Anyway

 

“for the measure you give will be the measure you get back”

 

Monday was MLK, Jr. Day.

 

Because I teach about him each year,

I know a lot about Martin Luther King, Jr.

And while I know that he was not a perfect man,

I consider King to be a modern-day prophet.

And like many prophets of old,

King suffered.

He endured multiple death threats,

Jail time, and

Beatings,

For his work that centered on Jesus’s belief that

There is neither Jew nor Gentile,

neither slave nor free,

nor is there male and female,

for we are all one in Him.

 

As best as he could,

MLK did not judge.

He did not condemn.

He forgave.

And he gave.

Yet he was judged.

He was condemned.

Some people could not forgive him for his message of equality.

Some people did not care how much he gave.

And in the end,

His life was taken much too young.

 

The measure he gave was not the measure he got back…

So why bother?

 

Why bother to do good?

Why bother not to judge?

Why bother not to be selfish?

Why bother not to say horrendous things about our enemies?

Why bother to give to the poor and needy?

Why bother forgive?

Why not hold grudges and get even?

Why not amass wealth for ourselves?

Why not slander our neighbor?

Why not mock those who differ from us?

Why not be manipulative and wicked?

Clearly, those things get you far in this world.

 

Why take the hard road when there is a much easier path to follow?

 

Why?

 

Because it’s the right thing to do.

 

The Love of God

Is a redeeming love that is open to all

through the cross and resurrection of

Jesus Christ.

 

THAT is why MLK, Jr. did the work he did.

 

And THAT is why

Those of us who follow in the way of Love

Do the work we do as well.

 

But it is so very, very hard sometimes.

 

Especially when the measure we give

Is not the measure we get back.

 

…

 

Yet we do it anyway.

 

We do it

because we must.

Veterans Day Interview With My Dad

What branch of the military did you serve in? US Army

How long did you serve? 28 years

How old were you when you enlisted? 25

Why did you enlist? I wanted to be an Army chaplain. I felt that God was calling me to do it.

What was your highest rank? Lieutenant Colonel…and I was a Command and General Staff College Graduate.

What were your jobs in the military? I first served as a Supervisory Chaplain for the 171st Support Group, US Army Reserve. I then served as a Command Chaplain of the Civil Affairs Psychological Operations at Fort Bragg. My last assignment was Deputy Chaplain of the Special Operations Command of the US Army at Fort Bragg.

What did you do as a Chaplain? I led worship services, coordinated interfaith workshops, provided personal counseling, maintained personal proficiency so that I was ready to fight, and evaluated Chaplains in my chain of command.

Did you ever go to a combat zone? No. But I was deployed to Equador to support nation building efforts. I served 1100 troops from various countries.

What was the hardest part of being in the military? Having to be away from my family.

What was the best part of being in the military? The sense of bonding and belonging to people who loved you and would die for you.

What do think the most important part of your work was? Bringing men and women to God and God to women and men.

How did you serve people who were not believers? I accepted them as being created by God and being deserving of all the compassion, counsel, and help that I could give them.

You currently work with the Veterans Treatment Court in Harnett County. What do you do in that role? I am the Chaplain to the Core Treatment Team that includes the Judge, Clerk of Court, District Attorney, Defense Attorneys, Probation Officers, Veteran Service Administration, and Mentor Coordinators. I also counsel with individuals when asked and visit the jail as directed by the Judge.

What is the goal of the Veterans Treatment Court? To assist Veterans who are in trouble with legal issues in finding a wholesome lifestyle and understanding of self that will enable them to function as an asset in our society. In other words, working with broken people and trying to make them whole by utilizing all the resources we can find.

How do you think we can best honor our Veterans? Value Veterans as ordinary people who have been called upon to do extraordinary things under very difficult circumstances and listen to what they have to say. If someone presents a need that we might be able to meet, then meet it. Someone may need a ride to the doctor or need their grass cut or somebody might need help retrieving medicine. That’s stuff we can do. But we have to know people in order to meet their needs. In short, be a good neighbor as we understand how Jesus meant to be a neighbor.

What else do you want us to know on this Veterans Day? We need Veterans and their families who come from and represent all parts of our society, and we need to maintain our desire to uphold the constitution of the United States and defend the idea of democracy that values all people.

Let Your Heart Be Broken

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” --James 2:14-19

Let your heart be broken
For a world in need:
Feed the mouths that hunger,
Soothe the wounds that bleed,
Give the cup of water
And the loaf of bread—
Be the hands of Jesus,
Serving in His stead.

Here on earth applying
Principles of love,
Visible expression—
God still rules above—
Living illustration
Of the Living Word
To the minds of all who’ve
Never seen or heard.

Blest to be a blessing,
Privileged to care,
Challenged by the need—
Apparent everywhere.
Where mankind is wanting,
Fill the vacant place.
Be the means through which the
Lord reveals His grace.

Add to your believing
Deeds that prove it true,
Knowing Christ as Savior,
Make Him Master, too.
Follow in His footsteps,
Go where He has trod;
In the world’s great trouble
Risk yourself for God.

Let your heart be tender
And your vision clear;
See mankind as God sees,
Serve Him far and near.
Let your heart be broken
By a brother’s pain;
Share your rich resources,
Give and give again.

“I think that’s my new favorite hymn,” Rebecca said.
“Mine, too,” I replied. “Mine, too.”

May we each move faith to action, and may we spend more time standing for than standing against. May we stand for Love, and may we trust Love to push out everything not good, right, or life-giving. Amen.