THERE'S NOTHING LIKE...

I am subject to some very disturbing dreams bordering on nightmares. 

As I was attempting to wipe out the lingering emotional impact of one of those horrifying scenarios while still in bed this morning, my thoughts mercifully turned to pleasant memories of special incomparable things that tend to linger in the recesses of the mind. (The mind, in retrospect, can be a wonderful and mysterious thing.)

"Hey, I'm on to something," was my immediate reaction and the "there's nothing like..." thought exercise was instantly formulated. I spent the next 10 minutes thinking about: There's nothing like the smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning, then I remembered thoughts of my mother's pot roast in the oven as I wiggled in the church sanctuary pew on Sunday mornings when I was a kid, and of the freshness of the air after a warm rain in the summer. The flood gates then opened.


There's also nothing like (in no special order):

• a loving embrace from that someone special in your life
• the smell of a freshly-powdered baby
• a dog or cat snuggling up on your lap
• the taste of that first beer on a scorching summer day
• the giving of an unsolicited gift
• a walk on the beach
• a freshly made bed
• God answering a prayer
• biting into a slice of homemade rhubarb pie from your garden
• listening to your favorite music
• a sense of accomplishment
• going barefoot in the grass
• wearing a new shirt for the first time
• the satisfaction of a good meal
• expressing (and receiving) appreciation
• a good night's sleep
• waking up in the morning, eager to start your day
• creating something -- anything
• finding a quarter on the sidewalk
• forgiving and forgetting
• pulling weeds
• a hug
• a kiss
• being in a crowd and feeling you belong
• family
• thinking about all of the above and forgetting about a bad dream.

Now try it for yourself folks...It worked for me!

WE'RE NOT THE FIRST TO MAKE SACRIFICES TO QUELL THE SPREAD OF DISEASES

Okay, I'm not quite through with this subject yet.

During the current and unprecidented "stay at home" time that most of us have succumbed to in the hope of helping to level the Coronavirus curve, I find it interesting to take a look at the bible's Third Book of Moses called Leviticus. 

Truth be known, I can't remember the last time I actually referred to Leviticus looking for answers to present day issues. The book however focuses on, among other things, offerings and purity. Chapters 13 & 14 of Leviticus especially deal with diseases, swells, rashes, and discolorations. Scholars have noted that the writing style of these chapters is medical and “modeled on Mesopotamian diagnostic treatises.” 

While most people believe the disease spoken about in these chapters is leprosy, we know that the term in the Hebrew refers to a certain “group of diseases,” whatever they are. We see instructions as to what to do when you find physical evidence of a disease (depending on where you find it and when you find it), when you should go to the priest to examine it, and when the priest will declare it unclean or clean. I found such strange parallels between our social distancing and the order in Leviticus 13:45 that someone with a disease should have to call out “Unclean! Unclean!,” identifying themselves as contagious so that others will stay away. Those that are “unclean” are to “dwell apart,” “outside the camp.”

Additionally, I found myself impressed with the detail that the book goes into when attempting to identify and diagnose diseases inside the camp. The priests, in this Israelite culture, were the medical professionals. They examined the markings or signs and decided if it was contagious, dangerous, or if the subject was ready to return to the camp. But feelings of being impressed quickly depart when we read on into Chapter 14 of Leviticus, where the “cures” and “cleansing” explanations were given.

i.e. "Then shall the priest command for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop..."

When you have a moment in the next little while, I seriously recommend taking the time to read Chapter 14 of Leviticus to get a better feeling for the exhausting sacrificial cleansing ritual that followed.

It is unsettling to read how this primitive culture attempted to cleanse itself of a disease it did not understand… Bathed in theology and cultic ritual, this priestly culture knew nothing of bacteria or viruses, the causes or the cures. They stumbled blindly through makeshift solutions, sometimes accidentally hitting the mark, like separating the ill from the healthy or closing a house with a plague found inside it. But we watch from above, reading the pages, with pity and awe, wishing we could educate these ancient writers with what we know now.

It is an apt reminder, given our current situation, of the importance of distinguishing between the experts and those who think they are experts. In the book of Leviticus, the priests were, unfortunately, both. They were the only experts of the time that we are able to see. But in today’s world, we should, and can, know the difference between the trained medical professionals, and other leaders, and we should watch what kind of advice we take from the latter, especially politicians.

It is disturbing to read about pastors and religious leaders still attempting to hold services in person, telling their members to shake hands, or even stating through television appearances that they will heal people if only they would send a few dollars. Likewise, there are those in our country that have no medical training that are telling us what we should or shouldn’t do. Their advice is often countered by the medical professionals, doctors, and scientists. And yet, unfortunately, too many are listening to the wrong people. With the same pity and awe with which we read of the priests’ actions in Leviticus, today we watch as people defy social distancing mandates or take unapproved medications.

Unlike in Leviticus, however, it does not have to be this way. Recently, Politico Magazine talked to 34 big thinkers about how the Coronovirus will impact us in the future. They shared their predictions in their article, Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How. One thinker, Tom Nichols, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College and author of The Death of Expertise, stated the following:

"America for several years has become a fundamentally unserious country. This is the luxury afforded us by peace, affluence and high levels of consumer technology. We didn’t have to think about the things that once focused our minds—nuclear war, oil shortages, high unemployment, skyrocketing interest rates. Terrorism has receded back to being a kind of notional threat for which we dispatch volunteers in our military to the far corners of the desert as the advance guard of the homeland."

In light of that mentality, Nichols sees the following:

First, it has already forced people back to accepting that expertise matters. It was easy to sneer at experts until a pandemic arrived, and then people wanted to hear from medical professionals. Second, it may—one might hope—return North Americans to a new seriousness, or at least move them back toward the idea that government is a matter for serious people.

It is hoped that both come true. That instead of putting trust in the priests, those who believe themselves to be experts, performing actions that are symbolic and of no real value, that instead we turn to the medical professionals, the true experts in these times, and in the future. True, the work of the Levitical priests most likely made people feel better, emotionally. They believed this would be the cure, and that they had done the right thing. But that is because they did not have access to true expertise to juxtapose the false hope and empty archaic rituals. 

In today’s world, we have what we need to stay safe, if only we would use it. We can no longer afford to be swamped by too much information, not able to distinguish what is true and what is not. We must find the real experts in our world and listen to their diagnoses, projections, and predictions. Anything else is unhelpful, as unhelpful as the slaughtering of two live birds on an altar.

WHAT NEXT? THAT'S THE BETTER QUESTION!

After writing the Wrights Lane post entitled "Our Future Is Literally Up in the Air" (see item below this one) and asking a number of questions on fallout from the world-wide coronavirus pandemic earlier today, an old expression kept coming to mind: "Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die."

In the subject post I went so far as to suggest a looming authoritarian society and that in our helplessness at such crucial times as the present, we have become dutiful followers. It was not intended to be conciliatory in nature and while I conceded to not having answers, I did allude to the future and "...what next."

Alfred Tennyson, invariably known as
Alfred Lord Tennyson on all his books

A “crisis” is any situation, expected or otherwise, which disrupts the normal flow of life and family. Whether pandemic, a death, divorce, job loss, move, or mental health emergency, everyone eventually experiences a crisis, and everyone responds differently. Unfortunately, for those providing support, someone else’s crisis can be highly uncomfortable, and there are a number of cliches which escape our lips to occupy the uncomfortable space. In my experience, saying nothing at all and just being present is almost always the best option, but in my role as a writer and commentator I am often compelled by duty to say something about catastrophic situations that impact our lives.

While the expression "Ours is not to reason why..." may be intended as a soft way of saying “we’re not going to find an answer to this,” it comes off surprisingly condescending, suggests one source I came across before putting together this post. Worse still, it suggests God is selfishly hoarding all the answers, and we just have to go along with it. When flippantly taken out of the military context as a form of situational resolve, this expression has always kind of bothered me. It actually comes from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade, which depicts a group of soldiers making a heroic but ill-advised charge at the 1854 Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. The full line reads:

"Theirs was not to make reply,
Theirs was not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred."

While Tennyson exalts these soldiers for their adherence to orders, the tone is still dubious, and when you apply this famous line to God, the redeemer of the universe looks more like a shortsighted commander ordering us to our deaths.

Even so, there’s a gem of a good idea here: the “why” of a situation often lies beyond our comprehension. But how can we convey this sentiment without the harsh implications of the original expression?

A better option might be to say: “I don’t know if we’ll ever know ‘why,’ but maybe I can offer some suggestions to help with ‘what next.’”

Sometimes dwelling too much on the “why” can lead to some unhealthy thought spirals, and this alternate expression offers a soft pivot away from that territory. 

There is certainly power in questions. They typically shape us more than our answers. There is beauty in wrestling with a really good question but "why" questions tend to be kind of useless. They may be cathartic and necessary to ask from time to time, but even when they have knowable answers, those answers do little to improve a situation. While simply dismissing these questions with “ours is not to reason why” can make things worse, consciously redirecting people into a “what next” mindset can be incredibly constructive— even empowering.

Though “why” will often elude us, “what next” gives us something concrete to sink our teeth into.

So there you have it...Something else to think about in our time of isolation.

OUR FUTURE IS LITERALLY UP IN THE AIR

Two things can be said about the coronavirus pandemic that we are currently enduring: 1) It certainly weeds out the world's population of its most vulnerable (139,000 deaths thus far, 23 percent over the age of 70); and 2) it makes us vividly aware of the importance of germ protection, short of turning us all into a bunch of Howie Mandel germaphobics.

I am sure that I am like a number of readers who can't help but wonder what life will be like when this period of self-isolation and hygeine consciousness is over. Will we lapse back to our previous ways of conducting our personal lives or will we have learned something from our experience and conduct ourselves accordingly? 

Let's face it, the measures we are taking to save ourselves from a global pandemic are already changing us in fundamental, possibly irreparable ways. By instituting lockdowns and deploying a variety of emergency powers across the country, we are destroying our economy, our social fabric, and our political system. We may well never be the same. Whether we change for both the better and the worse, as opposed to the solely catastrophic, will depend on how mindful we remain of the damage we are doing as we attempt to save ourselves from the pandemic.

The economy has already taken the biggest sudden hit in memory. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs, and many more will become unemployed in the coming weeks. Inequalities in wealth, opportunity, and access to health care have become even more glaring than they were just a couple of weeks ago.

The social fabric is being torn in unprecedented ways, owing to school closings, a widespread shift to working from home, social distancing and sheltering now in place. Whereas we used to share dozens of experiences a day with friends, acquaintances, and strangers -- from taking public transit to working in an office, standing in line at lunch, going to a concert, eating at a restaurant, chatting to a taxi driver, sitting beside fellow churchgoers -- many of us have been reduced to sharing only isolation and the fear of chance encounters, if either of those can be said to be shared.

In the future will we think twice about shaking hands, hugging and other close encounters of daily human existence? Will we go around continuing to sterilize everything we touch, virtually paranoid? Will avoidance in general be the order of our days?

I truly wish that I had answers to the questions I have posed...but I don't. I can only state facts of the matter. 

We are living in an uncertain time. It is as if we have lost control of our very existence and are at the mercy of authoritarianism. How dangerous can that be?

Think about it friends.

Only God can help us now!...And I'm not sure of what He has in mind.

CHARMING CHARMIN

CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Went shopping for a few grocery items this afternoon at Foodland and while at it thought that I would check out the paper products isle...just in case a miracle had happened and toilet paper was back on the shelves. And what to my wondering eyes should appear -- a lonely package of hoarder's delight tucked back in the corner -- 8=24 triple rolls of the most beautiful toilet paper I'd ever seen. Hardly believing my eyes, I hesitantly touched it and sure enough, it was real. And like a lost lover, I wrapped my sterilized, longing hands around it and tenderly placed it in my cart. The soft plushness of the firmly wrapped rolls left me with a swooning flushed feeling. There was no one in the vicinity to witness my elation and I was kind of glad...Imagine getting that excited over toilet paper...What's this world coming to?

DEAR FRIENDS:

(Transcript from above video)

I took my dog Matilda out for a walk on Sunday -- the first time in over six weeks. It was eerie...no cars, no people, no signs of life in the neighborhood -- silence. While I needed the fresh air and a chance to clear chemotherapy fog from my head, I suddenly felt very much alone and vulnerable...and it was disturbing. 

I struggled to get a grip...Isolation during a worldwide pandemic can do that to a person.

Through no choice of our own we have been forced to put our lives on hold for an indefinite period. I've even gone so far as to play Russian roulette with my health by cancelling my last treatment at the London Region Cancer Centre today...Much to the relief of a Wheels of Hope volunteer who had committed to making this one last three hour day-trip with me, before opting out of all other driving assignments for the foreseeable future.

In one way or another we all have had to make adjustments and decisions based on conscience and a sense of what is right -- right, not only for ourselves, but others too. We pretty much commit to playing the next few weeks at least by ear.

COVID-19 will pass. The world will recover. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll hold onto some valuable lessons about pride and priorities.

After all, our notion of invincibility and self-sufficiency is already shattered. Much of what we thought was invulnerable is in the throes of uncertainty, including the economy. The false gods of sports and entertainment can no longer call the faithful to worship by the thousands.

And much of what we take for granted is threatened.

Sure, the pandemic is bringing out fear, suspicion, bigotry and selfishness in some. But so many more are responding with love and concern, sharing what they have, looking out for seniors and the sick, and serving those around them, regardless of race and religion.

That includes doctors, nurses, and church workers who risk their own safety. It’s ironic, but social distancing is bringing people closer together, emotionally and spiritually.

In my view, it’s misleading theology to see COVID-19 as divine punishment. But the pandemic should make us see just how little control we actually have. And though the Bible never promises us a pass from pain and hardship, it does assure us God will be present amid it all, with strength, comfort, and serenity for all who ask for it.

For people of faith, COVID-19 is a test of what we say we believe.

Though things will likely get worse before they get better, the crisis will clear. But now is the time to be more grateful and stop taking blessings for granted; to re-order our priorities; and commit to the changes we need to make when life returns to a degree of normalcy.

Spread faith and encouragement, not fear. That’s contagious too my friends.

LONG NIGHT'S JOURNEY INTO DAY

"The Cenacle" (Upper Room) In Christian tradition the room of the Last Supper and the room in which the Holy Spirit alighted upon the 11 apostles after Easter. This is the room on Mount Zion, Jerusalem, where Jesus and his disciples held the Passover feast (Last Supper) before he was taken to be tried. ~~ Photo from the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies.

A message reflecting on the Lenten season

"I only know that I was blind and now I can see"

The early Church leader, St. Augustine, once was confronted by a man who showed him his pagan idol and asked, “Here is my god; where is yours?” Augustine replied, “I cannot show you my God because you have no eyes to see Him.”

In this timely Gospel story, the religious leaders become extremely upset when Jesus restores sight to a blind man. It triggers for them all sorts of questions. How could this possibly have happened to a lowly beggar like this blind man? How could this Jesus perform such a miracle? This man, Jesus, "cannot be from God" because he does not observe all the Sabbath Day Laws! How could such "a sinner perform signs like these?" They even cross-examine the parents of the man born blind to see if they can uncover some trick and expose Jesus as a fraud. 

On-and-on they continue with their questions, acting as though any genuinely miraculous manifestation of God's Grace necessarily must conform to their own preconceived notions. But the man born blind will not be intimidated. "I only know that I was blind and now I can see" (John 9:25). In his simplicity, this uneducated man proved infinitely wiser than they who presumed to be his teachers. The teachers spoke with the authority of textbooks; the man born blind spoke with the authority of religious experience. He sensed the futility of trying to box the event into some category. It was enough for him to know that, by the Grace of God, an amazing thing had happened to him that changed his whole life: "I only know that I was blind, and now I can see."

This is all about allowing Grace to come in on God's terms. God's Grace is not subject to man's rules of reason and precedent and convention. We must allow God's Grace to flow freely through the very depths of our being if we are to break out of the dark limitations of how things are, and into the light of how things ought to be.

The Season of Lent calls us to repentance. Like the loving father in the New Testament story of the "Prodigal Son," God our Father is eager for us to turn around and come home to Him. And all it takes is the turning.

Genuine repentance requires us to trust that God has better things in mind for us than we have in mind for ourselves. Think about it! Do we really have any reason to believe that God wanted us for His children when He created us? Was there any logical necessity for God to "so love the world that He gave His only Son" so that we might have eternal life? Does this season of Lent make any "sense" according to our normal ways of thinking? 

Is it to be expected that God should become man and walk the tortuous trail to Calvary's hill, there to hang battered and bloodied while taking on the full burden of human wickedness? Think about it, yes, but we should not wait to respond until we can make sense of it, rationalize it. Think about it, yes, but also be ready and willing to bow to the Mystery of it -- for the Truth is both simple and beyond understanding.

"I was lost, and now I am found ... I was blind, and now I can see ... I was imprisoned in and now I am free ... My life was going in the wrong direction, and now I have turned ... I have sinned, and now I have repented."

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life," says the Lord. How well do we know the Truth which Jesus has given us? One Christian Educator has written an inspiring, poetic account of how, as a disciple of Christ, he began to answer this question for himself:

There is darkness in the world, deep and threatening; only fools pretend there isn't. Our world is out of focus and fragmented. 

However, like streaks of gold, there is light on the horizon. And little by little, life is becoming what the New Testament says it can become and sings about all the way through -- a long night's journey into day!

In those dark times of our lives, when so many unanswered questions return to haunt us, when we feel the darkness closing in, God, in His immense love for us, sends us Light. In and through the Lord Jesus, He becomes totally accessible to us. 

If you keep My commandments
you will remain in My Love.
I have told you this
so that My joy may be in you,
and your joy may be complete.

This is My commandment:
love one another
as I have loved you (Jn. 15:10-12).

There is a story from the Middle Ages about a young woman who was expelled from heaven and told that if she would bring back the gift that is most valued by God, she would be welcomed back. She brought back drops of blood from a dying patriot. She brought back some coins that a destitute widow had given to the poor. She brought back a remnant of a Bible that had been used for years by an eminent preacher. She brought back some dust from the shoes of a missionary laboring in a remote wasteland. She brought back many similar things but was turned back repeatedly. One day she saw a small boy playing by a fountain. A man rode up on horseback and dismounted to take a drink. The man saw the child and suddenly remembered his boyhood innocence. Then, looking in the fountain and seeing the reflection of his hardened face, he realized what he had done with his life. And tears of repentance welled up in his eyes and began to trickle down his cheeks. The young woman took one of these tears back to heaven and was received with joy and love.

The Season of Lent calls us to repentance. Come on home!

WHAT'S IN A NAME? GOD ONLY KNOWS!

Ever wonder why there are so many names for God of the universe? Well, it all depends on the religion you adhere to and how deep you want to delve into the history and origin of sacred religious texts. The subject helped get my mind off cancer treatments in hospital and the Coronavirus scare this past weekend as I focused my thoughts in the solace of home sweet home. 

Some names for God in the Bible include Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, Yahweh and El Roi. Yahweh is considered to be the most proper name for God by Jews and Christians. It is translated into English as "LORD" in all capital letters. Several other names are attached to Yahweh throughout the Bible, such as Yaheweh-M'Kaddesh, which means "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy."

Elohim appears at the beginning of the book of Genesis and is found in other places as well. It means "Creator, Mighty and Strong." The root of Elohim is "El," which is also used as a name for God. El typically means "power" or "might." This root is also found in the name El Shaddai, which means "God Almighty" or "The Mighty One of Jacob."

Adonai means "Lord" and is rendered in name-case throughout the English Bible. This name was used in place of Yahweh or YHWH, which was considered by the Jews to be too sacred to be spoken by sinners. Adonai is thus used mostly when God is dealing with the Gentiles rather than the Jews.

Yahweh can be rendered as YHWH or Jehovah and is considered the correct name for God. The name first appears when God speaks to Moses and says "I Am who I Am."

The name Yahweh is often translated to mean "I will be who I will be." This name, according to Christians, means that God's actions shouldn't be questioned. Christians also use the name El Shaddai, which means "God the all-sufficient one," to describe how God cares for his followers.

Allah is the name for God in the Muslim religion. Muslims believe that Allah is the creator of the earth, and the prophet Muhammad is the religion's last prophet sent by Allah to mankind. In Hinduism, there are many gods and goddesses, but one of the major gods is Brahman. Hindus believe that Brahman is the creator of the universe and all its content.

It is interesting to note that The Hebrew Bible alone contains more than two dozen names for God which many of us have heard before: YHWH (“Lord”), Elohim (“God”), Sabaoth (“armies”). One of the more obscure names for God used by Jews is Ha-Makom. This literally means “the place.” What does this signify? Is God a place? How did this rather ordinary word become one of God’s holiest names?


What can we learn from Jacob’s Dream?

One of the most famous stories in the Book of Genesis, is Jacob’s dream where angels ascend and descend a ladder to heaven. It begins with these words, “He came to a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set” (Gen. 28:11). In Hebrew, “place” is makom (מקום). Where is this place? It is strange that the Torah, which is usually full of geographical details, does not specify the location.

According to an ancient Jewish interpretation of this verse, the makom which Jacob encountered is not a physical location, but God’s presence itself. The rabbis of the Talmud famously explained, “God is the place of the world, and the world is not His place.” In other words, God cannot be limited to one individual spot. Rather, God transcends space, and he is accessible to all people in all places.

To this day, it is common to hear Jews refer to God as Ha-Makom (“the place”) in prayer. This name captures God’s eternal vastness, while emphasizing his intimate imminence. 

As Christians, we like to keep it simple; praying to "God the Father." It just feels more comfortable that way.

Matter of fact, "God the Father" is a title given to God in various religions. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the third person, God the Holy Spirit. Since the second century, Christian creeds included affirmation of belief in "God the Father (Almighty)", primarily as his capacity as "Father and creator of the universe". However, in Christianity the concept of God as the father of Jesus Christ goes metaphysically further than the concept of God as the Creator and father of all people, as indicated in the Apostle's Creed where the expression of belief in the "Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth" is immediately, but separately followed by in "Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord", thus expressing both senses of fatherhood.

As I say, in much of modern Christianity, God is addressed as the Father, in part because of his active interest in human affairs, in the way that a father would take an interest in his children who are dependent on him and as a father, he will respond to humanity, his children, acting in their best interests.

In general, the title Father (capitalized) signifies God's role as the life-giver, the authority, and powerful protector, often viewed as immense, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent with infinite power and charity that goes beyond human understanding.