The Inside Work

Luke 11: 37-44

37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 “You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 “But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43 “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. 44 “Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

My wife and I have been having renovations done on our house. Most of it has gone swimmingly; a few things have been unexpected pains. Our inconveniences are shorter than most folks doing renovations; but, they still seem to last far too long. Frankly, we are ready for it all to be over.

During the course of renovations, I was reminded of a story a friend told about working with his father as a child. My friend's father was a contractor, and during the summers away from school, my friend would tag along to the job sites. My friend was always excited to see the craft his father applied; he thought it was amazing how a house would seemingly rise from nothing into a hospitable dwelling.

Though my friend remembered many good times with his father, he also remembered a common occurrence between his father and his father's customers. Customers watching the progress of their new houses would always be amazed at how quickly the frames would take shape on their properties. From the curb, the progress of building a house would seem to rush forward at a blistering pace, until the frame and roof were completed.

"My goodness, it's almost done!" these people would say, "There's no reason you shouldn't finish ahead of schedule!"

These same people would get frustrated when the contractor relayed to them that, in fact, there was a lot work left to me done. While the outside of the house looked fully-finished to the passerby; it was, in fact, a facade. If one were to go inside the house, one would see wires strewn about and walls still open. The house would be cold from lack of a furnace, and would not have water running.

"They just don't understand," my friend's father would lament, "the outside work is easy; it's the inside work that takes the time."

Christ's admonition of the Pharisee's is that they have spent too much time minding their own window dressings, while the inside of their houses remain barren. Presenting a responsible and clean appearance, the Pharisees appeared to be heroes of the faith; people whose loyalty to the Law allowed them to live holier lives that the people they lectured. What Christ knew, however, was that their act was a facade.

In Midian, we like our lawns to be manicured; we give the evil eye to the poor neighbor who takes a week too long to bring in his Christmas decorations. Everything should be...just...so. When friends come over, we clean up....but only the rooms we expect them to visit. The family room might sparkle; but, the guest bedroom hasn't been clean for months.

Our attitudes with our houses, sometimes, are not terribly different from our spiritual lives. Focusing on those aspects which our friends and neighbors judge us on, we go through the motions of being a good person: we go to church, we dress ourselves presentably, we hang out with the right people. For many of us, though, this is a facade... our exterior lives are perfect; but, our "inside work" is in a shambles.

What Jesus tells the Pharisees is a good lesson for all of us. God is very concerned with "the inside work;" and like the master craftsmen, He will take His time and carve out of us a new creation...a beautiful home for His spirit to reside in. We need to know that this inside work is even more critical than the outside, and so order our lives that the work may take hold.

The Problem with Romans

The letter from Paul to the Romans is considered by many to be his magna opus; the great systematic theology treatise of the entire Bible. Of course, it is also his longest letter, and the one where normally-compact syllogisms are expanded a bit to emphasize more specific points.
The problem for a lot of churches in Midian, is that this long-form presentation of theology is not lectionary friendly. Worship services don't span four chapters of scripture...they want one chapter of scripture (it fits in more with the rhythm of the service and doesn't lose the parishioners). Unfortunately, this is also why the Book of Romans is the most misunderstood book in the Bible; because it is most often taught in churches in a way which does not reflect its context or literary function.

There is nothing more evident in this abuse than how many churches teach the first four chapters of Romans:

Many pastors will preach sermons on the first two chapters of Romans:

Romans 1-2

Unbelief and Its Consequences

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

The Impartiality of God

1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

The Jew Is Condemned by the Law

17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.
25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

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These first two chapters are Paul's vehicles to show the Gentiles and Jews living in Rome that God has good reason to condemn all of society. In a litany on sin, Paul goes through the excesses of society flowing from the idolatry of the masses. Paul reinforces that there will be righteous judgment for Jew and Gentile alike who have broken the Law.

In another church, though, you will never see these two chapters...instead you will see the following two:
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Romans 3-4
All the World Guilty

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,
AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Justification by Faith

21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Justification by Faith Evidenced in Old Testament

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
8 “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

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In these two chapters, Paul notes that all have fallen short; but, all will be equally saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This passage is a litany on Grace, and its triumph over all things mortal. This passage is an encouragement to all that, no matter where you are, you can turn to Jesus and be saved without regard to the sins you have committed.

In Midian, though, you will rarely see these passages preached together. In one church, you will hear a litany against sinfulness; in another, you will only here of the love that God has for us. The challenge for all of us, though, is that these chapters were meant to be read together and teach us in tandem.

Without understanding the destruction of sin, and its nature as a result of idolatry, then believers miss the opportunity to grow spiritually and do well in God's sight. Without understanding Grace, though, that desire to do well becomes perverted into the sin of self glorification and, ultimately, self-loathing. Without the balance of either, both are without merit.

Part of the balance that we must achieve in Midian is not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. Working towards a better relationship with God has to be the central aspect of our lives. That means making decisions which facilitate that journey. That said, we also must know that we will never reach a point where we are not completely dependent on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our salvation. Believers need only to acknowledge the sacrifice and mastery of Christ to be welcomed back into God's home...much like the prodigal son.

Keeping a balance between avoiding sin, and accepting Grace is the point to the Book of Romans...we should be very careful of churches that want one without the other....

Keeping Clean

John 8: 1-11
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

The Midian t.v. channels are filled with starlets behaving badly. You would have to be under a rock to have missed the many exposes on Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, etc... The news report came in today that Kirsten Dunst, the bouncy blond screen presence of a dozen hit films, has checked herself into rehab in the midst of an emotional meltdown.

Technology gives us an incredible sense of proximity to entertainers. Their presence fills our homes in such a fashion that the news, trivial as it might be, about their lives becomes a part of our lives. The intrusion of news about these starlets into our lives seems to force us into an opinion about them. Like many in the past spoke of the black sheep cousin that every family has, we consider the exploits of these virtual family members as an affront to our sensibilities.

Jewish society, during the time of Christ, had a palpable caste system composed of orders of cleanliness. Followers of the Law were clean, Gentiles were not. The lowest levels of cleanliness, however, were left for the sick and the sinful women. Jesus has encounters with a number of these women (the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene, and the adulterous woman spoken about in the passage above). The cleanliness of Jesus was impacted by His proximity to these unclean persons. Throughout the Gospel, when the Pharisees really wanted to convince the crowd of Christ's unworthiness, they would pull out the fact that He mingled with the unclean (tax collectors, drunks, women of ill repute).

The Pharisees cart the adulterous woman into an audience with Jesus like a dog. Daining even to speak of her in anything but the third person, the Pharisees point her out to Christ as the lowest example of uncleanliness that they could find.

"What would you do with this?" you can hear them say...their hearts balanced between contempt for the unclean and a cheeky glee for the conundrum they have placed before this teacher they all loathe.

Christ ignores them; He ignores their passioned pleas and goes off to write on the ground. Finally tiring of their banter, Christ focuses His attention on the Pharisees' hypocrisy. Strangely, given the choice to show their cleanliness and stone the adulterous woman, no one takes Christ up on His challenge. Apparently each held a sin in his heart that he was scared to let show.

When Christ is left alone with the woman, the show is over. He has no more reason to hold back his scorn of this woman whom the world finds wretched. Given the opportunity to tell the woman what He really thinks, He tells her that He does not condemn her...and to make better choices next time.

Virtually every day and every night we have this woman thrust upon us. Intruding into our privacy, we can try to ignore the voices that want to make Britney's mistakes our business; but, ultimately, we have to come to a decision in our own hearts. Will we feign a self-righteous pity for these unclean women? Will we condemn them and, therefore, announce our devotion to right behavior?

Or will we not condemn them.....will we pray for them as an equal instead of a big brother? Will we empathize with them from our own weakness, or use them to prop up our own feeble strengths?

How clean are we...really?

Making Space

Matthew 26: 36-41

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”


"To live a Christian life is to live in the world without being of it. It is in solitude that this inner freedom can grow. Jesus went to a lonely place to pray, that is, to grow in the awareness that all the power he had was given to him; that all the words he spoke came from his Father; and that all the works he did were not really his but the works of the One who had sent him. In the lonely place Jesus was made free to fail.
In solitude we can listen to the voice of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone.... In solitude we discover that life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared.
When you are able to create a lonely place in the middle of your actions and concerns, your successes and failures can slowly lose some of their power over you. For then your love for this world can merge with a compassionate understanding of its illusions. Then your serious engagement can merge with an unmasking smile. Then your concern for others can be more motivated by their needs than your own. In short: then you can care. Let us therefore live our lives to the fullest but let us not forget to once in a while get up long before dawn to leave the house and go to a lonely place."
-Henri Nouwen


One of the interesting aspects of Henri Nouwen's teaching, which is very relevant to me, is his confidence that accomplishing goals or tasks is rarely a way to move closer to God.

When I am feeling like a particularly lazy Christian (quite often, frankly); my first inclination is to go do something about it. Maybe take over a Sunday School; maybe go fill a missionary position locally.

The problem with this attitude is that my inclination to take on these new tasks is not a response to God's call...it is a response to my own insecurity in the faith. Volunteering for church tasks is a GREAT idea; but, should be responsive to God's will..not an effort to shore up your spiritual resume.

That said, feelings of distance from God shouldn't be shrugged off...Henri's suggestion for what to do is non-intuitive. Henri suggests that we connect more when we retreat...when we dwell in our area of weakness and allow His love to fill where we are not full.

A famous story involves the questioning of a rabbi by a nonbeliever. He asked the rabbi that, if before the universe all there was was God, then how was there any room for the universe to be created? The rabbi responded that God withdrew and made space for the universe...we were allowed to exist because God sacrificed the space for us.

Indeed, when we are looking for the faith to have more presence in our lives, we have to withdraw and sacrifice the space for it to come. So much of our culture teaches that if you are feeling bad, then you should motivate yourself to create something new.....the thought of retreating to gain more is a foreign concept.

Joe vs. the Volcano

John Patrick Shanley's name has been in the news again, largely due to his success with his new Broadway play, "Dirty Story."

Shanley is a brilliant writer, who has won a number of awards for his plays and movies (including "Moonstruck."); however, whenever you hear Shanley's name mentioned, you also hear about his supposedly-failed comedy: "Joe Versus the Volcano."

I was introduced to this movie in a class in high school, and was astounded by the symbolism throughout it. The story revolves around a hypochondriac named Joe (Tom Hanks) who works in a dead-end job at a factory. After learning that he has been diagnosed with a terminal disease, he quits his job and is convinced by a billionaire to jump into a volcano for a week or two of luxury(and a manly exit to the world). While fulfilling his end of the bargain, Joe comes into contact with true love and a peace about his existence.

If you saw the movie and this plot was all you got out of it (like most people), then you probably didn't like it. It's humor is fairly dark and ironic...not a good popcorn movie. That said, if you see the movie as a Voltaire-esque collection of symbolism, then you can really start to enjoy the movie.

Much like Candide, Joe is an everyman who wanders into life-changing moments, filled with bizarre characters, and reacts to them honestly. The scene with Joe adrift on a raft, giving thanks to God for an experience with the moon, is one of the most powerful scenes I have ever seen. I am not going to give away too much about the movie...go see it yourself; but, here are several things to look out for:

• The road to Joe's factory, the symbol for the factory, the lightning bolt that hits Joe's Boat, and the crooked path up the volcano are all the same shape and would seem to point to the crooked path life takes us in.
• The lamp that Joe brings into his office displays the future events in the movie, including the yacht, a volcano (with the same twisting road), a large full moon, and plays the film's theme song, "Marooned Without You".
• Joseph Banks was the name of Captain Cook's chief botanist on his expeditions to the South Pacific in the 18th century.
• The books that Joe shows to Mr. Waturi describe the plot of the film: "Romeo and Juliet", "Robinson Crusoe", and "The Odyssey".
• When Joe and DeDe leave the restaurant, there is a billboard on the left with a picture of an erupting volcano and the words "Fire in Paradise".
• The four steamer trunks seem to represent the four Gospels/faith..a subtle hint towards Christian undertones
• The mask worn by the Waponi who is representing the evil spirit resembles the factory where Joe used to work.
• There are at least four references to losing one's soul:

• in the song "Sixteen Tons" played at the start of the movie, the lyric "I sold my soul to the company store"
• Joe responds to DeDe's question in the factory while inspecting his damaged shoe
• Patricia's reference to being soul sick the first night on the yacht
• several lines involving the Waponi's Tobi Chief such as when Joe states that he hopes the chief will not lose his Tobi (soul).

The Return of Jonah

Luke 11:29-32

[29] As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. [30] For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. [31] The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. [32] The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

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As regular blog readers will know, I find a lot of meaning in the 4-chapter Book of Jonah (in the Old Testament). A lot of it has to do with my ability to identify with a man who was blessed by God, but runs away. It has a great deal to offer anyone, I suggest you pick it up when you have a moment.

As per the quoted passage from Luke, Jesus is speaking about how the faithfulness of people who are placed closest to Him often pales next to foreigners. The passage is a dire warning to the Jews, who have grown in covenant with God and have been witness to Jesus, to believe and act in faith.

The "Queen of the South" is the Queen of Sheba, who, even though she is from what is now present-day Yemen, seeks out the wisdom of Solomon and acknowledges his God as the true God. The Ninevites (the citizens of the city that Jonah visited and prophesied to) are also foreigners, yet, they repent when confronted with God's judgment.

In our church, we are starting to receive reports from many of our missionaries (a very brave Afghan missionary spoke today). Their stories are always rich with the eagerness that new converts accept the faith in. This is similar to many mainline denominations (and, for that matter, the Roman Catholic Church), where the strongest growth comes from Africa, and other third world countries.

Against that foil, the church population in America, Canada and, even more so, in Europe is dwindling. Most Americans (on the order of 90 percent will confess to being Christian; however, they never make it to church and/or know nothing about the Bible).

Christ's warning is as relevant to those in America/Europe as it was to the Pharisees in Israel/Judea; faith is not something to be taken lightly. The Ninevites, in the Book of Jonah, knew when the time had come to face up to a new life direction. Hopefully, pseudo members of churches throughout America, Canada, and Europe will be equally wise...

Downward Mobility

". . I woke up one day with the realization that I was living in a very dark place and that the term burnout was a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death.

Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989), 10-11.

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Henri Nouwen is widely recognized as one of the greatest spiritual writers of our time. A gifted professor and Roman Catholic priest, Henri made an amazing life journey through appointments at the top academic institutions in the country, leadership in the parish, and, finally, as a caregiver at a retreat for the mentally-handicapped. Nouwen's insights along the way form a substantial body of teaching...and most of it centers around several major themes. One of these themes is the thought of "downward mobility."

Sinmply put, Nouwen argues that spiritual satisfaction coms from turning away from ambition, and focusing on spiritual connection. Henri believed strongly that his moments of greatest spiritual crisis were when he was the most dependent upon outside validation (most notably, as a Professor at Harvard) and his moments of greatest spiritual connection were as a friend and servant for his community at L'Arche Daybreak (the community for the mentally-handicapped).

Henri found his greatest level of satisfaction came from centering himself, spiritually, and then connecting with people; his great enemy was desire for temporal reward and a perceived need to "get things done." To do this, of course, you have to fight against low self esteem and dependence on others compliments/acceptance. A worthy challenge...and certainly one that Henri never felt he got perfectly correct. He does teach that the first step is creating a personal space (a lonely space) in your life where you give yourself the opportunity to listen to God and center yourself (prayer, meditation, etc...).

Of course, Henri says it much better than I do:

from: Out of Solitude

by Henri Nouwen

To live a Christian life is to live in the world without being of it. It is in solitude that this inner freedom can grow. Jesus went to a lonely place to pray, that is, to grow in the awareness that all the power he had was given to him; that all the words he spoke came from his Father; and that all the works he did were not really his but the works of the One who had sent him. In the lonely place Jesus was made free to fail.

In solitude we can listen to the voice of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone.... In solitude we discover that life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared.

When you are able to create a lonely place in the middle of your actions and concerns, your successes and failures can slowly lose some of their power over you. For then your love for this world can merge with a compassionate understanding of its illusions. Then your serious engagement can merge with an unmasking smile. Then your concern for others can be more motivated by their needs than your own. In short: then you can care. Let us therefore live our lives to the fullest but let us not forget to once in a while get up long before dawn to leave the house and go to a lonely place.

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I don't think Christians are required to leave the active life, that Christians can't be successful professionals, or that they need to become monastic. That said, I think there is an important perspective shift in "downward mobility" that certainly is backed by Christ's teachings. If we focus more on our connection to others and to God, then we build a stronger community around ourselves and rest on a firmer foundation than our "reputations" can provide.