Head-dibs

"I tossed about until Charley grew angry with me and told me 'Ftt' several times . But Charley doesn't have our problems. He doesn't belong to a species clever enough to split the atom but not clever enough to live in peace with itself. He doesn't even know about race, nor is he concerned with his sister's marriage. It's quite the opposite. Once Charley fell in love with a dachshund, a romance racially unsuitable, physically ridiculous and mechanically impossible. But all these problems Charley ignored. He loved deeply and tried dogfully. It would be difficult to explain to a dog the good and moral purpose of a thousand humans gathered to curse one tiny human. I've seen a look in dog's eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." (Steinbeck, p. 269)

The Gilgamesh Epic is considered to be one of the first hero stories of antiquity. Any studious reader will find the story connected to one of the earliest documented world civilizations in early Mesopotamia, the kingdom of Sumer namely. Copies of the story have been found all over the Middle East written on clay tablets, which may indicate the story has a longer oral tradition. The epic as we have it today is the result of translation work from various pieces, some of which are still missing. Scholars admit the story’s development is traceable, so the form in which we have today represents the work of collected fragments. One curious note is that some ancient recorders seem to favor some stories over others, giving greater attention to details others completely ignore. Perhaps the greatest “claim to fame” of the Gilgamesh epic is the story of a great flood that seems to parallel that of the great flood recorded in the Bible. Some suggest in an attempt to discredit the Bible that the...

Earth Day is a great idea, but there is much more to Earth Day than simply protecting the environment. We must protect the earth, but why? Yes the earth is our home, but how do we protect it? Is fighting litter and “going green” enough? I recall being very young and growing so concerned over the environment that I literally went door to door (with parental permission) and asked people to sign a pledge they would not litter. The result? I was hired (and paid) by the neighborhood to keep the entrance to our neighborhood clean and the association took care of the neighborhood itself. But uncleanliness kept happening--and it still happens. Why? The population of earth remains unclean. Is it any wonder that God’s unchanging Word speaks of the groaning of creation as creation waits for the redemption of mankind (Romans 8:19-23). Imagine the sigh of relief when the earth is made new! Earth Day is tied up in man’s repentance and obedience to God! Man was created and placed on the ea...

One may wonder, “why do a book review on a book originally published in 1947?” The book to which I refer is by C.S. Lewis, “The Abolition of Man; or, Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools” (New York: MacMillan, 1978). One answer may be the fact that the 121 page book is still in circulation. Another answer may be likened unto climbing a mountain--because the old thing is there--and this unassuming book is a mountain. This reader recalls journeys up into the Rocky Mountains and the discovering the elusive nature of the summit. Climb, climb, climb, look up, reach the top only to find one has not summited but only acquired the lip of a terrace with another false peak looming overhead. Lewis give us three such chapters (plus an appendix) that lifts the reader up into the clouds of the author’s deep reflections (perhaps a descending metaphor should be more fitting)--heady reflections. This venture is no small hike. The firs...

You know the word “mega,” so you know the Greek for “great.” The range of meaning is broad enough to make one slow down and think about what it means to be a “great man.” The word (“mega”) is an adjective and thanks to School House Rock, we know that adjectives are words that are used to describe things. So what is meant when Jesus says, “but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” in Matthew 20:26? The options for the adjective include: Massive; weighty; large; spacious. Some of us are already great in this regard.  Measure; height. I am not a great man in that regard, either. I look up to my youngest son (which is quite bothersome).  Stature and Age. I grow greater every year!  Number, quantity. I don’t see how I can be a great man unless I clone, which is highly unlikely.  Intensity. While often violent, aggressive men are great, this is not ideal. I am not convinced these nuances were what our Lord had in mind. What abou...

Man, the crown of God’s creation, is God’s representative on earth. As such man is to have dominion over creation; however, since man’s relationship with God was broken by sin, the dominion of man (i.e., his “rule”) is altered. For example, God gave every tree of the garden (with one exception) as prepared food. Since man sinned and his ruler is changed, man must now prepare his own food (see Genesis 3:17-19). One aspect of man’s rulership is problematic for many because the woman is told, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16) Presupposition concerning what it means for man to rule wrecks the text; but, it also proves the point. First, notice that childbirth was already painful. Since the fall, the pain will be multiplied. Second, the desire of a man’s wife is for her husband. The weight of the Hebrew is less-nice. Kiel and Delitzch help us out...

I believe I can safely say that each time we play “Build Your Kingdom” by Rend Collective Experiment on our Calvary Chapel Blythewood praise team, I must burn about 100 calories. I don’t know how much our percussionist burns, but we may have a great weight loss program here in our praise music! One line in the song says, “You’ve made us for much more than this; awake the Kingdom seed in us.” This is where I would like to focus for a moment: we are made for more than we think; but, first consider this sign: What is the right way to read? While much could be said here, just think for a moment about how you feel when you read? Do you feel anything? You should. Reading with sensitivity helps shed light on the meaning of text. Perhaps this is one reason some feel reading the Bible is difficult: they read without feeling. I find it difficult to read Psalm 8 without attention to feeling. This psalm is the epitome of awe. Ask me what “awe” means, and I will bring you here. Why? The reasons...

“ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end .” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV). Clement of Alexandria was not a spectacular theologian and has been the object of as much adulation as criticism. He has quoted extensively from the both Old and New Testaments in his writings and his primary work was in laying the foundations for catechism for new believers. His predecessor at the Alexandrian school was a philosopher and Clement was not lacking in the area of study himself. Reading Clement leaves one with the feeling of eavesdropping, as oftentimes he engages authors in a conversation, allowing his readers to hear. Clement often dialogued with Plato in his writings, which lead many to conclude that Clement favored Plato to the point of allowing his philosophy to influence his theology. This writer is not prepared to comment on this possibility; however, one cannot mi...

"It takes God to understand man. And He has written a book to go along with us--an instruction book to accompany the machinery He has designed. If you buy a new television set, refrigerator, or automobile, along with it you get an instruction book compiled by the manufacturer, who understands the machine best. It tells you what to do when things go wrong. That is exactly what the Bible does. It is the greatest book on human psychology in the world." Ray Stedman, "The Need for a Priest," Sermon on Lev. 8:1-9