Giving Thanks

A great American tradition that could very well be adopted by the rest of the world. Thanksgiving is more than turkey and sweet potato casserole.
To dedicate a day for just giving thanks and celebrating the blessings is healthy.

The Bible says that the “joy of the Lord is my strength“. Joy flows out of a grateful heart. When you stop to count your blessings, you will be surprised by the mere wealth of them! That turns into joy and a positive attitude, that spreads around. It makes not only you stronger, but those around you.

I say whoop!

Leaders, Where Is Your Backbone?

A great leader can make tough calls today for the sake of a better future.

I rarely remember sermons from years ago, but this one I do. It was Andy Stanley during the last US presidential election, on leadership. He spoke about the Old Testament Joseph and how he made tough choices today to keep his people alive through a 7-year famine. He had the courage to save grain during the good years, when starvation was the furthest thing possible on people’s minds.

As a global economic crisis is looming on us, our leaders should be able make tough decisions today, take responsibility, have foresight so that the future could be better.

The temptation is to make political decisions based on the hope of re-election, while the world needs leaders who will take the responsibility today, so that current economic problems won’t multiply and explode on the lap of the next generation.

Unfortunately our Western culture has deteriorated so nicely into pure Individualism that such leaders with true foresight are hard to find. This is true in our personal lives too.

How to have that perspective and humility, that it is not just about me and my pleasure, but about coming generations?

President’s Wife Divorces For Power

The first lady of Guatemala is “leaving a loving marriage” in order to run for president. According to Guatemala’s constitution president’s close relatives aren’t allowed to run for president. Therefore the teary-eyed wife says she’s “divorcing to marry her people”. Oh wow. The lady is tired of bossing the hubby and will go for it all.

Sounds like one of those stories where “God said” you should leave your wife and get married to someone else.

Fortunately God isn’t schizophrenic, saying one thing in the Bible and whispering another into your ear.

The Authenticity of Francis Chan

I am inspired by this guy, because he is for real.

Western Christians like to be comfortable. American Christians like to be entertained. They love it when someone preaches it! It gives something nice to talk about over Sunday lunch at Chili’s.

So, this pastor of a thriving mega-church in California preaches that we should love the poor and we should pray hard and we should have the courage to leave everything to follow Jesus. People nod, but nothing changes. He becomes more and more convinced. He makes up his mind and quits. Takes his family and leaves. Says he doesn’t know exactly where and what God has in mind, he just knows he has to take the step.

People think he is crazy. All the respectable Christian leaders question his decision. But, what if he is the only one who is sane? The only one who has the guts to really follow Jesus, take risks that demand faith. The one who is tired of being safe, being entertained and entertaining.

I think many of us Western Christians secretly wish for the courage to do something. To take Jesus’ words at face value and live them out. I pray the example of Francis Chan will inspire many of us to walk closer to Jesus.

Francis Chan website.

A Man in a Canyon Crevasse

Life’s extraordinary troubles are an extraordinary opportunity.

Saw the film 127 Hours about Aron Ralston stuck in a crevasse in the middle of nowhere Utah desert. His arm stuck firmly under a boulder for several days,  he finally cuts it off to be able to stumble back to life.  As a movie, it is not that amazing. I mean how interesting can it be to watch a guy stuck for 5 days between a rock and a hard place? The whole first hour of the movie you are anticipating the bloody, gory bit where he saws his own arm off. Then it happens and he walks free. And you walk out of the cinema.

But, the story made me think this. You putter about life until suddenly something flags you down and you have an opening. An opportunity to re-evaluate where you’re going and how. Often these are times when you come face to face with your worst fears,  usually those involving death. It is in those moments that you see clearly. You remember who you wanted to become and you see how far off you have gone. The tragedy becomes and opportunity to realign your course.

In a way this happened to Aron Ralston. He saw that his fierce independence had almost killed him. He still hikes remote canyons, but now he knows that he needs others. And this has lead him to be able to make other commitments in life.

If you’re stuck under a boulder somewhere, maybe you will have to lose something to get out of there.  And perhaps this is a once in a lifetime chance at a new beginning and you would be dumb to miss it.

When Too Much Truth Is Too Much

On Friday Wikileaks published nearly 400 000 secret US military records on the Iraq war. The “War Logs” tell a grim story of war. Civilian deaths. Contractors hired to protect getting killed. Soldiers dying. Plenty of blood and gore – and injustice.

On the other hand it is good that some of this information is made public. The military and anyone in power should be trusted and if by bringing some of this dirt into the light some of the wrongs can be made right – that’s great. These records seem to expose misconduct and complaints of abuse that were never taken seriously. These should be made right and scare the military to acting honorably the next time around.

But on the other hand, there is a reason for this stuff being classified. There is also a reason why every US president turns gray in his first year in office. They know stuff you don’t want to know. By bringing secret information into public display, some might lose their lives. For example names of Afghans helping the US military have been made public by Wikileaks. The Taleban are going through the files to find out traitors and most likely behead them.

Julian Assenge, “the greatest hacker ever” and founder of Wikileaks seems to be a narcissistic personality who is only interested in getting fame for “exposing the truth”. Meanwhile people’s lives, both locals and soldiers, are being put to risk. The truth will set you free, but you also need discernment in disclosure.

Education Instead of Bombs

This is Dr. Greg’s passion. He wants to build schools especially for girls in especially difficult places, such as the furthest corner of Afghanistan. Or the last village on the way to K2, in Pakistan.

About 16 years ago Greg Mortensen failed to climb the K2 and was nursed back to life by villagers and he promised to return and build a school as a thank you. This incident has snowballed into a full-fledged school building organization called the Central Asia Institute.

I just finished reading the second book, Stones into Schools, that chronicles the journey. The first, Three Cups of Tea is a NY Times bestseller.

This is a truly remarkable and inspiring story of passion, dedication, determination and conviction. Dr. Greg (as he is called in Asia) has a bunch of Pakistani and Afghan men running his school building projects. Seems like employing only locals is the key to his success.

It is moving to read about girls and boys from the hinterlands of Afghanistan get absolutely tickled at the thought of being able to go to school. Such an everyday part of life for us and so far out of reach for many, in places such as rural Asia. The potential these kids have if they can be educated is amazing.

What I wonder about is what do they teach the kids? Dr. Greg is not out there to convert people to Christianity, actually all of his workers are Muslim and he seems adamant about not intending to proselytize. But it is the Christian values of equality between all men and women, the worth of every person, forgiveness, grace and fairness that have changed nations throughout centuries. It is nice to teach kids to read and to think, but if you don’t give them ideas, values and truth it’s kind of pointless.

 

 

 

One Man’s Ignorant Idea Puts Millions in Danger

How is it that one man from rural Florida has gotten the attention of millions? How is it that now his every move is monitored by hoards of reporters and twitchy politicians? How is it that flags are burning and murderous threats made in far-away-places such as Afghanistan because of a red-neck?

Pastor Terry Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Center, is an ignorant man who should have been ignored. Thanks to the blood thirsty media, the news of his Koran-burning crusade have spread across the world and caused a lot of harm.

Whether the burning will be canceled or suspended, Christians and pastors in Muslim countries have been put to danger. The masses of Muslims who sweep the streets of Kabul enraged are not thinking coolly and logically. They’ve been insulted, they move in masses and they will let their anger burn.

We in the Western world watch these images of Eastern men throwing their fists up in the air and think, “this is what a Muslim is like” and are filled with fear. In the same way Muslims hear about Pastor Jones’ plans and think “this is how Christians and pastors are” and are filled with hatred. Most Europeans and Americans don’t personally know Muslims to be able to tell the difference. Just like most Muslims don’t know true Christians to be able to tell the difference.

Bad news travel fast as it has in this case. It will take a lot of effort and time to undo the harm of one man’s folly.

Christian Response to Islam?

The 9th anniversary of 9/11 is approaching. An American pastor from Florida will commemorate by burning piles of Korans  on the church lawn. He says the book is “full of lies” and that “we must send a clear message to the radical element of Islam“. He also admits that he doesn’t have any experience whatsoever with the Koran. “I only know what the Bible says.”

American generals are pointing out what harm these kinds of statements and action will do the US forces. Well, more fundamentally it shows how we as Christians have a long way to go if we want to show the love of Christ to our Muslim neighbors.

If we do not have the courtesy or love for Muslims to even read what the Koran says we’re failing. And actually the Koran tells parts of the same stories of the patriarchs (or prophets as Muslims see it) as the Bible. The desire to know the truth and to please God is the same as in the Bible. Obviously there are things in the Koran we as Christians can’t subscribe to, but we ought to at least be knowledgeable about those.

Just Be My Church

I’ve been following and listening to Francis Chan for the past few years. I’ve been impressed with his rigorous pursuit of authencity. He does not want to be hypocritical or fake in his faith in any way. Now in Christianity Today he tells about his plans on leaving his church to plant “house churches” in LA County. He is sick of commercial church that spoon feeds Christians.

I couldn’t agree more. I think that is my number one frustration with the American Church. It has become about programs and fancy settings and true discipleship has suffered. How many times does a fellow church goer invite you over for dinner to his home? Can you count on a church goer to help you out when you need it? Unfortunately it is occasional more than a rule.

The same trend can be seen in Finland. Christians do their programs, but opening your house, your fridge and your heart to strangers is difficult. I know I want to change this culture and I know my generation desires community. Somehow we need to simplify and go back to the basics of loving thy neighbour.