__ The Great Unknowns __

THE GREAT UNKNOWNS - at nytimes.com 

 

On this Memorial Day, let's not forget the fallen. They are the brave men who answered when the draft board called, volunteered for valor, fought to the best of their ability, and finally answered the call of destiny when the number of their days was up. Before they were laid to rest, they laid their friends in shallow graves. The glamor that we imagine to be part of their service still hasn't become reality for many of them. Men who served in Korea and Vietnam still hang their heads in {false} shame for having fought in unpopular wars. They are the true heroes- who hide their uniforms in musty closets and hang Old Glory where every eye can see it. 

What soldier is on your heart this Memorial Day? How will you pay tribute? 

Book Review: "The Holiness of God," by R.C. Sproul

"At that moment Peter realized that he was in the presence of the Holy Incarnate. He was desperately uncomfortable. His initial response was one of worship. He fell to his knees before Christ. Instead of saying something like, "Lord, I adore You, I magnify You," he said,

"Please go away. Please leave. I can't stand it." " -- Pg. 56

 

I found this book in the "Free" box at my favorite little bookstore downtown. Friends, it is certainly worth a financial investment. R.C. Sproul has taken a difficult and little-discussed topic and made it accessible, interesting, relevant and yet historical. With the skill of a story-teller, he takes you from the Old Testament through the time of Martin Luther on a journey to understand the holiness of God.

As he sums things up in chapter eleven, R.C. declares that God's holiness is central to understanding the significance of the Gospel. Consequently, the modern Evangelical movement has surrendered it's relevance by diminishing the awesome holiness of God. We have tried so hard to make Him accessible that we've diminished the value and honor of being in His holy presence. The church has tried so hard to erase the threshold that we're not sure why it's there anymore.

This book will not disappoint. It's well-written, answers the questions that lie deep within our hearts about God's holiness, justice, and redemption. As a cherry on top, R.C. has devoted an entire chapter to the hardest, most violent judgments God brought upon Israel in the Old Testament. What does justice have to do with holiness? Isn't He a God of mercy? These pages will help you find the answers - and I guarantee you'll be challenged to think of God in a new, more accurate way.

Vacation: during which, I have time to read good books and catch up on the art of reflection

I am sequestered in the mountains of New Mexico. The cabin is tucked up in them, all cozy and protected from the rush of the daily grind. Ten minutes walk will find you at a trail head that shoots strait up the mountain. The ski slopes are green, but empty, taking their time to rejuvenate in the off-season. Walking through the little grocery in town, I wonder if people who live in the mountains are on vacation all the time. Their cavalier attitude about weather, appearance, schedule, and achievement is unique to them. The mountains certainly have an effect on us.

 The quiet and slowness of life here is absolutely refreshing. I've come to the end of a book in less than a week, and found it a wonderful stretch of the mind. All the clutter and noise, gossip and silliness that comes with office life is thirteen hours North. I couldn't be happier to have escaped it for a week. It's stunning to be able to hear myself think again. The cobwebs in my mental attic are in desperate need of clearing, and it's time for spring cleaning.

The theme of my musings this week has been directed by, "The Holiness of God," by R.C. Sproul. He takes a difficult and unpopular subject and drives it straight into your heart with the skill of a storyteller. It's been like a draught from a cool, clear spring to study the truth of his words after hearing the silly complaints and kerfuffles of a society that doesn't think deep thoughts about God. Unfortunately, when I step back and reflect on it, I can see how the sinister deceptions of the evil one have snuck into "Christian" society. We have a total mis-understanding of who God is, and who we are in comparison. Thus, we accuse Him of things that He is not to blame for. I am guilty as charged. How about you?

Here's an excerpt for you to chew on:

"One thing is certain: No matter how much injustice I have suffered from the hands of other people, I have never suffered the slightest injustice from the hand of God." 
"We may wrestle with the Holy One. Indeed, for the transforming power of God to change our lives, we must wrestle with Him. We must know what it means to fight with God all night... to know what it means to experience the sweetness of the soul's surrender."        

"I will receive only justice or mercy from God. I never receive injustice from His hand. We may request that God help us get justice at the hands of other people, but we would be utterly foolish ever to ask Him for justice from Himself." 


How have I confused justice and mercy? Am I guilty of projecting human faults on a Holy God? How can I correct my understanding of grace and justice? What should my attitude be in receiving the grace of God when I deserve justice?

All these questions will follow me as I reflect on the things of eternity this week. Won't you join me?

*>> Toccoa Falls in Pictures *>>

Anna Ruby Falls, the view from the walk-way that leads up to a very nice observation deck.

This is Toccoa Falls; the famous waterfall that the college is named for. Yes, it's on campus.

Here we have the Gate Cottage. The little rock road goes back into the woods and takes you to Toccoa Falls. It's a five minute walk to bliss.

*>>> Toccoa Falls College *>>>

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not;

Remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

                                                            Epicurus quotes (Greek philosopher, BC 341-270)

    Dear Friends, I am going. The college ambition, dream, and goal, is coming into view. It's just over the next hill. I have registered for classes, and now all that remains is for me to come to the end of May and crack open the textbooks. 

    I stepped off the plane, and the humidity enveloped me in an entirely new atmosphere. My first trip to Georgia began with a drive through the rolling hills that lead to the Appalachians, down to Toccoa Falls College. Yes, Reader, the college is named for the exquisite waterfall on campus. It stands as high and majestic as Niagara, but not quite so wide. The rushing, bubbling sounds can be heard on the next hill, from the porch swing at the Forrest Guest House. The quiet that comes from the gurgling stream all throughout campus is tangible. Walking through the brightly colored azalea bushes seems so normal; they smile and sing as you make the trek to chapel. Wordless though they be, they declare their Maker's praise. 

    Aside from the natural beauty of Georgia, there were many other interesting things along the way. We traveled to Athens on Sunday and attended The University Church, saw the famous tree that owns itself, and made a few wrong turns. From there, we marveled at the splendor of Anna Ruby Falls and that silly little "Swiss" town, Helen, GA. Even Wendy's looks like something straight from the Alps when you're in Helen. I half expected to see mountain goats prancing up and down the streets... but they never actually appeared.

    Sunday evening the TFC Drama Club put on an excellent production of, "The Importance of Being Earnest," by Oscar Wilde. The set paled in comparison to the caliber of acting on the stage. It was so well done, in fact, that Dr. Williams and I stopped by to see Act II [again] during the final performance. The cast party was rowdy, fun, and most of the characters still had their British accents intact. In a school of eight-hundred students, the drama club allows anyone with interest to be part of the action. As a natural consequence, the whole group was enthusiastic, dramatic, and excited to meet a fellow drama-person. They adopted me into their circle right away. I instantly felt that I was at home. 

A Grave Matter {part two}

 The sun shone with the yellow glow of Spring today - all the grass is suddenly green, and the tulips will be blooming any day now. Grandpa bought each grandchild a plant as a parting gift when Grandma passed away almost a year ago. The cheerful yellows and pinks last May seemed irreverent on that rainy day of the funeral. We donned trench coats and wore eyes red with tears standing next to the grave-site. Now the curly green leaves are popping up through the soil that's been bathed in sunlight. Soon the flowers will bloom again. Though nascent, that life will soon be testifying to the new birth of the season, and the hope of resurrection. 

 Today, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate the physical, historical resurrection of our LORD. More than something that brings a smile and a tear on the holiday itself, the resurrection gives us a real hope. The Scripture is replete with the promise of the life to come; it goes so far as to tell us that the real point of living IS eternity. It is the world [and it's prince] that have taught us to repeat the lies of materialism, body-worship, idol-worship, defeatism, hopelessness, depression, and everything that comes with those Evildoers. The Greeks taught us to think that the next life is something completely mystical - a sort of haze that the spirit will enter and fly around in - and resemble the sunday school images of golden roads and glory so bright you'll grasp for sunglasses. Since they believed the body to be a sort of painful bondage that they spirit is packaged in, the emphasis has slipped completely onto the spiritual man, leaving the body to return to the dust.

But aren't we missing something? 

Didn't Mary see Jesus after his death and burial in His body? Didn't Thomas put his hands where the nails had pierced? It was no accident that the prophecy of Psalm 2 was fulfilled in His bodily resurrection: He did not undergo decay. He ascended into the heavens instead, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father Almighty. 

"For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be like Him in His resurrection.."                Romans 6:5

 We're so good at religious visualization. We see Christ on the cross, dying an agonizing death for us, as the only One who could satisfy the wrath of a Holy God.  Can we see Him outside the empty tomb? Do we picture Him victorious, seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty? Friends, we ought to. For that is where He is right now, at this moment.

He has conquered the grave! That is the blessed news of Easter, beloved of God. What does that mean for you and I when we wake up to a new day? The sun will shine down, smiling on the green grass, and those curly little greens will send up shoots that will bloom in beauty. The tulips tell the Easter story, too. Are you listening?

^"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."                    Romans 7:4 

A Grave Matter {part one}

One day {soon}, the mist of our lives will vanish. The puff of smoke that is my daily grind will float away and disappear. Life here on this earth will be over... in the blink of an eye. The shell that is the physical body will be buried on "Blue Hill," and I'll join the millions that have gone on before, their bodies buried beneath rugged headstones. The oldest ones are covered in moss, and you can hardly read the names anymore. Such is our fate, friend. A single glance in the mirror will confirm that we're getting older; we're slowly marching toward that great day, when we'll stare eternity in the face.

 For now, most of us are content to pretend that such a day will never come. "I've got plenty of time," you say to yourself, "I'm just getting started! They say I've got my whole life to live yet..." and we run off to entertain ourselves. The latest fashion, the newest gadgets, the coolest cell phones, or that favorite TV show are so much more tantalizing than your little sister who needs quality time, the package that you've been meaning to send to a friend, that 30 minutes you said you'd spend reading the Word.

What are the things {words, thoughts, deeds} that will last for eternity?

And what things {popular, material, worldly} are the hay and stubble of this life?

Driving through town in a whirl, I couldn't help but notice the cemetery. The headstones all lined up, looking solemn in the fog and rain. They have something to say to me: the struggles and frustrations of today won't last forever. The stuff of life isn't all there is. The wild-goose chase of the nine to five job is not something you do for it's own sake. To earn money to spend on pretty things is missing the point. You can't take it with you.

To hear those words echo in my head has been healthy. Indeed, if life is nothing more than the daily stuff we grind through down here, we have no reason to do anything but sorrow, and look for pleasure while it may be found. The good news is, there's more. Much more.


"Our personal relationship with the Father through our union with Christ is not only what makes us live forever; it is also what  makes it worthwhile to live that long."          -- Dr. Donald Williams, "Credo," pg. 120