A Few Thoughts On Martin Luther King Jr

I am fascinated by Martin Luther King Jr. I wish I new more about this great man. I believe he was a prophet who answered the difficult call to be God's mouth piece for a nation. Historically being a prophet seldom goes well in this life

Dr. King spoke of freedom. I believe the freedom he spoke of had many facets but that it was rooted in the biblical teaching of freedom. I believe the freedom he spoke of flowed out of  the teaching of Christ who said "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." He understood that freedom had to start with spiritual freedom if we were ever going to be a country and people who lived under the banner of freedom.

Dr. King understood that sin always separates. It separates families, couples, ethnic groups, cities, states and countries. That fear flows out of sin. That the fear of those who are different keeps both parties in bondage. Fear fosters oppression and abuse, hate and hostility. But that Christ offered something radically different.

The movement that this man lead was motivated by christian love. He did not just speak of this love as some theory or teaching but he demonstrated this love and called his followers to do the same. He understood the kind of love that was born out of the freedom Jesus taught about and modeled was unique. This love healed relationships, that it created reconciliation and respect for others.

As I reflect on his life today I am reminded how radical the teachings of Jesus Christ really are. Dr. King took those teachings very literal. He understood that freedom, true freedom flowed out of non-violence. That turning the other cheek was not a weak position but a position of power. I do not believe there has been anyone in modern times who has demonstrated love for humanity any better than Martin Luther King Jr. This man followed the way of Christ.

Our world is a better place today because of the message he spoke, suffered and ultimately died for. Not surprising as you look back over time. We have never been very fond of prophets because they speak the truth and yet,  "the truth will set you free."

Peace, todd

Oscar or Elmo

I find myself in a bad mood this morning. Not even sure why but grumpy and irritable. Kind of like Oscar the grouch. Now I am thinking Oscar being grouchy makes some sense. He lives in a trash can and people are always throwing junk in it. I would be grouchy too. Oscar seems to enjoy the trash but maybe he does not know anything different. 

I on the other hand do know something different. I am not enjoying being grumpy and pretty sure no one else is. I was pre Elmo days but he seems to be the opposite of Oscar. That guy seems to be eternally happy. Maybe even too happy, if that is possible but the guy is happy. So I am thinking I can choose. Do I want to be Oscar today or Elmo? 

Choice is one of the greatest gifts the Father has given us. It is very empowering. So I am reminded I can choose. I choose not to be Oscar any more today. Not sure I have Elmo in my DNA but I choose to be a little more like Elmo this afternoon.

Peace, todd

Hot, Cold and Adam

Natalie was sharing with me last night about a science training she had attended. They had discussed a lesson for students helping them understand that there is really no such thing as cold only the absence of heat. I guess the reality is cold does not exist only the absence of heat. The same idea would relate to darkness. No such thing as darkness only the absence of light. Light exist darkness does not.

These scientific realities make sense to me at some level, but when I walked out of my house at 5:15 this morning, my reality was it was very cold and dark. But maybe our reality is not always true. What about life and death?

We understand that when a heartbeat stops and there is no breath a person is dead. I have sat with families in a hospital and watched a monitor flat line and the nurse check the vitals and say he has passed. I have buried people who are dead, just a corpse in a casket lowered into the ground. 

But Jesus said he defeated death, it was no more. It is like hot and cold. No cold only the absence of hot and in Christ there is only life no death. It simply does not exist. But like my experience this morning with the cold and darkness, death does seem to exist.

Saturday morning 12 friends huddled in a circle on the Katy trail. Some were new friends some old. We thanked God for the life of Adam Langford. Each of us holding on to different memories. We gathered to complete a run for Adam. He wanted to run 30 miles on his 30th birthday. He could not do that so we did it for him. 

The absence of heat made the wind sting as it hit our skin. The absence of Adam made the tears sting in our eyes. Adam running 30 miles on his 30th birthday would have been a much better story and one he would of told to the delight of many. The reason for running and the absence of Adam reminds us of death. Death feels cold, but again I am told cold does not exists.

My reality that Saturday morning as friends hugged, cried, prayed, talked and ran was life. What I experienced that morning was life, in some ways life at it's best. Adam was with us but certainly in a different way and not the way each of us wanted.

Maybe death does not exist and maybe cold does not exist, but I wish Adam being gone did not feel so cold.

Peace, todd

Hope for the Hopeless

It would almost seem silly for me to say there are times that I feel hopeless. But it is true. If you look at my life you would say that seems a little goofy. You might say that I have nothing to feel hopeless about and everything to feel hopeful about. That is also true and yet I find myself feeling hopeless some times. How about you?

I share this, acknowledging that I  am a blessed man and yet sometimes I feel hopeless. Not even sure why sometimes. Some of it seems to come from this understanding that God has so much more for me and I can't seem to step into it or just simply refuse to receive it. Either way it seems to be about me and then I think it is not suppose to be about me it is suppose to be about him.

I have told Michael who is about to graduate that we would give him a computer for a graduation present. He shared with me this week a good friend is maybe going to sell his MacBook and wanted to know if we could buy it and he would pay for half of it. I told him we could discuss that if and when his friend decides to sell. But I am thinking, "why would you buy something used and pay half when I have told you we are going to buy you a new computer and pay for it ourselves." Seems silly to me and we will have that conversation at some point. 

But maybe I am the same way with God and hope. Maybe I try to get my own hope through my own power and end up being a little dissatisfied. I wonder if God is not saying to me "Todd I will give you what you need, I will give you more, transform you into the man you were created to be and the man you desire to be." Maybe it is there, right in front of me and I just continue to try and take care of it myself and end up feeling a little hopeless.

Today I felt the sun on a cool morning and felt some hope. Thanks God! Today I was reminded there are people pursuing God and loving people and doing it in the name of Jesus and not the name of some denomination. It gave me hope, thanks God. Today I was reminded what a gift my wife and children are and I felt hopeful. Thanks again. Today I was reminded that everyday is a new day to know God and make him know, and I felt hope.

Wow! I am feeling much more hopeful. Thanks God!

Peace, todd

Let It Be

Not even going to speak to the fact I have not been on here forever. Oh wait I just did. Funny how easy it is to not do some things in our life we really desire to do. So here I go again to make another run at blogging. Maybe this time it will stick.

Had a few thoughts this morning that I wanted to share with someone. I really struggle sometimes with the way I am wired-up which seems to to be very different than the norm. Here are a few things I believe and things I am pursuing and maybe they are not as normal as I think they are or should be. Here is the short list this morning.

1) Being is more important than doing.

2) God's love is more important than the praise of people.

3) Being together is better than being alone.

My life is driven by a desire to live in community. Community with God, my wife and kids and the world around me. I believe that above list is connected to this and when you leave out one is messes up the pursuit of community.

I wonder why doing is so important? Why is it so hard to just be who we are and rest and relax in that?

Why do we make people so BIG and God so small?

If we are all honest with ourselves which is sometimes hard if we are busy doing all the time. Don't we desperately want to be in community and relationship with people who love us not because of what we do but because of who we are?

I hope over the holidays you can rest and just be. For many this is almost impossible. I hope you can reflect on God's unique and powerful love for you. And I hope you will spend time with others you love and who love you.

Peace, todd

Haircuts and Church

I had a beautiful random conversation with the lady who cut my hair today. I have moved to a place in my life where I just pull up to a hair salon walk in and take my chances. I figure it's just hair it will grow back. Today this women was obviously struggling a little. She did not have a clue what I do (ministry) which probably helped the conversation get started. 

She started discussing freedom and that she did not have any. She was slave to the chair I was sitting in, slave to the man who financed her car, basically a slave to her circumstances. I listened and I believe I understood where she was coming from. What I really heard was a women who wants more for her life. I saw a women who had been wounded by people and the world we live in, some of the choices she has made. I saw a women who was looking for some hope.

I mentioned it must be really hard being a single mom. She stopped cutting my hair and came around and looked at me. We had not been talking about that, but it seemed to connect. She looked at me and said, "yeah, it really is." I seemed to connect with some of her pain and the conversation shifted. She teared up. The conversation shifted and turned much more personal. 

I finally had to share with her what I do. Ask her not to hold that against me. She was gracious but quickly said she did not go to church. She had tried it over and over but it did not work for her. 

I apologized for God's people not representing Him very well. I shared with her that God understood where she was at and had some answers. That freedom can be found in Jesus and it has nothing to do with our external circumstances but with what he is doing in our hearts. We visited a few minutes more and I left her with tears in her eyes but also a smile. A smile that seemed more hopeful than it had been before the conversation started.

I was reminded how the world will always disappoint, but that God is faithful. Reminded that God is redeeming his creation today. His heart is to make everything new. I like that about him. I was also reminded church is so much more than an hour on Sunday. The best church happens during the week, when we are sensitive to where the Spirit is moving and we jump in for the ride.

Peace, todd

Keeping It Real

Have you ever noticed the Bibles speaks truths that are sometimes very uncomfortable? A friend recently was sharing a story with me of how they were providing council to another friend. They made the comment, "I just ask them, what is your heart saying?" The idea was that this persons heart would be a good indicator of the right thing. My first thought was "not so fast my friend." 

I was reminded of God's word in Jeremiah 17:9. Which says this. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" I don't like that idea, but I believe it is true. In Romans 7, Paul tells us  that sin is deceitful. Both of those passages are good reminders for me. I think the world is full of self-deceived people. I think often I am self-deceived. 

This really bothers me. As much as I want to trust my heart, I know that often, it is flat out wrong. The challenge is that often my heart will try and protect me from pain. The reality of truth is that it often causes my heart to ache. When I look at the condition of this world through God's eyes my heart aches. When I am honest about my short comings and sin my heart aches. When I honestly examine the state of the church today there are pains in my heart. 

I am reminded if I am not careful my heart will deceive me. I will convince myself that all is fine. No worries, no problems, life is good. I can easily find someone to compare myself to and decide I am doing much better than that guy. What happens is, if  I stay in that place very long I become plastic. I start to loose my true identity and worse I start to loose my hunger and need for God.

I so much want to be real. To live with true authenticity. To expose my heart to God so that his Spirit can change it and make it new. I am asking God to create a clean heart and a steadfast spirit in me. A heart that feels the pain that is a reality in this life and reminds me that I was not created for this life. That I am on a pilgrimage, on my way home to be with the Father.

But while I am here he will give me a new heart. He will breath life into my dead heart and even allow me to share that life with others. I believe that Jesus did come that we might have life and have it more abundantly, and that life is now. 

I am reminded it starts with an honest heart. A heart that feels both the pain and joy of this life. A heart that I am reminded today, desperately needs Jesus.

Peace, todd