Cassandra Kinzie Jordan – 70th Birthday Tribute

For many wives, to say “you are just like your mother” comes across as an insult.  But when your mother was Vera Kinzie, it is a high compliment.  Sandy Kinzie Jordan, my wife, has all the sterling attributes that made her mother so loved.  Love, honesty, sincerity, care for others, encouraging, faithful, industrious, disciplined, and sacrificial only begins to describe her character.  There may be others whose qualities equal hers, but none greater.  She is beautiful in her features and her spirit, tasteful, transparent, empathic, loyal, practical, determined, and nurturing.  She is a true 100 per cent woman.  When she invests herself into people, a project, or a program, she never proceeds half-heartedly. 

Today, Sandy reached the three score and ten mark, the youngest woman to ever get to that age.  Whatever success I may have achieved in this life would never have been realized without Sandy at my side.  Thank you, sweetheart, for agreeing to be my wife just over fifty years ago. You’ve made us a great team, although you have born the biggest share of the burden.  I love you! Happy 70^th Birthday!

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:28-31 (NKJV)

Apostolics and Politics

The 2020 election galvanized political talk among Apostolics, and with the growing consensus in the immediate aftermath that Joe Biden won the race, disbelief and disappointment pervaded much of  the discussion.  Many focused on debating the pros and cons, the likes and dislikes of the personalities involved, an exercise that obfuscated the critical elements of the election.   We should have zeroed in on the platform that America voted into power.  Take a look here PREAMBLE - Democrats and read between the lines.  By this I mean that we must cull out the euphemisms and fanciful rhetoric of the platform and distill it into real life goals. When these goals of the party in power begin to shape our future, we will witness a fundamental change in this nation.  There is a great similarity that this platform has with the story of Little Red Riding Hood when she encountered the big, bad wolf.

Little Red Riding Hood was greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked in her nightclothes, and said to her, “Grandmother, what big arms you have!”

“All the better to hug you with, my dear.”

“Grandmother, what big legs you have!”

“All the better to run with, my child.”

“Grandmother, what big ears you have!”

“All the better to hear with, my child.”

“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”

“All the better to see with, my child.”

“Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!”

“All the better to eat you up with.” And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and ate her all up.

Interestingly, in Italy this story is called “The False Grandmother,” a fitting analogy to the Democrat’s platform.  Regarding that platform, the seductive language conceals the teeth of the party, ready to eat up the traditions of our country and the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.  

The question now, however, is not about stopping or changing the outcome of the election.  Rather, our challenge is the post-election posture most appropriate for Bible-believers.  While we can continue to voice our opinions and vote our preferences when the opportunity arises, we must also soberly review our response to the present moment.  Our Christian calling prevents us from pursuing a violent, destructive, and murderous pathway to resist our overlords.   “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal …”  In fact, physical resistance would be the easier response to the situation.  Much more difficult will be the righteous course of action—that is inaction!  Just because our government forbids us from following the dictates of our conscience does not mean that we must cease and desist being who we are.  Our convictions do not change with the politics of the day.  Yet, we must face this onslaught with an answer.  In the vernacular of the day, what will this answer look like? 

Are you ready to have your Christian witness and expressions to be labeled as hate speech? 

Are you ready to be blackballed, put on an enemies list, prevented from holding a job, held back from a deserved promotion, or shunned in the public square? 

Are you ready for the sneering, scorn, and derision?

Are you ready to be “uninvited” to gatherings, parties, weddings, celebrations, and events?

Are you ready for friends and even relatives to turn a cold shoulder to you?

Are you ready to be told to leave your neighborhood, resign from your positions, and dropped from committees and boards? 

Are you ready to be denied services, put on hold indefinitely, or given the run-around for no apparent reason? 

Are you ready to have your ideas proclaimed to be as poisonous as the Covid-19 virus? 

Are you ready to be charged with breaking the law, slapped with excessive fines, jailed, or imprisoned?

Are you ready to have your licenses revoked, your businesses to be squeezed out of opportunities, or charged with endless lawsuits and impossible demands of zoning boards? 

All these actions loom as possibilities in a new political climate.  What will we do about it? 

“And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.  And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.  For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Acts 4:5-22 (NKJV) 

When persecution descended upon the primitive church, they did not respond with political action.  No marches, no protests, no riots, no attempts to retaliate.  They simply continued to do what their Christianity asked of them to do.  They accepted the consequences of their actions.  Amazingly, their passive response spurred the church on to unprecedented revival.  They realized their vision through obedience to the Spirit of God rather than taking up arms against their enemy.  They did not grow because of active resistance but because they faithfully executed God’s word.  They endured the hostility of their government.  The threats of the powers that be did not derail their determination to be the church!  May our response be the same as the young men in the Book of Daniel. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 (MSG) 

Our Apostolic politics do not include rage against the government.  That response may look like strength and power to the carnal mind, but it will not result in spiritual success.  In these turbulent times, our greatest strength will be unwavering allegiance to our calling and election.  We may take any legal course of action afforded us by our constitution to preserve our rights, but if those efforts prove unsuccessful, then our alternative is to stand strong in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our prayers, therefore, must be for unfailing strength to stand.  

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:13-20 (NKJV)  

Ugly or Beautiful?

He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. Isaiah 53:2 (NKJV)

Was Jesus handsome?  Not necessarily a good question, but interesting, nonetheless.  What makes for a handsome man?  A beauty website lists these eight musts:  a defined jawline, a forward grown face, balanced facial thirds, eye tilt, high cheekbones, low body-fat percentage, philtrum length, brow-bone height, and sex appeal.  www.mybeautyconsultant.net.  Through the centuries, artistic renditions portray Jesus as a ruggedly handsome man, dark contemplative eyes, bone-structured face reminiscent of a Madison Avenue male model, and expressions behind a fulsome beard speaking of both confidence and humility.   Actors sporting photogenic looks like Jim Caviezel, Christian Bale, Ted Neeley, and others have played Jesus Christ in various films and plays.  Apparently, the general consensus of such an iconic figure mandate a composite of appealing features.  Can’t have an ugly Jesus, can we?

Sorry.  The Scriptures tell a different story.  Jesus was no “pretty boy” looking to get a part in a Broadway musical, land a modeling gig, or whatever the counterparts would have been in Jerusalem’s culture.  While we have no physical depictions of Him from the era in which He lived, indications are that he possessed few, if any, of the properties deemed handsome.  Isaiah’s prophecy describes Him as without a pleasing form or comeliness.  The implication is strong that had you seen Him walking down the street, you may be repulsed by His looks.  Nothing about Him evoked desire or appeal.  We may as well admit it—difficult though it may be—Jesus was either ugly or extremely plain.  Whatever He was, He was undoubtedly the antithesis of the beauty website’s prescription for masculine attractiveness.

So, what’s the point of this discussion?  To thinking people, physical characteristics are petty and they certainly play a minimal role in something as serious as salvation.  Well, I didn’t bring this up, Isaiah did.  He must have had a compelling reason to broach the subject.  It is clear that the Messiah’s outward appearance—and by extension, every aspect of redemption’s story—would be a litmus test for the world’s genuine appetite for true salvation.  Those with shallow tastes, those ruled by carnal instincts, those who lack spiritual insight, and those who dabble in superficial concerns would reject Jesus.  He was the Cornerstone, but those who rejected Him saw Him as a stumbling stone. 

This unattractive Messiah carried His repulsive characteristics over to the gospel message He preached.  To follow Him, one must abandon his or her lifestyle.  He brought division to His disciples’ homes. He demanded that people eat His flesh and drink His blood.  He instructed them to forget the dream of reestablishing the Kingdom of Israel and returning to the glory days of King David.  He warned them that they would be hated and would suffer for His namesake.  These predictions, outrageous as they may be, resonated with His disciples and were reiterated in their ministries.  Hear the words of Simon Peter: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.” 1 Peter 4:12-14 (NKJV)

The last few decades have seen an accelerated attempt to fundamentally change the gospel message.  Many now try to cast Christianity in a positive light, minimizing the negatives and emphasizing the positives, thinking essentially to wash the ugly out of the church.  They preach a Christ without a commitment, a gospel devoid of sacrifice, and little or no difference between the straight and narrow way that Jesus spoke about and the broad way that leads to destruction.  They tell the world to come and take a look at a designer-Christianity which says be whatever you want to be, do whatever you want to do, worship whatever you want to worship and you will still be accepted.  What they have done, however, is to preach a deformed and defunct gospel to world already glutted with false religions.

Jesus did not incarnate Himself in an attractive body for the same reason that He ordained His birth to penurious parents in a filthy stable.  He did not enter this world to adoring masses, but to the accompaniment of cows and sheep, to an audience of lowly shepherds, and to the threats of a murderous monarch.  The advent of Christ forced believers to dismiss the glitter and gold that mesmerize the world, to despise the riches upon which shallow souls base their worth, and to value the eternal more than the temporal. 

Yes, I have a problem with a beautiful Jesus.  You can’t undo the stable and manger birth.  You can’t unring the strident and offensive commands of Christ.  You can’t de-thorn the crown of thorns, guild the splintered cross, blot out the blood that flowed from His hands, feet and side, and revoke the callused injustice of the crucifixion.  To turn Jesus into a rock star is to subvert the entire purpose of Calvary.  Why?  Because beautifying Christ glosses over the grossness of our sins.  The ugliness of Christ is commensurate with the transgressions of mankind.  If Jesus was ugly, it’s only because our sins were uglier.  “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:3-4 (NKJV)

Once you adjust yourself to the superficial ugliness of Christ, you will find that—beneath the surface—you will experience infinite joy and peace that you could never see at first glance.  You will discover that there is something more valuable than a handsome face or a comely physical appearance.  Jesus will be your bread, your water, your light, your joy.  He will be your way, your truth your life. 

Stop trying to make the gospel more attractive.  An attractive Jesus only draws the superficial, the carnal, and the insincere.  Jesus, just the way the Scriptures present Him, slices through the layers of fleshly desires and connects you with eternity.  “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

Get Over It

It stabs you in the heart.  You lost your job, your father suffered a heart attack, you went through a nasty divorce, and your child was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. 

Then, someone taps you on the shoulder and gives you these brilliant words of advice, “Get over it.”  He climbs back into his Jaguar and takes off.  Or maybe he switches channels, his eyes glaze over, and he sinks back into his cushioned recliner. 

Someone sprayed graffiti all over the front of your house.  Get over it.

Someone took a ball bat to your windshield because you were in the wrong party.  Get over it.

Your business was ransacked and looted.  Get over it.

You were screamed at, insulted, harassed, and run out of a restaurant.  Get over it.

Your freedom of speech and right to assemble was just denied.  Get over it.

“Get over it” means take your lumps.  Don’t be a baby.  Quit whining.  Put your “big boy pants on.”  Don’t be a sore loser.  You’re paranoid.  You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.  You’re so petty.  Things happen.  Be a man.  Don’t rock the boat.  Play nice.  Quit making it hard on everybody.  You’re showing your true colors.  Don’t make such a fuss.  Get over it.

America just went through a divisive, bitter election.  Then we were warned that massive malfeasance was afoot in the process, like ballots showing up late, legitimate ballots dumped in the garbage bins, votes changed by poll workers, surreptitious actions hidden from observers, and more.  Those who stood to gain from the election looked down their noses and growled, “Get over it!” 

Constitution violated?  Get over it?

Laws broken?  Get over it?

Cheating?  Get over it?

Transparency prevented?  Get over it?

Allegations of wrongdoing?  Get over it?

Seventy million voters disenfranchised?   Get over it?

It is rumored that Joseph Stalin said, “It’s not the people who vote that count, it’s the people who count the votes.” 

When we are admonished to do our civic duty and vote, we do so in good faith that we have elections free from fraud or manipulation.  When we protest that wrong things are happening, we are told that no clear evidence of fraud exists.  The intent of that response is simply to make us stop looking for evidence since those in charge say there isn’t any. 

Got suspicions?  Get over it.

I read something that our forefathers said: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”  When it becomes impossible to maintain our vigil, freedoms are already slipping away from us.  When the rule of law becomes the rule of whoever is in power, freedom has been replaced by tyranny.  Those who think they gain from the loss of vigilance will soon lament the loss of democracy.  Rigged elections are among the first steps toward becoming a banana republic.

We must not get over it. 

We must scrutinize, investigate, analyze and dissect the issue until we discover exactly what happened.  When that study is over and if crimes were indeed discovered, the culprits must be prosecuted and punished.  Whether partisan or independent, every single American should agree with this course of action.

Either this is a nation of laws or it is not.

Either the law is enforced uniformly, or it is not.

If one law may be broken with impunity, then all other laws are equally meaningless.

If every law is meaningless, then we live in tyranny, subject to the whims of the tyrant.

Tyrants and subjects.  Beware.  Today’s tyrants may swiftly become tomorrow’s subjects.

If getting over it means caving to criminal behavior, we must adamantly refuse.  If getting over it means a false peace, a sham election, and a miscarriage of justice, then we must staunchly resist.  If getting over it means forfeiture of the constitution, then true patriots have no choice but to fight for righteous judgment. 

THE TALKING BODY

Is your body speaking to you? A painful (pun intended) number of blogs and websites delve deeper into the fat than I would like, but I have to admit that they have a point. So, I started listening, but I didn’t always like what I heard.

My feet and ankles tell me to invest in some pairs of compression socks to keep down the swelling.

My knees remind me that I’m no kid anymore and two steps at a time is too much on the stairs.

My sacroiliac joints say that they’re no joke. Cortisone injections would be greatly appreciated.

My stomach tries to convince me that it is starving, but that it’s had enough salad and salmon.

My spine keeps bugging me to find a place to sit down.

My shoulder warns me that it could be replaced.

My joints have had it with this Arthur character.

My head is confused. It sends me mixed messages that its both fine and foggy. Which is it?

My eyes thank me for the cataract surgery but keep the eyedrops coming.

My hair thinks it has worn out its welcome.

My skin wants to know if I’ve run out of lotion and anti-itching cream.

My doctor wants me to get in shape, but I keep telling him that a pear is a shape.

So, I guess I’ll keep listening to my body, but, frankly, I wish the conversation weren’t so depressing. I’ve tried talking back, but its listening skills are lousy. Most revealing, however, is that when my body asks me if I’m ready to trade it in for my glorified body, I always respond that it sounds wonderful, but I’ll put up with this old model a little longer.

“But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (MSG)

UNSHAKEN

“That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” Ephesians 4:14 (NKJV)

As if the year 2020 wasn’t bad enough with the Covid-19 pandemic and a tumultuous presidential campaign, five hurricanes ravaged the Louisiana coast and adjacent areas. With buildings toppled, roofs ripped off, trees uprooted, and power lines downed, the winds transformed many square miles into a catastrophe that would make a city landfill look like a luxury suburb. The storms destroyed some staid old buildings that had endured previous hurricanes. Gale force winds were certain to take down any unsecured, compromised, or poorly built structure.

Not all storms are alike. Some are mild, some are extreme; some track quickly across the land, others feature sustained winds that blow for hours. Some drench the land with multiple inches of rain; some cause flood waters to overflow the barriers, dams, and dykes. Some come unannounced; others give days of warning. Nearly all of them, however, rake across exposed structures and dislodge anything not previously secured. The greatest damage occurs when the owners fail to prepare for them or assume that the damage and casualties will be minimal.

Spiritual events often mirror naturally occurring phenomena. Few events fit this prescription more closely than hurricanes or tornadoes. Once vaunted and long-held scriptural and moral institutions like doctrinal truth, holiness, spiritual authority, and church loyalty have been subjected to sinister questioning, and sometimes brazen rebellion. Yet, these developments do not catch us by surprise because the Bible forewarned us about these attacks on the church. “Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” Hebrews 12:27 (NKJV)

Fierce winds blast every generation, and the gusts do more than howl. People get rattled. They move off their foundations. Confusion, panic, and loss of perspective set in. Familiar and reliable standards of thinking flip upside down and inside out. How will the storms affect you? The question is not whether you can feel them; the question focuses on whether they will change you. Will they damage you? Uproot you? Displace you? Or will you survive unscathed? You must not be surprised at these storms as though you were unfairly targeted or that you were unaware of their strength. They will come and you must be prepared.

Do not make the mistake that you cannot be changed. No matter how old you are, how long you have lived a certain way or how remote the storm may be to you, you are still vulnerable. Whether they be huge blows or subtle shifts, you can come out on the other side an essentially different person. Moreover, the storm may even affect someone else—like a spouse, a child, or a close friend—and your world will morph into something you never anticipated.

Your children or loved ones can shake you. Hophni and Phineas, the two sons of Eli, the High Priest, fell into deep and egregious sins, openly violating the sanctity of the tabernacle. Their father rebuked them but failed to rein in their shocking behavior. Eli showed deference to his sons and compromised his convictions on their behalf. Because children exert a powerful sway over their parents, mothers and fathers need to vigilantly guard their beliefs. The rebellion of a child must not alter the convictions of the parent.

Personal tragedy can shake you. Few things test your spiritual stability than a serious car crash, a house fire, a devastating loss, a job termination or a life-threatening illness. Afflictions, reversals, and misfortunes of life can cause a person to rearrange his or her priorities. Paul admonished the Thessalonians about such calamities. “That no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” 1 Thessalonians 3:3 (NKJV).

A change in thinking can shake you. So, you’ve met an amazing new friend who has very different ideas, or you’ve read a book critical of your faith, or you saw a documentary that questioned your basic assumptions. All of us encounter contrary winds of doctrine, philosophy or convictions as we navigate our way through life. It is possible that a new thought can intersect with you at a vulnerable period of life and take advantage of your temporary weakness. “For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” 2 Timothy 4:10 (NKJV) This young man had a momentary lapse in spiritual fitness and abandoned his calling. Again, Paul warned us “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter.” 2 Thessalonians 2:2 (NKJV).

A dramatic change in circumstances can shake you. The acquisition of a degree, a new job, or a significant promotion can quickly thrust a person into a position of authority or prominence. A windfall profit or a sudden inheritance can cause a shift in attitude. While good fortune may not be considered a storm of life, the net affect can be negative in terms of personal faith. Many so-called blessings can turn into curses. The believer’s commitment to God must resemble the marriage vow: “For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part…” If God never changes in His commitment to us, neither should we change toward Him. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV)

Check your foundation. Storms may cause superficial damage, but if your foundation is intact, most often surface damage can be easily repaired. Jesus told the parable of the two houses precisely for this moment. “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. Luke 6:48 (NKJV)

Stand strong. Stand firm. Stand true. Never make major concessions to change because of someone else’s convictions. Never allow personal tragedy to eviscerate your faith. Solidify your mental and moral convictions so that you remain impervious to novel ideas or aberrant thinking. Don’t allow your blessings become curses to your walk with God.

Storms will come. They will shake you. They don’t have to destroy you. Whatever happens, you can survive and grow even stronger.

‘FESSING UP

One of the favorite pastimes of adult children around the Thanksgiving table or some other similar setting is telling their parents the truth about their childhood antics. Mysteries about who broke the china keepsake, how the fender on the new car got scraped, who started the famous fight, and why Billy came home smelling like cigarettes get paraded out into the open.  Most of the time the revelations confirm mom and dad’s suspicions, but sometimes the truth shocks everyone in the family.  It’s all great fun and my kids—all in their thirties—laugh their heads off.  Sometimes they really get on a roll and rat each other out.  Of course, they have to make sure that the grandkids are out of earshot.

Confession of minor crimes minus consequences make great entertainment. Back when the transgressions happened, however, a totally different atmosphere would have prevailed.  Then, lying, avoidance, coverup and blaming someone else dictated the response to the dreaded investigation.  Show me a kid who subscribes to the thought that “honesty is the best policy,” and I’ll show you a child with a warped sense of propriety.  Not really, but you know what I mean.

Now, let’s elevate the discussion to the public square.  When read the work of journalists whose job is to report the truth but who engage in censorship, our childhood experiences kick in. We instinctively know what’s going on.  Someone is playing games.  Anyone who hides, manipulates, or otherwise refuses to disclose hard facts about a person or an incident reek of a coverup.  If the story is inconsequential, it may not matter except for the principle of the thing.  When a story contains explosive evidence of major crimes or of egregious behavior, then censorship becomes as offensive as the action itself.  Regardless of the motive—protecting, diverting attention, or controlling the outcome—censoring is an affront to society.  At this higher level, the raucous Thanksgiving table provides no levity.  It only compounds the offense.

Totalitarian states maintain their vise-like grip on a population through rigid control over the news.  A single despot or a cadre of oligarchs decide what will and what will not be reported.  They make their decisions on their personal assessment of their desired outcome, not on revealing the raw facts of the case.  No matter how noble the intent, it’s a dangerous practice, and it eventually corrupts the very society it pretends to serve.  Filtered news inevitably benefits the person or persons who control the filter.

A democratic society lives and thrives on truth.  It should be the public that decides how consequential the facts will be, not a few individuals who fancy themselves smarter, more qualified, or better positioned to make that decision.  A free press has always been the hallmark of freedom.  Whenever a group of arrogant, sanctimonious, and powerful people take over the dissemination of the news, we are no longer a free people with a free press.  It is shocking that those involved in censorship have so little regard for the basic freedoms upon which this nation was built.

I now see evidence of censorship on a massive scale.  People like me may scream “tell the truth” to the people in the press.  It falls on deaf ears. They don’t have to listen.  They know what’s “best” for us all.  They are above us—or so they think.  They know how we should vote.  They know how we should talk.  They know what we should watch.  In the future, they may know what religion we should profess.  They may know how much money we should make.  They may know what kind of house we should have, where we should live, and what we should do for a living.  All hail the powerful people who know how everyone should live their lives.

A word of caution.  The traditions of free speech and a free press are deeply ingrained in this population.  If this kind of thinking continues, major trouble lies on the horizon.

STICK A NEEDLE IN MY EYE

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18 (NKJV)

Can’t see straight?  Embarrassed when you don’t recognize people you should know?  Dislike running into walls?  Stub your toes or trip over objects in your pathway?  Handicapped by blurred, dim or double vision? Blame the eyes, guys. You need glasses.  The need to see clearly dominates the human experience.  Thus, eyecare sits atop the list of the five senses.    

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!”  Echoes of that grisly childhood ditty still cause me to shudder.  No wonder.  Most of us react emotionally when thinking about losing our eyesight.  The worst horror stories involve eyes being stabbed, poked, burned out with a hot poker, plucked out, or splashed with acid.  The universal aversion to eye injuries shows up in multiple tales in history.  Samson lost his eyes to his Philistine torturers.  In Greek mythology, as the Cyclops (the one-eyed giant) sleeps, Odysseus and his men heat the tip of the sharpened log in a fire and then ram it into his eye, blinding him.  Jesus suggested it would be better to pluck one’s eyes out than to go to hell.  “And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” Matthew 18:9 (NKJV)

But, more than eyesight, the twenty-first century discussion about eyes really focuses (no pun intended) on eyeglasses.  In contemplating this topic, a connection between eyeglasses and spiritual eyesight began to appear.  This may be a stretch, but the connotation seemed to me too obvious to miss.  The surprising fact is that we choose eyeglasses for many reasons other than the need for corrective lenses.  Let me also suggest that we manage and manipulate our spiritual vision to advance our life’s personal narrative.  Unfortunately, the “eyes of our understanding” often fall short of enlightenment. 

Designer frames.  You can get some wild frames these days in the optician’s showrooms.  Frames made to look like fingers, lens covered with spiderwebs, and macabre arachnid legs growing out of the frames are all available for purchase.  Also, the usual unusual colors like fire engine red, orchid purple, stark white, and rainbow colors may be ordered.  Why?  People choose designer frames to “make a statement.”  In terms of the “eyes of understanding,” what does this mean?  It means that people also frame their worldview as a function of their psychological desires, both consciously and subconsciously.  It’s not that they want to actually see better, it’s that they want to be seen as seeing better.  It’s not what they believe, it’s whether people perceive their beliefs as cool.  Sycophants, phonies, and plastic minions populate the planet today whose main goal in life is to fit in, to be accepted, to glom onto every popular idea out there.  Authenticity, the foundation for a genuine, fulfilled life gets bartered away for an illusion.  

Clear lenses.  Akin to the designer frames people, the clear lens people don’t really need glasses, they just want to mimic the perception that glasses make people look better, smarter, richer or more important.  Likewise, many people have no intention of changing their viewpoint or believing the Bible, but they want the look of a discriminating, open-minded seeker of truth.  Thus, we have Christians-in-name-only who betray the Gospel so as to reap believers’ benefits without truly believing.  Paul called them “false brethren.” “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.” Galatians 2:4 (KJV). 

Bifocals. Myopic people see clearly up close, but their far-sighted vision is blurry. The invention of split lenses, a.k.a. bifocals, enable people to see both near or far simply by shifting their eyes up or down.  Spiritually speaking, this generation can shift its view from near to far and back again as quickly as their spiritual bifocals will permit.  The moment their spiritual authority makes a demand that impinges on their independence or self-will, they disappear.  Loyalty, consistency, and faithfulness have increasingly become relics of the past.  Thus, the benefits of these virtues have waned as well.  What you see is what you get now defines mano-a-mano interaction, stripping it of rich, personal meaning in our human exchanges.  Instead of looking out for each other, we now just say, “Look out!” 

Astigmatism.  This condition results from one or both eyes being out of round.  Without correction, those who suffer from astigmatism see blurred, distorted images.  The exact cause is unknown, but studies indicate that it can either be genetic, caused by surgery, or having incurred an eye injury.  We often wonder why some people never seem to get their lives straightened out.  Spiritual astigmatism may be the reason.  Those who have suffered from abuse, deep personal tragedy, or a dysfunctional home environment may have a difficult time seeing the things that seem clear to others.  

Transition.  Transition lenses get darker when struck by ultraviolet rays and lighten when moved out of the reach of those rays.   Transitions lenses contain special patented photochromic dyes that cause the lens to activate.  Our spiritual eyesight can also change dramatically when sin, toxic attitudes, misperceptions, and misunderstandings infect our vision.  Their light becomes dark, their bright becomes shadowy, and previously understood principles and doctrines lose their clarity.  It is extremely frustrating when people believe one way for most of their lives and then, suddenly, they deny those very truths and go another direction.  Sin is a dangerous dye.  Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.” Luke 11:34 (NKJV) 

Diplopia (double vision).  Nerve or muscle damage in the eye can cause double vision.  Each eye creates its own image of the environment and relays it to the brain. The brain then combines the signals from each eye to create a unified picture.  It is important for both eyes to work together to create depth of field.  Damaged muscles that move the eyes or the nerves that control eye movement can result in two images.  Often, these muscles cannot be repaired.  Special lenses called prisms can correct the vision and turn the differing images into one picture.  Likewise, damaged spiritual vision sends conflicting images to the mind.  Remember, the fleshly nature will always see things from a carnal perspective.  In his letter to the Romans, Paul enlarged on this thought.  Read carefully.  “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”  Romans 8:6-10 (NKJV).  

The only answer to diplopia is to see the world through a divine lens.  The Word of God activated by the indwelling Spirit of God elevates us to God’s vantage point.  Only when we see the way God sees can we truly understand the issues of life.  Nature leads us to predicate all action on what we see.  Fear, doubt, panic, and confusion inundate us when we see from a human perspective.  Having a correct spiritual vision is critical.  Think of the spies sent by Moses into Canaan.  “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.  There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”  Numbers 13:30-33 (NKJV) 

Joshua and Caleb also saw the giants.  Their perspective, however, let the see their God towering above the giants. 

It’s all in the eyesight.  What do you see today?