On Equality and Freedom

The notion of equality is found through our country's Declaration of Independence, Constitution and it amendments. The question is do theses references to equality refer to equality of value or of position? It is the belief in the later that has been the spark of many grand initiatives throughout the ages, from the feminist movement to minimum wage laws with the most recent of course being the newly created healthcare bill.

How do we define equality? Every man on the face of the earth has equal intrinsic value. However, that is not to say that every man on the face of the earth should be equal in position. This is actually more of a lesson in economics rather that it is in philosophy. In the US every individual has the right to attempt whatever he or she desires. That is what is meant by the "pursuit of happiness". But when we begin to define equality in terms of each individual achieving their "happiness goals" we begin to walk down a dark road that intends to make all mankind equal in position: equally poor, equally devoid of virtue and morality, etc. It would seem almost unnatural to refer to equality having to do with position.

How do we define freedom? If our freedom is defined by the ability to make choices then infringement on the choices about healthcare, such as the choice not to have it, is an infringement on freedom. Once again the government knows better than we do. We are the simple, careless children and they are the wise beneficent parent. Of course the greater question is where does this stop? Our government has seen our need and repaired the deficit so what is next on the list? What choices (aka freedoms) do we lose next term?

When Knowledge makes us Stupid

We've seen it over the years: this warning and that caution and from credible sources which turn out to be false. It seems that each new piece of knowledge opens up our world to endless possibilities and (follow-on remediation) of self destruction.

At the micro level it happened when nutritionist and physicians of the 1970's and 1980's discover the link between cholesterol and heart disease therefore condemning all cholesterol intake as bad. The outcome of that proclamation was that the over cholesterol issue in the US became exacerbated as the masses fell in line the low/no-cholesterol diets touted by the experts as life saving. Thankfully there we other researchers and clinics that had been treating heart disease prone patients based on an outcome methodology which seemed to be counter to the new found knowledge and eventually led to the intelligencia to the idea there was more to the picture than originally suspected…imagine that. Cholesterol in general was no longer "bad" but, in fact, it was discovered that both "good" and "bad" cholesterols were necessary and it was the ratios of the two not so much the quantity that made all the difference.

At the macro level we see the same this knee jerk response with global warming. A few questionable bits of data here, some eye opening facts there and suddenly we have all the knowledge required to pass laws that completely revamp global economic pursuits.

The problem isn't with the new knowledge or information itself. It is with the way we try to interject unfounded resolutions into culture as some sort of would-be savior. Our new found knowledge leads us blindingly into a realm of new ignorance and quaintly reminds one of Beowulf's bane…hubris. Have we become so arrogant as to think that with each new crumb of knowledge, however tiny it may be that we can contrive the solution some great foe of human existence.

It takes years, sometimes decades for a new drug to make it to the market place and with valid reason. We don't want to hand out drugs that have not been adequately tested. Testing must be completed by independent organizations to insure the data prescribed by the inventor is actually valid. But let a few pieces of data seep through to legislators who stand to profit from hysteria based legislation and suddenly no other data produced can possibility be valid.

Pursuit of knowledge is not the downfall here. Knowledge and its pursuit have produced profitable gains on every front: health, business, humanitarian, etc. It is the arrogance of believing our knowledge put us into a position to make immediate and profound decisions with no consideration of eventual outcomes or the possibility that the knowledge itself may be faulty or incomplete.

No Hiding Place

Well, it has only been a couple of weeks and the many memories of Peru are starting to fade. The weeds of busy and important are growing like...well...weeds. But I will not forget what God taught me there; there in the jungles of Pucallpa.

Have you ever looked into a mirror and been suprised? Maybe that you looked older than you remembered or a few pounds less or more than you thought. Have you ever caught a glimpse of yourself on a home video; watched your expressions; heard your voice; and realized how harsh your tone was or how careless your words seemed? Hard isn't it? Disheartening even. That is kind of what God did for me in Pucallpa. Except it wasn't my words or my face that I caught the reflection of - it was my heart.

So, in a hotel room, in the middle of the day, in the middle of a little town, in the middle of the jungle, God showed me - me. It was hard. It still is. I have spent a lifetime convincing myself that I'm not that bad. That I'm pretty good. After all I....

And that is where it stopped. God had used days, weeks, miles, seperation and truth to strip me of those vain imaginations of my self value and self worth. There was no where to hide. I had hidden for years in those crevices of home, family, work, ministry, etc. And I didn't want to hide. I wanted to be found.

I would love to say everything is now perfect and that I walk in perfect unity with my Savior and God. One day I will rest completely in His arms. Yet I have not arrived.

But I press on...

Look UP!

With my gaze turned so deeply inward my internal struggles seemed larger than life. Emotions bubbled up from somewhere inside of me with uncontrollable force. I saw each glowing ember of emotion clearly. I had done very little to extinguish the sparks of internal conflict that began this fire. In fact I could probably be accused of blowing on the lies the enemy has passed to me. Now the flames threatened to consume me. I was desperate.

As I walked down a now vacant dirt road I remembered 2 things simultaneously. I remembered all the stories that Pastor Phil told to the AWANA clubs during counsel time each week. It seemed like that in every story the young person in trouble would end up calling out a simple prayer…”Lord Help Me!” I also remembered the story of the Israelites in the desert when there gaze had turned inward as well and the Lord had sent snakes to handle the problem.

Numbers 21 4-9

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

That was when, still in my desperation, I heard my Savior say, “Look Up.” I knew exactly what he meant. Isn’t it always that way? Just two words but they said so much more: “Kevin, you are struggling so hard but it’s because your gaze is in the wrong place. You should be focused on me, not you.” It all became clear. I had allow the enemy to turn me inward. At the realization I did the only rational thing I could think of based on what had just been revealed…I looked up. Up into the branches of the long-leaf pines with the bright blues and whites of a cloud streaked sky shining through and I yelled…not out loud mind you…but I did yell. From the depths of my being I groaned, “Lord Help Me!”

It would be nice to say the fireworks went off and I was instantly made well from the inside out. But that did not happen. I did, at once, feel a relief. Sort of like when I was fighting dehydration my first trip to Peru. Then finally the battle ended – I passed out. There was still work to do. I had to down lots of fluid and make a few hundred trips to the restroom. But my immediate struggle was over. Same here: I feel into the arms of my Redeemer at once but knew the battle was not over. I had to retake the ground that had been given over to the enemy in my life and mind.

Walking back to the office, I found myself singing the most appropriate thing I could think of…

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

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You Might be Christian if…

I must admit I never thought that I would find Jeff Foxworthy and Ravi Zacharias on the same ticket. But what a combination it was. Last Thursday (Sept. 13) I traveled to Atlanta, along with 3 coworkers to see this pair at work. Along with Michael Ramsden of RVZM Europe, we were bounced back and forth between wit and contemplation all evening. Amazingly enough one of the most thought provoking statements came from Jeff. I’m sure I can’t quote him but the gist of it is that God is big enough to handle any question we have for him but are we able to handle His answers.

There was so much good food for thought. I know I will never remember everything that was said but definitely left feeling that, above all, God will not be mocked…His truth will prevail.

Babble of the Beloved

Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. – C.S. Lewis.

My youngest son, Kale, reminds me so much of me. My carrying on must seem quite simple to God. And yet just as I, Kale’s father, take such joy in his cooing and gurgling; I am confident that my Heavenly father takes joy in my “babbling” as well.

And the joy on Kale’s face when I sing or talk to him seems to say that no greater pleasure exist in life. And I, remembering those times when the voice of my heavenly Father seemed so clear, second his motion that there is no greater pleasure indeed.