Sanctity of Life Week

This week, evangelical Christians in the United States and elsewhere have been celebrating Sanctity of Life week.  It is a time spent thinking about one of the most divisive issues in the U.S., the subject of abortion.  There is no doubt that, from a Judeo-Christian viewpoint, the unborn child is of immense value.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; ..."  Jeremiah 1:5.

I can remember, when my wife was pregnant with our first child, the first time we saw an ultrasound of the baby growing inside.  My first thought, as the picture came up, was "That's a spine!", and then "That's the head!".  It was easy to see.  The little lump inside my wife was a little person.  and she was beautiful.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13.

It is estimated that about 50 million unborn babies have been aborted in the U.S. over the past few decades.  That's an enormous number of individuals who never had a chance at life because their mothers and fathers didn't want them.  It is hard to imagine something as sad as an innocent baby who isn't wanted by his/her parents.

This morning in Church, a woman spoke about her daughter, a teen, who had become pregnant.  And she immediately thought that abortion was the answer.  But fortunately, they managed to find Living Alternatives pregnancy resource center.  There they met people who cared about them and their situation, and helped them find the love in their hearts that they needed for the child.  They ended up keeping the child, and the baby is a few months old now.  The grandmother kept saying "I can't believe I ever thought that (about abortion)".  Her heart was changed.  The mother is still an honor student!  I couldn't help but want to help them in their difficult journey that still lies ahead.  

"'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  Jeremiah 29:11

What bothered me most was the total lack of dads - neither the dad of the baby nor the dad of the teen mother were anywhere around.  MEN, MAN UP.  On a personal note, there has been nothing better happen to me in my entire life than being a dad to little children.  Their faces, smiles, quirks, habits, mannerisms, and little minds are amazing and inspiring and frustrating on a daily basis.  But there is something about being a father that really changes a man's heart & mind to something good.

But this issue, about the sanctity of life, is not just about unborn babies and U.S. politics.  This past week, I came across a blog post in the Independent titled: "It's a girl: The three deadliest words in the world".  This is about a documentary film, "It's a girl", that discusses the practice of killing unwanted baby girls, both in the womb and born, in south Asia.  And it is soul-crushing.  The practice of killing baby girls is due to a twisted view that boys are somehow more valuable, partly brought on by cultural factors of work & provision for the family.  But it isn't just cultural, this is a spiritual blackness of seeing children as something other than valued, beloved children of God.  The second sentence of the article states "The trailer's most chilling scene is one with an Indian woman who, unable to contain her laughter, confesses to having killed eight infant daughters."  A picture of a smiling woman is also captioned "I strangled it soon after it was born."  Pretty much sucks the life right out of your soul, doesn't it?  Tough to read.

This is evil, plain & simple.  There is nothing else to call it.

It is estimated that ~200 million girls in the world are "missing", presumably killed or sold into some sort of slavery.  What an enormous number, about 2/3 the population of the entire United States.  It is a sickening travesty against women, mainly performed by women.  And it is a crime against humanity itself.

So my fellow world travelers, I want to leave you with simply this: that life is precious, especially little ones.  Somehow, there are folks in our world who's mental patterns are so far gone from that one simple truth that they are able to kill these little ones multiple times and talk about it with a smirk on their face.  How have we gotten so far gone?  Humanity has probably been this far gone for thousands of years, somewhere.  But cultural change through education, humanitarian aid, and a change of heart toward valuing all life can and will make the difference, just like it did in the life of the women at my church this morning.  I encourage folks to find an organization like Living Alternatives and help out in any way you can.  These organizations always are in need - give a little, and you'll change a life.

neat pic!

About a week ago, I came across this image on Google+:

I don't know who created it.  I read through a number of comments on the photo, some positive, some negative, with different people interpreting it different ways.  I don't know what the original intent was.  But I know my reaction when I saw it, "Yes! Love it!".

We live in an increasingly interconnected world.  100 years ago, Americans would have typically lived on a farm, gaining most of their daily sustenance by their own hard work on their own land.  People all over the world, in fact, have lived this way for thousands of years.  Interaction with others was largely limited by geography.  And in these times and places, Christians all over the world would pause before a meal and say a word of thanks to their creator.  Prayer before a meal is still common among evangelical Christians, of course.  The act serves to remind us, daily, that all we have comes from God, and we take the opportunity to align our attitudes toward one of thankfulness.  In the Lord's prayer, Jesus Christ directed his disciples to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for their daily bread.  Gratitude is one of the more important attitudes to develop in life.

But today, our daily bread doesn't directly come from our own hard work on our own land.  Food comes from the store!  And that food is brought to us by thousands of others who are doing the direct work of planting & harvesting.  It is easy to forget that there are so many others who play a part in our meals.  And not only should our thankful attitude be extended to God, but also to those who've done the direct, hard work, who might even live in a different country and culture.  As a white, middle class American, I need to be grateful for those take part in growing & harvesting the food I eat, also because many of the folks doing this are probably less well off than I am.  And I need to let that attitude of thanks stew deep in my mind, allowing it to work its way into other thought patterns, and eventually come out in word & actions that I take.  The person who harvests my food might just be from a nation somewhere in Latin America, and might be named Jesus, a fairly common Spanish name.  Both Jesus the Christ and Jesus the hispanic worker deserve my gratitude for their part in proving me the meal I'm about to eat.

Why Last Saturday's Political Conclave of Evangelical Leaders Was Dangerous | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Christians, and especially evangelicals, are known for wanting to change culture. And I do to. There are many things in our culture that need redemption. Unfortunately, sometimes we miss the mark and attempt to change culture in the wrong way. This piece from Christianity Today spells out very clearly why some strategies with political groups are a mistake. A must read!

Why Last Saturday's Political Conclave of Evangelical Leaders Was Dangerous | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction:

'via Blog this'

MLK

I can't let this day go by without something to say on the day we remember the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  What an amazing message of hope that he gave.  The courage to stand up in the face of gross injustice and cry out for equality is truly inspiring.

I'll leave with some lyrics to a song by one of my favorite bands of all time:

"Did you hear the thunderous voice of Dr. King?
The Ghost of Hope still strikes its brilliant lightning!
Through the dark our hearts will scream
For a word we've only dreamed.
And the past it will decay, so sing goodbye to yesterday.

And I believe
That we will burn the starless night
The truth will ring through depths of twilight
Liberty, our hearts ignite
Let hope still ring through depths of twilight."

-"Through Depths of Twilight", Brave Saint Saturn

Quaff the Elixir & Tweeting in #ONUChapel

So yesterday here at ONU, Chapel took a very different turn.  Dr. Mark Quanstrom was on the docket to speak.  He gave his sermon in 3 words: Quaff the Elixir.

Most of the folks in chapel yesterday got a vocab lesson - "quaff" meaning "to drink copiously & heartily", and "elixir" referring to a drink that's good for you, healthy, stirring to the mind, soul, & body.  Dr. Q was referring to Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, where the phrase 'quaff the elixir' is known from the heyday of the bath houses in years gone by.  And not only good for bathing, but the water was touted as good to drink.  I doubt there are any medicinal properties to the water itself, but the park does monitor the water and it is safe to drink.

Dr. Q translated this to the spiritual life - to have a close connection with God, we must "quaff the elixir".  That is, drink copiously of the life giving water, letting it nourish our souls and feed us.  You can even buy the T-shirt.  We do this by observing Christian practices - prayer, reading scripture, attending church services, among other things.

But in addition to the message he delivered, Dr. Q also mentioned the fact that a number of students here at ONU live tweet the Chapel services, and he read some of the tweets from the previous day when Dr. Bowling had spoken.  He spoke positively of this and said he was going to try and follow along with the live tweets during his own sermon and respond to them.  This was a courageous way to try and integrate social media into the Chapel experience, and the students responded by MASS tweeting!  The live tweets in chapel are generally tagged with the hashtag #onuchapel, which for those who don't know, is used in twitter and google+ as a way to connect the posts of various users under a single, clickable search term.  That way, users who are all commenting on a common subject can connect with one another more easily.  Unfortunately, Dr. Q's phone wasn't downloading correctly and he wasn't able to interact, but I give him major points for the attempt!  (and for those new to twitter, the twitter account @ONUChapel is not at all the same thing as the hashtag #ONUChapel).

The official ONU twitter account (@OlivetNazareneU) frequently retweets a few of the live tweets from the students during Chapel, selecting those that give a short, simple, great quote that relates the message.  For the most part, the tweets were positive and encouraging from the students (see them here).  I know that some think that it is distracting during the Chapel service to do this.  It's true that a cell phone can be pretty distracting, but just like any tool it can be used for good.  It can be a way for listeners to find a gem from something they are listening to and share it with the world, and I think this should be encouraged.  When I travel to professional conferences, live tweeting is common.  I've done it several times myself, although I'm typically using Google+ rather than twitter.  It's a way to highlight the best stuff, the most interesting and/or relevant content of the message, and share it with a broader audience.  You can sift through the tweets from the last couple of days and get a decent idea of how students were responding.  Some of my favorites from yesterday:

"We only have life as long as we draw it from him."
"God is not a one time drink.  We are always thirsty for him."
"Good message today Dr. Q. It gives me a lot to think about."

A Fresh Start

So I've ignored this blog for a long time.  I've also ignored the twitter account associated with it.  But I've been thinking over the past couple of months that I should get back to it.

And so I am.  Both of these are going to get a bit of a fresh cover, and I plan to start posting regularly again.  The twitter account associated with this blog is going to become my personal account, where I'll post information intended for the Olivet Nazarene University community, as well as the broader Christian community.  Of course, anyone else interested is welcome to read & follow along as desired.