium or not. Each of those can also be broken down into two subcategories. Let’s briefly explore what each of these interpretations think about the end of the world.

As you read these explanations, remember how Wally summed up Revelation for us, “God will triumph!” That’s something that everyone can agree on.

Amillennialism

Interpretation of the Millennial Reign:
The Millennial Reign was established at the Pentecost through the Church. It is a symbolic millennium and Christ reigns from heaven. Christ returns and unifies the spiritual renewing with the physical, bringing about heaven on earth. There is no literal rapture.

Societies will become progressively:
worse. Though Christ reigns in heaven and His Church is active in the world, society will continue its historical trajectory of becoming worse. It only when Christ returns that society will become good again.

Subcategories:
Preterist: The tribulation already occurred in Jerusalem in the First Century. It ended with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. All of Biblical prophecy has already been fulfilled , minus Heaven coming to Earth.

Classical: The tribulation has been occurring since the Pentecost, and it will continue until Christ returns.  Much of prophecy has been fulfilled, but there is still more to come.

Postmillennialism

Interpretation of the Millennial Reign:
The Millennial Reign is built by Christ’s disciples. The Great Commission is explaining how we are to establish the Kingdom of God. It is a metaphorical millennium, while the reign is literal. Christ’s second coming occurs once His Church has been more firmly established. There is no literal rapture.

Societies will become progressively:
better. As the Church becomes more widespread and deeply rooted, our world will become better and better. The Kingdom was established in enemy territory and it takes awhile for its virtues to spread, but heart by heart the world will become better.

Subcategories:
Preterist: Same as above. Different results.

Classical: Same as above. The tribulation weeds out false teachers and believers, while strengthening those with genuine faith.

Premillennialism

Interpretation of the Millennial Reign:
This is arguably the most common view in the American Church. It is the view that has been written about in the Left Behind series. The Millennial Reign is literal both in time and structure. It occurs after Christ’s second coming. Premillennialism has the most diverse views under its umbrella. There is a literal rapture, but it can occur before, during, or after the tribulation. The tribulation does not happen until the end is about 7 years away. Once the tribulation has ended, Christ returns (with His Church) and establishes His Kingdom on earth.

Societies will become progressively:
worse.  The Kingdom of God has not been established yet, implying that Satan still has dominion over the earth. His influence will constantly make the world a more inhospitable place to believers consummating in the tribulation.

Subcategories:
Historic: the Kingdom of God was inaugurated during Christ’s ministry, but it was not consummated.

Dispensational: The Kingdom of God has been postponed until Christ’s second coming.

Conclusion:

These views are very disparate. They disagree on which the trajectory of society and the influence Christ has in the world today. When discussing these ideas with others it’s important to remember that we are united by our belief in Christ’s death and resurrection, and his imminent return.

As Augustine said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” These are non-essentials, so be kind and do not let it divide us.

4 Things We Don’t Do Anymore (because of Smartphones)

Wally talked about iPads this morning, saying he doesn’t want one. He does have an iPhone and he figures that anything his iPhone won’t do, he’d rather do on a computer. He’s got a pretty good argument, I think. Our smartphones are powerful little devices, and they’ve changed a lot about our every day lives.

For instance, we never…

Ask for directions

Of course, we’re making the assumption that you did ask for directions instead of aimlessly driving around because you knew where you were going.  My wife and I took a driving tour of the Pacific Northwest on our honeymoon. Every night I would get on Google maps, get directions for the next day, then take a picture of the laptop screen. It’s amazing we ever made it out of there, with all the fog and clouds.

Now, if I’m going somewhere I’ve never been, I just ask for the address. If they start giving me directions, I cut them off-they just confuse the situation now. My phone will get me there with traffic and speed trap updates. Of course, if the zombie apocalypse ever happens, I’ll never be able to get anywhere because I barely know how to read maps now.

I could learn, but that would require work for knowledge, and that’s not something I’m used to anymore.

Work for Answers

I’m a trivia nerd. My head is filled with lots of useless facts. So is my dad’s.

We once got into an argument about whether Babe Ruth’s home run number and Joe Friday’s Badge number are the same (they are. 714.). I can’t remember who was right (he was), but it took us awhile to find the answer. We had to start up the computer, do some good internet sleuthing, and after awhile we found the answer.

Today, I would simply pull out my phone at the dinner table, and have an answer in 5 minutes. Of course, now I would look up the answer before I gave an opinion, so I will never be wrong again.

I have unlimited knowledge in my pocket, and I can answer nearly any factual question, from nearly anywhere in the world, in a matter of minutes. This has made me lazy. I never wonder anymore.

I don’t even have to question whether the Double McWhopper I’m about to eat is healthy because I never…

Wonder How Many Calories I Eat/Burn

They say knowledge is power. Whoever they are have obviously never been tempted with a Double McWhopper. If they had, they would understand that knowing it has enough calories to sustain me for a week doesn’t mean I will eat two of them in one sitting.

Knowledge is guilt. That’s what I say. When it comes to food anyways. I can sit down with almost any type of food, at home or in a dive bar, and know how many calories, grams of fat, percent of daily sugar intake, I’m about to consume. Every time i order something and look it’s nutritional information, I immediately regret it. I still eat it, though. Waste not, want not, right?

The only positive about this is that I also know how far I have to run or ride to earn that Butter Bacon Pie. True story:

I was on a diet and could eat about 1,700 calories a day without exercise. It was about 8 pm. I really wanted an ice cream cone. I’d already had about 1,600 calories and the dessert was 300. I hopped my bike, opened up my exercise app, and rode until I had burned 200 calories. Then I enjoyed my Ice Cream guilt free.

Talk on the Phone

You would think with a name like smartphone the phone would be a central part of its use. I use my phone as a map, an instant messenger, a gaming platform, dictionary, encyclopedia, camera, music player, wallet, Bible, news reader, and remote control.

You know what I try to never use my phone as? A phone. Conversations are so long and inconvenient.  Email and text are so much more convenient. You can write it and move on. The most important advantage texts have over conversations is the conversation can take place over several hours without taking several hours. Texting for the win!

Miracles pt.1

My family experienced a miracle this  week. It still feels weird writing that. There’s not a lot of room for miracles in today’s world, but we got one.

The Backstory

My sister-in-law, Mary, was diagnosed with Stage 3C ovarian cancer in April of 2011. A lot of amazing things happened back then, but it was easy to explain their causes without using the word miracle. She went through chemo and had surgeries – it was a long road to recovery. When it was done her prognosis was looking good.

Then the cancer came back with vengeance in April 2013. It was all over her abdominal cavity. Coating every organ. The surgeon took out her spleen, uterus, parts of her liver, and did a bowel re-sectioning. It looked like the cancer was going to win.

She started chemo again, but only did the first cycle because she was too sick to do anymore. She spent a week back in the hospital as the doctors tried to figure out what was going on. Then they saw the cancer again. It was on her liver and growing inside her intestine causing an obstruction. The doctor elected to do another surgery to remove the new tumors and fix the obstruction.

The Miracle

Mary’s doctor sliced her open again, but this time he couldn’t find anything wrong. There was no visible cancer. He took biopsies of everything that looked remotely like cancer. He found a little piece of scar tissue that was causing the obstruction. Once that was snipped, everything opened right back up.

The surgeon came out and told the family he wasn’t sure what was going on. He wasn’t sure Mary would even need chemo anymore. Spontaneous Regression he called it. There was no medical explanation. He asked if ours was a praying family.

The biopsy results came back totally clean. There is no cancer in Mary’s body. Medically, this is impossible. It does not happen with ovarian cancer. From an article published in 2006: “Although spontaneous regression has been reported in several cancers, it is generally believed that this rare phenomenon does not occur in epithelial ovarian cancer.”

Spontaneous regression in epithelial ovarian cancer is so rare that most oncologists do not believe it occurs. It’s possible  spontaneous regressions occur more than is thought, but it is certainly exceedingly rare.

Just like miracles. They almost never happen. But it did happen this week. And it happened in my family.

5 Ways to Love Gays

“Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7,8

The Church is called to love. We are not to distinguish between those we deem lovable and unlovable. To love God, we must love gays. Remember, loving doesn’t mean agreeing with. We do not have to march in a gay pride parade, or lobby for the legalization of gay marriage. We are to extend to everyone, including gays, the same grace and mercy that Christ has shown to us. This is how we show our love for gays. After all, as Billy Graham said, “It’s God’s job to judge, the Spirit’s job to convict, and my job to love.”

Here are 5 practical ways we can love gays:

Remember that gays are created in God’s image, too. 

Every human shares in the same creator. In Genesis we’re told that God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). Of course, that image has been distorted and marred ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed. It’s important, and sometimes difficult, to remember this when interacting with a gay person. God loves them, cares for them, and wants them to repent just as strongly as He did you. It’s only because of God’s grace that we have moved from being turned over to our sin, like in Romans 1, to having new natures. Ephesians 2 is a great reminder of Christ being the only reason any of us do any good.

Listen to Their Story Before You Tell Yours

It’s easy to make assumptions. It’s easy to assume that any gay person you meet has experienced some sort of trauma in their past. Or, it’s easy to write it off and explain it as though they were born this way. The point is, we’ll never know unless we listen. Listening shows respect and interest. Not interest in merely making them repent, but interest in the person. Whatever their story may be, respond with compassion and empathy. If they did have horrible childhoods, sympathize. Then tell your story, and find the common ground. Remember, we were all born sinners, but redemption is possible through Christ (Romans 5).

See the Underlying Issue 

There is a strong cultural temptation to make homosexuality the central issue in a gay person’s life. This is wrong. The real issue in a gay person’s life is sin, just as is it is in your life and my life. While homosexuality is of huge concern for our culture, the sins of pride, drunkenness, and idolatry are far more common. We should not be fighting for the cessation of homosexual desires. Our greatest yearning should be that they begin to desire Christ. It’s only through the desire of Christ that sin can decrease in anyone’s life (Romans 8:5-13).

 Keep the Most Important Thing, the Most Important Thing

One of the biggest dangers in debating, discussing, or defending any position, especially our views on homosexuality, is it is easy to separate the person from the principle. It is essential to keep the Good News of Jesus in mind while talking about gay marriage or Biblical perspectives on homosexuality. The goal of every conversation and interaction we have with homosexuals is to demonstrate the love of Christ, and the healing mercies that come with following Him.

Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Our world is full of bad news, and it seems like it’s getting worse. People are shooting up elementary schools and movie theaters. Natural disasters seem to be bigger and more common. It’s only natural to ask, “Why?” Why does God allow these things to happen?

Suffering and the Bible

The Bible is full of stories of tragedy, despair, and suffering. One of the most famous is Job. He was rich and had a big family, then, in a test proposed by God, Satan takes it all away. He kills Job’s herds, his children, and his servants. Then he covers Job’s body in painful boils.

And it was God’s idea.

Job is not the only sufferer, however. Eleven of Jesus’ disciples were martyred. Joseph was sold into slavery then falsely imprisoned. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul says,

I have been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked.

What’s That Supposed to Mean?

There was a lot of suffering in the Bible, but what does that mean for us today? Suffering serves many purposes. Some of them are encouraging, some of them are not so much. Here are some examples:

Our Suffering Provides a Witness (2 Timothy 2:8-10)
We’re told that God’s power works best in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9,10). It is in times of suffering that we are most able to allow God’s power to be evident in our lives. When we endure our suffering with joy and humbleness, our actions direct others’ attention to the Gospel of Christ.

Our Suffering Develops Our Ability to Empathize  (2 Cor. 1:3-5)
When we suffer and lean into God’s comfort, we are learning to heal and cope in the healthiest way. When we meet others who are suffering, whether it’s the same or different afflictions, we can apply the comfort of God. His providence, peace, grace, love, and hope are applicable to all sufferings. It’s only through experiencing His character that we can then exhibit it to others.

Our Suffering Creates a More Christ-Like Character (James 1:2-4)
Suffering refines and grows us; it cleans away our impurities and creates a more pure faith (1 Peter 1:5,6). In John 15:2  Jesus tells us that God prunes us so we will bear more fruit. Pain, if handled correctly, causes us to turn to God’s Word (Ps 119:71) growing our knowledge of Him. Sometimes our suffering is used as a disciplinary action by God (Ps 32:3-5).

We often look at God and wonder why He’s punishing, or ignoring, us when we are going through a tough time. The Bible makes it very clear that pain and suffering are not always deserved. They are often a tool to make us better people that more fully reflect the new Being we have become. We have a lifetime of selfishness and wrong ideas to unlearn, and suffering is the most effective way to do that.

Suffering is evidence of God’s profound love for us.

Suffering is not easy. It is not fun. It is confusing. It is also inevitable. And with that inevitability comes opportunity.

Will we suffer and be haughty and proud? Or will we allow our suffering to teach us more about who God is and who we should become? These are our only two options when suffering comes, and come it will. May we lean into God, and trust His goodness, mercy, and grace to sustain us.