In the Time of Tears

John the Elder tells us that the world under the sway of the evil one is driven by pride, greed, and lust. (Think of how much advertising appeals to pride, greed, or lust.) This world (prophetically called Babylon) cannot be harnessed for good—even though religious ambition for political power imagines it can. The task of the church is not to reappropriate the engines of pride, greed, and lust, but to be something altogether different—the kingdom of Jesus Christ energized by faith, hope, and love.

"The nuns taught us that there are two ways through life—the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you will follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself, accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked; accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to Lord it over them, to have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it, when love is smiling through all things. They taught us the no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end. I will be true to you whatever comes."- The Tree of Life

Job was a blameless man caught in a contest between the divine and diabolical that he knew nothing about. He lost his wealth, his health, and all ten of his children. His friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come to comfort him but end up accusing him. Job defends his integrity in a series of poetic debates that lasts for 27 chapters. Then Elihu enters the story...

Job is a poetic book probably written in the fourth or fifth century BC, possibly written in Persia. The authors (there appears to be more than one) were almost certainly Israelites—but the story itself occurs outside of Israel and doesn't appear to have Jewish characters. The book is a poetic exploration of the problem of suffering and our response to it.

The prophets and psalmists of lament show us how to find faith and hold on to hope in the time of tears.

“I believe” is a powerful statement. When we express our faith in Jesus we are not saying one thing, but four things. The shape of faith is made up of four sides: belief (what we do with our minds), confidence (what we do with our hearts, trust (what we do with our bodies), and allegiance (what we do with our will). Growing as people of faith requires growing in all four areas. 

Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God primarily in parables. These parables are not folksy illustrations to help us better understand the point—quite the opposite in fact. The parables of Jesus are often deliberately disorienting. Jesus wants to throw us off balance so that we might stumble into a previously unknown world—the world of God’s grace where many of our most common assumptions are subverted.

The gospel story of the cross says this: Because of God’s love the Son of God came into the world, and despite his actions of love, healing, and mercy, the Son of God was ultimately rejected, condemned, and crucified by a sinful world built upon violent power. And yet, in that moment, when the world did its very worst, the Crucified One was not condemning the world, but saving the world.

Sweet Sounds Of Heavenby The Rolling Stones (feat. Lady Gaga)I hear the sweet, sweet sounds of heavenFallin' down, fallin' down to this earthI hear the sweet, sweetest sounds of heavenDriftin' down, driftin' down to this earthBless the Father, bless the SonHear the sound of the drumsAs it echoes through the valleyAnd it burstsLet no woman or childGo hungry tonightPlease protect us from the painAnd the hurtI smell the sweet, sweet scents of heavenTumblin' down, tumblin' downTo the earthI hear the sweet sounds, the sweet sounds of childrenAnd they're praisingThe land of their birthNo, I'm not, not going to hellIn some dusty motelAnd I'm not, not going downIn the dirtI'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna cryEat the bread, drink the wine'Cause I'm finally, finally quenchingMy thirstYou can't have a light without a little shadowAlways need a target for your bow and arrowI want to be drenched in the rain of your heavenly loveLet the music, play loudLet it burst through the cloudsAnd we all feel the heatOf the sunLet us sing, let us shoutLet us all stand up proudLet the old still believeThat they're young