End of the world

The idea that the world will soon, very soon, come to an end, regularly makes an appearance in the headlines.  Much of this is driven by the Protestant world.  But some of it comes from the alarmist, government conspiracy camp.  Regardless of origin, underlying the idea is an extremely stunted knowledge of world history.  Far too many people limit their knowledge of world history to their generation or their nation.
Case in point is the US.  People rightly recognize the rapid moral decline of our country and from this deduce that the world is coming to an end, often times based on apocalyptic passages in the Bible.  But what is happening right now in our country is no different than what has happened in ancient Greece, Rome, northern Africa, and Russia, to name a few. 
Sin leads to death. It really is that simple.  When a nation does not follow the guidance of the holy spirit and his church, they, by default choose death. There is no where to go but down. 
As we look at the wretched state of the USA, we should see just another nation that has rejected Jesus Christ.  And we will fall.  No one knows when or how, but it will come.  And the destruction of a civilization to be replaced by another is never a comfortable thing.
Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, Have mercy on us sinners.

Thoughts on wealth

I'll be the first to admit that having money is really helpful and convenient.  But that doesn't stop me from musing on different possibilities.
We cannot use arguments from the old testament to bolster the rightness of being wealthy.  Living under the old covenant was all about things temporal.  Death has not yet been defeated, thus life for the people of God was about his blessing IN THE LAND.  Living now, in the new covenant, we have so much more to look forward to.  Life in this earth is like boot camp.  A time of getting ready for eternal life in a perfected, sinless eternity.
So where does wealth fit into all of this?  It depends a lot on our attitude, maturity and understanding.  But honestly, for the most part, money tends to draw us away from God and distract us from the state of our souls.  It doesn't have to do this, but the simple fact that it usually does ought to make us pause and consider.
There is nothing more important than theosis, and having lots of money is not part of that equation.

Thoughts on discomfort

As we are heading into the Lenten fast, thoughts of hunger, inconvenience and discomfort come to mind.  Lately in the news, there is talk about parents disciplining their children and the legitimacy of spanking.  I wonder why it is that something legitimate is judged by cases of misuse or abuse?
On one hand, we want to see our children healthy and happy, enjoying the good things of life and growing up in wisdom.  But as I grow older, I am coming to see that a life of comfort and ease only leads to self centeredness and frivolity.  It is the life fraught with discomfort, trials and struggle that produces a life of excellence. 
We see this picture painted for us, over and over, in Scripture.  "Broad is the road to hell, narrow is the path to life."  "Sell all you have, give to the poor and follow me."  Paul speaks of disciplining his body like a soldier or a boxer.  This means discomfort.  The Church teaches and encourages us to follow the fasting calendar.  This means discomfort and inconvenience.  But this also means growth and maturation.  Two thousand years of church life shows us how to use a tool such as fasting, properly and effectively.
So in regards to our children, we must live a careful balance.  We joyfully provide for all their needs and at the same time, we teach them how to persevere in difficulty and discomfort. 
It would be a crime to coddle and comfort our children into a life and mindset of ease.  The only way we can be assured of successfully and faithfully raising our children is to live the life of the Church with them and love them.

Thoughts on Anger

I had mentioned, in a previous post, that the prevailing attitude/mindset among young men is that of anger.  I had questioned the "why" of this.  I was recently listening to 'Lil Wayne, a relatively popular rap artist (who has a very foul mouth) and was a bit taken back by the underlying anger that was present.  I was somewhat surprised by this.  The basic message of the songs was that of, "I am who am I because I worked hard and earned this position of influence and money by my own doing." Apparently Dwayne Carter ('Lil Wayne's real name) prides himself on his self-made position.  So why the anger?
I have a theory that may or may not be right, but I think it is heading in the right direction.  I would suggest that young men are angry because (by their God-given nature) they see things that are wrong and needed to be righted.  People are (as people made in the image of God) motivated by the need for justice and truth.  There is so much that is wrong in the world, there are so many innocent people that suffer at the hands of others, that people are driven to respond.  Now obviously, non-believers and believers alike are all tainted by sin and selfishness, but no one has everything wrong.  The Holy Spirit is working in and upon everyone, and everyone responds in some manner to this influence.
So while I cannot recommend the music of 'Lil Wayne, I can commend him on his innate sense of justice and anger at injustice.
May we all take notice of the world around us and do what we can to love our neighbor.

Honest look at crime

I came across a great little article in the St. Petersburg Times about crime in Russia.  It puts a different perspective from what we hear in the West.  Here it is: crime.

Acknowledging value

It seems that everyone has something in their lives about which they get "excited".  There is something that stirs their passions, something that they enjoy and is central to their lives.  Unfortunately, in this depraved and twisted American culture, that excitement is something typically trite and base.
An even greater problem exists in the fact that most people don't recognize it or think about it.
Our culture, in general, gives an approving nod to excitement about sports, especially at this time of the Superbowl. 
It's really sad to say, but we never see this excitement when it comes to our faith.  If we really understood what was actually happening during the Divine Liturgy, we would be excited.  Like children on Christmas eve, we would have trouble sleeping the night before, we would be talking about and thinking about nothing else.  But sadly, we don't do this.
The incredible, astounding, remarkable and awesome event of the Divine Liturgy ought to make us catch our breath and stare in amazement.
Think of it, the people of God are invited into the immediate presence of God and allowed to intimately commune with Him.  We partake of the body and blood of Christ. 
The incredible nature of this communion cannot be overstated.  The Eucharist is a means of grace.  God is moving in our souls and making us more like Him.  Our souls are being strengthened and cleansed each time.
Now, compare our typical response to bring able to go to church (if we're not too tired, or don't have something else to do), with the response of some people to eating right and exercising.  I've personally seen on Facebook, "Going out for a five mile run, yahoo, and then back for a breakfast of kale and spinach smoothie and homemade bran muffins, yumm!)  Aside from wondering why anyone thinks that others care what you ate for breakfast, why don't we see that kind of passion for communion?
Cleansing and empowering our eternal soul should far outweigh anything we can do for our physical bodies. 
Examine ourselves.  Do we love the right things?