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CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR AND INBETWEEN

I trust all who read this have had an excellent Christmas! I know my family and our fellowship in Chicago certainly are having one... and our vision for the New Year is bright and full indeed.

While we celebrate our Lord's coming and that revelation of God's incredible grace to whoever believes, we also pray for so many for whom celebration is at this point in time, rare.

Both soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan find themselves "between a rock and a hard place". There is war, genocide, Hiv-Aids, abortion, human slavery (even in 2004), drug, alchohol and excessive food dependence and of course racism and other crime in our world. The terrible death toll from earthquakes under the Indian Ocean is, as I write, climbing past 23,000 and only God knows when the death count will end.

Tonight, a friend of mine, a pastor named Bill lies on life-support in a Wisconsin hospital. He has a wonderful wife and four truly great children. Bill was born with a "birth defect", a double-valve in his heart where most of us have three. An operation to give him a synthetic valve this morning has gone awry, and he was without oxygen for some 10 minutes. We may know in another hour or so if Bill will go to be with Jesus or remain with his family and wonderfully growing church family.

Myself and many thousands of Christians are praying for these tragedies tonight. They are all around us, and continually so. It's just that tonight, my brother in Christ, Bill, brings it all home to me again- the reality of life, death, Jesus Christ and a world in deep need. This is why I live and what life is about. Thankfully, God atill does miricles. Yes! Today, not only in the past. Yet He also is God ALONE, and does or does not do as we always wish or think best. It's this faith that will sustain us, or lack of trust in HIm that will leave us as empty as empty can be.

When I spoke with Bill and his wife on the phone last night, praying for and with him, he was quite cheerful. He said "I don't call it a birth defect, because God doesn't make mistakes. He does as He does, allows as He allows, and either way, I am home here for a time, or home with Him. It's up to Him, and I'm at peace with that".

His wife answered the phone "Praise the Lord!" as she always does. They are frankly, gems. In a world with folks who at times play religion better than live real life in Christ everyday, these folks are the real deal. And I can't help thinking two things at the moment:

Why them? Me, I could understand! I'm not that kind, nice or good. But I'm quite aware it's not a matter of worth, or earning "answers to our prayers" or a "healthy, safe, BLESSED journey". Still, he is just such a good brother with a really cool church doing FAR beyond what so many "in ministry" even attempt. He and Jules indeed sin just like myself and Wendi, of course! But I can't help thinking in my own humanity, "Lord, please... not Bill and Jules and their kids..."!

The other thing that came to mind is that if the Lord takes him home, well, the concept of "Happy New Year" is rather lost. No, we do not sorrow as others do. We KNOW we will see Bill and one another in eternity before the throne of God! No matter, it WILL be all right, I believe and know this to be certain because of Jesus, our faith in Him and His continual re-enforcement of that faith -in a thousand ways over the years. But tonight I find tears in my eyes over a good and I would even say great man. Some would think Bill and Julie rather "ordinary", in a basic, Wisconsin sort of way (that's where I grew up... and I do love cheese!). I can only wish the average local church had such loving, Bible-teaching/living saints doing the leading!! And this is why it's so hard to see such difficulties in the lives of my friends.

So tonight I'll pray. We will eventually get a phone call. Bill will be with Jesus here, or in His literal presence. Because Jesus lives, Bill lives regardless of location. That's doubtful for many in Iraq, Afghanistan, and sadly, all too many in much of the Indian Ocean coastland at this point. Such tragedies have and shall happen... and it is only in Jesus Christ we have Eternal Hope!

It WILL be a Happy New Year... but for many, unless you and I make a difference in our short time on this earth, the happiness will be eternally lost. That's not even a slight worry with regard to Bill, Jules and many others I'm blessed to know. That's a deep comfort to me and I hope you share it in your life. If you don't you certainly can by inviting Jesus into you life as Lord and Savior... and in following Him and applying His Word to your daily life and circumstances, you will know where real love and hope come from.

I'll post a follow-up to this blog within a few days... so those who read it can know how things went for Bill and family. But for now... God help us all leave a legacy of love and truth in our relationships, for we never know when those relationships will end. Thank God- for Christians, such distance is only temporary!

THE GRACE OF SPACE

I have lived in close, intentional Christian community for most of my life- and frankly, I LOVE it! But I'm called to a simple (one room with my wife, no private car, basic material goods) life and the freedom and lack stress on the one hand is a gift from God!

Yet there are issues, especially in dealing with (by design of God and personal desire) broken, hurting people.

Whether in leadership or not, one cannot, should not and must not insulate one's self from the pain in other's lives. Living in inner-city Chicago among relatively poor and often very disfunctional people is by no means a continual stream of fun :) Of course there are moments:

On two consecutive days I crossed the street passing a guy who was so dark (in the eyes, expression) and angry man who just scowled at me and everyone else, not speaking a word. But on both days he wore a black T shirt with the white-lettered inscription "I HAVE NO ISSUES"! I had to really work not to laugh both times...

Of COURSE we -all- have issues. Certainly not all are called to live in close proximity to one another. All fellowships of any health with serve hurting people... who hurt others... who are helped or not helped along the path together. And you know what? God's grace sometimes provides space!

Distance is what in part, I joined a close, intentional Christian community to span. I no longer wanted to see my Christian friends once or at best, twice weekly. I needed daily prayer, daily Bible input, daily conviction about living out my faith and deepening in my walk. Little did I realize that I'd have to love and mostly, not be able to escape from other burdened people like myself if I lived in such a community!

Hear me well- I LOVE it, but I am thankful for times of solitude, of space, that I'm not literally hanging out with some of these needy folks every moment of every day. That could be counter productive to both of us!

So my point is that there are times when space (distance from a hurting, hurtful person) is a real and present gift from God. It became clear early on that many (most?) in the body of Christ did well to have seperate homes and that many of them were neither called to such a lifestyle as I, nor could they frankly handle the intensity of relationships much past an hour or two each week in a common building (Sunday morning). Consider your entire congregation moving in together, living, cooking, raising kids, having young, old, every tribe, race and subculture all closely living together. Now consider the additives of inner-city poor, mentally ill, deeply needy and many deeply troubled folks in that mix. This is -my- call... and by now some of you are gasping "Thankfully not MINE"! Amen.

The grace of space. Thank God for it. I do, and I have less than most in the western world :)