The day was gloriously warm and cloud free. Once we arrived at the white sanded beach I immediately made a bee line for one of the overpriced beach umbrellas to make sure I had proper shade to sit under. Then we sat down and unpacked our stuff. Barb had made a picnic lunch with enough PB & J sandwiches to feed a small army. After we ate I rallied the troops and gave them my typical lecture about staying near us and having a buddy with them at all times. Then I plopped down in the reclining chair under my umbrella and settled in for the day, feet propped and another sandwich in hand.

Even though I am a hyper-protective father, it only took a few moments for me to become lost in the peaceful ambiance of my surroundings. The salty air, the noisy call of the seagulls, and the rushing of the foamy waves overwhelmed my senses. This tranquility lasted a few minutes until suddenly my paternal instincts kicked in and I snapped back to reality. I immediately began taking a “kid inventory” to make sure all were present and accounted for.

“One, two, three…four, five…”. But there was no six. The peacefulness of the prior moments vanished in an instant as I realized that my two-year-old daughter Mira had disappeared.

I jumped out of my seat and looked around once more, then turned to Barb and yelled, “Where’s Mira?” Barb was busy feeding the baby and hadn’t noticed Mira had slipped away either. I felt my stomach sink and images of my daughter accompanied by thoughts of things unmentionable sprung up in my mind. Quickly we gathered the rest of the children together and devised a plan. Barb, with tears welling up in her eyes, took off in one direction with some of our kids, and I ran the opposite way down the beach with the rest in search of Mira.

As we were running, I alternated between asking people if they had seen a little girl in a purple swimsuit and begging God to protect Mira and bring her back safely. As we worked our way down the beach I became more discouraged and frightened as person after person stated that they had not seen her.

Finally, a woman stepped up to us and said that she saw a little girl pass by just a few minutes before. She and her family joined us in our search and as we worked our way even farther down the beach, another person pointed us to the lifeguard chair. I looked up and there stood the lifeguard, holding Mira in his arms. As I ran up to them I could see that Mira was not upset, and even had a sassy look on her face that seemed to indicate that she enjoyed her little excursion down the beach, blissfully ignorant of the trauma she put her parents through.

I, on the other hand, nearly collapsed from relief and the adrenaline rush that was pumping through my veins. I took Mira in my arms, kissed and hugged her, and told her to never leave us like that again. She clung tight to me and we made the long trip back to our little plot, where I handed her over to her equally elated mother.

At the time, the experience of temporarily losing Mira felt like it had lasted for an eternity, but in reality it all happened within a matter of a couple of minutes. Nonetheless, it deflated our enthusiasm for the beach, and we decided to call it a day early and head back home.

That night as I climbed into bed, the day’s events were still on my mind. Despite feeling worn out, I had trouble sleeping. I kept replaying the whole situation in my mind over and over, until eventually I began to pray. As I did, I felt the urge to be still and allow God to speak to me.

During those few moments of stillness, God brought to my mind the parable of the lost sheep. In that story, if the Good Shepherd loses just one sheep out of a flock of a hundred, he is heartbroken and will relentlessly pursue that one sheep until he finds it and brings it back into the fold to safety.

After refreshing that story in my mind, God began to impress his truth into my heart. The words went something like this:

“Chad, do you remember how you felt today when Mira was lost?”

“Yes, I responded, “I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”

God continued, “I want you to know that the way you felt today when Mira disappeared– that overwhelming sense of loss and desperation – that is exactly the way I feel about every lost soul on earth.”

As those words sunk in, for the first time I began to relate to God not only as his child, but also as a father. I sympathized with God as I realized the great pining in his heart for his fallen creation and his lost children. I understood more completely his willingness to do whatever it takes, including sending his Son to the Cross, to reclaim what was lost.

Never before had I understood his great love at so profound a level. It occurred to me that this insight into God’s relentless love for his children could have revolutionary consequences for the Church and for our world today if God’s people would also understand, embrace, and put into practice the Father’s desperate love for the lost.

Our relief at being reunited with Mira is just a small taste of the joy the Father experiences when one of his lost children comes home to him. No wonder the angels rejoice over just one sinner who repents. One of God’s beloved children has been rescued and brought safely home in the loving arms of the Father.

America’s fascination with super heroes is intriguing. It would be simple to dismiss this fascination simply on the basis of entertainment value, or to relegate it to a child or adolescent preoccupation. However, box office receipts, video sales & rentals, and merchandising have proven that the appeal of the super hero is no particular respecter of demographics. Rather, super heroes maintain their long-held, wide appeal in our society, as the continuing trend in Hollywood affirms. Why? The answer provides insight into the state of our human condition.

Super heroes are symbols. Beyond their costumes, super powers, and even their flaws super heroes represent in tangible form the answer to the greatest of evils that exist in our world. They inspire, they deliver justice on behalf of the oppressed, and they provide hope for a better future. They stand up for the little guy and overcome the bullies of the world. They are super in light of their special powers, and heroes in their ability to rescue those who are powerless to save themselves. They are what mankind longs for – a Savior.

The trouble with super heroes, of course, is that they don’t really exist. The fleeting thrill we get from watching Batman triumph over the Joker, for example, leaves us feeling hollow and does nothing to actually help set the world right. Evil abounds everywhere, and a quick review of the daily headlines or a watch of the evening news reinforces this reality all too clearly in our consciousness. Reality relegates super heroes to nothing more than wishful thinking, an escapist’s existential solution to life’s most difficult problems.

If only super heroes were real…..

The deep longings of the human heart remain unchanged, century after century. We desire solutions to age-old issues such as hunger, genocide, tyranny, sickness & disease, and most of all, death. In super hero terminology, Death is mankind’s ultimate arch-enemy, and the rest of the world’s many ills are its minions. No comic book super heroes have solved any of these problems, even in their imaginary worlds. Yet when all seems lost, hope for mankind remains and is described in the pages of the Bible.

In Luke’s gospel, chapter 4 v. 18-19 Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” He then summarized in v. 21 by stating that “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” With this declaration, Jesus conveyed that the old order of the way things work in the world was passing away, and with his arrival a new order had broken in. The Kingdom of God was beginning to dawn, and God’s reign was being re-established in the world. Jesus’ miracles provided the evidence that the old rules no longer held any authority. The power that sin and evil held over mankind was fully defeated by Jesus’ death on the cross, and his resurrection provided the evidence that death did not have the final say over life, after all. This is why the apostle Paul called Jesus the “first fruits” of the dead, (1 Corinthians 15:20). In other words, Jesus was the first of many to come to experience the ultimate victory God has in store for all those who call him Lord. In Jesus’ resurrection, God reaffirmed his good creation and gave believers a glimpse of what to expect in the future when he will make all things new.

God’s kingdom continues to advance today, edging closer and closer to the moment when its consummation will be complete. On that day Jesus will return to Earth to establish his eternal throne, the dead in Christ will be raised to glorified everlasting life, heaven and earth will be renewed and rejoined, sin, suffering, and death will be no more, and God’s dwelling will once again be with man, forever.

In the meantime, we need not waste our time hoping for a super hero to come and save the day. Believers are equipped by the Spirit with everything they need to partake with God in his ongoing work of renewal, and we are charged with a mission to do exactly that. The ultimate answer to all of the great issues of our time is Christ, who is the long-awaited and hoped for Savior of the world. Our mission as his Body is to proclaim that message and to put it into action. Therefore, we are called to contend for justice, mercy, healing and restoration wherever the need for such things is found. When we feed the poor, clothe the naked, advocate for the oppressed, love the unloved, or stand up to the tyrant, God’s kingdom is advanced and we become the heroes our world is searching for.

]]> http://chadrath.com/?feed=rss2&p=22 http://chadrath.com/?p=8 http://chadrath.com/?p=8#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:15:53 +0000 admin http://chadrath.com/?p=8 Marge felt guilty. As the leader of Promises, a home-based ministry for young girls, she had just hung up from a difficult phone conversation with Linda, the mother of eight year old Janelle, a troubled Promises member. Marge knew from prior conversations with Linda that Janelle’s home life was no picnic. Although Linda recently had become a Christian, her husband Dave wanted nothing to do with church or with Christianity. As Linda described it, Dave spent most of his time at home watching TV or surfing the internet, basically ignoring Janelle and her two older brothers. Linda’s attempts to interest her husband in getting to know some of her new Christian friends were met with stubborn disinterest from Dave, who preferred to spend his free time languishing in the virtual reality created by his computer and cable television.

As a new believer, Linda’s heart quickly became focused on training up her children to know and love Christ. She had met Marge through a mutual friend who had told her about Promises. Linda was immediately interested in getting Janelle involved, especially when she learned more about the focus of the group. In addition to Bible teaching, there were many important, practical skills that the girls would be taught that would enable them to help support their families with typical household responsibilities. Linda viewed Promises as a godsend, for not only would her daughter receive biblical teaching and be able to develop her practical household skills, she also would have the opportunity to meet and be influenced by godly people who perhaps might fill the gaps left by Linda’s own lack of Bible knowledge and Dave’s indifference.

But Linda’s hopes and plans were dashed during her phone conversation with Marge that day. Even though Janelle recently completed her first year of involvement with Promises, it had been a bumpy ride for all involved. The rest of the girls in the group came from Christian homes and were active in church. Many of them had been involved in groups like Promises before and understood that practicing proper etiquette and showing respect for others was the key to being accepted and approved of by the leaders and their peers. These girls knew the rules and the expectations, and they matched their behavior accordingly.

Not so with Janelle. Not having the benefit of a Christian home or of loving, well-intentioned discipline, Janelle was a loose cannon amongst the other girls. She would regularly rebel and fail to mind her instructors. She would make inappropriate comments and discuss topics that children her age have no business discussing. And she intimidated some of the girls through her aggressive behavior. Most of the girls learned to avoid Janelle and tried to ignore her as much as possible, although some of them made covert efforts to ostracize and embarrass her too.

All of this was too much for Marge. Not only was she frustrated with Janelle’s disruptive behavior, she was beginning to receive complaints from the parents of the other girls. Some of them were threatening to pull their daughters out of the group if the “Janelle situation” was not soon addressed. With the beginning of a new year of Promises just around the corner, Marge did not want to risk losing some key members of the group. After weighing the options, she placed a call to Linda to inform her that Janelle would not be welcomed back to the group for the upcoming year.

Linda accepted Marge’s decision gracefully. She told Marge that she had expected this news, because she knew the trouble Janelle had caused the previous year. Linda confessed that she was at her wits end trying to manage Janelle’s behavior, and without any support from her husband it seemed an almost impossible task. Marge sensed the disappointment and hurt in Linda’s voice, and in an attempt to make them both feel better she invited Linda and her family over for dinner later that week. Linda gratefully accepted, and added that she hoped she could convince Dave to come. Marge reassured Linda that her husband, Pete, was an outgoing, friendly guy and would make Dave feel at ease. Linda thanked Marge for the invitation and they hung up. Marge still felt guilty, but her dinner invitation to Linda had at least taken the edge off her internal struggle. That is, until she spoke to Pete.

Marge was right in her assessment of her husband. By all accounts, Pete was friendly and enjoyed meeting new people. He was also a deep thinker, and loved to study and discuss deep theological topics with others who held similar interests. That evening during dinner, Marge relayed to Pete her prior conversation with Linda that day. After hearing the details of the discussion Pete empathized with his wife and commended her for her willingness to do the right thing. Then almost as an afterthought, Marge told Pete that she had invited Linda and her family over for dinner later that week. Pete’s face suddenly grew sober, and the tone of his voiced changed from casual and reassuring to serious and reprimanding. “Why would you do a thing like that?” he asked Marge. “I don’t have anything in common with a guy like Dave. What am I supposed to talk to him about?”

Marge’s internal struggle escalated with a vengeance. Later that evening, she called Linda and made a half-believable excuse to un-invite Linda’s family for dinner. Linda was again gracious in her response, saying that she understood completely. Yet Marge recognized the same disappointed, hurt tone in her voice. Offering an insincere but convincing “Well, we’ll have to reschedule for another time”, Marge said good-bye and hung up the phone.

Now months later, Linda’s family still has not made it to Marge’s for dinner or anything else. Marge does not intend to call, and she prefers not to think of Linda at all because the accompanying guilt interferes with her happy Christian life.

Let’s face it. Christians often are judgmental and clique-y. Although they are called to be salt and light to the world, they instead often retreat and assimilate, shunning the world because it is not like them. As a result, many churches have become nothing more than religious country clubs, offering a safe harbor for like-minded believers but doing little to advance the kingdom of God beyond the entrances of their state of the art facilities.

Ironically, this doesn’t remotely describe the One whom Christians claim to follow. Far from retreating into comfortable cliques, Jesus looked around at a sinful, rebellious, immoral society and delved right into it. Recognizing that it is not the healthy that need healing but the sick, he sought out the hapless and the hopeless, as well as the destitute and the deranged, and he embraced them. He inconvenienced himself and made the outcast, the ugly, and the scarred his friends. Instead of doling out judgment and condemnation, he offered redemption and hope. Instead of writing off society’s losers to the dung heap of history, he loved them and gave himself up for them, and he taught his followers to do the same.

Jesus knew something that Christians today would be wise to understand. It is not the accomplished, the elite, the proud, the self sufficient, or the self righteous who will inherit his kingdom. Rather, it is the broken, the cast off, and the downtrodden that God seeks after. For as these are raised up by faith to wholeness and are transformed through their submission to his redemptive power, the world will witness the miracle and realize that he exists and that he alone is God. By saving the weak and then presenting them as his most precious trophies, God is exalted and glorified, and still others are given hope and can begin to realize and embrace their own God-given worth.

Many “Christians” like Marge and Pete are in danger of missing out on the kingdom that Jesus spoke of. His warnings about this fact were numerous and clear. Today’s the day to realize that even an American evangelical may unwittingly be living life upside down, out of step with the truth taught and lived by our Lord. Search you heart, and ask God to sift you so that you can understand what it truly means to be a follower of Christ. Anything short of this is futile and empty living, no matter what label is put on it.

Sunday morning came and the kids dressed in their Easter best.  In the meantime, I headed outside to dispose of the bird before we headed off to church.  Not wanting to actually touch the mess, I grabbed a pair of pliers from the garage and walked over to the bird, looking for the best place to grab so that I could pry it off the vehicle.  After successfully pulling it off, I walked over to the garbage can on the side of the house and lifted the lid and threw the bird in.  Just as I did so, I noticed my three year old daughter Mira watching me.  She stood in the driveway in her purple, ruffled Easter dress with a puzzled look on her face.  As I closed the lid on the garbage can, Mira asked, “Daddy, why did you throw the bird in the garbage?”  Shrugging her question off, I replied, “Because Mira, it’s dead and that’s where it goes”.  Turning toward the garage to put the pliers back in the toolbox, Mira responded one more time with something so profound and unexpected that it froze me in my tracks.  

“But Dad, God can fix it.”

Suddenly I remembered what day it was - Easter Sunday, or as we prefer to call it in our house, Resurrection Day.  This is the day that commemorates the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave and proves that there is nothing too challenging for our God to overcome.  Even death itself is no match for his mighty power.  In Jesus’ resurrection, God demonstrated that the natural laws of this world do not apply to him, for as the Creator he is superior to them.  He alone will have the final say over the ultimate destiny of all his creation, of which mankind is the crown jewel. 

As believers, our great and only hope for salvation from this world and from the grave lies in the promise of resurrection.  The apostle Paul put it this way, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15:19).  In other words, if the Resurrection is not true, we’re all sunk.  But if it is, then the ramifications result in the most extraordinary turn of events in human history.  It means that life, with all of its trials and suffering, will not ultimately end in futility.  God’s promise, of which the risen Jesus is the deposit and first fruits, is that those who experience death in this life will take it up again at the return of his Son, on that great and final Day.   Those who have lost loved ones understand and cling to this hope like no other, because it offers the opportunity to be reunited with those who have died in Christ.  I do not know how I would have gotten through the loss of my own mother, who died six Easters ago, without the hope that the Resurrection brings.

But the impact of the Resurrection is not simply confined to future events.  Rather, the power that raised Jesus from the grave is alive and available today.  Our God is a God of restoration.  Just as he longs for the full restoration of his creation to its pre-fallen state, so he also longs to restore what has been stolen away from the lives of his people.  With God, “it ain’t over ‘til he says it’s over”.  This truth applies to troubled marriages and other relationships, to struggles with health and finances, and to any area of our lives where we experience difficulty.  What seems impossible to us is entirely possible with God (Luke 18:27).  The Resurrection is proof that this is true.  Experiencing this truth in our lives requires trust in God’s promises and total surrender to his will, no matter how impossible our circumstances seem.  Setting aside pride and stubborn self will and allowing God free reign to move in our lives in any way he desires is the first step in experiencing restoration.  God loves us and desires to bring complete restoration to every facet of our lives.  So let’s not be shy about asking for it.

Mira had no idea what a profound statement she made that Easter morning.  But it was not lost on me.  God can indeed “fix” anything, any situation, any problem.  Through the death and resurrection of his Son, he’s provided the ultimate “fix” to the greatest problems our world knows, and one day he will bring that work to completion.  In the meantime, I asked him for one more favor that Easter morning.  I told him I’d like to see that same bird flying again one day.  I believe he wants to fulfill that request, and maybe someday Mira and I will watch a resurrected bird soar in the sky of God’s renewed world.  That’s a sight I can’t wait to see.

As I closed the door, I looked out the window and noticed the chilling sight of a lion crouched underneath it. Its teeth were bared and it had long front fangs drenched in saliva that glimmered in the bright morning sun. Shocked and frightened, I locked the front door and then ran to the other doors and windows in the house to make sure that they too were closed and securely locked.

I called out to the kids to warn them of the danger looming just outside, and to make sure they knew that all the doors and windows had to remain locked. Blissfully ignorant of the impending danger, they went right on with their playing, unfazed by my warnings.

Dreams are interesting. They take bits and pieces of the people, places, and events of our lives and splice them together to create random and often bizarre stories that play out on the backsides of our eyelids. Some of the more beautiful ones leave us wanting more, while our nightmares can never end too quickly.

I have never been one to put much stock into trying to discover the meaning of my dreams. I generally dismiss them as the result of stress or perhaps too much late night snacking. However, this dream left me with the clear impression that it was not merely the random result of a few too many Fritos, but instead an intentional message meant to awaken me to my own lackadaisical and naïve attitude toward the spiritual aspects of my role as a father.

In my dream, I continued to walk around the house, looking outside to see if the lion was still hanging around. Here and there I caught glimpses of it, and noticed upon seeing it more fully that the outline of its ribcage protruded through its skin, indicating starvation. It’s cold, dark eyes restlessly searched our home for an entryway. I realized in that moment that the lion was after my children, and that it intended to devour as many of them as it possibly could. I became soberly aware that only I could protect my children from the lion, by preventing its entry into our home.

In the same instant, I glanced at the front door and noticed it open again. The lion noticed it too, and made a dash to get in. I shot over to the door and reached it just as the lion leaped for it, and I managed to close and lock it just as the thud of its impact hit the other side. Relieved, I again called out to my children to make sure the door was closed and locked, but my pleadings seemed to fall on deaf ears once more as they continued on with their playing.

I found the front door open again and again, only to go through the same routine of rushing over to close it and then to warn my children about keeping it closed. Despite my diligent efforts, the door was left open one time too many, and the lion finally forced his head through the opening and into our living room, with his sights set on my beloved, helpless little children.

At that moment, I shot up in bed. The transition from sleep to consciousness seemed blurred and delayed as I sat still engrossed in the nightmare.

As I slowly came around, this Scripture clearly came to mind: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Immediately I realized that this dream had a purpose of supernatural origins, and that it was meant to warn me about becoming a complacent father. Since then, I have thought about the full meaning of the dream and its ramifications for my life and for my family, and for other fathers also.

Here is what I’ve learned: The lion (Satan) truly exists, and so do his demons – not existentially or metaphorically, but actively and purposefully. The devil is on a search-and-destroy mission, stealthily spurred on by his total and unabashed hatred for God’s creation, especially people. He hates me, he hates you, he hates our wives and he hates our children. In fact, he particularly targets our children for destruction. Like the ravenous lion in my dream, he will relentlessly seek a foothold into our homes in order to inflict destruction on our kids. Ironically, it is often fathers, not mothers or children, who leave the door open for him to enter in.

In my dream, I repeatedly reprimanded my children for leaving the front door open. I now realize that the door actually represents the areas of unrepentant sin in my own life that I have failed to close. Those sins have painful ramifications not only for my life, but also impact my family in harmful ways. Satan effectively strives to convince us that what is done in private has no impact on anyone else, but the sinister reality is that this perspective is a lie. Sin affects my attitude and behavior toward God, toward my family, and toward a host of other things in my life.

I cannot be an effective spiritual leader to my family when sin abides unchecked in my life. And worst of all, my sin is an avenue through which Satan gains entry not only to destroy my life, but also to destroy my family as well. In short, fathers deceive themselves by thinking that we can effectively guard the spiritual well-being of our children while at the same time welcoming the enemy into our homes through our pet sins.

A father who is serious about the spiritual protection of his children must take an account of where his life stands before God. Has he surrendered completely to Christ’s lordship in his life, or does he harbor unresolved sin that serves as a portal for the devil to access his family? Further, is he focused and aware of the devil’s wicked schemes or is he preoccupied with other personal interests and activities that prevent him from devoting the time and attention necessary to ensure his children’s spiritual well being?

Sadly, statistics show that many Christian fathers who ought to know better are actually no different in how they choose to spend their leisure time than non-Christians. For example, according to the Barna Group, the average church congregant spends more time watching television in one day than he spends in all spiritual pursuits combined for an entire week.[1] Christians also spend roughly the same amount of time each week watching television and movies and going online as do non-Christians, and that they spend about as much money on entertainment and technology as do non-Christians.[2]

Given this data, it is clear that active fathering may very well mean turning off the TV or giving up fantasy football or a host of other activities that compete for our time and attention. Hobbies and personal interests are necessary to help us to relax and recharge, but must be balanced with the biblical mandate to “be self-controlled and alert.” This is difficult to do when we’re too wrapped up in our own trivial pursuits to deeply engage in our kids’ lives. We cannot afford to neglect our children for the sake of other things that are, at the end of the day, completely irrelevant to our lives and to our families.

Children grow up quickly, and our window of influence in their lives shrinks every day. Satan and the world want nothing more than to sink their teeth into our kids. Fathers must remain diligent at all times in protecting their children, and the reality of the devil’s schemes should serve as motivation for us to ensure that the door to sin in our lives is closed.

Further, we must not be afraid to make rules and decisions that are in our children’s best interest, even if our kids get upset with us for doing so. God holds fathers accountable for how we handle our role as spiritual protectors, and beyond merely warning our kids of danger, we must insert ourselves in between our children and any source of potential harm, even if they hate us for doing so. Their hate is temporary, but the consequences of failing to get involved often last a lifetime, maybe even an eternity.

Wake up, fathers! The lion is at the door!