Comfortably numb

So I heard a radio commercial today for a dentist. But not just any dentist. No, this one was special.

Not only could he fix your teeth, but he will sedate you so that all your dental work can be down in one sitting and without feeling a thing.

Near the end he says, "You wouldn't think of having your tonsils or appendix removed without sedation, so why not your teeth?"

Call me cynical, but this is emblematic of our society, of ourselves. We are eager to wrap ourselves in anything that prevents us from feeling.

Think about your life. The heating/air conditioning keep us from the cold/heat outside, not to mention having to chop wood for the fireplace. We watch TV or read books as a means of escape. Some of our greatest societal ills are the result of trying not to feel anything, or at least only what feels good: Alcohol, drugs or even caffeine, anyone?

And maybe most hypocritically, we insulate ourselves in the church. We have our feel-good songs, our once or twice a week visits for positive reinforcement and more. But we rarely allow ourselves to feel the pain, the hurt and the disappointment from those outside those walls. And the second we do, we run back inside our air-conditioned houses to listen to our Jesus Loves Me music and rest in our easy chair.

It makes me think maybe classic rockers Pink Floyd were on the right track 30 years ago with their song, "Comfortably Numb."

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown,
The dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

Feline theology

Cats, I think, are by definition strange. Mine is no different.

He chases bugs, chews strings, meows at the wall, plays dead better than any dog ever could and is given to occasionally doing sprints from end to end of the house.

What that teaches us about God, I'm not sure, other than He must have a sense of humor.

But the other thing about my cat is this. Sometimes he is stand-offish and indifferent, even disappears. Other times he is my best buddy, laying on my lap or rubbing his head on my leg.

It is in those times that I feel a bond, a closeness that allows me to forgive all his other antics -- even if I just squirted him with the water bottle.

And I think it's not so different in our relationship with God. At times were are indifferent to His presence, uninterested in his intrusion.

But when we spend some time with Him, sharing a bond that began when we were created in His image, He loves it. It's then we can feel the gentle caress of His love, the one that says no matter how far you roam and how many times I must discipline you for your sins, You are mine.

Now that just makes me want to purr.

He's Alive

One of the fun things about blogging is the chance to make everybody reading take a trip down memory lane with you. Of course, it's really more to my benefit than yours, but who knows?

Anyway, tonight I was listening to the classic Don Francisco song, "He's Alive." Most of you have probably heard it some time or place, even if you didn't know it. The song is told from the viewpoint of Peter in the days after Jesus' death. He talks about of the disciples gathered in the upper room, expecting to hear the sound of soldiers' feet coming after them. Then he talks of the empty tomb and ensuing puzzlement including the excellent line, "Even if He was alive, it wouldn't be the same."

And in the end, Jesus appears to the disciples and Francisco sings, "He's alive, He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven, heaven's gates are open wide. He's alive, He's alive." It is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful, spine-tingling songs you'll ever hear.

But back to memory lane. I was reminded of the first time I heard this song. It was third grade if my memory doesn't fail me, and I went over to my friend Preston's house for a sleepover. There were many charms to that adventure: the magnificent miniature train set in the basement would have been enough alone. We also had these really cool cap guns we played with. But at some point, I recall his family getting this Don Francisco record out -- this was post 8-track, very early cassette and pre-historic CD era -- and playing "He's Alive." It was my new favorite song, at least for a few weeks.

Along every memory lane there are also some pot holes, one of them being that some time later, Preston's dad was found guilty of essentially stealing money in a pyramid scheme.

And the irony strikes me that just as with many Biblical characters, one who knew God and, in my case, inspired faith in God, had personal flaws that he just could not overcome. I don't know which way this man's faith went since, but I know that Jesus is alive and he's forgiven, heaven's gates are open wide.

Mid-life crisis

So I turned 35 last week. I don't think that's over the hill, but you can at least see the crest of the hill from there. I look back and see a path littered with life's building blocks and obstacles. Ahead? The same shroud of mist as always, keeping me from seeing much further than my next step.

But it is a matter of who directs that step, even takes that step with me that is important. I have no need to go try to buy a Ferrari, not that a sack of pop cans would get me very far, but I do have a need, perhaps more than ever, to know He that walks with me.

And so, you might say, this blog is my mid-life crisis. It's a haven for relating thoughts and feelings. It's a cathartic attempt to bring meaning to my life and those of others, for the internet gives us an extra reach into all the world.

It also forces me to take a longer look sometimes at the sights and sounds that I have in the past let wash over me with no further thought. I will admit it. Not always, if at all, have I spent the amount of time I ought contemplating the mysteries of God.

Maybe that's true for all of us. Maybe it's more true for those of us who have known of God and experienced his presence for all of our lives. We easily take for granted what others may never know.

But there's still the chance to pierce the mist with the Light of the world, both for them and myself.

Pass, punt and sing

No deep thinking this time around. I just thought I'd promote what seems to be a pretty good Christian band called Connersvine.

It's a duo made up of Chris Wilson and Hunter Smith. If that last name rings a bell, that's because Hunter Smith has been the punter for the Indianapolis Colts for the last however many years and will be kicking for the Washington Redskins this season.

Anyway, here's a video of a song of theirs called 'Live for You.' And for those who know what I mean, close your eyes and tell me Wilson doesn't sound just like Geoff Moore on this one.

A matter of trust

A while back, the doctor suggested sinus surgery for my wife. Now, surgery is not usually one of people's favorite activities. Even less so when it's the 11th (or is it 12th) surgery in the past five years, and much, much less so when you just had sinus surgery four months ago.

So needless to say, Mrs. J2P was less than thrilled by the notion. What if this didn't work, too? What if the pain was for nothing? Those were the negative questions.

On the flip side, could this finally be it? Is the long-term result worth a little short-term pain?

Well, ultimately she went through with it a couple weeks ago. So far, there have been moments of doubt, even regret, but also hope. Time will tell the ultimate outcome, but my wife did what needed to be done, trusting in the work of the surgeon.

With that fresh in my mind, I was fascinated by a passage I read today that relayed some of the same feelings. My current book, or more accurately trilogy, of choice is The Dragon King Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead. If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien, I recommend his work. This passage comes from the second book, The Warlords of Nin. Listen to the exchange between the would-be hero, Quentin, and his priest friend, Durwin:

D: "To accept the crown of priest king would mean placing your trust totally in the Most High. It means that you must trust him to know what is best for you, to know you better than you know yourself. It would mean trusting him beyond all trust, even when the way is unclear -- especially when the way is unclear.
When you trust like that, you necessarily test the god's ability to keep you. You are -- we all are -- unwilling to make such demands of our gods. If we trust but little, we will be disappointed but little, eh?"

Q: If I do not believe, but follow anyway, does that not mock the Most High and defeat his will?"

D: "On the contrary, my friend. To follow without seeing the end -- in unbelief, as you say -- is really the highest form of trust."

Q:"It is but blind trust."

D: "Not blind trust. Not at all. Those who trust the powerless gods of earth and sky -- they trust blindly.
"Quentin, look at me. You cannot serve the Most High without trusting him totally, for there always comes a time when he will put you to the test. He will have all of you or nothing at all. There can be no middle ground. It is a demand that he makes of his followers."

Yes, sometimes in life -- both physical and spiritual -- we must do things we do not want to do, trust in those we do not want to trust and let go of parts of ourselves we do not want to let go of. It is called faith.

Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Two journalists, one man

So there was no power for a couple of days this week, but I saw this story on TV elsewhere during that time and I come back to it now that we're plugged in again.

As I'm sure most of you saw, two American journalists were released after being held prisoner by North Korea for several months. But here's the part of the story that I grabbed onto. Listen to the words of Laura Ling as she describes the release.

"We feared that at any moment we could be prisoners in a hard labor camp. Then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting. When we walked through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton. We were shocked, but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end. And now we stand here home and free."

Think of that. One minute, you're fearing the very worst and in the twinkling of an eye, you see one man that guarantees freedom.

That's the very promise of what will happen to us if we believe in Christ. When our time on earth is through, and we head to that meeting realizing that we deserve the worst punishment for our sin, we will see Jesus standing there as a guarantee of our freedom.

And we need not wait until that moment to make the most of this assurance. Not so coincidentally, the text for this Sunday's sermon fits most perfectly.

Hebrews 10:19-24: Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Take that confidence, that assurance, that unswerving hope of ultimate freedom and make a difference here and now that will last forever.