broken stuff

I woke up this morning feeling broken. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way. In the last few months I’ve had friends struggle with serious health issues and personal pain. Disease, poverty, and loneliness seem to be constant themes for so many people I know. More and more I’m realizing these are the products of a very broken world. While I know hate is usually an unhealthy thing, I find myself today angry for the right reasons; certain suffering simply isn’t right:

I hate cancer…
I hate greed and how that leads to poverty and famine…
I hate racism, unequal opportunity, and unfair immigration practices…
I hate loneliness and the frustration it brings into so many lives…
I hate porn and drug addiction…
I hate  spousal abuse and infidelity…
I hate death and war… man’s need to conquer…

I’m grateful for Jesus. That God has come and will come again to make all things right. Until then I’m praying that God destroys these evils in our world and protects so many of my close friends who I believe are growing weary over it all…

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

- David

who loves you?

I asked Lillian, “Who loves you?” Usually she’ll say, “Daddy or Mommy.” Today she said, “Jesus loves me.” And then while eating her cookie with me at Starbucks she hummed the melody to Jesus loves me. She’s been singing it everywhere she goes. I realize she doesn’t really understand the impact of her answer. To her Jesus is like any other character in a song she sings. Jesus to Lillian is like the farmer Old McDonald. At the same time I know she understands the concept of love through her parents. She knows that love is a really good thing. And so Lillian can sing with great affection about someone endlessly loving her because who wouldn’t want to be loved by someone so strong? Thought it was a good moment and one I’ll not forget for probably a long time…

awareness

A quick thought as I continue to work through Mark and Jesus’ call to the Gospel:

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath… (2:27)

I’ve been consumed by this small prepositional phrase as it pretty much dictates the whole dialogue about why Jesus is upset with the Pharisees for their stubborn position(s) concerning the Law through Mark 3. We often preach in this section that the point is more on how legalism is wrong (which it is) and that we need to try new things given shifts in our context.  I would totally agree but that’s not the entire point of Mark 2-3. Jesus isn’t mad about traditions. He actually practices them (Matt. 5:17-25). What irritates Jesus aren’t old forms but insensitive leaders that demand them to the point that they actually cause people to struggle. They’re dangerous leaders because personal convictions are held even at the expense of people’s physical and spiritual well-being. In fact his whole point comes down to this one question: “‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ They remained silent.”(3:4).

fun stuff

My favorite summer dress on Lillian…  Where did the summer go (sigh)?