On the Outskirts of Hope

Okay, I have a few pet peeves that mount me on my high horse so I can ride off on a tangent (I freely admit here that I have no idea what a peeve is and I’m pretty sure a tangent is one of those math concepts that I really never quite understood). None-the-less, one of those pet peeves is the misnomer “reality” TV. I’m nauseated by their proliferation and their pretense to simply be a slice of life caught on film. Yes, the people aren’t actors (hello, captain obvious) and there is no script. However, we all know that they are riddled with contrived, manipulated, product placement enhanced, drama driven situations orchestrated by cagey Hollywood types that know how to paint these willing victims into expected corners of human reaction. In short, reality… my foot! The only reality has been in the harrowing news of late about Ryan Jenkins, who allegedly murdered, mutilated and disposed of his wife and then ended his fleeing from authorities by hanging himself in a Canadian motel room. Now that’s reality… the reality of sin!

I don’t usually pay attention to such startling reminders of the darkened hearts of this wicked and evil world that surrounds us but my eyes latched on to an ironic phrase in the AP report of this story. In identifying the location of where Jenkins met his demise the article located the motel as being “on the outskirts of Hope.” Now, we are talking about reality, the reality of life enslaved by sin where it truly is on the outskirts of hope! Paul wrote to the Corinthians brethren who certainly had their own dramas that in the face of an imperfect world and imperfect knowledge three things remained (i.e. are worth holding on to)… faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). He also later tells them, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:19). Yes, hope anchors the soul (Hebrews 6:19) and keeps our eyes on the horizon of time when Christ will return in ultimate victory, the penult of reality shows!

Yes, but reality is that even Christians can find themselves on the outskirts of hope. Yes, walking in the light as He is in the light doesn’t mean we will be sinless and often at loss for the assurance of hope. But our very real frailty keeps bringing us back to the light that redeems us and the hope that secures our faith and champions our obedience. Assured of our weakness we keep seeking our strength in our Lord and cognizant that our righteousness is in Him and Him alone! Hope is brightened by the one show of reality that the redeemed share by grace… without Him there is no hope and with Him there is life! -DAN

Call It Macaroni

A friend of mine recently retired on disability was being teased by his wife that he was hooked on watching A&E’s edgy show, “Dog the Bounty Hunter.” He admitted that he was fascinated with Duane “Dog” Chapman’s rugged Wild West meets Billy Graham capture and convert stories but what he was really hooked on was old movies. Like an anxious school boy I raised my hands a blurted out, “Me too!” One of my favorites is the 1942 James Cagney movie about George M. Cohan, “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” But I must admit I’ve always been puzzled that a patriotic song would have lyrics like, “Yankee Doodle went to town, A riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in his hat, And called it macaroni.” This Yankee Doodle guy sounds to me like he’s a few noodles short of a Kraft’s Mac and Cheese box.

It seems that this song that came to be a Revolutionary war theme song was first used to make fun of the American troops. The song's origins were in a pre-Revolutionary War song originally by British military officers to mock the disheveled, disorganized colonial "Yankees" with whom they served in the French and Indian War. The word doodle first appeared in the early seventeenth century to mean a fool or simpleton. 'Macaroni' was a contemporary slang for foppishness. One version of the Yankee Doodle lyrics is attributed to Doctor Richard Shuckburgh (I include this only because if your name is Shuckburgh you shouldn’t mock anyone), a British Army surgeon, who wrote the song after witnessing the unprofessional appearance of Colonel Thomas Fitch, Jr., the son of Connecticut Governor Thomas Fitch, who arrived in Albany in 1755 with the Connecticut militia. There are records of British troops singing this song outside of church services to mock our troops. What a wonderful irony that in a short period of time the song became a rallying cry and symbol of American freedom.

Many in scholarship believe that “Christian” (Acts 11:26) was originally a derogatory term for disciples of Christ but that the early church turned it around and wore it with pride. Sometimes macaroni is a delicious thing to call the hat you wear! The foolishness of preaching proclaims that what the world calls weak or silly is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)! So, here’s to macaroni! -DAN

Keene Insight

History is at best a guess. The last of the four gospels reminds us, Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written (John 21:25). History’s blurred edges and fudged facts were corralled by God’s breath (2 Timothy 3:16) and His divine intervention so that which is important might be preserved. I grew up hearing Will Rodgers sardonic quip, “I only believe what I read in the papers.” But then again, do we really know that it was Will Rodgers that said it? Yes, we all lament with Dragnet’s creator and star, Jack Webb, as Sergeant Joe Friday saying, “Just the facts, Ma’am.” However, history has a way of making facts and artifacts specious and speculative when all the puzzle pieces worn by time seem not to fit anymore. For example let me offer a Keene insight.

If you know who Laura Keene is then you probably are somewhat a history buff or Lincoln devotee. This mid-nineteenth century actress and business woman was the star of the play, Our American Cousin, that Abraham Lincoln and party was watching the fatal evening that John Wilkes Booth both shot and stab the 16th president of the United States. Miss Keene made her way from the stage up to Lincoln’s box and convinced the doctor to cradle the fallen president’s head in her lap. It was and will be an historical oddity that the usually hyper-jealous Mary Todd Lincoln allowed this spectacle. But Miss Keene’s blood soaked dress, now just fragments, has survived the ages and secured the actress’ place in history. But there is a Keene insight to this story.

Historians debate whether or not Keene actually was in the box or made up the story and if she was in the presidential box was it Lincoln’s blood she contacted or Henry Rathbone whom Booth inflicted deeply with a stab wound. Additionally, the fragments of Miss Keene’s dress that have been collected don’t all match. You see the Keene insight is that history at best is a guess. Just the facts ma’am are skewed by time and prejudice. Which leads me to this insight… I’m glad God didn’t leave His last will and testament up to historians but rather trustworthy men and women who testified of their faith. I’m elated that God saw fit to preserve the text by His providence and His servants that assure us that there is no other body of literature, no other recounting of history that is as sound as the library that came to be known as “The” book… the Bible! Now that’s keen! -DAN

Festival Seating

He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, ‘O Israel who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” Exodus 32:3,4.

Mike read the above text last Sunday night and then challenged us all to holster our pointing fingers and confess the reality of our own golden calves that we have fashioned carefully with the tools of greed, pride and envy. He identified the golden calves of his own life and affirmed that he knew he wasn’t alone. Mike challenged us to rid ourselves of the stuff we keep overstuffing and make room for the LORD! His resonate confession was: “If we spent as much time as we do watching TV reading our Bibles or working for the church what would our lives look like?”

All this reminded me of festival seating. No, no… not concert seating where it’s first come, first row but rather an important twist in the text above. You see the text says the children of Israel said after Aaron fashioned the golden calf, “These are your gods.” Not this is your god but the golden calf and Yaweh (God demoted to god and lumped in with a calf god) have brought you out of Egyptian slavery. Aaron seeing this tries to sway their allegiance back to Yaweh by saying, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” You see the real teeth of idolatry whether in ancient Israel or in your living room is religious accommodation. That is, making the LORD fit into the many lords that reign in this life. When the Ten Commandments were given, the first commandment (You shall have no other gods before me), is explained by telling us not only is God a jealous God but Yaweh considers idolatry as an act of hate toward Him. An act of hate because idolatry thumbs its nose at God by relegating Him to lucky charm status. He no longer is Creator, Sustainer and LORD! He’s a bit part in our life instead of the way, the truth, and the life. We minimize His presence instead of maximizing it. We take our seat at His festival and celebrate at the altar of self!

So, what should we do? Refuse to be anything less that radically, vibrantly and deeply in love with the one who is the way, the truth and the life! Have no other gods before Him… not Oprah, not Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura or even Dr. Dre. Instead, find that there is festival seating at church every week so the true Israel of God can celebrate the victory of the cross and rest in the grace of God! -DAN