What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:19,20
He lit a cigarette! He actually stepped out of church, pulled a stick out of his pocket and put it to his mouth, the end glowing in the dim light of dusk.
His name is Michele (pronounced ‘k’ and not ‘sh’) and I met him this evening. An Italian with dark hair and fine looks, his ready smile and requisite lilting accent reminded me so much of Friends’ Joey Tribbiani that I had to suppress a chuckle. We were in Church for a weekly Bible study and happened to sit at the same table. As we interacted after the session I learned that he was indeed a Catholic and was attending only his second Bible study ever. As expected, we had different views over certain matters but I could see that God was working a wonder in the heart of this young man.
He had not always believed in God. Having been born into a religious family he rebelled early on and went his own way. He had comforted himself in philosophy and agnostic thought, not wanting to confront the reality of God that was always gnawing at his spirit, demanding a response. But thankfully he had come to that point in his life where he had to face up to that most important question: “What if there is a God?” The logic taught by Pasquale (follow the link below to read about it*) seemed to have helped him make up his mind - “If there’s no God and I have believed, I lose next to nothing; If there is a God and I have not believed, I lose ... everything.”
Finally Mike made the choice to believe and it changed everything. As we spoke it was so easy to see the joy and peace that is his today and the love he has for God and His word. He is obviously well read, spending time in Luther and Calvin as he tried grappled with the issues brought up by the protestant reformation and the implications for his own faith. “There are few real atheists,” he said to me. “Most people actually do not know if there is a God - they are agnostic. They are afraid of confronting the possibility because then they will have to make an uncomfortable decision. Very few will say with conviction that there is no God.”
Recently I have been burdened by the way people have rejected the thought of God as though the very idea was a primitive concept. As I talked with a friend a couple of nights back it was sad to see the burden she carries for her friends and classmates who utterly refuse to consider the truth of God’s existence. “They will not even accept that there is a God,” she cried, “how in the world will we even get to talk about Jesus?” I do not know how it will end for all these people who burden us. But one thing that gladdens my heart is that people are coming to God. I have seen it very recently in the most vivid ways that God is still in the business of changing lives.
As we walked to the tube station Michele turned to me and gestured with his cigarette. “This is a big sin for you, isn’t it?” I truly did not expect the question but at that moment I knew that all my prejudices were not important. What matters most to God is that souls are saved. He does demand total surrender but we are all in the process aren’t we?
He finally put out the light but as we turned to go underground we heard someone yelling and running after us. We turned to see a beautiful young lady in stilettos running our way as though the hordes of hell were in hot pursuit. “Please help me,” she screamed, “I’m desparate!” We waited for her to reach us and as she stopped she pulled out a stick. “Please do you have a light?”
With love, Doosuur.
*I take no responsibility for the content of this webpage and cannot guarantee that it will remain appropriate. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDc1MjI4MjkwMzBhZWJmZTU2ZjBhY2JlMTQyODUwZDQ=
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
The New Guy
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2
I had such a sense of anticipation as I prepared to go to St. Helen’s today. A missionary couple had invited me there for a first service to have a look-see and assured me I would find a warm welcome. But a couple of wrong turns contrived to make me twenty minutes late and when I arrived at the west door the service was already in full swing. I dutifully silenced my mobile and stepped through the swinging doors and voila I was inside.
Inside there were 200 hundred faces, staring intently at the preacher but, to my horror, every single one of them was white. “Uh-oh!” I thought, as I slinked my way up to a chair and slid in, hopefully unnoticed. “This is going to be a long night.” As I looked around I saw another black couple, themselves sitting in a far-off corner, looking as conspicuous as I was but they provided no relief for me as they skedaddled before the service would end.
All at once my sympathies went to everyone who’s ever been the new guy. Nobody likes to stand out in the crowd – except, of course as a hero or something – and I immediately felt the sense of desperation that they all must feel. How many johnny-come-latelies (JJCs) had I overlooked in my short experience? Oh, how I wish I was a little more welcoming to them. Payback’s a bummer.
After The Blessing I hung around the foyer, looking for an opportunity to say hi to someone but they all seemed so into themselves and no-one noticed me at all. We were invited for an after-Church informal around hot dogs and tomato soup but every bone in my body begged me to make a run for it. I was none too comfortable with the two-day growth of stubble on my beard either, but I grit my teeth and made a beeline for the food. As I stood in the queue, feeling sorry for myself, along came Richard. “Hello, have I seen you here before?” Thank God for Richard!
With love, Doosuur.
Hebrews 13:2
I had such a sense of anticipation as I prepared to go to St. Helen’s today. A missionary couple had invited me there for a first service to have a look-see and assured me I would find a warm welcome. But a couple of wrong turns contrived to make me twenty minutes late and when I arrived at the west door the service was already in full swing. I dutifully silenced my mobile and stepped through the swinging doors and voila I was inside.
Inside there were 200 hundred faces, staring intently at the preacher but, to my horror, every single one of them was white. “Uh-oh!” I thought, as I slinked my way up to a chair and slid in, hopefully unnoticed. “This is going to be a long night.” As I looked around I saw another black couple, themselves sitting in a far-off corner, looking as conspicuous as I was but they provided no relief for me as they skedaddled before the service would end.
All at once my sympathies went to everyone who’s ever been the new guy. Nobody likes to stand out in the crowd – except, of course as a hero or something – and I immediately felt the sense of desperation that they all must feel. How many johnny-come-latelies (JJCs) had I overlooked in my short experience? Oh, how I wish I was a little more welcoming to them. Payback’s a bummer.
After The Blessing I hung around the foyer, looking for an opportunity to say hi to someone but they all seemed so into themselves and no-one noticed me at all. We were invited for an after-Church informal around hot dogs and tomato soup but every bone in my body begged me to make a run for it. I was none too comfortable with the two-day growth of stubble on my beard either, but I grit my teeth and made a beeline for the food. As I stood in the queue, feeling sorry for myself, along came Richard. “Hello, have I seen you here before?” Thank God for Richard!
With love, Doosuur.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Eyes On The Ball
Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed...
Hebrews 12:2 (The Message)
The first rule of tennis, or indeed any ball game is simple. Keep your eyes on the ball. It seems straightforward enough but you’d be surprised how often a novice like me must remind myself, sometimes quite audibly, “keep your eyes on the ball.”
Today was no different. As usual, I changed into my tennis gear and began my warmup routine muttering to myself that most important mantra. As I got into the groove I went from Rule 1 to Rule 2: Move your feet. The other basic rules soon followed:
Take a backswing
Follow through
And very quickly, everything was flowing smoothly. One particular backhand drive made me feel like the new Federer come to town.
But then, almost as quickly as it had begun, it all started coming apart at the seams. I started hitting awry balls and ambitious drives became home runs as they rose over and beyond the confines of the premises. All of a sudden it seemed I just could not get it right. The more I tried the worse it became. What’s wrong? I wondered. And then it hit me. I stopped, took a breath and whispered to myself, “Doosuur, keep your eyes on the ball.” And then I started again. At the beginning.
But then it’s not just on the tennis court that I find I have to remind myself of the most important truth. It all starts well enough, in the morning, as I open God’s word and turn my eyes on Jesus. But then as the day drags on, it’s so easy for me, as I’m sure you, to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we neglect where our focus should be. We become so engrossed in meeting up with the demands of everyday life - pleasing a demanding boss, meeting an unexpected deadline, coping with a testy client - that all of a sudden the freshness and joy of a beautiful morning fades away.
And then if we are not careful we find ourselves hitting balls askew as we slowly lose control. We let our guard slip - a careless word here, a thoughtless gesture there - and very soon we’re headed down the slippery slope with no end in sight.
How apt it was of the writer to the Hebrews to command them, “fix your eyes on Jesus...” (NIV). He does not just say “look at Jesus”. He says, fix your eyes on Him. This is much more than a casual glance. It requires one to be involved in, immersed in, the object of their attention. Consider now, what it would mean for you if you were to really fix your eyes on Jesus. If I may use an analogy, it would be like putting on a pair of glasses. The things you look at are still the same but the way you perceive them could be very different. Life takes on a whole new perspective.
If we go through the day with Jesus constantly ahead of us, coloring our circumstances, we would discover that life could be so much more fulfilling. And perhaps we wouldn’t have to drop the ball ever so often.
With love, Doosuur.
Hebrews 12:2 (The Message)
The first rule of tennis, or indeed any ball game is simple. Keep your eyes on the ball. It seems straightforward enough but you’d be surprised how often a novice like me must remind myself, sometimes quite audibly, “keep your eyes on the ball.”
Today was no different. As usual, I changed into my tennis gear and began my warmup routine muttering to myself that most important mantra. As I got into the groove I went from Rule 1 to Rule 2: Move your feet. The other basic rules soon followed:
Take a backswing
Follow through
And very quickly, everything was flowing smoothly. One particular backhand drive made me feel like the new Federer come to town.
But then, almost as quickly as it had begun, it all started coming apart at the seams. I started hitting awry balls and ambitious drives became home runs as they rose over and beyond the confines of the premises. All of a sudden it seemed I just could not get it right. The more I tried the worse it became. What’s wrong? I wondered. And then it hit me. I stopped, took a breath and whispered to myself, “Doosuur, keep your eyes on the ball.” And then I started again. At the beginning.
But then it’s not just on the tennis court that I find I have to remind myself of the most important truth. It all starts well enough, in the morning, as I open God’s word and turn my eyes on Jesus. But then as the day drags on, it’s so easy for me, as I’m sure you, to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we neglect where our focus should be. We become so engrossed in meeting up with the demands of everyday life - pleasing a demanding boss, meeting an unexpected deadline, coping with a testy client - that all of a sudden the freshness and joy of a beautiful morning fades away.
And then if we are not careful we find ourselves hitting balls askew as we slowly lose control. We let our guard slip - a careless word here, a thoughtless gesture there - and very soon we’re headed down the slippery slope with no end in sight.
How apt it was of the writer to the Hebrews to command them, “fix your eyes on Jesus...” (NIV). He does not just say “look at Jesus”. He says, fix your eyes on Him. This is much more than a casual glance. It requires one to be involved in, immersed in, the object of their attention. Consider now, what it would mean for you if you were to really fix your eyes on Jesus. If I may use an analogy, it would be like putting on a pair of glasses. The things you look at are still the same but the way you perceive them could be very different. Life takes on a whole new perspective.
If we go through the day with Jesus constantly ahead of us, coloring our circumstances, we would discover that life could be so much more fulfilling. And perhaps we wouldn’t have to drop the ball ever so often.
With love, Doosuur.
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