The Case For Speed Reading the Bible in a Year

Dear Jack,

One of my 2011 goals was to read through the Bible in a year.  This is something I’ve never done before – and was actually something I never gave much credit to.  After all, how much comprehension can you really retain reading so much in such a little time?  Most Bible reading plans are anywhere between 3-10 years.  This line of thought was even confirmed by a few friends early in 2011 when I shared my reading goal with them.  However, after completing the goal, I have a great appreciation for it – and strongly urge you to consider doing it sometime as well.

I didn’t follow a scripted reading plan, didn’t read from Genesis to Revelation, didn’t read in any chronological order – my friend Brandon printed a list of the books of the Bible, and I (for the most part) would read one book, strike it out on the print out page, and randomly choose to read another.  The exception was reading Genesis through Joshua and also reading the four Gospels back to back to back to back.  I would read for comprehension, but if I came across a passage that tricked me up, I’d simply write a “?” in the margin and move on instead of spending time researching it.  I read from an ESV Compact Thinline Bible with no commentary and few cross references.

I finished up Habakkuk (as it happened to be) on December 30th, and began dwelling on what I learned.  So here are a few lessons, principles, or themes that I picked up in my 12 month blitz.

A command to be courageous.  Over and over and over again throughout the Old Testament was the command and plea for leaders to be strong and courageous.  I didn’t take the time to count the number of commands, but it blew my mind how dominant that theme is.

Revelation can be summed up in two words.  The book of Revelation confuses me greatly – I have a Bible degree and still really don’t know how to read it.  It actually frightens me, and I avoid reading it at all cost if I’m honest.  I’m skeptical each time a sermon refers to a Revelation passage.  However, I noticed two words churn to the surface as I read it straight through: Jesus (or a term referring to him) and victorious.  Again, I didn’t do a word count to see if these are indeed the most common two words, but I’d be surprised if they’re not.  Jesus.  Victorious.  If I understand nothing else of Revelation, I’m good with understanding that.

God’s sovereignty.  Our free will and God’s sovereignty have always been a relationship I’ve felt less than comfortable articulating.  I just don’t know how it works most times.  But when reading throughout the Bible, and taking it at face value truth,  it’s almost inarguable that God is indeed all powerful and all capable.  He did pretty much anything we could dream of in asking for signs of His might.  From creation to nations to conceptions to destructions to resurrections, God demonstrated his power in all realms.

The Spirit was moving in Old Testament characters.  Could have been sheer ignorance on my part, but other than the case with Saul, I never took notice how often the OT mentions the Spirit of God moving in someone’s heart or dwelling upon them … and sometimes leaving them.  What an amazing gift that we all have this Spirit in our own hearts now, instead of a select handful of individuals over the span of thousands of years.

Reaping and sowing is a fundamental truth.  This agricultural concept is used frequently in Christian teaching, but I never realized how saturated the Word of God is with its usage.  It leads to some admitted confusion stemming from my lack of understanding in free will/God’s sovereignty, but I can’t get away from the truth that we will truly reap what we sow (yet also that God is sovereign).

My PBU undergrad is of help.  I’ve often discredited my Bible degree since I have so many questions about the Bible and Christianity as a whole – but I realized in reading the Bible that a lot of knowledge has penetrated my subconscious mind that I didn’t realize was there.  From trivial things (such as the city Jerusalem being synonymous to the kingdom of Judah, as was Samaria synonymous to Israel) to bigger things (the concept of the Trinity), my reading was greatly helped by a somewhat firm understanding of context.

The Bible is complex, not simple.  I’ve always known this – but it was definitely drilled down last year.  There are certain parts of the Bible that I really can’t explain – and if a skeptic were to press me on it, I certainly couldn’t defend them (these were marked by a lot of the ?’s mentioned above in my margins).  It’s not that all of these passage are not understandable, it’s just that I’m going to have to rely on good teachers to learn from.  It’s actually more mesmerizing to read something, not comprehend it, do some historical research, learn more about the context, and then see how delicately structured in truth the passage truly is.  There’s also great freedom in admitting to ourselves and others “I don’t know.”  Faith is built on top of that.

That’s my case, Jack.  Sure, I didn’t learn a whole ton about specific passages or certain ideas, but I believe I improved my overall faith through this goal.  I’d strongly urge you to consider your own 12 month blitz of the Bible – as I’m sure you’ll glean (or reap) lessons, principles, or themes of your own.  Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

The Busyness Martyr

Dear Jack,

Something I’ve noticed in our culture is our hidden obsessiveness with being busy.  We take pride in hectic schedules that drain us of margin, joy, and fulfillment.  Whether it’s work, church, kids, community involvement, board meetings, or family gatherings, we all seem to have a lot going on.

How many times do you hear someone ask a friend “How are you doing?”

“Good – really busy with work right now.  I’m usually not home till 7 or 8 each night.  Can’t complain!”

“Great – little Jimmy’s on two traveling soccer teams, Suzy’s taking clarinet and ballet lessons, and the hubby decided to go back to school to get another degree while working!”

“Oh man, busy – but good.  So many church projects going on right now I can barely keep them straight, but God doesn’t smile on the lazy ant!”

True, God probably doesn’t smile at laziness, but I don’t think he takes great pride when we suffocate in our calendars either.

It almost seems shameful if we answer the question with

“I’m doing well – keeping my hours at work under control so I have more free time.”

or

“Great – I decided to keep little Jimmy out of sports this season so we’re not doing as much running around.”

And let me say this – I’m guilty.  Ask anyone who knows me in this season of life – I’ve got a lot going on.

Wait.

Did you catch that?  Did you catch that slim glimmer of pride woven in the words of mine you just read?  It’s because I have the disease – I somehow want to be a martyr sacrificing myself on the alter of busyness, even though a voice inside me is urging me to free myself, to jump down off the alter that I’ve tied my own heart to.

I have an inclination that the disease was born out of a reaction against the laziness that also prevails in our culture – I’d rather be too busy than too lazy.  But that’s the deadly trap – the area between the two is murky, and I’m relatively sure I haven’t found the path that walks steadily between the reclining sloth and the passed-out carpenter bee.

Sure, I suffer a bit from this.  But you know who really suffers, Jack?  You.  And Lydia.  Those closest to me are those that suffer the most when I allow too much stuff to fill my calendar.  The same goes for everyone – those who are closest to you will suffer at a proportional level to your busyness.  They seem to get our leftovers, our margin.

This Christmas and New Year’s time is a good opportunity to audit ourselves – which is as easy as looking at our calendars, or just honestly examining our stress levels.  Both of mine are at uneasy marks right now.

I’m not offering any suggestions to cure the busyness disease at this point, but I am making an attempt to increase awareness of it.  Too many of us are killing ourselves between our jobs, our roles at church, our roles in the community, and our roles as family members.  We need to learn to say no to more things.  But more importantly, we need to learn to be okay with not being overly busy – and not expecting those around us to be overly busy as well.

I want to be able to answer that question sometime with “I’m great – I’m at home way more than I have ever been in my life.”  It sounds so …  un-American, so un-Lancaster County, so un-Protestant work ethic.  But is that really such a bad thing?  Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

Operation #GratefulDaily

Dear Jack,

Several months ago – I’m actually not certain exactly when – I started using the hashtag #GratefulDaily in my Twitter feed with the intention to post something each day that I was thankful for.  [Crash course on what a hashtag is here.]  The idea originated from my devotional time in the morning, when I physically record something I’m grateful for (a practice adopted after reading Tim Sanders‘ Today We Are Rich).

I can’t say that #GratefulDaily has caught on and spread throughout the Twitter world, but it has gained a bit of traction here and there.  And even if it doesn’t do anything else other than discipline me to express thanks publicly, then it’s still a win.

However, in the past few days, a few friends (Ray and Ryan) have encouraged the intentional spread of using the #GratefulDaily hashtag during this Christmas season, and I think it’s a good idea.  So as we do so, I wanted to write why I believe that expressing gratefulness is a good thing.

Gratefulness is a bedrock of contentment, and contentment is a bedrock of stewardship.  Meaning that if we increase our awareness of things we are grateful for, we can become more content, and as we’re more content we can become better and better stewards.

Gratefulness forces us to focus on what we have, and when we do this, we’re less inclined to focus on what we are lacking.  In fact, I’ve found that when I focus more on what I do have, I not only think less of what I’m lacking, but I also look for ways I can use what I do have to help others who are in need.

Gratefulness is contagious in both real life and in Social Media.  When you’re around someone who is grateful and full of life and happiness, it’s difficult not to share in that joy.  Conversely, it’s also difficult to remain grateful and happy when you surround yourself with those who are envious and miserable.  Being intentional on Twitter to be happy and thankful is a good thing – and that power is multiplied by using a hashtag so that in one click you can see what others are grateful for.

Gratefulness helps combat consumerism, which is exactly what a lot of us need right now.  We live in an extremely materialistic society, and this time of year makes that materialism all the more obvious.  By focusing on what we do have and expressing gratitude for it, I believe we’re able to desire less things and focus on giving to those who really do have true needs.

Gratefulness is most powerful in daily doses as compared to spontaneous binges.  I think this is true of most things, especially good habits and mindsets.  It’s counter-cultural to be content and grateful, and it’s an uphill battle.  It’s going to be difficult to defeat a struggle if we only work at it spontaneously.  It’s the daily discipline that will win the war.

Gratefulness build perspective into our lives.  Similar to what I previously mentioned about the focus on what we do have, reflecting on our blessings can be a true perspective builder.  For example, being grateful for a warm house (others, even in my city, don’t have heat – or a roof); being grateful for literacy (a lot of the world can’t read); being grateful for the ability to think about what I’m thinking about (called metacognition, and it’s unique to humans); being grateful for clean water (a lot of the world dies from dirty water).

So here’s to spreading #GratefulDaily in the world, Jack.  I hope to model to you, not just through Twitter, but in all aspects of life, what a grateful life looks like.  I can’t say I have it all figured out and am perfectly modeling it, but I’m trying my best and attempting to encourage others to do the same.  Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

2 Questions About Giving from Gross or Net Pay

Dear Jack,

One of the most frequent questions I’ve experienced in the world of biblical giving (the word ”giving” used intentionally instead of “tithing”) is whether we should be doing our giving off of our gross or our net pay.  This is a legit question, and one I appreciate because it shows the commitment of the ones asking to be intentional about their stewardship plan.

My response to the question isn’t very cut and dry, to be honest.  It depends on a lot of things.  Most Americans receive their income through a W-2, meaning that they’re paid pretty regularly for their time/services, and the difference between their gross and net pay is going to be pretty close to what their individual tax bracket is, depending on the amount of deductions they can claim for any given year.  Small business owners have a more difficult time with this, as do individuals who receive large amounts of interest from investments.  And I’m not going to spend time talking about all the relative factors that would play out in these scenarios.  Instead, I’ll get to the main issue at hand.

The idea of gross/net income is actually relatively new, as payroll withholding taxes were only introduced in the last 100 years or so, a long time after the idea of giving (and, dare I mention, “tithing”) began.

What I’ve found more valuable than a standard response is answering the question with some more clarifying questions, such as these:

1. Are you saving from your gross or net pay?  What I mean by saving is any money going towards a short or long term goal (retirement, college, car replacement, etc.)  Many people save money into their company-sponsored 401k or 403b plans – and this money is saved “pre-tax” from their paychecks.  This means your final paycheck amount made payable to you is already a net figure.  The ratio of how much we’re saving versus how much we’re giving is a key indicator of if we’re investing in earthly or heavenly treasures.  And to get a good idea of what this ratio looks like, we need an apples-to-apples comparison of our saving and giving.
2. Are you trying to find the minimum amount “required” to give?  This is the big question.  As much as I appreciate people being intentional about giving plans, a potential flag is raised in my mind about their true intentions when asking if they should be giving from gross or net pay.  If we’re looking to find ways that lower our “required” giving, our heart isn’t in the right place, and this is serious cause for concern.  Evaluate your heart before you go any further – and if you find that you’re truly just looking to find ways to minimize your giving amounts, then I’d strongly encourage you to read and think about 2 Corinthians 9:7 (“…each one should give as he has decided in his own heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”).  I wouldn’t be concerned right now as much about the giving amount as I would be about finding out what is right in your own heart, and then being joy-filled in giving that portion, not feeling compelled to.

I think the reason these questions are so valuable in answering the gross/net pay issue is that they’re personalized to you.  It’s not a cookie-cutter answer.  Personally, we give off of gross – because our monthly budget is set up on gross pay.  I build the pre-tax withholdings (local tax, federal tax, FICA, health insurance, all the good stuff) into our spending plan for the month, and have a separate column showing the percentage of my gross pay that each category (including taxes) consumes.  This way I can have an apple to apple comparison of my savings percentage, tax percentage, giving percentage, entertainment percentage, housing percentage, and so forth.

 

The key, as you can see, Jack, is evaluating your heart.  I’m under the firm conviction that God is less concerned about how much we’re giving than He is about the condition of our heart (this is true of things way beyond finances).  Evaluate your own heart, and then the question of giving from gross or net pay should become evident.  Till next time, Jack,

Sincerely,
J.

Cultivating Gratitude

Dear Jack,

Gratitude is underrated.  It’s something that’s quickly looked over in our constant drive for the next best thing(s).  There’s nothing wrong with motivation and seeking to better our lives … but too often I’ve found myself doing so without paying proper respect to what I already have.  Much of which I didn’t even earn, let alone deserve.  I could spend time at length here bemoaning the things we have taken as granted – but I’d rather not and just talk about what I’m doing to raise my own awareness of gratitude.

I recently read Tim Sanders book, Today We Are Rich, which is probably one of the best five books I’ve ever read.  In it, he talks often about how “rich” we are – and not in the material sense necessarily.  And this richness is often tarnished because we don’t realize its there.  Tim recommends a whole host of ways to raise our personal awareness of our riches, some of which I’ve adapted.

The following list is a few practices I’ve started incorporating into my daily life.  They are a result of reading Tim’s book and adapting some things I’ve already been in the practice of doing.  I think it’s critical not only that we cultivate our own gratefulness, but that we also cultivate the gratefulness of those around us.  And so, here’s what I’ve been doing daily the past few weeks:

• At the end of my “pregame” time in the mornings, I physically record in my journal one thing I’m grateful for.  This has ranged from my beautiful wife, to my job, to a cup of hot tea.  The weightiness of the subject’s not important – just the recognition of it is.
• Before praying at dinner at night, we go around the table and have each person identify something they’re personally grateful for, ideally said in one word.  This has been a lot of fun, especially hearing what Adrianna’s thankful for.  She’s been on a streak of expressing her gratitude for food lately, which I think is awesome.  This is a fantastic way of getting the family to share what’s on their heart and there is something communal that’s unifying and uplifting about it.  Then whoever is praying makes sure to thank God for each of these things.
• Immediately after recording what I’m grateful for in my “pregame” I identify a giving opportunity.  This could be financial, but most times it’s not.  It can be an introduction of friends, the passing on of some good information, writing a letter to a Compassion child, or just a commitment to bless Lydia with all my heart that day.  In Today We Are Rich, Tim talks about the power of giving.  It forces us to focus on what we have, and not on what we’re lacking.  There’s a powerful psychological force behind this – one that I don’t fully understand, but can relate to.

Gratitude.  It’s something we should be in rich supply of, Jack – and as we express it, I feel it is truly a gift that keeps on giving.  There are few things that drain me more than being around someone who complains constantly, especially if I can see they have much to be thankful for.  Gratitude is the antidote – and it’s also a key ingredient for finding contentment in life.  I hope these few tips can help you in your own quest of showing gratitude in life.  Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

Using Your Strength to Die

Dear Jack,

Lydia and I visited Life Church, a new church that recently launched and is meeting at the Lancaster Convention Center.  The rest of this letter is going to pretty much be a copyright infringement of the sermon covered by Pastor Jason this past Sunday, and I highly encourage you to listen to his original words (Legacy: Part 4).  Here’s my own recap and ideas of how to apply it to my life.

The context is that Life Church just wrapped up a four week sermon series on Legacy, with the idea of asking ourselves “What do we want to be remembered for?”  Sunday’s sermon was geared toward men and challenged us to ask ourselves that question – and to summarize it into one word.  Patient?  Busy?  Loving?  Absent?  Providing?  Selfish?  Fun?

[Spoiler notice]  Jason basically said we should strive to be remembered as one who died.  As in dying to ourselves.  Dying to our selfishness, dying to our own desires.  Dying so that those around us can live.  So that our wives can live.  So that our children can live.  So that our employees and clients can live.  So that our neighbors can live.

He said that men are created strong (physically, emotionally, intellectually, etc.) so that we can die.  And to do the hard things necessary, which require strength,  so that we can die.

What a strange paradox.  And the Christian life, I find out more and more, is all about strange paradoxes.

Jason moved on to say that there are three areas we are to use our strength to die: in family, in church, and in the city (community).  Briefly, I’ll share some of the ways I think I can apply this “self death” to my own contexts.

Family.  Putting aside my ideas on how the back yard should be organized, or the refrigerator for that matter.  Not zoning out and playing Playstation or watching TV or even reading at the sacrifice of helping Lydia do household chores.  Taking interests in the things that interest Lydia.  Confronting parents and in-laws about tension-causing issues instead of being passive and hoping things will get better.  Finding ways to fuel Lydia’s passions instead of ways to extinguish them.  Purchase quality kitchen utilities instead of skimping for the sake of frugality.  Getting up to check on Adrianna if she cries during the night before Lydia can check on her.

Church.  Using work vacation days to do local (or non-local) mission work.  Getting up early to meet with others for fellowship or accountability.  Sacrificing free evenings to lead Bible studies.  Getting to Sunday services early to greet visitors.  Staying late after Sunday services to help clean up.

City.  Not bee-lining from the car to the front door when a neighbor is out front of their home.  Crossing the street to say hi to a stranger.  Writing a note of encouragement to someone who lost a loved one.  Taking trash cans back towards the alley if a neighbor forgets to.  Parking far away so someone else can park close.  Choosing to be honest with a client in confronting a bad behavior instead of assuring him it will all work out, when I know it won’t.

None of these are things I do exceptionally well – in fact, most I don’t do well at all with.  But it’s what I’m striving to do better at.

And then Jason closes his sermon with the most encouraging message: we have eternal hope to accomplish this “self death” because we have Jesus, and we can fix our eyes on him to give us the inspiration, motivation, or discipline we need.

John 19 is the passage where Pilate tells the crowds “Behold the man,” displaying Jesus as a beaten, bloody, purple-robed, crown-thorn-wearing broken body.  And Jesus, if there’s one thing I’m sure of, is God.  If God used his strength to suffer and die, so that we all can ultimately live, then I certainly can use my own strength to put aside my selfishness for a time.  It’s not to promise that I always will succeed – but at least I can try and I have access to the power to do so.

Find ways that you can, and need, to die to yourself.  It’s such a strange idea, and yet it resonates so soundly within my heart.  It sounds crazy, but maybe that’s not all that bad of a thing.  It’s definitely counter-culture.  Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

[Re]Defining Success

Dear Jack,

I’m a huge reader and believer in self improvement, if you haven’t picked that up already.  And one of the words commonly used, by just about everyone, is “success.”  We read about how to get success, how to become successful, how to attract success  - and we seem to have skimmed over asking what success even means.

Furthermore, we  are quick to label others “successful” in their respective careers, lives, and ambitions, but we seem to be using a metric that no one has clearly defined.  What does success mean?  And if we can put a definition on it, then what metrics can we use to determine if someone is successful?  I think we can all agree that the success of a Fortune 500 CEO, the success of a pastor, the success of a stay-at-home mom, and the success of a not-for-profit 501(c)3 business development rep can’t all be treated the same.

Maybe the best place to start is by stating what success is commonly defined as.  This includes the obvious: wealth and material goods.  It’s easy and commonplace to look at the car someone drives to snap a quick judgment of the level of success they’ve experienced so far in life.  Beater with missing hubcaps: dude on the first step of the ladder struggling to put food on the table.  Newish Honda accord: she’s climbed the hill and working on the mountain.  Brand new silver Caddy: the man is made.  *Gasp* Oh boy, did he just look at me?!  Similar story when visiting someone’s home, or talking about how much money they make.  Caddies, McMansions, and 35% marginal tax on income equals success – so says our culture.

Another common way of measuring success is the level of fame.  Having a lot of people know you, either on a local or global scope, seems to make the public deem others successful.  Hollywood stars, elected officials, authors, and athletes alike are collectively defined as successful because their faces are recognized by the majority of a population.  An easily identifiable face equals success – so says our culture.

And one more common metric used to determine success: job title.  People are impressed when the see CEO, owner, president, and other prestigious titles on a business card.  The title, however difficult or easily achieved it was, is deemed as something worthy of praise.  What your business card says about you determines if you’re successful – so says our culture.

I’m not saying wealth, fame, or job titles don’t make people successful – I’m just asking one question:

What does?

Honestly, I think to get at the heart of the matter we have to redefine the measurement of success as something that is individually unique.  Success is going to vary from person to person – and the only uniform way of measuring the success is going to be looking at the accomplishment of their unique goals and callings.  It’s tough, impossible I’d argue, to compare inches, pounds, and gallons.  There’s no common denominator.  The goals of each person are going to be as varied as the various metrics of measurement we use in the English measurement system.

Lydia’s level of success  as a stay at home mom can’t be measured the same way as Warren Buffet’s level of success as the leader of Berkshire Hathaway.  Just the same as President Obama’s success can’t be measured the same was as my success as a financial planner.  The metrics just aren’t the same.

If Apple co-founder Steve Woziak is viewed as successful because he helped launch a mega-company and create some radical new products, but lost a wife through divorce in the process – and he mourns the divorce more than he celebrates the company, who are we to say he’s successful?  That may be an insult to him.  (I have no idea his opinion on this, it’s just for example sake).

And so I find it interesting when a speaker is introduced as being a “successful” individual.  It’s not that I’m just calling into question whether s/he is successful – I’m just curious to know if the introducer took the time to figure why s/he is successful.  Did they meet their unique goals with their unique talents?  What price was paid in order to accomplish those goals?  Is the net result considered a success?

I ask these questions, Jack, because I want you to wrestle with them – and when its time for you to consider what it is you want to do with your own life, I want you to look within to define those metrics of your success, and not look outward.  Figure out what your own unique goals are, and then you, and only those who you choose to share your goals with, will be able to determine your success.  Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

My Report Card at University of Epilepsy

Dear Jack,

It was six months ago already (or, finally?) that the events I detailed in this letter took place.  I can’t decide if it was a really fast six months, or a really slow six months.  It was probably one of those strange-yet-normal paradoxes in life in which it was simultaneously both fast and slow.

Regardless of the speed, I feel that God’s been teaching me lessons over this time, which I half-jokingly refer to as my first semester in UE (University of Epilepsy).  Below I list the courses of this semester, give brief description of each, report my current grade, and include notes from my instructors.

Patience 101: course focuses mostly on the need to slow down in life and realize that things won’t always happen when we want them to.  Main course instructor features the RRTA Bus System, but also adjunct appearances by Bad Weather and Fickle Appointments.  Grade: C Student has demonstrated an increase in patience from the start of the course, but still shows a tendency to become disgruntled when plans are suddenly rearranged.

Appreciation 101: course focuses on the ability to cultivate thankfulness for the things we often take for granted.  Course is facilitated by a panel of instructors featuring Driving Privileges, Flexible Employer, Loving Friends and Family, Lancaster City Coffee Shops, Gibbel Kraybill & Hess Attorneys, and a special appearance by the RRTA Bus System.  Grade: A+ Student has made tremendous leaps in appreciating the privileged blessings he once took as granted rights.

Flexibility 101: course is designed to be taken in conjunction with Patience, and focuses toward the fact that not only do we have little control of when things happen, we also have little control of if they happen, and we must focus only on the things that we can control.  Course instruction is jointly led by Work Schedule and Family Calendar.  Grade: B Student has shown good progress, and is showing evidence of overcoming years of always getting what he expected or desired.  Still some ground to make up, however.

Dependency 101:  course’s main objective is to teach the notion of independence as possibly an idea that has been falsely elevated to a trait most desired by our culture.  Course instructors include Wonderful Wife, Sacrificial Parents, the RRTA Bus System, and Medical Professionals.  Grade: A- Student has made tremendous strides in realizing the goal of independence is a fleeting goal, and he now cherishes the fact that he can rely on others in this life – and not only can he rely on them, he is enjoying the reliance on them.

The overarching concept that has been drilled down deep within me is the fact that in life we need to focus on What We Can Control, and simply acknowledge What We Can’t Control.  I didn’t voluntarily enroll at UE, and I’m not really sure when my graduation will ever be, but I’m ok with that.  It hasn’t been easy – but there’s been few times when I have let the frustration really get the best of me, and I’m remorseful of even those, mostly because I end up taking it out on the ones helping and loving me.

I want to draw special attention to Lydia, Mom and Dad, and Brandon Fisher for going above and beyond with shuttling me around, as well as Ron for being an outrageously generous employer.

Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

A Song That Speaks to My Heart

Dear Jack,

Ever since high school when I pretended I was something, or possibly someone, that I wasn’t, I’ve always had an infatuation with hip hop music – from Kanye West, to Jay Z, from Cross Movement to Mars ILL.  The latter two aren’t near as well known, probably because they’re considered Christian artists, and Christian rap music leaves a lot to be desired most of the time.  However, both Cross Movement and Mars ILL have some truly profound lyrics, and have an almost prophetic tone missing in other contemporary Christian music.

One of these songs is “The Calm Before” by Mars ILL.  I’m going to just post the lyrics below, emphasizing some of the lines that stuck with me noteably, but leaving the rest for you to dwell on.  If we take the words seriously, it should seriously challenge us to what we believe as Christians – and how we act.

Mars ILL – “The Calm Before”

[Verse #1]
I left my footprints on the ocean’s waves before the storm came
But form changed to man overboard sinking self-aware
Thinking no one’s there to catch me when I fall to the sandy floor beneath the coral reef
I pray the Lord my soul to keep – he holds the deep in his palm
And simultaneously, he gives his hand to me
The salty sea that made my eyes to weep is now beneath my feet
With concrete stability, steps I take to moves made critically
Peripheral at a standstill as Divinity makes his presence felt physically
It’s miraculous but true. It’s all for you
But the fact is that modern man is scared to death and torn in two
Because the truth draws him higher, undercurrent holds him down
Afraid he’ll drown, he forgets those pieces of peace he might have found
Well at least he struggles – ’cause to stroll too easily through those puddles
Lulls you to sleepy dreamscapes where your sensibilities are muddled
And I know that if he seeks God, he’ll recognize him when he sees Him
And he’ll realize whose hands he needs to be in..

[Verse #2]
When disaster strikes the field, the likes of them head for the hills
To regroup their bearings on their enemy ’til they’re ready, dressed to kill
“It’s better to feel safe than live in fear.” I ask ‘em, “Why is that?”
They responded, “We need stability in this comfortable habitat.”
“So send the lower middle-class to the front lines, their death will protect us.”
“We’ll talk loud and hide behind our penthouses and brand new Lexus.”
“It affects us to a point. Didn’t you see the stock market crash?”
“We couldn’t sacrifice our buying power. Tell me, how smart is that?”
I said, I saw the blast, heard the crash of lives shattered to pieces
Saw a street preacher yelling loud and holding a sign about Jesus
I agreed and kept walking because I’m not quite sure what to do
I tried to front and talk a lot of patriotism, same as you
But the ideas ain’t really new, see genocide, it happens globally
We just get shook up when it happens locally
So, love one another and be wise. Don’t foster malice
In the name of revenge for Country until your soul turns callous, soul turns callous..

[Verse #3]
Before the world premiere of dawn light switched on and day broke through
Before the sky was blue, before any big-bang or primordial ooze
Before man stepped on the scene in his prowess unprepared for the challenge
Before the planets were set in place to hold the galaxies in the balance
Before time, before reason, rhyme, love, hate and emotion
Before the seasons, before the first word was spoken or heart was broken
Before defiance turned to evil revolt and all Hell broke loose
Before any creature would even dare to contradict his point of view
He was there, God, triune, omnipotent, controlling existence
Before people claimed to serve the Crucified was a slave religion
Before the fall of Adam imprisoned descendants with original scars
Before you were born of your mother to try to figure out just who you are
Before war and confusion, before reality, before illusion
Before the beginning, Elohim had mapped out all the conclusions
Before the restitution to come that Revelation promises all of us
Not Nostradamus’ blind predictions through delusional blurred vision
The calm came before the storm with power to kill
The calm is present now and it lives within me still
The calm is present now and it lives within me still
The Calm is present now and he lives within me still..

[Lyrics courtesy of Lyricstime.com]

My parting and intentionally non-conclusive thought is this: some things in life are overvalued.  Some things in life are undervalued.  It’s our duty to figure out which are which.  Till next time, Jack.

Sincerely,
J.

A Perfect Example of American Consumerism

Dear Jack,

Soon after writing you this past letter asking what breaks your heart, I happened across this Facebook status of a friend of Lydia’s.  This is a prime example, on so many levels, of American consumerism that breaks my heart.  When I read it, I wasn’t even as mad as I was sad.  Sad for the person who wrote it, sad for the lack of perspective we as Americans have, sad for the friends who didn’t speak up against the perspective, and sad for the people who she wrote her mini-letter to.  The update said this:

Dear Middle East & Africa,
I would rather spend $50 on clothing or shoes, instead of my gas tank. Please get your act together, asap.
Sincerely,
A broke & concerned US citizen

Wow.  I could dissect this this almost word for word, but I’ll let you do this.  I don’t want to seem like that angry old man who only finds fault in the world, because I want to be known as the optimistic man who spreads hope through the world.

That said, the above quote demonstrates two areas, directly connected, that need addressed in our culture: an obsession with ourselves, and a blatant neglect of others.  We constantly default to think about ourselves – in this case, bemoan about not being able to spend $50 on shoes.  Never-mind the fact that we even have $50 – an amount most of the world can’t even fathom.  Never-mind we live in a country where we have access to gas, and the ability to drive vehicles we use the gas for.  Never-mind our country isn’t at war with each other and we don’t have to fear for our lives each hour of each day.

And when we obsess over ourselves, we then lose perspective of others.  In this case, the people on the verge of civil war – constantly fearing death of loved ones and death themselves.  How can we even complain about expensive gas when people’s lives are being terminated by chaos and dictatorship?  Do we really lose that much perspective?  Yes, we do – and I constantly have to fight to retain it.  I’m not excluding myself from this (hence the inclusive pronouns of my letters).

The last part I’ll point out in the quote is the signature: “Sincerely, a broke & concerned US citizen.”  Each word can be examined.  Sincerely: really?  With all sincerity you write this letter?  You’re sincerely that self-absorbed?    Broke: don’t get me started about being “broke” if you can afford a car – and gas.  Concerned: concerned about what?  Your shoes or the people being killed in the Middle East?  US Citizen: she must have no idea how much of a privilege being a citizen of a free nation is, and I personally become embarrassed when fellow citizens act this way.

But my main reason in writing you this letter isn’t so much to bash and slander my fellow man.  It’s to remind you that the loss of perspective is a rampant disease in our country and culture – and if you’re not constantly aware of it, you’ll be assimilated into thinking the same way.

I am not friends with the girl who wrote the Facebook status, and so it was by no measure acceptable for me to respond – but I wish someone who does know her would respond.  And I’d encourage you to be bold and correct the lack of perspective you witness in your own friends’ lives, and to encourage your friends to correct your own lack of perspective at time.  We all need help in doing so.

I’ll wrap up with this, Jack: chances are, you are blessed beyond the comprehension of most people in this world.  Please don’t forget that.  And since we are blessed, we have an obligation to take care of those who may not be as blessed.  Till next time, Jack,

Sincerely,
J.