The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, spoke prophetically, even with his considerable measure of politically motivated opinion when he recently chided the United States and other powerful nations of the world for a lack of attention to “freedom, obedience to God and justice.”
It wasn’t exactly where I thought I would be hearing the echoes of years of bible themes from the past, but the last time I checked, Jesus was very much interested in his followers being interested in truth, justice, righteousness and obedience to God, especially as they were evidences of love for God and for our fellow man.
It may be odd to hear such words coming from one we have often preferred to ignore in the name of patriotism. It may seem odder still if they were profoundly true.
The nature of many of the problems at hand in our world today are the result of a failure of justice, a lack of truthfulness, and an insulting disregard for righteousness in relationships toward God or neighbor. When individuals and nations reap the whirlwind of such behavior, it should not be surprising. God loves us all, but he chastises those whom he loves when there is disobedience to His law and unrighteous living out of the bounds of his truth and purpose. The aim of God has always been redemptive. Even the times of testing are meant to remind us of first priorities. Perhaps it will take the crises of the present to awaken repentance and faithfulness once again. As Jesus said, “Those with ears to hear…let them hear.”
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Financial Angst
Wall Street watchers precipitated panic after seeing the Dow Jones average drop by 500 points yesterday. International markets followed, and suddenly the stack of cards that is the financial district seems to be tilting. News of larger brokerages collapsing and others declaring bankruptcy or headed to the auction block are numerous, following bailouts of mortgage lenders and other investment houses by the Federal Reserve. Over one trillion dollars of assets are now up for sale due to these overnight fluctuations, but not because the problems happened overnight. We have been experiencing a long period of government refusing to exercise oversight, and a failure of enforcement regarding banking and investments. Too many “slight of hand” activities have put too much leveraged (only partially funded) investment into a state of flux. Paper assets have returned to paper. That has left many wringing their hands over choices and decisions that made fast cash in an earlier day…at the expense of the day of reckoning now at hand.
Jesus shared a parable of talents that reminds us of the importance of making good investments. He reminded us that we should not bury our assets in a way that does not allow them to be useful. Likewise Jesus commended us to recognize that the resources we share are the gifts of God and the opportunities to use them --- daily grace to be matched with wise stewardship.
In consideration of the choices you have each day about your resources, consider the challenge to invest well and often in the lives of those near you. Share the love of Christ and the influence of your blessings in ways that bring blessings to others. Many will suffer the difficulties of putting their trust in things that don’t really satisfy, but as followers of Christ, we can learn about seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in order to know all our needs will be met. Priorities matter. Loving God always trumps the love of money.
Jesus shared a parable of talents that reminds us of the importance of making good investments. He reminded us that we should not bury our assets in a way that does not allow them to be useful. Likewise Jesus commended us to recognize that the resources we share are the gifts of God and the opportunities to use them --- daily grace to be matched with wise stewardship.
In consideration of the choices you have each day about your resources, consider the challenge to invest well and often in the lives of those near you. Share the love of Christ and the influence of your blessings in ways that bring blessings to others. Many will suffer the difficulties of putting their trust in things that don’t really satisfy, but as followers of Christ, we can learn about seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in order to know all our needs will be met. Priorities matter. Loving God always trumps the love of money.
Monday, September 8, 2008
New Light from Black Holes?
Latest news in the Physics world is a new particle accelerator set to go online in Switzerland. Some speculate the capacity to mimic nature’s black holes in miniature, along with investigation of physical particles in sizes 10 times smaller than we have ever been able to study before. While a bigger accelerator under construction was abandoned several years ago in the US because of escalating cost overruns…who knows…it might be a threshold event that could open the door to ever more interesting aspects of the universe we live in.
The limits of present investigative tools have been discussed by many, in regard to the limits of our analysis of the building blocks of the created order. As we study the heavens above and the most minute of particles, we are again confronted with the amazing complexity and order associated with this physical world we share.
As I read the book of Proverbs, I am reminded of our reasons for praise, in the wonder of God’s gifts to each of us and the bounty of His wisdom revealed in every new insight.
In the words of Wisdom, (from Proverbs 8:22-31 NIV): “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.”
The limits of present investigative tools have been discussed by many, in regard to the limits of our analysis of the building blocks of the created order. As we study the heavens above and the most minute of particles, we are again confronted with the amazing complexity and order associated with this physical world we share.
As I read the book of Proverbs, I am reminded of our reasons for praise, in the wonder of God’s gifts to each of us and the bounty of His wisdom revealed in every new insight.
In the words of Wisdom, (from Proverbs 8:22-31 NIV): “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)