Hyperbole

Have you seen the commercial for Axe deodorant? Every time a young man raises his arms, sweat (supposedly) sprays out like a fireman’s hose. His only hope… Axe deodorant. Before you say, “Gross” or “How rude” –let me remind you that hyperbole, sarcasm and irony are the poster children of the postmodern age. Postmoderns respond to exaggeration because they feel they live in a sham world that has been hyped by commercialism and power hungry politics. Hyperbole exposes the shell games that were sold to them as truth. Deodorant ads that claimed all day power or multiple day longevity are deconstructed in the new and improved formula that can stop the flood of these lies. Axe (a strange name for something you put under your arm) establishes product integrity by overstating its effectiveness. Okay, but what does deodorant have to do with the gospel?

Nothing… but truth and hyperbole has everything to do with the good news. Jesus often employed hyperbole to underscore the sham world of the pretentious religious and the magnitude of the sacrificial life. The rich young man may have exited stage right but center stage spotlighted a camel trying to squeeze itself through the eye of a small needle (Matthew 19:16-30). Jesus tops it off with the ironic “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” The Pharisees and teachers of the law are exposed for hard selling the kingdom without actually using the product (Matthew 23). They eat and drink from vessels that are clean on the outside but filthy dirty on the inside. They are fancy looking boxes/caskets on the outside full of death’s reality on the inside. Jesus knew that the light of truth could be exposed when contrasted sharply with the dark lies of deception. Yes, hyperbole has everything to do with good news.

Now, I said that to say this… don’t mistake hyperbole as the champion that fells our self-righteous enemies and the poor struggling masses that are consumed by riches! Jesus’ exaggerations are aimed at the heart of both sinner and saint. We all have struggled with riches diverting our eyes from following Jesus. We all have battled being consistent with our faith and practicing what we preach. Maybe, the most important divine truth revealed in hyperbole is an invitation to laugh at ourselves as we are exposed to the magnitude of our folly! We all sweat… I doubt if any have ever sprayed like a water fountain but I’m sure some have felt like they have. Exaggeration reveals our feelings, our motives and the intensity of our struggle. Jesus smiles, invites us to laugh at ourselves and with a hyperbole nudges us back to the truth… to the good news that is found and founded in Him! And that’s no exaggeration! -DAN

Gobsmacked

Our granddaughter Lilly was in the back in her car seat carrying on a running dialogue with no one in particular. She often says things that tickle us or sometimes leave us genuinely gobsmacked. We overheard her repeating, “I’m not ‘Crazy Lilly!’ I’m not ‘Crazy Lilly!’” Where does she hear these things? I responded quickly with, “No, baby… you’re Lilly Maretha McQuiddy!” To which I added, “Be proud of that name!” And I whispered to myself, “Because I’m proud it is your name!” Art Linkletter reminded us that “Kids say the Darndest Things.” But what he really meant was Psalms 8… From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise. Kids say the most insightful and honest things. They help remind us that little goes unnoticed or without affect on others. They tell it like it is.

Okay… I’ll tell you what gobsmacked means (unless your are British or have British friends… then you may already know). Gobsmacked is my new favorite Briticisms. It means astonished… left speechless! I heard it used by Susan Boyle of Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, UK. If you don’t know who Susan Boyle is then you’ve probably just returned from Mars. Susan won the hearts of Britain and subsequently the world (via youtube) when this Scottish matronly spinster walked out onto the “Britain’s Got Talent” stage and wowed everyone with her voice. Suddenly… talent, beauty, grace and the voice of an angel transformed Susan before the audience eyes like Cinderella under the spell of her fairy godmother. The cheers of the crowd and the accolades of the judges left Susan saying she was gobsmacked. When I first heard her I thought she said, “God Smacked.” Which is what I really wanted to talk to you about?

Whether Lilly or Susan leading the way, I find myself more and more God slapped in this life! God continues to hit me up the side of the head with reminders that “this is my Father’s world.” And because it is His world then I should make my journey one that has meaning and purpose in His kingdom. I should make sure that I know that little kids are always listening and let my speech be full of grace. I should never judge a book by its cover and always be on the alert that we entertain angels unaware. I should never forget it really is crazy to be anywhere other than in His light, blessed by His presence. And I should join the festal shout of joy (Psalm 100) proclaiming that My God reigns and His loving kindness abounds! He just leaves me gobsmacked! -DAN

How The Mighty Have Fallen

The theme for the 2010 session of Leadership Training for Christ is “The Rock.” It is a study in 2 Samuel which chronicles David’s rise to power as king of Israel. David’s up and down life finds its ballast in the God Who delivered him time and time again. The poetic soul of David captures not only his praise and gratitude for his God but his dependence when he writes, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation (2 Samuel 22:2,3).” David the victorious and David the tormented found refuge in God. Yahweh was his constant in a world mixed with valor and squalor. God has been and always will be the One Who makes sense out of the nonsense and the provider of promised justice. But God also holds all things together so we can endure present danger! It is God’s strength that sustains us, yet, what we know of ourselves is that as sure as God is rock we are ever shifting sand. Who among us is without skeletons in our closets? All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You, me… David! That’s why I think the true song of 2 Samuel is David’s lament song he composed upon the death of Jonathan and Saul in the first chapter of this book. The repeated refrain of that song is, “How the mighty have fallen!” David eulogizes Jonathan and Saul’s mighty valor yet laments their ultimate fall. It is as the fallen that we discover grace and a righteousness not our own. It is as the fallen we reach for the safety of the Rock!

Could it be that when the mighty fall we are reminded once again that there is only one Who is truly mighty? It is He that exalts nations. It is He Who enables the weak to be strong, the weary to march on and the sick to be healed? It is our God who is the well of forgiveness that quenches the fallen soul! It is our God Who stabilizes the wobbly out of control spinning lives of those seeking refuge in Him.

Mankind’s greatest danger is not in the storm but in the calm when one thinks all is well. The mighty fall when their sense of might comes from themselves. This is more than “pride comes before a fall.” This is the baggage of free will… our right to choose includes the right to fail… the inevitable and inescapable fall! Our human reality is that we fail and we fall and fall and fall again. So, is all hopeless? No, because the fallen can land of the Rock! So, maybe LTC has the theme right after all… praise belongs to the Rock who lifts us higher than all! -DAN

Treasured

At the Pepperdine Lectures one gets to see friends, loved ones, brothers and sisters of faith that you haven’t seen for awhile. It is quite a treasured season of reunion and sharing. Not just reconnecting but spiritually bathed moments that buoy faith and heart. One special moment for me was standing holding my new granddaughters while friends took pictures. I’ll treasure that moment. It’s worth more than the treasures of royalty, nations and the fabulously wealthy. It’s heart gold. It’s heaven realized in the present. It is what puts us in touch with the eternity that God has set in our hearts. When Mary cradled the Christ child in her arms amazed at the witness of Shepherds divinely guided to share the good news of great joy for all people… she treasured it in her heart. When wrought with three days of worry but eased at finding Jesus at the temple grounds Mary’s heart once again treasured the divine reality of her child. Mothers are just like that. Proud Pappies are just like that. Life is full when it is treasured.

I’m not an advocate of putting people on a pedestal but you’ve heard me say before that my mother was a Saint! No, not saint, as in senior saints or even in the biblical sense of holy ones… my mother was godly, precious packed, beautiful beyond words in every sense Saint. And on this Mother’s Day I miss her greatly but God has blessed me not only with memories but a wife who is just as much of a Saint! Both are women who treasure the gifted moments of God’s greatest blessings evidenced in their families. Their children rise up and call them blessed. They need no accolades or flowery eulogies for their worth is greater than rubies! They not only treasure their families they are the treasure of their families.

What I love about this is that I know you can say the same. Oh, I know some have not had perfect moms but I’m confident that someone filled that gap. Moms really are one of God’s greatest treasures! So here is to our moms… may God bless you richly and may you know that you are treasured! -DAN