I’ve written before about how much we enjoyed our church’s use of Zoom for the Sunday meetings. A week ago, I had my doubts when, near the end of the service, someone was yelling at the tech guy and using VERY inappropriate language. I thought that someone had crashed the event, and all week I watched for an explanation from church leadership on what happened and how they were going to prevent its happening again. Nothing.

Until yesterday. Pastor Dave made it the centerpiece of the sermon. Here’s a snippet:

We heard some things last week – someone’s microphone was unmuted, someone who was having a very bad day. It made the service R-rated. I’ve had some deep conversations and heard heartfelt apologies. There was a direct connection with [last week’s] service. Last week I talked about a meltdown I had. All of us are in the same boat. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We stand in equal need of God’s grace...Am I convinced that the unedited version of me is the “me” that God loves?
God loves you whether you’re having a good day or a bad day. – Dr. Dave Jordan-Irwin, June 14, 2020

Wow. I saw a technical problem needing to be solved; our pastor saw a person needing to be ministered to and assured of God’s love and grace.

There was a time I would have assessed the quality of a sermon by the depth of Biblical insight, clarity of the outline, and effectiveness of the delivery. No more. How about the ability of the pastor to actually apply the scripture to a real-life situation, showing by example how to love others and live out the gospel? He was showing us how to implement the sermon’s text:

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel…Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 1.27, 2.1 – 4, NIV)

Here’s a nice follow-on to yesterday’s blog contrasting Zechariah’s unbelief with Mary’s belief. And if you think about it, it shows that the folks in the Bible are real people with feelings just like ours. Note what Elizabeth said to Mary:

Great favor is upon you, for you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord.” (Luke 1.45, Passion Translation)

In other words, “You believed, and you’re here talking to me. You’re not like my idiot husband who didn’t believe, and he has been mute for six months now!”

Again, what should we be believing God for? Things that seem impossible, but “Nothing is impossible with God!” (Luke 1.37)

Elisha said, “Listen! GOD’s word! The famine’s over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing.” The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?” “You’ll watch it with your own eyes,” he said, “but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!” (2 Kings 7.1, 2, MSG – a story of unbelief. Check it all out: 2 Kings 6.24 – 7.20)

We often refer to the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary in Luke 1 as “The Annunciation.” But, according to my friend Hanh at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat Center, there are two annunciations: one to Zechariah in Luke 1.5 – 25 and other to Mary in Luke 1.26 – 38. The main lesson is that Zechariah did not believe while Mary did. Here’s the relevant paragraph on Zechariah:

Zechariah asked the angel, “How do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is too old to give me a child. What sign can you give me to prove this will happen?” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel. I stand beside God himself. He has sent me to announce to you this good news. But now, since you did not believe my words, you will be stricken silent and unable to speak until the day my words have been fulfilled at their appointed time and a child is born to you. That will be your sign!” (Luke 1.18 – 20, Passion Translation)

There are some interesting contrasts:

• Zechariah was a religious professional, a priest; Mary, a young (lay) woman. The professional didn’t believe; the layperson did.
• In Bible history, there are stories of “old-age” conceptions, most notably Abraham. There are no previous stories of a virgin birth. The event for which there was precedence was disbelieved while the new, unique event was believed.
• One person needed a sign; the other did not.

What should we be believing God for?

• An end to the COVID-19 pandemic?
• Real progress in race relations?
• Both current events leading to real changes of heart among us all?

What’s stopping us from believing? What would belief look like?

[Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4.20, 21, NKJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude–innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (Hebrews 11.1, 11, 12, NKJV)

With the more recent news of racial unrest, our attentions seem to have shifted away from COVID-19, which is still with us. A Navigator friend of mine posted this poem, written by Sarah Bourns, a disciple-maker and seminary student in New York. She says about herself and her role at a church plant, Hope Midtown in Manhattan: “I disciple and develop leaders and provide pathways for our congregation to encounter God in his Word and his world.”

Exposed
by Sarah Bourns

We’ve all been exposed.
Not necessarily to the virus
(though maybe…who knows)
We’ve all been exposed BY the virus.

Corona is exposing us.
Exposing our weak sides.
Exposing our dark sides.
Exposing what normally lies far beneath the surface of our souls,
hidden by the invisible masks we wear.
Now exposed by the paper masks we can’t hide far enough behind.

Corona is exposing our addiction to comfort.
Our obsession with control.
Our compulsion to hoard.
Our protection of self.

Corona is peeling back our layers.
Tearing down our walls.
Revealing our illusions.
Leveling our best-laid plans.

Corona is exposing the gods we worship:
Our health
Our hurry
Our sense of security.
Our favorite lies
Our secret lusts
Our misplaced trust.

Corona is calling everything into question:
What is the church without a building?
What is my worth without an income?
How do we plan without certainty?
How do we love despite risk?

Corona is exposing me.
My mindless numbing
My endless scrolling
My careless words
My fragile nerves.

We’ve all been exposed.
Our junk laid bare.
Our fears made known.
The band-aid torn.
The masquerade done.

So what now? What’s left?
Clean hands
Clear eyes
Tender hearts.

What Corona reveals, God can heal.

Come Lord Jesus.
Have mercy on us.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139.23, 24, NIV)

Did you see that the new Chief of Staff of the Air Force is black? With all that’s going on, he had unanimous approval by the Senate, and according to the Washington Post, “He is honored and humbled to serve…” I like that attitude. He’s General Charles Q. “CQ” Brown, ROTC graduate of Texas Tech and fighter pilot.

I was sad to read that he has experienced racism in the military. I’ve always believed that the military was ahead of many civilian organizations: I’ve worked for black officers, worked with black officers, and had black officers working for me. But upon reflection, I have to confirm General Brown’s assertion that he was “often the only African-American in my squadron,” and as a senior officer, “the only African-American in the room,” as quoted in the NY Times. I never thought about how those black officers I worked with felt about being the only one.

I wish General Brown well, and I think we can learn from his attitude toward racial challenges:

I can’t fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can I fix decades of discrimination that may have impacted members of our Air Force. I’m thinking about how I can make improvements. – General CQ Brown as quoted in the NY Times.

We can’t fix centuries of racism in our country either, but we can think about how we can make improvements: drip by drip, living out the Gospel daily, and holy moments.

If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. (Isaiah 58.9 – 12, ESV)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6.8, NIV

I don’t often reproduce someone else’s story in full, adding little to nothing. In this case, there’s not much I can add. The author is Jason Robinson, who is with The Navigators’ Collegiate ministry in Minneapolis. I do not know him, but he’s my brother.

I’m 6’5”, in my late 40s, African-American, living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. So was George Floyd. He was a man of God who loved people and was always there for others. The same could be said about me. Then there was Christian Cooper, a Harvard educated man, successful writer and editor in New York City. I, too, am a college-educated man who’s served in vocational ministry for more than 25 years, building and leading multicultural ministries ranging in size from 50 to 5,000.

For all three of us, throughout our lives, we have encountered people who didn’t see any of the good things that make us who we are. They just see Black men who they perceived as threats and acted accordingly, the worst offense being the murder of George Floyd.

As Navigators who live by the motto “To know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®” we find racism in any form unacceptable, especially the systemic racism that contributed to the death of George Floyd, and it must not be tolerated. Because of our commitment to live, love, and lead like Jesus, we must take the lead on how to respond in a way that reflects the God we serve and that “helps others to do the same.”

For me, watching the video of George’s death hit me in a profound way because when I saw George, I saw myself. It sent me on every emotion one could feel, but at the end of it all, it re-affirmed the call that is on my life. As a Christ-follower I should have the same compassion that Jesus has, not only for those like me who have been victimized, but also for those who are caught in the trap of sinful thoughts and behaviors.

What that looks like over the next days, weeks, and months is yet to be determined, but what I would like to see is a full-on commitment by the people of God to action. No longer being silent, but active in demonstrating and living out the top two commands God calls us to: to love Him and to love our neighbor.

The love and outpouring of compassion toward me is refreshing, encouraging, and greatly appreciated. My friends, family, and supporters understand that it could have been me! My prayer is that it motivates them to do something. I am committed to helping them learn what God would have them to do going forward. For those that don’t know God, I am committed to helping them know God. And for all, I am committed to helping them do the same for others.

“To know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same.” I’m a Navigator. It’s what I do. – Jason Robinson [link added]

How would Jason and other black brothers read these verses?

Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, GOD, would like? This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. (Isaiah 58.5, 6, MSG)

[Jesus said, ] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4.18 – 21, NIV)

Sometimes we need a break from serious discussions and a break from routine weather, if only for one day. It’s been hot here by Colorado standards. Yesterday it was over 75 degrees at my house, full sun, blue sky. This is what we woke up to this morning:

By the end of the day, it was blue sky and sunshine again, approaching 60 degrees. And, as I’ve written before about the weather forecasters, exactly as it was predicted at least four or five days ago.

He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. (Psalm 147.16, ESV)

Fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! (Psalm 148.8, ESV) – We had stormy wind last Saturday!

The Church should be leading the way in all kinds of unity: racial, political, economic. From the beginning, the Holy Spirit demonstrated the ability to reach across cultural divides:

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2.5 – 11, ESV)

Our pastor Sunday marveled at Acts 2:44: “And all who believed were together and had everything in common.” He said, “They didn’t have anything in common! Except in the Holy Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace,…” (Galatians 5.22) while the works of the flesh include “…hatred, discord, fits of rage, dissensions, factions…” (Galatians 5.19, 20). A former pastor used to point out that the Spanish word for “devil” is “diablo” – the splitter. It’s the enemy’s nature to try to divide us: people from God and people from each other. It’s God’s nature to bring us together.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (Ephesians 2.14 – 17, NIV)

I received a mass-distributed email from a Christian minister talking about the challenge of “racial reconciliation.” He made a point that I resonated with at first, then upon reconsideration, I have doubts. What do you think? Here’s what he reported saying to the congregation of a black church a number of years ago:

I asked them, and would ask you right now, to close your eyes and think about someone you know, I don’t care what color their skin is, where they are from or what they have done, that is radically in love with Jesus.  Someone who has Jesus’ blood pumping through their veins, a role model of what it is like to be truly intimate with God.  Then I said this. Please raise your hand if you can think of anyone who fits that description who has a racist bone in their body?  I have shared this story in dozens of places literally around the world and never seen a hand go up. So, dear ones what that does that suggest to you? Who do you and I need to be reconciled with? I asked them to say His name—they said Jesus. – A Christian Minister

What about the Apostle Peter? The man who said, “Silver and gold have I none, but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3.1 – 10) Peter walked with the risen Jesus, healed in the name of the risen Jesus, was commissioned by the risen Jesus to be a witness to Jesus “In Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1.8) And yet he struggled going to visit the Roman Cornelius in Acts 10, and even though he took up for the Gentiles in Acts 15, he had to be called out by the Apostle Paul for racist behavior in Galatia.

Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system of circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade. (Galatians 2.11 – 13, MSG)

Yes, I am a firm believer in the importance of our being deeply in love with Jesus, and although such a relationship may protect us from racism, it won’t necessarily protect us from racist behavior. I have written before about the possibility of being so immersed in our own times and culture that we exhibit blatantly sinful attitudes.

I need to love God AND love my neighbor and to do either, I must listen: listen to God AND listen to my neighbor.

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10.25 – 29, ESV)

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10.36, 37, ESV)

A few days ago, I saw my neighbor out in her yard with a camera. Why? There was an owl in one of her trees. The next morning, June saw the owl while walking the dog (which an owl could consider prey!). I got pictures of “the owl” on both days, and guess what? I think we have two different owls!

I don’t know what the lesson is other than a difference in opinion could come from a different perspective. Imagine if I hadn’t taken both pictures, but only the picture of the owl on the right, which I saw first. Then June describes her owl, and I say, “No, that’s not right. It’s a great-horned owl; I saw the “horns.” She says, “No. The owl doesn’t have horns.”

Answering before listening is both stupid and rude. (Proverbs 18.13, MSG)

The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. (Proverbs 18.17, ESV)