Where Was God

I did not hear about the tragedy in Newtown until the end of the day after our students were gone for the Christmas break. I sat at my computer and wept as I read the details of the killing of innocent children. Donna and I pick up our grandsons after school each day and take them to Kim when she gets off work. I held them both a little closer and a little tighter that evening as I imagined the grief of the parents in Connecticut.

The teachers in our charter elementary school were stunned to say the least. Each of them put themselves in the place of the teachers in Newtown. The husband of our administrator sat in his daughters kindergarten class for the rest of the day, imagining the pain of losing his little girl.

Where was God in all of this? Standing next to each child as they were gunned down, encouraging the hearts of the teachers as they gave their lives trying to protect the children in their classes, and running with the principal as she tried to stop the gunman. He was with the other children and faculty as they hid from the gunshots. God is with the families now as they grieve over the loss of so many taken far too early. I’d like to think He is doing what so many of us did that evening with our own children and grandchildren - holding them close.

God gives humanity the ability to make choices. Somewhere along the way, the young man who committed this evil crime chose to go the wrong way. It is not the fault of society, his parents, the school system, or God. He made a decision that cost 26 people their lives.The unfortunate thing about all of this – the people who were directly impacted by his actions must live with the consequences. History is full of such criminal acts and consequences for the innocent.

God is good, He is good all the time… That sounds fine on a Sunday morning unless you live in Newtown. I think Christians have become too trite and insensitive. The reality is that there is evil in the world and Christians are not immune to its effect. We are called to be salt and light. We are also called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

May the world see God in us by OUR actions… I’m not sure they are listening to our words.

Justice, Kindness, and Humility

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8, NASB)

Sounds really simple, doesn't it? Then why do we make it so complicated? Offering sacrifices is sometimes easier; justice, kindness, and humility are internal attitudes that are manifested externally through our actions.

Do justice, love kindness (some translate this as mercy), and walk with a humble spirit before God. What can we add to these three to make us better and more acceptable to God? The preceding verses indicate that there is nothing more important. If we are walking in such a way as to please God (justice, kindness/mercy, and humility) we are focused on how our lives impact humanity.

One of the first markers of good leadership is an attitude of service. The leader is always looking for ways to serve others. This principle comes from the life of Christ who came to serve and save humanity; not to condemn or point out our weaknesses – we do that part well enough for each other.

In this season of thankfulness I am mindful of God’s tenacious love and care for my life. Justice, kindness, and humbleness are all that He asks of me, yet He deserves so much more.

May you experience the fullness of Christ so that you can impact the lives of your students.

Reflections on Lent

Having not been raised in a denomination that celebrated the Church traditions, I have recently found myself curious about the meaning of Lent.  Friends in high school would often complain about what they were giving up for Lent: chewing gum, sodas, candy bars, pizza, etc.  I was familiar with the practice of fasting of meals, but not this giving up of seemingly “trivial” things; it never made much sense to my non-Catholic mind.

For the past 10 years my faith has undergone what I call a metamorphosis into a deeper and more sober approach to my relationship with God.  To make a long story short, the evolution of my faith journey has led me to examine some of the Church traditions and their meanings to see if they hold any value for my morphing faith.

A new friend told me a story about the impact that an Ash Wednesday service had on her husband.  The pastor posed the question, “what are you giving up for Lent?”  I think the core of the message focused on the fact that if one gives up something for Lent, that it must be replaced with something of greater value that would have a significant impact on their spiritual life.  After the homily, her husband told her that he was giving up holding grudges and replacing it with forgiveness.

What if we were to give up any of the following that applies to us?

“sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these…”

And replace them with any/all of the following:

“…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” (Galatians 5:19-24 NLT)

While giving up certain food items for Lent may be beneficial to our waist line and health, their long term effects are minimal. If we can surrender our base human instinctual behaviors and replace them with the spiritual fruit that comes from our relationship with Christ, the effects will be profoundly eternal.

Lent comes at a time when the days are growing longer and longer.  What if we used this time to lengthen ourselves spiritually, and grow in our knowledge of Christ?  It’s only 40 days long.  What if we replace some of the “stuff” in our lives with the Fruit of His Spirit?  Where will we be next year, spiritually?  Isn’t it counterproductive to revel in Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday and repent in ashes on Ash Wednesday?

So, what will we give up for Lent this year? I don't know about you, but I have quite a list…

Blessings my human friends.