War in Iraq and on Terrorism

I have found it very difficult to form an objective critique on the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism. While I have a predisposition to favor Bush because of sharing similar beliefs, I simultaneously do not wish to naively and ignorantly support someone or something that I have not intelligently processed and considered. Incidentally, this is a very difficult task to undertake due to the fact that the news and media are so politically charged and biased towards the beliefs and agendas of anti-Bush advocates; therefore forming an objective stance about the situation seems next to impossible. My gut instinct and subconscious conclusion about the war, however, were articulated almost perfectly in this cartoon by political cartoonist Michael Ramirez.

A Lament for Women

Historically, it has been the unfortunate fact that women have struggled to be treated with value, dignity, and respect in nearly every country and culture, and this fact still conspicuously exists today in many countries, such as India or many middle eastern countries, for example. In the United States, however, great efforts have been made over the course of its history to liberate women from inequality and disrespect, and as a result of these efforts, women now possess equal rights as men. On the surface and in many respects women do indeed possess equal rights and receive equal respect and dignity on corporate, political, and legal levels. However, at its core, on an intrinsic existential level of human worth and dignity, I believe American culture has not made any progress in granting women value, dignity, and respect.

First, observe sports. Football is arguably the most popular sport in America, and one cannot help but notice the bustuous, scantily clad cheerleaders employed by each team. Perhaps in its infancy cheerleading was intended for inspiring crowds. Now, however, cheerleaders exist for the purpose of being eye candy and for the sex appeal. Other sports such as boxing and car racing are known for women in skimpy bikinis walking around carrying signs or surrounding the champion. Once again, eye candy and sex appeal.

What about tv shows? There are countless tv shows that have sexy women serve no other purpose than being eye candy and for the sex appeal. One example is the hit tv show "Deal or No Deal." There is one male host and about two dozen sexy women in revealing, form-fitting dresses. None of these women have any lines. They simply stand there and hold the brief cases containing the secret numbers. Look also at music videos, the majority of which contain dozens of sexy women who are sensuously clothed (or unclothed).

Lastly, the most pervasive arena in which women's sexuality is exploited for eye candy and sex appeal is in commercials and products. Beer commercials are infamous for selling their products with bikini-clad women. Countless soda commercials film sexy women dancing seductively. The restaurant Hooters speaks for itself just in their name. And many cologne and deodorant commercials show women stripping down and throwing themselves at the men who wear the product. Additionally, numerous magazines place voluptuous supermodels or actresses on the front cover to catch readers' eyes.

How has all this been rationalized by our culture? Women have been told that wearing revealing clothing and looking seductive and sexy is a way of declaring their independence as women. The media strongly purports looking seductive and sexy, and that by doing so a woman will gain the respect of others and herself. The greatest goal towards which a woman should aspire, our media says, is to look young and sexy and to show that body to the world.

The sad truth in all of this is that so many women are deluded, especially those who are in those positions of being models, cheerleaders, and so forth. Instead of gaining the respect of women and men around them, it simply draws the jealousy of other women and feeds the sexual appetite of men. When men look at scantily clad cheerleaders and women in bikinis, they do not think, "thank goodness women have been liberated and are now viewed with dignity and respect." They do not look at them with respect and love! The honest truth is that the majority of men view women as sexual objects from which they can derive various forms of lustful pleasure. To all the women who I have looked at lustfully, I ask for your forgiveness. And on behalf of the millions of men who will never have any remorse for how they view women, I apologize for not treating you with value, dignity, and respect that you deserve. All women have been created in the image of God and are deserving of the fullest and deepest honor, dignity, and respect. Thus concludes my lament for the billions of mistreated women around the world.

Storms of Doubt (written in 2002)

While thund'ring storms batter me with sharp waves
Of doubt, which buffet my hope with fierce rage,
To thee I'm bid o'er this dark depth of graves,
Stepping near thee with fear of my presage.
Straight forward I hobble wary with fear,
Yet my gaze shifts to fuming waves around,
And as I lose sight of thine eyes so dear,
I sink into the depths joining the drowned.
And while to darkness my mind is shifted,
I descend to black with nary a hope.
Yet to my surprise, upward I'm lifted
By strong arms to which my frantic hands grope.
Then my Lord inquires about my bout,
"O you of little faith, why do you doubt?"

The Pursuit of Joy (written in 2004)

Through the fog I stumble o'er paths unclear.
The lights seems far gone and life nowhere near.
My hands grope blindly for a guided way.
My eyes dart searching for the light of day.

Deep in mud I wallow, all hope hath fled.
Pierced by doubt's arrows, my heart is dead.
Past bliss is gone, a mirage of my mind.
Life's ray of cheer, shall I e'er again find?

Far fast from me flee the joys from life here.
Life chokes to death the dreams I hold most dear.

Shall I reap any joy beneath earth's sun?
A voice rings true, "On earth there shall be none!"
Where shall I find this true joy I desire?
"Nowhere on earth. It is a rotting mire."

"You calm peace of heart from God is giv'n.
The pure joy you seek comes from Christ within."
Earth's carnal cheer thrown in the flames I burn.
Pure joy my heart seeks. Unto Christ I turn.

Harsh trials steal not my inner joy away.
Through hope in Christ forever will it stay.

Jesus Wept: A Divine Mystery

I think that it is a well-known understanding among us humans that we don't like, for the most part, ambiguity. We have a very difficult time being comfortable with and accepting concepts or ideas that are seemingly incongruent. In the Christian circle, there are many debates about God that are debated continually and still go unanswered.

For example, one such debate pertains to this issue of predestined and free will. How are we 100% responsible for our actions, choices, and beliefs, especially pertaining to salvation, if God is 100% in charge and orchestrates everything? How are we to intellectually and spiritually reconcile these seemingly opposing dichotomies?

I believe that looking at the life of Jesus will give us some helpful insight on these mysteries, for Jesus was a person that was torn between two natures and two worlds, the finite thoughts and life of men, and the omniscient thoughts and eternal existence of his divine nature. In a very simple but profound verse, we are given a picture of Jesus himself coming face to face with this issue. John 11:35, which is famous for being the shortest verse in the Bible, contains one sentence and two words: "Jesus wept." Faced with Lazarus' death, Jesus wept -- not a brief shedding of tears, but an overwhelming flood of grief over the death of his beloved friend.

Why would Jesus, who is omniscient, and who was fully aware before the beginning of time of Lazarus' impending resurrection, be grief-stricken over the news of Lazarus' death? Should not his response been different? Should he not have remained composed and unaffected by the news since he knew that Lazarus would soon be resurrected? No. In his omniscience and power to resurrect the dead he still was engulfed in the real grief of a finite world. What an incredibly beautiful picture of Jesus' humanity and divinity unfolding so delicately and perfectly!

Taking this picture of Jesus' response, I think we can apply it to assist us in reconciling our 100% responsibility and God's 100% orchestration. Are we morally responsible to believe in the truth of the Gospel and accept the salvation offered by God? Yes. Or, does God predestine us to be saved, meaning that it was not our choice? Yes. Are the two congruent? Yes and no. Does it make sense? Not really...well, maybe ... a little, sort of. Praise the Lord we don't understand it completely. God's knowledge and wisdom is infinitely inexhaustible. If we should ever understand our God fully, then he is no God at all. As we spend eternity with him, we will come to a deeper and greater understanding of these mysteries, and yet, at the same time, not even begin to scratch the surface. Isn't it wonderful and beautiful? I think so.

Blogging: Mixed Motivations

The great scholar S. E. Ramquist wrote, "Is not blogging an inherently narcisstic activity? Perhaps the occasional visitor, perhaps the bored, wandering internet addict getting his or her fix, but no one else--save the author--really reads the work. Blogs are mini-speeches that are rehearsed only to oneself, but often with the pretension of speaking to a crowd."

I would be deluded to deny that an element of narcissism motivates me to blog. Thus, I could not agree more with Ramquist. And yet, there is a duality to my motivation, the other element being a sincere desire to speak truth and to be a vessel for the expansion of the Gospel. If my blogs might be read, even just by one "occasional visitor, perhaps the bored, wandering internet addict," it allows the possibility for a seed of truth to be planted within his heart. Perhaps the seed will later be watered by another, and slowly, but surely, as it is pruned and nurtured, be grafted into the Tree of Life, where it might bear much fruit.

For further thoughts by S. E. Ramquist, see http://shearamquist.blogspot.com/

Light of Lights

O Light of Lights, please fill my soul
With thy brilliance and make me whole.
This heart is black and dead with sin.
O Light of Life, shine forth within.

O Light of Lights, please lead the way
Past shadows of death and to the day.
These eyes are blind unto the Light.
O Light of Life, please be my sight.

O Light of Lights, please set me free
From the darkness all around me.
And at all cost please purge away,
O Light of Life, my sin's decay.

O Light of Lights, forever be
My soul's stay and radiant glory.
Precious Jesus, for thee I yearn.
O Light of Life, swiftly return!

Why?

A spouse is driving to work and is killed in an auto accident; a best friend dies from skin cancer that spread throughout his body; a child drowns while swimming in a pool. All three are such tragic events that would cause one's heart to ache with unbearable pain. And during such times one of the most common questions asked--perhaps screamed--is "WHY?" Our finite minds wish to grasp and comprehend why such devastating tragedies occur. We desperately demand an explanation, from God, from ourselves, from whomever. We cannot live with the pain unless we have a justification. Yet, perhaps, could it be that the one question we so adamantly demand is the one question that we need not ask?

Why might this be so? I believe this is so because the answer to the question of "why" is an answer that has no bearing whatsoever on how we ought to live life and how we view God. God does not change regardless of what tragedies occur in our lives. The pain we experience as a result of tragedies or sin does not negate or undermine God's character. The most common reaction from people in response to pain in their life is an immediate doubting and questioning of God's love and goodness. I now firmly believe the sooner we stop asking "why" the more at peace we can be with pain in our lives. For in abandoning the question "why," we can much sooner truly and wholly believe and cling to the inescapable truth about the unchanging character of the Lord our God.

Frankly, we do not need to know why something has happened. We do not need to know that it was for a greater good, or that somehow we were spared from much deeper pain or greater problems, or even that one day we will understand the cosmic reasoning behind the pain in our lives. All we need to know is that God is loving, good, gracious, merciful, faithful, and perhaps most importantly, sovereign and infinitely wise. If we know this, then we can go through hell itself and have our hope and faith be unshaken. God is not obligated to give us an explanation, and we have no right to demand one of him. If we are confident in the character of our God, then there is a deep peace in the most painful of circumstances, because our confidence, hope, and faith are based on the unchanging character of God. He is our gracious, loving Father, and we as his children can rest peacefully in his arms.

My Heart is Steadfast

I praise you, O Lord, for circumstances that you bring into my life, which cause me to reexamine the reasons for why I put my trust in you. You, O Lord, are changeless. Your love, goodness, and faithfulness will never change and will exist infinitely. You are faithful, and will be, for all eternity. In my finite wisdom and perception I can only see what is directly before me; however, you, O Lord, see everything and are sovereign over all things. You orchestrate everything according to your sovereign wisdom and loving kindness, for your praise, honor, and glory. Circumstances cannot, and will never, undermine your faithfulness and promises. Your word is always true and your promises never fail me. My faith in you will ceaselessly grow stronger, for you always prove yourself to be faithful and true, according to your promises. My heart is confident, resolute, and steadfast as I wait for your deliverance. Great is your faithfulness!

Wait for the Lord

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14

When we pray and make requests to God we almost always desire an immediate answer. "Lord, will you please give me this job?" "Will you please take away this disease?" Or, essentially, "Please bring into my life or remove from my life this situation, person, or object so that I will feel more comfortable." And as soon as we have prayed, we earnestly seek for an immediate fulfillment of the prayer. Yet time after time again, we become frustrated and angry with God for "not answering our prayers." And due to the silence, we allow lies, doubts, and unbelief to creep into our hearts. Therefore, slowly, as time goes on, we pray, but we really do not expect any answer, and so we faithlessly throw our prayers to the wind.

Let's face it. Selfish prayers aside, even with our sincerest prayers we do not like to wait. Why do we not like to wait? Most assuredly, we have difficulty waiting because we are sinners, and therefore it is difficult for us to live virtuously, according to the perfect character we possessed before our fall to sin. In addition to our indvidual inherent sinfulness, we are also powerfully influenced by the inherent sinfulness and impatience of American society.

The United States of America is arguably the strongest contender for a society that does not like to wait - for anything. We have fast food restaurants on every street corner. We have microwave dinners. We have remote controls. We have credit cards. While these things are not inherently bad, when our country is viewed wholistically with the number of products and restaurants designed to bring immediate gratification, one must become suspicious of a more deeply rooted problem.

The area of health and medicine is a perfect example of this, for we have millions of people who cannot wait, but who want things now now now! Is it of any coincidence the America is the leading consumer of pain medications? We do not like pain. We want it gone immediately. If we have a head ache or back pain, rather than letting it pass or engaging in an activity that will naturally relieve or lessen the pain, we immediately pop a pain pill; and, sadly, for those who are further along in their dependency, stronger, heavier narcotics. There exists an entire subculture of individuals who are dependent on drugs to solve their problems of physical pain, depression, and anxiety. They no longer wish to take responsibility for their own problems, which would take time and energy, but think they can solve it with the pop of a pill. The sad reality of their life is that they push healing farther and farther away.

In the midst of a culture that screams "give it to me now," the holy, inerrant word of God wisely and uncompromisingly says "wait." Why is waiting in faith so critically foundational to the life of an individual? When one waits, he acknowledges the fact that he is not the God of the universe and that someone much greater is in control of it all. Why do we wait? We wait because the Lord is omnipotent, and we are not. We wait because the Lord is omniscient, and we are not. We wait because he is in perfect sovereign control over all things, and we are not. We wait because he is infinitely wise, and we are not. The Lord says in Isaiah 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." And lastly, we wait with unshakable confidence because due to the inexhaustible depth of God's love, we have been bought with the priceless blood of his own son Jesus Christ, and we have been given a promise that "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." We have nothing to fear when we are child of God. Our hearts can take courage in the Lord. The Lord knows what is best and when it is best. We must have faith in his character and his promises. Let us therefore take to heart the psalmist's exhortation, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord!"

Hope in Decay

The world in which we live is ceaselessly changing, and the cliched phrase "the only thing that does not change is change" rings appropriately true. Yet due to the irreversible corruption of sin in this world, what is ceaselessly occurring is a decay in morality, body, and nature.

Blinded by sin and without the enlightenment of truth, millions seek to "make the world a better place," naively believing that man is ultimately good, and that through the collaboration and effort of the good intentions of individuals around the globe, the world will slowly be transformed into "a better place." These individuals ignorantly view the world as a cluttered, dilapidated house in need of repair and cleaning, yet which has the potential to be restored to a beautiful mansion. Truth could not be screaming any more loudly into their deaf ears and blind eyes, for if they were to truly look around, they would see that this earthly "mansion" is decaying from the inside out and sinking into a putrid bog. How blindly unaware are such men of their own utter hopelessness apart from salvation from our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

Our morality is in decay. Likewise, our bodies; and even so with nature, such that creation itself "groans and suffers the pains of childbirth" in anxious longing to be set free from the corruption of sin. Yet we who are of God are enlightened to the glorious truth of Jesus Christ. Therefore, as children of God, we are to "consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." In a world that is ceaselessly decaying in every form and fashion, let us, as the apostle Paul exhorted us in I Thessalonians 5:16-18, ceaselessly rejoice, ceaselessly pray, and ceaselessly give thanks to the one and only true God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and has saved us from the clutches of sin by the priceless blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While we have breath yet in our lungs and life yet in our bodies, let the good news of Christ be proclaimed and our hope and glory shine among all men that they may see and believe in His saving truth!