Emotion floods my soul. When faced with the incredible Holiness of God you cannot be left untouched. I look in the mirror and, while being aware of the man I have become, I am aware of the man I have yet to become. Oh, to see more of Jesus when I look in the mirror.
When I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico I was honored to know a man named J.B. Duke. He was a strong but gentle Christ-follower who loved to drive a red Ford truck. He would take a couple of us pastors on an annual quail hunt in the eastern desert farmlands of the state and there we would see how the desert, sand-filled winds can impact the homes, cars and trees. If you saw a tree in the middle of the desert you knew it earned the right to stand there, even if it looked tired and worn.
It was over 15 years ago but it is a moment that haunts me to this day. I was a graduate student taking courses through my denomination's seminary and I was learning things that others did not have the opportunity to learn. Unfortunately, the knowledge only served to puff my own sense of self.
Over the past week the USA witnessed large numbers of people marching to and in Washington D.C. The powerful and the weak, the wealthy and the poor, the famous and the neglected gathered inside of the 68 square miles of our capitol. There were those who gathered to cheer. There were those who gathered to jeer. I would struggle to believe that anyone gathered as a neutral observer. Many marched with the hope of being heard.
When I look back on my childhood, I can remember some of the things that my mom said that made me very happy. “Do you want some ice cream?” “Would you like to have some friends over?” and “What would you like me to make you for dinner?” There were other questions and comments that made me shudder. “Just wait until your father gets home!” “If your friends jumped off a bridge would you jump too?” and “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt!” I still remember the things my mama always said.
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We have just come out of, and in some cases, survived the celebrations of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. I actually love these seasons and I even love the deep breath that we get to take in January as we hit the reset button on the allocation of our time. One of my favorite things around Thanksgiving is finding a bargain gift for my wife, Miriam.
