When Violence Happens, Our Questions Are Hard

Saturday evening, just a few hundred yards from where I pastor, the sister of one of students in our youth ministry was shot as part of a shooting spree where eight people were shot. Two continue to fight for their lives and six were killed in the shootings.

What do I write about all that is in my heart about this? How do I take what doesn’t really have words and give it voice?

It would be easy to turn this into an opportunity to talk about guns; or to talk about our violence culture; or to make this into some sort of political stump to stand on. But this post won’t be about that. And so if you have an urging within you to say something political, I want to ask you to hold it in. At least for just a little bit?

Political agendas around gun control and a violence culture cheapen, and even belittle, the grief of families and the questions a tragedy such as this bring to the surface.

As a community we are asking the deeper questions – and doubt. Questions that begin with “why.” Why did this have to happen? Where is God in the midst of this? How does a good and loving God allow such things to happen? Why did a father and son have to die? Why were four women, friend, killed for apparently no reason?

These are the questions that need to be asked by the community at this time. These are good, hard questions that get at the core of faith and if it is even worth having faith. Yes, you read that right. I think it is a good thing to even wrestle with if it is worth having faith. (I think I just felt some of your anxiety go up didn’t I?). Unless we get to the root of that question, and if we go to quickly to platitudes, I am not sure we really have faith or if it is a deep faith…?

It’s a question even as much as it is a statement.

I wonder if we can consider for a moment that even Jesus had questions. Deep and difficult questions. Addressed to God the Father.

In Matthew (one of my 4 favorite Gospel accounts) Jesus begins to ask his Father if he has to suffer in the way he knows is coming. Twice in chapter 26 Jesus asks if the “cup” of his suffering might be taken away. The first time is recorded like this, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” Troubled and sorrowful, Jesus asks to not have to go through suffering. In Luke 22 it is recorded that Jesus’ anguish is so deep that his sweat was like drops of blood.

If Jesus is able to question God in such a troubling way, why don’t we? I think it is because doubt and questions make most of us uncomfortable most of the time. We want things tidy. We want simple answers to make sense of our world.

But simple answers elude. Especially now. Especially here.

Let’s go even further. Jesus’ last words on the cross are also a question. Directed at God. Full of suffering, pain and anguish, in Matthew 27 Jesus cries out loudly, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The last words of the pre-Easter Jesus is the question “why” cried out to God. And there is no resolution for Jesus before his death. He dies on the cross with those words still hanging in the air. And unlike at Jesus’ baptism, we are left without a response from Heaven…

I want to invite you to let the question hang there. Why God? Why did six people have to die from a random act of violence on Saturday? Why did it have to happen here, now? Why?

Jesus’ question hung in the air.

And it was in the emptiness of the question that the resurrection took place. It was in the midst of the fear and doubt and hiding of the disciples that God the Father then stepped in.

The resurrection didn’t take place at the Triumphal entry, when it was cool to hang with cat who healed people and stood against the religious leaders of the day.

The resurrection didn’t happen when life was good.

The resurrection took place.

It took place in the midst of deep questions, fear and sadness…

Kalamazoo, let your questions sit out in the open. Ask them. Keep asking them. Jesus loves you.

 

Dr. Dobson – I love you, but I think you got it wrong.

Dr. Dobson, you got it wrong. No doubt you are smarter than I am, but you still got it wrong. And, I confess Dr. Dobson, I am angry about your post (read it here) and so I am sure there will be a bit more sarcasm than usual. But you got it wrong.

Most studies I read indicate that anywhere from 25-33% of the women in the United States are in relationships where there is physical abuse taking place. That means 1 out of 4 or 1 out of 3 of the women we all see at the grocery store, gas station and walking their cute children around our neighborhoods are being hit by their spouses or partners. These are real people, people we know, living in very real fear because the danger around them is not made up but is very real.

Dr. Dobson I believe it is irresponsible to encourage Laura, or any person in an abusive relationship, to provoke the abuser. In fact, I believe it is even irresponsible to encourage her to stay in the house. In her letter to you, which you replicated on your post, indicates that not only does he rage at her, but does so at the children as well. She, and so many others, is in physical (as well as psychological, emotional and spiritual) danger as indicated that she is being beaten with his fists, has had teeth loosened, been cut, and in fear for her life.  She is even in fear for having contacted you!

I wonder.

What if the next fit of rage happens while she is near stairs? What if during the next exchange she is hit so hard she falls and hits her head on something hard sustaining a closed head brain injury? What if they are in the kitchen and he happens to have a knife in his hand?

I wonder how the trauma of being beaten is impacting Laura’s understanding of God’s love and grace? I wonder what their children are learning about being men and women? I wonder…

I wonder who will raise their children if he accidentally kills her in his rage? Did you know that each day, 3 women die from domestic abuse?

Dr. Dobson, I wish you had encouraged Laura, and others in her situation, to find a safe place for herself and her children. I wish you had offered to help Laura created a safe exit strategy.

Laura, your husband’s rage is not your fault. You and your children ARE NOT responsible for his violence. You were not created to be the recipient of his violent outbursts. Loving your husband does not mean staying in a dangerous situation. You were created in the image of God and you are deeply loved by him. There is pain in leaving, but there is no shame or condemnation.

And while I know there are no simple answers and the ramifications of domestic violence runs deep, I do know the answer is not to stay and provoke him until his rage is uncontrollable again. It takes great courage to leave an abusive spouse. I know, I have helped others do so. And your leaving may just be enough to create the crisis needed for him to seek help.

Laura, the toughest, but maybe the most loving thing you can do, for your husband, your children and yourself, is to leave and find a safe haven.

Awkward…!

The half dozen or so people were spread throughout the fitness center. Each one doing her, or his, own thing.  Most were on some sort of cardio machine and only one other was over by the free weights of this Houston area Planet Fitness.  I followed the unwritten rules of gym ettiquette (mostly because it wasn’t my regular gym) and worked out without engaging anybody in conversation.

It’s an interesting phenomenom, belonging to large nationwide gym.  And with Planet Fitness’ “no gymtimidation” policy, most people work out in silence, with headphones on and only on occassion even making eye contact.  Even then the eye contact is usually some sort of non-verbal communication around the use of a piece of equipment – not relationship…

Not here. Not Houston’s little PF on Fondren.  Not with LeRoy.

Let’s face it, public locker rooms are always a bit awkward; and when you are leaving the shower area with your towel wrapped around your waist, you feel particularly vulnerable!  Just saying… That’s how it was for me when I met LeRoy. Still sweating from my workout, but freshly showered before heading to the couple’s therapy training I’m in Houston for, I had my towel around my waist when I hear a southern accent say, “I don’ think I’ve seen you ‘roun’ here before?”

I look to my right and there before me is a tall, thin African American of about 60 years of age. He had a huge smile and held out his hand, “LeRoy.”

“Brian.”  And inside my head there is only one word sreaming loudly, AWKWARD!!!

LeRoy asks when I moved to the area and I explained to him that I was here on sabbatical getting some training on couple’s therapy. LeRoy’s smile immediately is replaced with a look of deep regret.

While we both got ready for the day before us, LeRoy told me about his failed marriage, that he moved to Houston to try and rebuild relationships with his kids and grandchildren, and how much he regretted not working hard to make his marriage work.  He was going to meet his two year old grandson for the first time later that day.

As I was getting ready to leave, he told me to learn a lot. Then he paused and asked, “Would you pray for me today? Maybe you have more pull with the Big Guy than I do.”

I’ve never prayed for anyone in a locker room before, at least I don’t think so, but I’m glad I did.  I will probably never see LeRoy again. But I think our world is full of LeRoy’s. People, like you and me, going through life with its struggles and joys, hurts and pleasures, successes and failures.

And all of us longing to connect more deeply with one another and with God.  Only very few of us will find the courage to step out of the unwritten rules of culture and become vulnerable enough to reach out and connect with others. 

I’m really glad LeRoy had the courage to start a conversation in a locker room – even if it was awkward.

My Prayers Grew With Him

October 31, 1996 (Halloween), two days after his birth, I drove him and his mother home from the hospital.  During that drive I prayed.  And I prayed what I thought to be the most profound prayer ever prayed by a new father.  I prayed, God, don’t let me get in an accident and kill him on our way home!  I don’t know how many times I prayed that prayer during the 15 minute drive from the hospital to our home, but it is a short prayer and I am sure I prayed it hundreds of times before pulling into the driveway while the neighborhood was filling with costumed children out trick or treating.

Married for almost 8 years, I barely knew how to be a husband (still…?) much less a dad, and the profundity of my prayer life continued.  When he would be awake at night my prayer was, Lord, help him fall asleep already! I can’t keep my eyes open any longer! Then, after he fell asleep and I would be gently – oh so gently – placing him into his crib my prayers would deepen further into, Ok God, I putting him down now, keep him sleeping…

And, when his eyes would sometimes open after I laid him down I would have two very different, almost conflicting 3:00am thoughts/prayers that went something like this, God, I love this kid! God, do you hate me?!?!

As exhausting as those first years were, especially as sister and brother came along, they didn’t last long. And as Michael grew and developed, so did I.  I grew up as a dad.  Well, somewhat anyway.  What I do know is this, my prayers grew.  My prayers grew with him.

I prayed for his first day of school.  I prayed for tests.  I prayed for him when he got injured.  I prayed for forgiveness when I blew it.  I prayed he would forgive me when I blew it.  I prayed for his friends.  I prayed as the years went by.

My prayers grew from a starting place of praying for the immediacy of having his needs met (food, sleep, safety, love & shelter) in order that I might have some short term peace, to a place of learning to pray more deeply, for things of more significance and for the longview of his life.

My prayers grew in substance.  Today Michael is an amazing young man enrolled as a freshman in college and my prayers for him are much different.  I do pray for the immediate things still – that he would study hard, learn well, make incredible friends, be exposed to all sorts of great challenges that shape him, etc… But more than that, I pray for longterm fruit of the spirit in his life, for him to give himself to something significant, life giving and helps better the world God so loves.  I pray for lasting joy that overcomes in hardship and trial.  I pray that he would live in, and be a sharer, of the Shalom of God.

My prayers, they grew with him.

Learning Leadership From Horses…?

Demo was one of the seven horses we would take out on our ride that day. None of the horses, mind you, were your standard “trail ride” horses that just follow nose to tail while your butt gets sore for an hour. A mustang caught from the wild in Utah, Demo was different. Head strong, independent and a leader in the herd, Demo used to be called Demolition Man – you can figure out why. And I was about to ride him!

But before I could ride him, Craig (our host at Shiloh Ranch – a ministry to ministry families) needed to bring him in. But Demo wasn’t about to let a lead rope be put around his neck and head. He wasn’t about to submit to Craig. Craig wasn’t the leader, wasn’t in charge – Demo was. It took some time for Craig to get Demo separated from the rest of the horses into the smaller corral.

And there I saw a lesson for how God leads us.

Craig would get Demo moving in one direction around the corral by applying pressure. He did this by pointing, using his voice and waving the rope. He never hit Demo, didn’t abuse Demo and never became aggressive with Demo. After he would make several loops in one direction, applying pressure Craig would steer him in the opposite direction. Craig would do this with Demo several times and then he would suddenly stop and lower the rope, his arm and his face so he wasn’t looking at Demo at all.

He waited.

And when Demo didn’t respond, the whole exercise took place again. Sometimes the rhythm was different. The amount of time spent in one direction over another would change. And when it wasn’t expected, Craig would stop – and wait – until Demo moved.

Toward Craig.

Not immediately taking control by slipping the lead rope around the horses neck and head, Craig did something that made me curious. He wrapped his arms around Demo’s neck, nuzzled his cheek against the horse and gently loved on the beautiful mustang. Only then did Craig slip Demo’s lead rope on.

In those ten minutes I saw in Craig and Demo how God has time and time again been at work in my life.

Directing Demo in the corral was consistently done with deep respect for Demo: looking at him the right way, keep a proper distance, using his voice gently and firmly and never frightening or demeaning the horse. And then, when Craig would stop and lower his head, it was an invitation for Demo to draw near. And, when he was ready, he did.

God will often, with amazing love and respect, direct our lives by his Voice, with his hand or with circumstances. But God never forces himself upon us. And, when it is time, God invites us, again, to draw close to him – toward intimacy and purpose.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Mt 11:28-30

I wonder how God is inviting you to draw near to him today? And for what purpose?

Demo’s purpose that day was to give me a ride through some of the most beautiful countryside. And we had fun!

Mission in the Morning

Was Jesus a morning person?

So, can I be brutally honest with you?  I hate mornings.  I am not a morning person.  I think over time, because of kids and getting up for work, my body has learned to wake up in the morning.  But I am not a morning person.  And as much as I am high on anyone’s extrovert scale, I don’t like people in the morning.

I love my kids. I love my wife.  I work hard at being somewhat bearable in the morning.  I drink coffee and eat a piece of fruit and as the kids make their way to school I head to the gym to work out.

Because Jesus is perfectly loving…

We’ll call him Bill (not his real name).  He is a morning person. And, he likes to talk – a lot!  He works out in the morning where I do and he is HUGE.  At first it was fine.  For about the first year of going to the gym before I should even be awake, Bill would work his way around the fitness center chatting with everyone he knew.  He didn’t know me and so for months I thought I was safe.

Then one morning we both wanted to use the same machine, and he did it. He stepped over what I thought was the understood line and introduced himself.  With his hand outstretched (attached to a massively muscled arm) he said, “how ya doing?”  From that day forward we haven’t not talked when we see each other at the gym.

At first it was superficial.  Then he took the initiative and began to give me some pointers about my gym routine – and my eating.  Soon he began telling me he’s taking a class in college and struggling with it.  In between sets of cable crossovers I casually ask him, while gasping for breath, what class it is. Bill tells me he is in a creative writing class and had to read some essay about happiness from a “something David somethingorother.”  “Henry David Thoreau?” I ask.

He’s amazed at my knowledge at what he is reading and gives me a fist pound.

Jesus told us that because he is perfect, God will give us only good gifts.  Being on mission with him is one of those gifts!

Over the next several weeks Bill shares with me about the abuse in his childhood which led to his dropping out of school in the late 70’s.  Somewhere in the last decade or so he finally got his GED after 3 years of trying.  In the process of getting his GED they discovered he has a reading disorder called Dyslexia.  He’s taking a college writing class just to “better himself” and keep his mind active. I asked why a creative writing class if he doesn’t read well. He replied, “Why bother learning something you already know? That’s the point of school, to learn what you don’t know.”

Now my morning workout is filled with conversation, between sets of course, about the meanings of words, reading strategies (thanks to my reading teacher bride) and the meaning of what he is reading.  Bill is learning to read, really read, and I believe the Kingdom of God is coming in his life while we talk about “happiness.”

This morning he asked me what I do for a living. When I told him I am a pastor his response was…  Well, we’ll write about that another day maybe…

Love Came To Town Like A Storm

PANIC

It was a little after 3:00am when her iPhone started going off.  Neither of us were able to rouse ourselves out of deep slumber before it quit and landline (yes, we still have one!) was blaring loudly.  As a pastor, any call at 3:00am isn’t good.  When your wife’s father is dying of bone cancer, it certainly isn’t good.

Cathy got to the phone and the message was clear – she and I were headed to WI as her dad was “actively dying” we were told.  We lay in bed trying to figure out what to do and how to go about doing it… It was Sunday morning, early, and I was slated to preach.  Does she go alone? Does she fly or take a train?  Do we both go early? Do we wait until after church? Who will take care of the kids?

Decision: We will drive together, she wants me with her, after church.  We will get someone to come and stay with the kids so it is as least disruptive for them as possible.

Experiencing Christ’s love through the Church is an amazing thing.  I love the Church!

I sent a text out to a couple of people to see if they can come hang with the kids overnight.  Neither one responds.  It’s 4:00am after all!  So in a couple hours I call and wake one of them up.  She freaks out hearing her pastor’s voice at this time in the morning.  However, she is able to pull herself into consciousness and our two-day profound experience of Love in action begins.

What does that kind of love look like?  It looks like God’s children interrupting their own lives in order to serve others. It looks like Jesus.  It looks like this.

Jesus’ love showed up in Rochelle. Setting aside whatever else she may have had going on that day & night, she takes on being fully responsible for the four teens in our home.  It showed up in her playing Yahtzee by candlelight and sleeping in a cold house because the massive storm the wrecked whole towns in Illinois swept through West Michigan too.

Jesus’ love showed up in Tom. On Sunday evening when we hear from the kids that they have no power, he promptly responds to my text from WI which said, “if still out in the am, would you fire up the generator for me?” He says, “yes.”  No hesitation.  So on the 18^th anniversary of his marriage to Julie, he spends hours getting my generator running, getting extra gas for it and running extension cords to all the necessities in the house.

Love showed up in Nanette and Steve. I got a text early Monday morning from my daughter Hayley, “no power, no water, no school – what do we do?”  It’s not even 5:30am in WI after a long night of little sleep!  What do they do…?!? Another early morning text and not only do they let my kids run over to shower and warm up – they took them in for the whole day, fed them, AND when wegot back from WI later that evening, opened their home to my family to sleep someplace warm!

Jesus’ love showed up in Niki.  The consummate taxi driving mom of four, in all the busyness of her own family “post-storm,” loves on us by hauling my daughter around so she can still get to dance for her Nutcracker rehearsals.

Cathy’s dad did pass away just before we got to his bedside.  But that’s ok.  He went to be with Jesus and over the last several months deep reconciliation had taken place.  Everything that

needed to be said was said.  He is with Jesus.

In the midst of the loss of Cathy’s dad, we never lost peace. Why? Love.  Loved showed up in our lives.

When God’s people choose love – there is a tangible shift in reality.

Everybody you meet today is facing a battle of some kind… Who are you actively loving today?

Blame: from Government Shut Down to Life…

It’s automatic isn’t it?  There is this feeling we have.  Deep.  Inside us.  Powerful emotions get triggered and we feel threatened, angry, afraid.  

Somewhere along the way in life, we don’t get what we want.  Our children don’t behave the way we want. We don’t get the promotion we want. The driver in front goes slower than we want. The train comes at a time we don’t want. We are later to a meeting than we want. The girl we want to date says “no” (not in my case, of course, she said “yes” even after praying I wouldn’t ask her out…). Somewhere along the way in life we don’t get what we want and deep emotions are stirred.  The Senate and the President won’t budge on healthcare and the House won’t budge on not funding it.  The government shuts down.  We don’t get what we want.

So – what do we do with those deep feelings?

Let’s be honest, we don’t like feeling those deep negative emotions.  I know people deeply passionate on both sides of the whole budget/obamacare issue.  They are feeling deep negative emotions.  And I know if I ask them, they will tell me they don’t like feeling the way they do.  

When we feel deep negative emotions about people or circumstances we want to do something with those feelings.  We feel like a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke that has been shaken for hours and has also had a roll of Mentos dropped in (try it, it’s fun!).  We feel so deeply and powerfully that we find we need to off load those feelings.

Blaming is how we often deal with our negative emotions

Our children don’t do what we want, others see it, we are embarrassed (because they behaved like children?) and so we blame. The traffic runs slow or the train stops us in our tracks and we are late for work – in order not to look bad, we blame the drivers and train.  We are late for the meeting because the elevator stopped on every floor.  

We blame.  We blame our children, the people around us and the circumstances around us. We off load our negative feelings by pushing the responsibility away from ourselves.

Politicians blame too!

The House is blaming the Senate. The Senate is blaming the House. The President is blaming the House.  The Republicans blame the Democrats and the Democrats blame the Republicans.  

There is an interesting phenomenon taking place in our brains when we feel strong negative feelings.  Chemicals are released that help us become more reactive and less responsive.  In other words, we don’t think very well when we are engulfed in negative feelings.  I have a friend who says we become stupid.  I think I agree.

Blaming keeps us stuck in a pattern of compromised thinking.  Blaming keeps us in a cycle of feeling negative emotions toward others or the circumstances we are faced with because we continue to highlight the negative role they are playing, which keeps us trapped in thinking about how miserable they are making us feel, etc…

We blame too!  We are doing it today.  Depending on what you want, you are blaming somebody for the government shut-down.  You either blame the House for trying to defund Obamacare, or you blame the Senate & the President for not being willing to budge. 

When I am blaming others for the circumstances I don’t like, I am not thinking….very well. When I am stuck not thinking very well, I am not taking responsibility.  

Our elected officials carry a lot of responsibility but are not living into that responsibility when they are playing the Blame Game.

We carry a lot of responsibility too.  And we are not living into that responsibility when we play the Blame Game.  

Interestingly, I think we carry as much, or maybe even more, responsibility for where we are as a country than those in Washington.  We not only live within a system, but are deeply part of that system.  And as part of that system, we have elected Senators, Representatives and Presidents.  We have placed them in office and then blamed them when “Washington doesn’t work the way we want.”  

We put the Representatives into the House, we put the Senators into the Senate and we put the President into the White House; and yet we expect a different result than the one we are currently getting? I am part of that “we.” 

The kind of people we elect to office matters!

I am a part of this world and I deeply believe that how I live either helps bring the Kingdom of God, or the Shalom of God, to bear in a way that restores and reconciles places of brokenness; or I am contributing to that brokenness.

I can contribute to the brokenness of a dysfunctional government by letting my anger or fear drive me to blame; or I can take responsibility.

I wonder what it looks like to take responsibility for big things when I don’t feel I have the capacity?

Jesus’ Deep Belief

My son Andrew helped plant my neighbors garden.  And this year he planted a row of popcorn, fully believing that there would be a harvest and many evenings spent enjoying the fruit of his labor…

 I love the Gospel of Mark.  It’s one of my favorites!  Part of what I love about Mark’s account of the life of Jesus is how he just gets to it.  It is shorter than the other accounts and most likely written first.  And in the first chapter Jesus is already deep into his ministry – even though it has just begun.

I believe that Jesus’ love gets expressed in three deep beliefs in the middle of the first chapter – in the calling of the first disciples. And, I believe Jesus believes these things so deeply it moves him into action!

Jesus believes the Kingdom of God is accessible.

In verse 15 Jesus begins his ministry with the words, “The time has come, the kingdom of God is here.”  Powerful and bold words spoken to culture that had been wrapped into another kingdom, Rome’s, and believed that God’s kingdom would come forcefully and politically.  But Jesus, see, knows what the kingdom of God is.  He has a deep belief that God’s kingdom, is inaugurated with his coming and is fully accessible to those who seek it.

So what does he do with this belief?  He get’s into action.  He goes out into his society with a message unlike any they have really heard before – that the kingdom they are longing for and looking for is here, now and fully accessible.

Jesus has a deep belief that the kingdom isn’t only reserved for another time or another place, but that it is fully possible for those who would listen to his voice to enter into and live in that kingdom in the present – without having to wait!

For Jesus the kingdom was now and the kingdom was accessible.  However, I believe that we, the US church, live as though the kingdom is sometime else and someplace else.  This is manifested in so many ways in our lives: a lack of urgency around the mission of God, lots of resignation that anything in this life is going to be or get better, spiritual disconnectedness and the list could go on…

Jesus held a deep belief in his capacity to transform lives.

Let’s face it, it takes a certain amount of ego (yeah, that term will probably bother most of you) to invite someone to follow you as a disciple – and more so on the first day of school!  But he did it didn’t he?  He asks Simon Peter & Andrew and then also James & John to leave their family business to follow him.  Why?

Because he is going to transform their lives, turn them upside down, and make them fishers of men.  What?  These are unschooled men – considered boys in our culture – and he is going to do what?  Look at what he says, “I will make you…”

Jesus believes so deeply in his ability to bring about personal transformation that he not only invites them to follow him, but he makes a massive promise at the same time!  Jesus belief is so deep, that he doesn’t waste any time and begins inviting others into his journey right from the beginning.  Why?  Because he knows.  He knows the kingdom of God is here and that he transforms lives.

Jesus held profound belief in our capacity too!

Think about it. Really. In fact, take 60 seconds to reflect on this – Jesus asks us to repent as we would receive the kingdom of God.  Repent means to change.  Repentance is not saying “I’m sorry.” It is a radical turning in one’s life from disobedience to radical obedience.  Follow my logic here:  Jesus is fully God, God is fully & always completely loving, therefore everything Jesus does and says is completely loving.  Even asking us to change!  What wouldn’t be loving is is Jesus was to tell everyone to transform their lives knowing that it just can’t happen.  That would be cruelty.

Then he goes on.  He tells Peter and Andrew that he will make them into something new.  We must be able to change if part of Jesus’ promise is that very transformation.

I don’t know about, but I know that I have spent a larger portion of my life than I wish I had full of resignation that anything can actually be different in my life, the way I am, the sins I struggle with and etc…

But.

That’s what Jesus promised!

Jesus’ deep belief in the potential transformation of those who are made in his image moves him to leave the Father’s side.  Jesus’ deep belief in you – his belief in me – is so profound he just can’t sit still and dream wistfully.  He got into action around it.

In John 15 so many of these dots are connected for us.  Jesus proclaims to us that if we abide in him and he abides in us, we will bear much fruit – kingdom fruit.  Jesus also tells us in John 15 that our transformation is only possible in that abiding relationship – apart from him we can do nothing.  Nothing.

I don’t want to do nothing.

I want a deep belief in the presence of God’s kingdom. I want a deep belief in Jesus’ power to redeem.  I want a deep belief that I too can be transformed.

I don’t want to do nothing.

Leadership Nesting

I resisted the urge to title this blog The Love Nest – for the sake of my wife and kids…

But I did have one, a love nest. Back in college.  Kirk and I did.  We lofted our beds on either side, put an early rummage sofa under one side and my newly acquired stereo with turntable and 3 way floor shakers on the other, next to the 13″ tv and VCR.  We never had any girls in the love nest but our music was loud and we watched plenty of Arnold or Stallone movies.

I’m not talking about that kind of nest, tho. However much fun that might be.  I am talking about the kind of nest leaders create out of love so the amazing people they work with not only survive, but flourish and thrive.

God created the first love nest.

In Genesis chapter 1. Read it, I’ll wait. Genesis 1 really isn’t about science. Sorry.  It really isn’t about the number of days for creation – again, sorry.  But keep reading.  The account of creation is so much more than that. It confronted a worldview at the time of its writing that didn’t know of “a creator.” And, it describes the purpose of all that was created. A love nest for leadership.

Looking carefully we see the progression in chapter 1 of creating space with light and dark, the separating of waters so there could be atmosphere, the gathering of water and land into a planet (we call it Earth), vegetation to support animal life. And all of this to create the perfect nest, or environment, where those made in the image of God would do much more than survive.  Where they would live fully human lives according to their design.

Then God blessed them and gave them this directive, “… I make you trustees of my estate, so care for my creation…” (from The Voice, Gen 1:28) 

Out of his extravagant love, God created the perfect nest, environment and culture, for mankind to thrive doing what they were created for – stewarding creation by working and caring for it. A space, the garden, where they (we?) lived intimately with God and one another in the midst of tending to the work of creation.

The first job in the first workplace, a co-op of sorts, with God at the center.

Good leaders also create Love Nests 

Good leaders, especially Christian leaders, creatively impact their organizations by partnering with God and others in developing love nests, environments, that foster a culture of willing and acting for the good of their community of co-workers, for their organization and for those the organization serves. Good leaders do this intentionally and usually very naturally.

In Genesis it is clear that God took great care in creation because of his perfect love.  Good leaders also love. They love the people they work for and with in order to achieve a greater purpose.

In the church I serve (and I hope in my family and other places of influence), I want to create those kinds of environments. Places where those I minister alongside can risk greatly, live fully and flourish together in community.  I know I don’t always get it right – especially when I let anxiety make me stupid – but at the end of the day, as a leader I want those around me to know they are loved and have the freedom to creatively live into their callings.