Monthly Archives: September 2017
“THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE OF GOD”
“Many people associate the word “justice” with the penal system and retributive justice. Yet the prophets and Jesus clearly practiced what we now call “restorative justice.” Jesus never punished anybody. He undercut the basis for all violent, exclusionary, and punitive behavior. He became the forgiving victim so we would stop creating victims. He “justified” people by loving them and forgiving them at ever-deeper levels. ” (Richard Rohr, from his September 22, 2017 post, “Nonviolence: Healing Our Social Wounds,” at https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/, italics mine. The entire post is well worth your time to read.)
A justice that restores, rather than punishes! Sounds like a wonderful dream, doesn’t it? It also sounds like a pipe dream.
Right after Rohr’s quote above, he writes the following lapidary paragraph:
“Punishment relies on enforcement and compliance but does not change the soul or the heart. Jesus held out for the heart; he restored people to their true and deepest identity. When the church itself resorts to various forms of shaming and punishment for “sin,” it is relying upon the retributive methods of this world and not the restorative methods of Jesus. We have a lot of growing up to do in the ways of Christ.”
Many of Jesus’ teachings, as well as his encounters with people, were exercises in restorative justice. The story of the prodigal son—which should really be called “the story of the loving father and his two messed-up sons”—is about restorative justice. (See Luke 15:11-32 for further details.) The story of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14) is about God’s restorative justice, too.
In fact, I will make a bold, sweeping statement: Virtually everything Jesus said and did can be understood through the lens of restorative justice. It could be said that Jesus’ first name is “Restorative,” and his middle name is “Justice.”
While that may be all very well and good in the case of Jesus, can regular people practice this restorative justice? That is a very fine question indeed!
I have known a few people in my life who have practiced restorative justice. I am thinking of my mom. She was pretty good at restorative justice. I remember a time when I was going through a very wild, lost period in my life. She and I had some harsh words about my drinking, which was (of course) not really out of control—according to me. I spent the night out drinking with a friend, and then passed out at his house and spent the night.
The next day, we were all supposed to get together at my brother’s house for lunch. I almost didn’t go. Partly, I was too sick from the liquid flu. Partly, I did not want to face my mom. But I went.
Mom and I hardly spoke. My brother asked Mom to pray before we ate. She asked God to bless the food, but then she began to cry and said, “And forgive us . . . forgive me . . . when I am unkind to others.”
Anger can be resisted. But how do you defend yourself against humble kindness?
And then there is my wife. She has practiced restorative justice many times with me. She doesn’t even realize how rare and wonderful that is. The fact that she doesn’t realize it makes it even more wonderful.
So, what will you and I do today? Will we practice restorative justice today? I’m certain we will have opportunities to do that. The world is plum full of people that need restorative justice. Keep your eyes peeled and your heart open!
“THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD”
Ever hear of Stanislav Petrov? Me neither—at least, not until this morning. However, we owe him a lot.
On September 26, 1983, Stanislav Petrov was on duty, monitoring the Soviet’s air defense system. Alarms went off, indicating that five nuclear warheads had been launched from the Unite States of America.
Petrov was supposed to notify his superiors, so that they could launch a counterstrike against the USA. He didn’t have much time to think about the matter. The missiles would reach the Soviet Union in just over twenty minutes.
But something didn’t seem quite right. The computer system he was working with had just been installed, and he didn’t entirely trust it. Furthermore, if the United States was really attacking the Soviet Union, why had they only launched five missiles?
So, he just sat there. Twenty minutes passed. No bombs.
Petrov was officially reprimanded for not following protocol. An old saying comes to mind: “Every good deed has its appropriate punishment.”
Petrov didn’t think of himself as a hero. “That was my job, but they were lucky it was me on shift that night.”
Petov died on May 19 of this year.
Thank you, Stanislav Petrov! Whether or not you thought of yourself as a hero, I do. The planet is still inhabitable, thanks to you.
I believe that there was a Man about two-thousand years ago who also saved the world. In this case, the nukes had already landed. Humankind was a nuclear wasteland. Sin had devastated the planet.
And then along came this Man named Jesus. A wonderful teacher? Yes! A miracle worker? I believe that he was.
But above all this, I believe that Jesus came to die for the sins of the world.
Hard to believe that one man could save the world, isn’t it? It is hard for me to believe. However, I kind of do believe it.
Thank you, Jesus. Whether or not you think of yourself as a hero, I do. This world and the next are inhabitable, thanks to you.
“BEING LOVED TOUCHES THE HEART”
A friend of mine in a twelve-step group I am part of is new to the program and young in years. However, he is very wise. He gave me a wonderful ritual: He touches his heart many times a day in order to remind himself of God’s love for him.
So, I have started doing this as well. I started it before I began writing this blog.
I used to think of symbols as being counterfeit substitutes for reality. Certainly, symbols can become hollow, emptied of all meaning.
However, symbols can also be powerful acted-out metaphors, pointing toward reality. And what reality is greater than God’s love for us?
To remind myself of God’s love for me is to remember than I am worthwhile. I have struggled with a feeling of unworthiness (if not worthlessness) since I was a small child. But, if God loves me . . ., oh my!
When I feel loved by God, I am more at peace and am more productive. When I touch my chest gently, I relax and can focus on the work at hand.
When I remind myself of God’s love for me, I am freed to love others as well. There is a saying that “Hurt people hurt people.” This is true. However, it is also true that loved people love people.
How about joining a club—the touching-the-heart club? Perhaps we can start a helpful trend!
“THE ROUTINES THAT FREE US”
“Most of life is routine – dull and grubby, but routine is the momentum that keeps a man going. If you wait for inspiration you’ll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.” (Ben Nicholas.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/routine.html.)
“Routines are normal, natural, healthy things. Most of us take a shower and brush our teeth every day. That is a good routine. Spiritual disciplines are routines. That is a good thing. But once routines become routine you need to change your routine.” (Mark Batterson. Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/routine.html.)
I have always craved routine. I’ve also always resisted routine. Why the craving? Why the resisting?
I crave them because I’ve always suspected that the opposite is not spontaneity, but chaos. I still suspect that this is true. I think that Ben Nicholas (in the first quote above) expressed very nicely one of the reasons for routine: It keeps us going. It provides momentum.
Too often, I sit around waiting for momentum and inspiration to hit me. They won’t. Momentum is sustained by action, and inspiration often comes to me (when it shows up at all) in the midst of my routines. And when inspiration and momentum get married, they often produce some really nice children.
Why do I resist routine? Probably, I resist them for several (non)reasons. Laziness comes to mind immediately. Then too, there is the fear that the quote above (from Mark Batterson) encapsulates: I am afraid of my routines becoming routine.
And, of course, that is indeed a possibility. However, a possibility is not the same thing as an inevitability. Routines can be put to one side for a little while. They can be supplemented. I can substitute one good routine for another good routine. Routines don’t have to become routine.
Some of the most creative, spontaneous, fun people I have known have also been people who greatly valued their routine. They had a routine, but the routine did not have them.
I want to conclude these musings with someone else’s musings. The following is from the site http://www.sixfiguresunder.com/powerful-routines/, and nicely sums up both the dangers and opportunities of routines.
“ ‘You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.’ – John C. Maxwell
We all have habits, for better or for worse. I’ve noticed that some of my routines not only make my day smoother and more productive, but also save me time and money. Other routines or habits do just the opposite. Building up and improving the productive routines and rooting out the wasteful routines will improve the flow of life and cash.”
Note well! Improving good routines and grubbing out bad ones doesn’t simply improve cash flow. Such activities improve the flow of life. I can’t add much to that!
“A ‘GOOD’ ANNIVERSARY?”
Today, September 11, 2017, is the fourteenth anniversary of my coming clean about my past. It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t easy. The sins and wrong-doings may be in the past, but the effects upon those that I sinned against have ongoing effects on them. I am not immune either. There are times when even old scars ache.
However, I keep remembering my name: “FORGIVEN!” I keep remembering the God who sent his Son to die for my sins and indeed for the sins of the whole world. I keep remembering that, although I am not yet the man I want to be, I am not the man I once was either.
So, today is a day when I mourn the death of the man I used to be. He was never completely evil, but he certainly did great evil. I must never forget that.
But today is also a day when I celebrate a birth: the birth of a man who has tried to give his past a proper burial, a man who is not the same man he used to be, a man who is being changed from the inside out. I’m a lot of work and a work in progress, but I am, after all, God’s work.
I owe a lot to a bunch of people for the man I am becoming. I used to think that people are individuals. I suppose that we are, in some sense. However, I now suspect that we are also herd animals. So, I want to thank other members of my herd. It’s a big herd!
My wife has been my main “God-with-skin-on” person. She has been a faithful and consistent reminder that God accepts me as I am, but doesn’t leave me as I am. Thank God for both of those reminders!
Friends who have stuck with me in spite of everything also come to mind. They too are part of my herd, and I’m part of their herd.
In particular, twelve-step friends know all about my past, and still regard me kindly and hopefully. Sponsors, both those in the past and my present sponsor, have also been a vital part of the herd.
And then, there is my church family—particularly my/our pastor. I sent a grateful e mail to him today. Here it is in a somewhat modified form.
“Dear ________,
Another excellent sermon! Thanks!
A week ago yesterday, the devil tried to cut me out of the herd in our church parking lot. When Sharon and I arrived, it was hard to go in and face people. I wanted to bolt.
But I didn’t. And even though I sat there crying with my head down, God’s Word through you got through to me. Your prayer for me meant a lot to me also. (And, as already noted, it was answered swiftly!)
This Sunday, after living for a week with my new name (FORGIVEN!), I was in a much better place to receive God’s Word through you in a much better way. But when you flashed that picture of the lion chasing that lone animal (a wildebeest??), I thought of myself the previous week. I realized just how in danger I was in that moment. The evil one was trying to cut me out of the herd. If he had succeeded, he would not have eaten my lunch. He would have eaten me for lunch.
Depression isolates. Togetherness has great healing power. Almost makes you think that God made us for community, doesn’t it?!?
Warm Regards,
___________”
Stay with the herd, my friends! Stay with the herd!
“LAUGHING ABOUT WANT TO BE IN CHARGE”
“Never put anyone who wants to be in charge in charge of anything.” (Down to Earth Believer)
So, I caught myself wanting to be in control this morning. (I wonder how many times I don’t catch myself?) When I was a pastor, I often wanted to be in charge, and sometimes had the illusion that I was. Usually, the deacons, or another leader in the church, or some outspoken little old lady would bring me back to reality. God’s messengers are all over the place.
Ironically, my struggle with the desire to be in control was connected with a twelve-step group that our church may (or may not) be starting.
Why is this ironic? Ah, so you are not familiar with the twelve steps, are you? The first step is “We admitted were powerless . . . , and that our lives had become unmanageable.”
And the last clause of the twelfth step is that we commit ourselves “. . . to practice these principles in all areas of our lives.” I suppose that this applies to starting a twelve-step group as well. After all, the last time I checked, “all” still means ALL!
So, I started laughing. And the more I laughed, the funnier it seemed. The funnier it seemed, the more I laughed. I laughed until I cried. I felt God laughing along with me. When I am willing to laugh at my own foolish self, I have an endless source of fun and funny.
I have heard it said that the devil hates humor. There is much truth in that. Of course, the devil can bend good things to his own purposes, but that doesn’t mean that good things aren’t good things. They are still good. Laughter is extraordinarily good!
So, perhaps I will be involved in helping to start this group, and perhaps not. But one thing is for sure: I will not be in control. I don’t think that there has been a job opening in the God department, and the position is not likely to come open any time soon.
“ON LEFT TURNS, OBEYING THE LAW, JUDGMENTALISM, AND OTHER MATTERS
I was on my way to meet a friend. He usually drives to our twelve-step meeting. It helps me to save money.
However, there is left turn signal on the way to where we meet that makes eternity entirely believable. Only when someone pulls up on one of the side streets will the red light for the main road be triggered. And only after traffic on the side streets has done its thing will my left turn signal be activated. You can sit there a long time early on a Saturday morning before you can make a left turn. Furthermore, you can see about a quarter of a mile down the road from the light. If there is any traffic coming your way on the main road, you can certainly see it.
So, this past Saturday I was running late (as is often the case). I thought of turning left at the red light, since no one was coming. I’ve done so before. However, I decided to be a law-abiding citizen this time.
Just after this decision, an SUV came speeding around me, crossed the double yellow line and went into the left lane of traffic coming toward me, and turned left on a red left-turn light. Despite the fact that I had just about done a similar thing—perhaps even because of that fact—I could feel judgmentalism welling up inside of me. I became aware of the judgmental feelings, confessed my sin to God, and continued to wait for my light to change. Eventually, someone pulled up on one of the side roads, which triggered the cycle, and I turned.
It hit me only later: If I had been in the act of turning when the other vehicle came screaming around me, I would have almost certainly been hit. Such a hit on the driver’s side of a small car could easily have been fatal. And, of course, the police would have cited both the other driver and me, since we were both doing something illegal—provided, that is, that I was still alive to be cited.
I don’t know if I came up with this myself, but I have often thought that, whenever something bad happens, there are almost always at least two mistakes. If there is only one mistake, bad things generally don’t happen, because someone covers for the one who makes a the wrong choice. (Of course, there are exceptions, as there almost always are to nearly all generalizations.)
My feelings now changed from irritation at long lights and judgmentalism against the other driver (who had done what I wanted to do) to relief and gratitude that I was alive and that neither I nor my car, nor the other driver’s vehicle were banged up.
P.S. I arrived at our meeting place a minute before my ride got there.
“A MAN NAMED ‘FORGIVEN!’”
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it” (Revelation 2:17).
I’ve been battling depression of late. In a sense, this is old news. I’ve battled depression since I was nine years old. I didn’t even have a name for it in those days. Later, I would learn its name and nature only too well.
I’ve made horrible decisions over the years. And horrible decisions have had horrible consequences for me and for those I have harmed over the years.
So, depressed as I was, I went to church yesterday very reluctantly. Depression feeds on isolation, and isolation feeds on depression. Eventually, they consume one another. In the end, I realize that I am the feast that depression and isolation are having.
Normally, I find church very uplifting. I didn’t yesterday. This was not the fault of the pastor. The sermon was fine. It wasn’t the worship team’s fault. They led us in some very uplifting music, which, nevertheless, failed to life me up. It wasn’t the people’s fault. They were as kind as ever.
One of the problems with depression is that it feeds on everything. Depression is an omnivore. Good sermons, uplifting music, people’s kindness—depression can devour them all and be nourished by them.
The sermon was about forgiveness. The pastor said many true and helpful things. I knew that they were true when he said them. Now, I realize that they were also helpful.
One of the things he said was that, when Jesus said “It is finished,” on the cross, that meant “PAID IN FULL.” True!
At the end of his good sermon, he challenged us to write down our sins on a piece of paper that looked very much like a check. (I had to write small, and didn’t have nearly enough time. I finally just wrote “ETC., ETC. ETC.”)
Then, he asked us to come up to the front of the church, and stamp our “sin list” with a stamp that said “PAID IN FULL.” I stamped my “check” on both sides. Then, I took communion.
I still felt awful. I was on the brink (or over the brink) of tears during the entire service.
The pastor had challenged us not only to receive God’s forgiveness for ourselves, but also to forgive others. I thought to myself, “I don’t really have anyone to forgive.” Then, one name came to me—my own. I dissolved in a puddle of tears, still depressed.
I spoke with the pastor on the way out. He could see that I was in bad shape, and took me aside into a small lounge. He listened and prayed. I did not immediately feel better. However, his prayer was most assuredly heard.
As my wife and I pulled out of the parking lot, a song by Casting Crowns came on K-Love Radio. The song is titled, “One Step Away.” Here are the lyrics:
“What if you could go back and relive one day of your life all over again
And unmake the mistake that left you a million miles away
From the you, you once knew
Now yesterday’s shame keeps saying that you’ll never get back on track
But what if I told you
You’re one step away from surrender
One step away from coming home, coming home
One step from arms wide open
His love has never let you go
You’re not alone
You’re one step away
It doesn’t matter how far you’ve gone
Mercy says you don’t have to keep running down the road you’re on
Love’s never met a lost cause
Your shame, lay it down
Leave your ghosts in the past ‘cause you know that you can’t go back
But you can turn around
You’ve never been more than
One step away from surrender
One step away from coming home, coming home
One step from arms wide open
His love has never let you go
You’re not alone (not alone)
You’re one step away
You’re one step away
Lay down, lay down your old chains
Come now, and take up your new name
Your best life up ahead now
You’re one step away
Lay down, lay down your old chains
Come now, and take up your new name
Your best life up ahead now
You’re one step away
Lay down, lay down your old chains
Come now, and take up your new name
Your best life up ahead now
You’re one step away
So come on home, come on home
One step from arms wide open
His love has never let you go
You’re not alone (you’re not alone)
You’re one step away
Lay down, lay down your old chains
Take up, take up your new name
Lay down, lay down your old chains
Take up, take up your new name
Lay down, lay down your old chains
Come now, take up your new name
Your best life up ahead now
One step away
Lay down, lay down your old chains
Come now, and take up your new name
Your best life up ahead now
You’re just one step away”
(Written by John Mark Hall, Bernie Herms, Matthew West • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group).
Oh my!
And then, I thought about the fact that we will be given a new name someday by Jesus (Revelation 2:17). Of course, Jesus gave names to people when he was here on earth two-thousand years ago. If Jesus is now in Heaven with the Father (who is everywhere at the same time; “omnipresence” is the official word for this), then why couldn’t Jesus give me a new name right now?
I have very rarely felt that I heard the voice of God. However, this time I am quite certain that I did hear that Voice, the Voice that answered my heart’s cry for a new name.
And the Voice said, “Your name is “FORGIVEN!”
Perhaps that’s your name, too.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
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- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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