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Musings and Observations by Vernon Caston

Musings and Observations                 by Vernon Caston

Tag Archives: the Apostle Paul

Leopards and Spots – Part 3, Onesimus

27 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by stertin in Advice along the way, Biblical personages / passage, Change, Pointing beyond the common and natural

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a responsible Christian, leopards and spots, Onesimus, Philemon, slavery in the Roman empire, social contract, the Apostle Paul

He was the one who could lose the most if the deal fell through!!  In human terms, the most that the letter writer could lose was a friendship with a church leader.  In human terms the most that the letter’s recipient could lose was nothing, since the slave had already been long gone anyway.  But, the most the letter carrier could lose in human terms was his very life, if the slave owner so desired!!

Of course, what you just read may not make sense to you if you haven’t already read parts 1 and 2 of “Leopards and Spots.”  So, you might want to play a little catch up, by going to  part 1 (dated Sept 2, 2012) and part 2 (dated October 2, 2012).  While at either one, take several minutes to also read through the brief letter mentioned in the first paragraph.  In any case, for this post let’s think about the letter carrier, whose life was at risk by the simple deed of carrying a letter to someone he knew.  The letter carrier is named Onesimus – the one whose life was at stake.

Onesimus was a runaway slave who at some point made contact with a prisoner in a Roman jail, whose name was Paul.  Yes, it is the Apostle Paul of the New Testament.  The details of how Onesimus became a slave of Philemon, who lived in the city of Colossae, are by our time in history unknown.

Slavery was so common in many parts of the Roman Empire that in some places 1/5 to 1/3 of the population were slaves. Prior to becoming enslaved, a people might have been:

  • A person captured by Romans soldiers in a battle, or captured by pirates, or by slave hunters
  • An infants abandoned in the streets or in the garbage, and picked up to be raised only to be sold as a child slave
  • A convicts whose sentence was slavery
  • Those who had run up so much debt that the price paid for them as a slave would pay the debt
  • Christians who sold themselves into slavery to help out another Christian!!!

The slaves were deprived of liberty and equality, and usually denied dignity.  They were considered “things”, “walking tools” or “living property.”  Captured runaway slaves were especially subjected to brutal punishment.  They could be crucified to make a statement to other slaves who contemplated fleeing from their owner.

In this kind of context, Onesimus ended up in Rome where he could mingle in the crowd and escaping notice.  Once there in Rome, for reasons unknown to us, Onesimus made contact with Paul, who is in prison, and Onesimus himself became a Christian.

As a Christian, Onesimus faced the serious decision – “What do I do as a runaway slave?”  Rome didn’t extend emancipation papers to slaves who became Christians!!!  Becoming a Christian gave him forgiveness of sins.  BUT, it didn’t change his legal status. Onesimus was still a run-away slave!!  And, now what??

He goes back to Philemon, to the city of Colossae, with a letter in his hand, written by the Apostle Paul to be delivered to Philemon.  It seems pretty awkward, doesn’t it?  In fact, it seems almost bizarre.  Although carrying Paul’s letter for Philemon, during the entire trip back to Philemon’s home Onesimus had no assurance as to what Philemon would do.

Of course, Onesimus did have the option during his trip of simply running away to another city and say, “So much for Paul and his ideas.”  But, that didn’t happen.  Onesimus assumed responsibility for his actions and obligations.  And, that is the point.  The fact is that without that sense of responsibility, healthy Christian life is unreachable.

All of us, both you the reader and I the writer, live in some kind of society.  In all societies, there is some degree of contract with others.  It might be a very basic contract – “I don’t murder you.  You don’t murder me.”  In most cases, of course, that contract is much more elaborated into regulations and laws.  Some of the laws may seem strange, unreasonable, and even confusing to many of the people affected by the existence of those laws and expectations.   Some societies have well known mechanism available to change laws.  In other societies, it is very difficult, and perhaps impossible, for a common person to do anything to bring about a change of laws.

It is at this point that we come to a difficult matter for one who seeks to live in a God honoring manner.  It appears to be the case that God expects His children to responsibly fulfill the demands and duties that correspond to his social contract.  It appears that as a child of God, no one can cop out of the duties of such situations as being a parent, a spouse, an employee or employer, a citizen, a church member, a neighbor, or one of many, many more societal roles.

All this might seem to be a huge burden.  I would be remiss to pretend otherwise.  But, the burden is not the entire story.  In reality, living responsibly, in light of the social contracts we sign on to by virtue of living in a given society, frees us from the burden of guilt, of worry about what someone will say or do because of our irresponsibility, and from the prison of falsehood and deceit as we try to cover up our violations of the elements of our social contracts.

The leopard Onesimus, like the apostle Paul and the slave owner Philemon experienced “spot removal” that only Jesus can bring.  Onesimus illustrates for us that no one on the planet should be more responsible to society than the Christian.

 

Leopards and spots, part 2 – Paul

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by stertin in Advice along the way, Biblical personages / passage, Change

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cold - hard - calloused - calculating, leopards, moral decisions that are God pleasing, Onesimus, Philemon, taking a risk, the Apostle Paul, you got yourself into this mess

Back on the September 2, 2012 post, I raised the image of a leopard whose spots were changed.  Reference was made to a man named Philemon, who received a letter from the apostle Paul.  I pointed out that Philemon experienced a fundamental change in his life, a change that could parallel that of a leopard who changed his spots!!  But, Philemon was not the only leopard in the letter.  Two other men also had spots that needed to be addressed.  In this post I want us to think of one of them.  In a later post, I will address the third “leopard.”  Today, let’s think about the apostle Paul, the author of the letter sent to Philemon.

[Note — As in the earlier post, the letter to Philemon is available at the end of this entry.]

You may be somewhat familiar with the Apostle Paul if you have had exposure to the New Testament.  But, for this little article, I have to make an assumption, and I am opting for you having a minimum idea about the fellow.

Paul had not always been what he was when writing his letters and doing his Christian missionary ministry.  He had been raised in a very religiously devout home.  His father was considered by many people of his time to be super godly and  rigorous in his religious practices and beliefs.  He was a Jewish Pharisee with high expectations for himself and his family.  The son, Paul, drank deeply from the well of his father’s religiosity, becoming as zealous as his father – perhaps, even more so.  That was very evident at the time the Christian community was just forming after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

The situation, that a sizeable number of people were becoming followers of Jesus, made Paul into a very unhappy camper.  In fact, Paul became a scourge against those known as the followers of The Way.

In Paul’s pre-Christian mind, the Christians were adversaries, turncoats, enemies, and blasphemers.  Just as some people had wanted to kill Jesus, Paul had similar feelings toward the Christians.  He went on a campaign of rounding up Jesus followers, and actually putting them in prison for their belief in Jesus.  There is reason to think that some of the Christians might have been killed in the process.

As far as Paul’s thoughts about the Christians and their sentiments, Paul was cold, hard, calloused, and calculating.  He could not have cared less about the needs of the people he was persecuting.  The pain he saw in the Christians didn’t bother him one bit.  He was happy to see it, thinking they deserved it for having betrayed the faith of their fathers.

That was Paul as the spotted leopard.  By the time he writes this brief and personal letter, Paul is concerned, caring, and involved.  He has changed radically. The change can be seen in his relationship with the two other principal personages in this letter.

On one hand, Paul is committed to the run-away slave Onesimus. Onesimus was facing some very hard choices. He could remain a run-away, or return to his master, Philemon.  If he decided to return to Philemon, Onesimus faced an unknown and perhaps life threatening scenario.

Sensing Onesimus’ fears, Paul writes on his behalf to Philemon.  It is that “writing on behalf” of Onesimus that tells us so much about Paul.  Paul could have said to Onesimus, “You got yourself into this mess.  Now you can get yourself out of it.  Don’t expect me to help you.”  Rather, Paul was willing to take a risk for Onesimus.  Paul knew Onesimus needed help, and Paul delivered.

On the other hand, Paul was also concerned about Philemon, the slave owner.  How does he show this concern?  We note that Paul would not take a dominant role over Philemon.  He recognizes that Philemon was going to have some pretty raw emotions about this case of Onesimus.  So, Paul requests; he asks.  He does not order Philemon. He takes the position that Philemon is able, in Jesus, to make moral decisions that are God honoring.

Paul is now not the cold and calculating persecutor.  That was his life before the spots began to be changed.  Now, Paul is caring, concerned, sensitive, and willing to intercede on behalf of someone else.  He respects both Onesimus and Philemon.  He does not take a “know it all” posture with either Onesimus or Philemon.  He makes it clear what he thinks is the best procedure for both of them, while at the same time honoring their individual decision making.

Paul is a changed person.  Can a leopard change his spots?  Can God change us?  Of course, He can and He does.

********************************************

Paul’s letter to Philemon 

1 From Paul, a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy— To our friend and fellow worker Philemon, 2 and the church that meets in your house, and our sister Apphia, and our fellow soldier Archippus:  3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

4 Brother Philemon, every time I pray, I mention you and give thanks to my God. 5 For I hear of your love for all of God’s people and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 My prayer is that our fellowship with you as believers will bring about a deeper understanding of every blessing which we have in our life in union with Christ. 7 Your love, dear brother, has brought me great joy and much encouragement! You have cheered the hearts of all of God’s people.

8 For this reason I could be bold enough, as your brother in Christ, to order you to do what should be done. 9 But because I love you, I make a request instead. I do this even though I am Paul, the ambassador of Christ Jesus, and at present also a prisoner for his sake. 10 So I make a request to you on behalf of Onesimus, who is my own son in Christ; for while in prison I have become his spiritual father. 11 At one time he was of no use to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him back to you now, and with him goes my heart. 13 I would like to keep him here with me, while I am in prison for the gospel’s sake, so that he could help me in your place. 14 However, I do not want to force you to help me; rather, I would like for you to do it of your own free will. So I will not do anything unless you agree.

15 It may be that Onesimus was away from you for a short time so that you might have him back for all time. 16 And now he is not just a slave, but much more than a slave: he is a dear brother in Christ. How much he means to me! And how much more he will mean to you, both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord! 17 So, if you think of me as your partner, welcome him back just as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19 Here, I will write this with my own hand: I, Paul, will pay you back (I should not have to remind you, of course, that you owe your very self to me.) 20 So, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake; as a brother in Christ, cheer me up!

21 I am sure, as I write this, that you will do what I ask—in fact I know that you will do even more. 22 At the same time, get a room ready for me, because I hope that God will answer the prayers of all of you and give me back to you.

23 Epaphras, who is in prison with me for the sake of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, 24 and so do my co-workers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.  25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Again, “Thank you, Celine, this time for ‘Nature Boy’ “

27 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by stertin in Biblical personages / passage, Music related, Pointing beyond the common and natural, Theology - God

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Celine Dion, Christianity and love, love and be loved, music pointing the way, nature boy, pointers, the Apostle Paul, there is forgiveness

Previously I have referred to Celine Dion’s music, especially concentrating on the lyrics, or a part of the lyrics.  Such is the case with “She may be unaware”, “God or Baby, or Both – Celine sings for us” (both listed in the Music Related Category)

In this post, I return to Celine’s music, focusing on her rendition of “Nature Boy.”  It is a hauntingly beautiful piece.  As you listen (click here – www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaF_cLXKTW8),  you can follow along with the lyrics:

There was a boy… a very strange enchanted boy.
They say he wandered very far, very far over land and sea.
A little shy and sad of eye but very wise was he.

And then one day, one magic day he passed my way.
And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings,
This he said to me, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return.”

And then one day, one magic day he passed my way.
And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings,
This he said to me, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return.”

Not knowing the composer, I am not certain about the final expression, The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. It does, however, seem to me that “nature boy” is laying out a simple recipe for living well – love and be loved.  Again, as in other posts, we have the case of a song being both a statement in and of itself, as well as a pointer to something even beyond. . .

Does it make sense to think that the opposite of love (hate) is the key to good living?  No.  Who could affirm, without experiencing cognitive dissonance, that there is a higher morality than one built on, or that flows out of  love?  No one.

There is a reason Christianity, in spite of all the failings of its adherents (individually and corporately), is known as a religion of love.  It is true that the John 3.16 verse (God so loved the world . . . ) frequently seen at football games, is mocked by those who think it is out of place, is naïve, or is simply not true.   Nonetheless, the primary written source for Christianity is replete with its citations of the preeminence of love among the virtues.  For example, and these are just a very few . .

— Now abides faith, hope, and love.  The greatest of these is love. (the apostle Paul)

— ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  (Jesus)

— Let us love in deed and truth with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. (the apostle John)

— There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear (the apostle John)

— A friend loves at all times. (Solomon)

— Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (Jesus)

Just because our source book lauds the virtue of love, it doesn’t guarantee that all who categorize themselves as Christians are paragons of love.  Likewise, it would be foolish to pretend that only Christians know what love is.  For centuries, human experience has corroborated the place of love among the virtues.  And this brings me back to Celine’s music.  It is “nature boy” who says that “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”

There is the pointer – that we look for, and long for, the scenario when loving and being loved is natural. To the degree that love becomes the natural modus operandi, life on this planet will be more satisfying, more harmonious, less stressful, more productive, more caring, more honesty.   And when we fall short of perfect love, there is forgiveness, and there is finally heaven.

Keep singing, Celine.  .

Leopards and Spots, part 1 – Philemon

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by stertin in Advice along the way, Biblical personages / passage, Change, Clear and logical thinking, Uncategorized

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an escaped slave - a mail carrier, boxes and categories, Jeremiah, leopards' spots, my wife-my sister in Christ, Onesimus, Philemon, some dangers of generalizations, the Apostle Paul

Over 2500 years ago, a fellow named Jeremiah, in the Old Testament book bearing his name,  included the expression “can a leopard change his spots?”   (you will find it in Jeremiah 13.23)  The implied answer is, “No, leopards don’t change their spots; how could they?”   Admittedly, I was surprised by one person who recently commented that leopards could change their spots if they jumped into a pool of bleach!!

In reality, most of us have spots in our character and behavior that we wish weren’t there.  They are our leopard spots.  Can they be changed?  For one kind of an answer, we can look at a fellow who received a small letter from the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.  His name was Philemon and he serves as an example of a leopard who was not condemned to the same old spots!!

[to provide background for the comments that follow, you are invited to read the original letter. It’s at the end of this little article]

To begin, let’s try to put ourselves in Philemon’s situation.  First,  the letter implies that a fellow named Onesimus, who had been a slave of Philemon until he somehow escaped,  had stolen something of value from Philemon’s (money or goods) or, that in some other way or another by running away Onesimus had caused Philemon financial loss.   Such a situation meant that there was troubled water there in Philemon’s mind.  Second, Philemon had social status, wealth, and prestige, items which Onesimus didn’t have.  These kind of items would have led Philemon to look at Onesimus from “above”, socially speaking.

Saying it a little differently, Philemon would have done to Onesimus the same thing we do – Put people into a mental boxes or mental categories.    In Philemon’s mind, Onesimus was in various “boxes”: the runaway slave box, the thief box, the law-breaker box, the betray-your-master box, the he-deserves-punishment box.  You get the idea, I am sure.

The fact is that generalizations (using mental boxes) do have some legitimate functions.  They help us think in categories, make judgments, and communicate.  Generalizations free us from having to only talk about specifics and particulars.  Using generalizations permit us to make a statement about a crowd without having to make a statement about 200 specific individuals.  We can make statements about children, not only about Jimmy, Susie, Ann, David, Justin, Abigail, Aaron, etc.  We can make statements about  in-laws, about politicians, and about professional athletes.  The list goes on and on. . .

BUT, while generalizations (the boxes) may be helpful at the right time and place, they can also create great harm.  They can easily keep us from recognizing the exceptions and differences among those folk we have put into the boxes we so easily employ.  Furthermore, the “boxes” encourage us to follow pre-calculated, but mistaken, responses to individual situations.  This is where Philemon was in relation to Onesimus. Onesimus was in the slave box, the thief box.  And, the behavior of people in those boxes had a prescribed response as established by society.

All of a sudden, one day Onesimus shows up, and hands Philemon a letter.  It’s from the apostle Paul, one of Philemon’s friends.  The letter puts Philemon in an awkward position, since runaway slaves just don’t one day show up as a mail carrier!  Furthermore, as Philemon reads Paul’s letter, he notices that Paul includes some things that culturally just don’t fit.  The biggest one is captured by a word that jumps out several times in the letter: “adelphos” “hermano” “brother”

Paul has identified Onesimus with a completely different “box”  or category.  Philemon has a new brother.  Not only a slave, but a brother, “our” brother!!!  Paul was affirming that in Christ we are all kin folk.  Onesimus was a brother, in Christ, and that superseded all other relationships implicit in the “boxes” Philemon normally used when thinking about Onesimus!!!

Allow me to conclude with a personal comment.  Joyce my wife, fit into many boxes that we use in society.  As her husband, I also fit into many of our society’s boxes.  But, there was one box that superseded all the others – she was my sister in Christ and I was her brothers in Christ.  But, it goes further.  My three daughters fit many boxes.  But above them all is the fact that they are all my sisters in Christ.  My three sons-in-law fit many boxes, but above all of them they are my brothers in Christ.   I have grand children who are more than grand children – they are brothers and sisters in Christ.  So, where does God’s word instruct me concerning my family relationships?  Wherever it refers to brothers and sisters in Christ!!

Can a leopard change his spots?  Can God change us?  Of course, He can and He does.

********************************************

Paul’s letter to Philemon 

1 From Paul, a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy— To our friend and fellow worker Philemon, 2 and the church that meets in your house, and our sister Apphia, and our fellow soldier Archippus:  3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

4 Brother Philemon, every time I pray, I mention you and give thanks to my God. 5 For I hear of your love for all of God’s people and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 My prayer is that our fellowship with you as believers will bring about a deeper understanding of every blessing which we have in our life in union with Christ. 7 Your love, dear brother, has brought me great joy and much encouragement! You have cheered the hearts of all of God’s people.

8 For this reason I could be bold enough, as your brother in Christ, to order you to do what should be done. 9 But because I love you, I make a request instead. I do this even though I am Paul, the ambassador of Christ Jesus, and at present also a prisoner for his sake. 10 So I make a request to you on behalf of Onesimus, who is my own son in Christ; for while in prison I have become his spiritual father. 11 At one time he was of no use to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him back to you now, and with him goes my heart. 13 I would like to keep him here with me, while I am in prison for the gospel’s sake, so that he could help me in your place. 14 However, I do not want to force you to help me; rather, I would like for you to do it of your own free will. So I will not do anything unless you agree.

15 It may be that Onesimus was away from you for a short time so that you might have him back for all time. 16 And now he is not just a slave, but much more than a slave: he is a dear brother in Christ. How much he means to me! And how much more he will mean to you, both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord! 17 So, if you think of me as your partner, welcome him back just as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19 Here, I will write this with my own hand: I, Paul, will pay you back (I should not have to remind you, of course, that you owe your very self to me.) 20 So, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake; as a brother in Christ, cheer me up!

21 I am sure, as I write this, that you will do what I ask—in fact I know that you will do even more. 22 At the same time, get a room ready for me, because I hope that God will answer the prayers of all of you and give me back to you.

23 Epaphras, who is in prison with me for the sake of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, 24 and so do my co-workers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.  25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Being made a people for others

27 Sunday May 2012

Posted by stertin in Advice along the way, Biblical personages / passage, Change, Clear and logical thinking, Uncategorized

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being made a people for others, foolishness, movers and shakers, serving humbly, social clout, the Apostle Paul, verifying our claims

Many of us during our formal education knew someone who focused on an area of study, giving a mountain of time to it, and was willing to talk about it just about any time.  At the same time, we weren’t at all interested in their “pet” topic.  It didn’t make any sense to us, didn’t appeal to us, and perhaps we even thought it would be a complete waste of time and energy to study it.

This situation from the academic world parallels how many people interface and engage with the message that Jesus is the Savior of the world.  A significant element of humanity, certainly in the US and even more so in Europe, believes and proclaims that the Christian message is foolish, retro, useless and actually an obstacle to human progress.  If they only thought that the Christian message was just one of the many non-consequential old wives tales, that would be one thing.  When, however, the Christian message is held to be an impediment to human progress, that results in antagonism against Christianity.

The phenomenon just mentioned is not new in human history.  The author of some of the letters in the Christian Bible, the Apostle Paul, faced the same issue, as did his original readers – almost 2000 years ago!  His proposal about dealing with the issue can be relevantly instructive to us.  It is found in a small part of his first letter to the Christians in the city of Corinth, in Greece, chapter 1, verses 18-31.  If you want to read them in an “Easy To Read Version” of the New Testament, click here.

Paul realizes that there is a group of people in the rich metropolitan city of Corinth who are convinced that 1) they themselves were powerful, wise and intelligent; 2) the religious message voiced by the Christians was foolish; 3) there was not adequate verification (wisdom and miraculous events) to the truthfulness of what the Christians said about Jesus; 4) the “foolish” Christian message was powerless to effectuate changes in people and produce a society that met humanity’s needs.

If this verdict was correct, clearly the Christians might as well pack their bags and move to an area where their “foolish” message would find resonance with a “foolish” population!!  Let’s note that this appraisal of Christianity is not strange to our ears even now in our century.

How can accusations such as those Paul summarizes be addressed?  Paul recognizes that the accusers were correct in saying that the Christians in Corinth were not the movers and shakers in society.  They were not considered part of the intellectual circles.  Nor were they influential people in government and economics.  They weren’t children of nobility.

Paul recognizes that the Corinthian society would not have sought out Christian people for advice on how to improve Corinthian life, either individually or societally.  The Corinthians had their formulas for success, and their parameters for measuring value.  They had their strong people, their wise people, and their “in” group.

Becoming a Christian in Corinth would not elevate a person to a new social level, giving them clout or importance.

The Apostle Paul’s striking response to this very serious accusation against the truthfulness and value of the Christian message and people is that God judged things differently.   Paul doesn’t locate the origin of the moral transformation of society within the status quo group.  Rather, God uses the “outsider” (the lowly and despised – those who have no natural social clout [“those who are not”] ) to “nullify the things that are”, to turn things from moral wrong to moral right.”

Paul’s conclusion almost seems to come out of the blue – “Christians, you have nothing to boast about.  You are “in” Jesus, who makes you righteous, holy and redeemed.  Live humbly.”  It is as if Paul were saying that “our hope, our sense of rightness, and our sense of having been rescued from moral chaos doesn’t give us anything about which we can be proud.  What we can do is demonstrate humble service to those who have not yet understood that God uses the “weak” to show His goodness, His love, and His transforming power.

Paul is not saying that Christians should not intelligently present the truthfulness of the Christian message.  But, he is saying that in addition we should be involved in “serving humbly”.  Here are some ideas that you might want to consider.  (they are an abbreviation of a list I found on line under the title “101 Easy Ways You Can Make The World A Better Place.”)  It appears to me that these actions demonstrate both service and humility.  It is hard to imagine they will be considered offensive by anyone.  They are not the totality of what we “give” to the world, but they are part of what we give.  I hope they stir your imagination.

  1. Play, genuinely play, with a little kid.
  2. Tell someone you love them.
  3. Use your blinker when you turn.
  4. Pick a stretch of highway. Walk along and pick up all the trash you can.
  5. Smile at someone. Just smile. Saying “Hello” often brightens a day too.
  6. Round up a few loose coins. Put them in the next charity box you see.
  7. Plant flowers.
  8. Search through your cabinets for a few cans of food you’ll probably never use. Donate them.
  9. Hold the door for someone.
  10. Pay a random stranger a compliment.
  11. If you have a car, give people rides.
  12. Volunteer your time to a suicide hotline.
  13. Volunteer your time as a mentor!
  14. Return a shopping cart to the corral or the store instead of leaving it loose or propped on a planter in the lot.
  15. Offer someone a mint or a piece of gum or candy.
  16. Take a child to the park or pool.
  17. Kiss or hug someone you love.
  18. Donate things you don’t use to your local thrift store.
  19. Bake cookies for someone; take donuts to work one morning.
  20. Clean house for someone you know who is too busy to keep on top of it.
  21. Babysit for parents who don’t get out much so they can have some time alone.
  22. If you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up.
  23. Knit, quilt or crochet a blanket and donate it.
  24. Make breakfast in bed for someone you love.
  25. Help someone with a heavy load.
  26. Boost the morale of someone close to you by telling them what you love about them.
  27. Hug a teacher and let them know how important they are.
  28. Look for ways to save a few extra bucks a month. Donate it.
  29. Shop at your local charity thrift store. The money you spend there helps others.
  30. If someone is tailgating you, let them pass and wish them well, without the anger.
  31. If there’s an accident or a potentially hazardous situation on the road dial 911 and tell them about it.
  32. If someone you love really likes something (a meal, a favor, etc.) give it to them when they least expect it.
  33. Wave to your neighbors.
  34. Open car doors for your driver or passengers.
  35. Give blood.
  36. Become an organ donor.
  37. Buy books for a library, daycare center or school.
  38. Slip a $20 bill anonymously to someone you know who is having financial difficulty.
  39. Create a public art contest for children.
  40. Share family recipes.
  41. Help someone with their homework.
  42. Put a quarter in someone else’s parking meter.
  43. Gather up your used batteries and electronics. Donate them.
  44. Volunteer some time to cheering people up at your local retirement home.
  45. If the person ahead or behind you in line at the store appears to need money help, buy them the items.
  46. Donate to a cause that helps families in third world countries
  47. Drop off your old glasses
  48. Turn the other cheek.
  49. Surprise people with a happy birthday email, card, text, etc.. It might be the only one they get!
  50. Be there for someone. Listen to their troubles.
  51. Stop for a person waiting to cross the street or merge into traffic.
  52. Pay the toll for someone behind you.
  53. Tape coins to a payphone with a note saying they’re for whoever needs them.
  54. Forgive a debt
  55. Adopt as a pen pal a soldier, inmate or someone who is down on their “luck.
  56. When waiting for your turn at a deli counter, swap places with someone who is in a hurry.
  57. Write a nice note to or about your waiter or waitress on the back of your bill.
  58. On a hot day, buy someone something cold to drink– on a cold day, get them something warm.

Microbes, death acceptance, and sin

21 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by stertin in Advice along the way, Biblical personages / passage, Other authors, Pain - Evil - Suffering, Prayer, Theology - God, Uncategorized

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Tags

"death acceptance", "Hannah Whitall Smith", "putting sin to death?", "sinful man that I am", balance, belief, death, forgiveness, options, sinners who are going to Heaven, the Apostle Paul, The Christian's Secret of the Happy Life

Recently, a fellow posed this question, “How do we kill sin, or how do we put sin to death?  The question is a serious one.  Although it may lead to false expectations, at the same time, the question does touch a vital desire among many Christians. (I hope all experience it; I know that I do).  That desire is to live without sinning.

But, there is the rub.  I can speak for myself and say that I long from down deep in my soul to live a sinless life.  But, up until now, such a life has not come my way.  The guilt of sin is devastating; I sense the pain of having betrayed God, of having fallen short of what He wants from me, of having dishonored Him, of having (using categories that go way back to my childhood experiences in church and camp services) of “adding more nails to the cross that holds Jesus.”

Currently I am reading Hannah Whitall Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of the Happy Life, which I have on my Kindle.  I read it the first time many years ago, and my memory of it was a good one.  This time, my experience is one of saying to myself, “I am not any more righteous than I was after reading the book the first time.  I haven’t progressed one iota.”

But, back to the question at the top of this article. The fellow suggested that we kill sin by “Just resting in Christ.”  By that I think he means that we are to simply believe that what Jesus says about the death of sin is true.  For example, we are to believe that Jesus’ death satisfied the moral demands / consequences of sin that the sinner die.  I agree with the statement that we are to thus believe.  But, what do we say to the person that senses that in spite of thus believing, sin is still happening?  “Sinful man that I am” as Paul expresses it in Romans, was said by a man who believed in and was committed to the truth of Jesus’ death being, among other things, the satisfying of the moral demands for sin.

Does there not finally come a point when we simply have to accept the fact that we will be sinners until our death, and that in that sense we will not experience sin’s death until we die and go to Heaven?  If that is the case, the original question needs to be restated to something like – “In light of our being sinners and of actually sinning until we die and go to Heaven, how do we live well (psychologically, spiritually, physically, socially) with that ongoing reality of sin?”

So, what follows is a series of rhetorical questions that lead to what I am thinking at this point in my Christian life.

  • Is there a certain kind of “sin acceptance” that is somewhat comparable to “death acceptance”?  . . . .
  • Is there a point when we realize that sin is inescapable, but it is not the most important thing about us as God’s children? . . . .
  • Is sin “a problem” because our scale of values is fouled up? . . . .
  • Do we suffer because we don’t live psychologically with the reality that God’s forgiveness has more value than sin has? . . . .
  • Can we get to the point of accepting our sinfulness as an ongoing reality and yet realizing that it is not going to keep us from Heaven, because Christ’s death and God’s forgiveness are more important than the sin of which we are guilty?  . . . .
  • Can we work with the analogy of living physically all our lives with destructive microbes being present in our body but not being of such importance that they rob us of life, and that the cause of our death may be something other than those microbes?

 Your comments are welcome!!!

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