Being Popular Can be Bad for You

I was not popular in high school. I was well known (identical twins usually are, twice the exposure at half the price) but I was not popular. I lost more elections than Mitt Romney including for sophomore class president, Student Body leadership and the ultimate defeat, president of the Chess Club. I was a dweeb.

It is one thing to pursue popularity as an adolescent, it is another thing altogether to pursue it as an adult. It seems that for some adults the need to be popular increases with age. If there is anything reality TV teaches us is that people will go to ridiculous lengths to be a celebrity. Ordinary life just isn’t good enough. Everybody wants to be a star and nobody wants to admit that achieving stardom is not dependent on how badly one wants it.

It seems fame is incredibly addictive, as even in small amounts it leads to people wasting their lives trying to gain it again. Almost every high school reunion includes once popular people incapable of dealing with the reality that no one cares anymore. There are a number of reality shows such as “The Apprentice” and “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here” that provide fading stars with one last chance to shine and there seems to be no shortage of formerly famous people willing to participate.

Watching these shows leads me to ponder how much these people have lost in their pursuit of fame. Multiple marriages and rehab stints seem to be a common theme. True happiness, contentment and meaningful relationships are rare. It seems that the price of fame is tragically high.

I flirted with fame a few months ago. My blog post on measles spread around the world. It reached over 5 million readers and was published in a Norwegian newspaper. Over 3000 people subscribed to the blog and comments flooded my inbox. It was pretty heady stuff. It didn’t last. My follow up post reached 30,000 views and subsequent posts were seen by fewer and fewer people. I found myself wondering what I could write about that would catch fire, what it was that people wanted to read, how I could reach that summit again.

Then I gave up. I realized that if I focused on what people wanted to hear I would lose something in the process. There is much about which I am passionate that is not popular. My Christian worldview is not universally embraced and is even offensive to some. Popularity might require that I constrain myself and not share my heart. I realized that success wasn’t worth it. I returned to writing what was on my heart. The number of subscribers has dwindled but I am okay with that. I have learned the lesson of high school, that being popular isn't what it is cracked up to be.

What leads to popularity and success in high school does not often translate to success in the next life. While I was easily discounted back in the day the life I have today is truly remarkable. I have a successful marriage, wonderful children, a strong faith and a rewarding career. My life after high school is so blessed as to make any of the lost recognition irrelevant.

I think this is true in the eternal sense as well. Success and praise in this life is often not compatible with success in the next one. People who pursue fame and adulation here on earth may be sacrificing what matters in the next. The ultimate winners are those who grasp this truth and live with eternity in mind. The adulation of millions means nothing compared to the joy that awaits those who have gained the favor of God.

-          Bart

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God Talks Like Willy Wonka

Some people say God speaks to them. I do not doubt that He is able to speak to people in an audible fashion but I am not sure that He speaks to me in this way. If He does I do not hear very well. On the few occasions when I thought I was certain He was speaking things did not work out very well. As a result my confidence in my spiritual hearing is pretty low. Over time I have reached the conclusion that I may be listening for the wrong kind of voice.

While I do not hear God speaking directly to me, especially in an audible sense, that does not mean that I do not believe that God is silent or that I think He does not communicate with His people. His Spirit can speak to us through Scripture or by moving other people to share their thoughts with us. He can also speak quite powerfully to us through our conscience. When God does speak through our conscience He speaks a lot like Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder version, not Johnny Depp).

In the movie Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory a handful of children won the opportunity to tour Wonka’s chocolate factory. At the beginning of the tour the children were instructed on how to behave during the tour. As the children were selfish and bratty they each violated the rules rather quickly. Each time one of the children started to do something forbidden, Willy Wonka spoke and warned them.

Willy’s warnings were never yelled, never hollered. He did not run over to the children to restrain them. He remained where he was and quietly said, “No. Stop.” He voice was audible and recognizable, but it was also easily ignored and overlooked by those who were not inclined to listen. The children didn't listen and soon experienced the consequences of their disobedience.

I have found this to be true of the way God communicates to me through by conscience via the Holy Spirit. When I begin to do something wrong there is often a quiet “voice”, a thought in my head, that gently urges me to stop. When I am dead set in my ways and bad intentions the voice is easily ignored, yet if I train myself to listen for it, to look for it before I act, the warnings can be heard. God loves me enough to warn me, to move me and motivate me through gentle urgings such as these but like Willy Wonka He does not yell, and does not force me to obey.

If I am to stay out of trouble, I need to train myself to listen.

- Bart

Rescued From A Temporary Hell

The world is filled with suffering people. Millions are hurting yet most of us are immune to the day to day struggles of the poor, the destitute, the abused and the neglected. We go about our lives comfortable and secure with hardly a thought about our responsibility to serve others. The question arises, what should we do?

Social Justice has become a big deal in the church. Hardly a week goes by when I do not read or hear someone saying how important it is for Christians to be making a difference in local communities. Out of this philosophy a multitude of service ministries have arisen my local area. Medical clinics for the uninsured, food banks, homeless shelters, homework and tutoring centers, marriage counseling services and even free legal services are available to community members free of charge. The church has made a profound commitment to improving the life circumstances of others.

Service ministry has become, for many churches, the primary goal, the standard by which true Christianity is measured. Timothy Keller, in his book Generous Justice, wrote that when we understand what Christ has done for us, “The result is a life poured out in deeds of justice and compassion for the poor.”

The result of this new found emphasis on social justice has been the explosion of ministries like the ones described above. More than that, it has led many churches to get involved in the perceived structural problems in society that have allowed injustice to develop. Keller writes that a biblical perspective could lead Christians to be involved in such things as pressuring police departments to “respond to calls as quickly in the poor part of town as in the prosperous part” and to form organizations that prosecute “loan companies that prey on the poor and the elderly with dishonest and exploitive practices.” He further suggests Christians work to improve struggling schools and to give generously to the poor, going so far to suggest that if you do not “actively and generously share your resources with the poor, you are a robber.”

As I read through the words of social justice advocates I find myself asking, “Is this the message we are called to preach? Is the problem with Christians that we don’t do enough for the poor and needy in our communities? Is it that we need to be more involved politically to change the circumstances in which the weak in our society find themselves?"

As I consider questions such as these I am struck by the realization that the social justice emphasis is a safe road for the church to travel. It is politically correct and inoffensive. No one attacks the church when its focus is on the external condition of suffering people, no one argues when we address temporal suffering. But is this truly the mission of the church?

A few years ago I met with the US director of a social justice ministry in the Philippines. His church had the wonderful idea to build and maintain a safe house for women who were rescued from sexual slavery. Young women who had been stolen from their families and subjected to horrific abuse were given a place of comfort and refuge, a place where they could be comforted and restored as they transitioned to the possibility of a normal life. Such ministries have a special place in my heart and the meeting was an opportunity for me to learn more about their work and determine if it was something Lisa and I could support financially.

The man shared about their work, how the women were rescued, how the house was staffed and how over 95% of the money raised went into the ministry. As the meeting neared its close I asked him, “How does your program ensure that every woman brought to your home clearly hears the gospel message?”

He seemed surprised by my question. “I am sure that they hear the gospel,” was his reply. I pressed on, “Do you have a policy of how they will be intentionally taught what it means to be a Christian?” They did not.

I then told him my greatest concern. “We do these women no favor if we rescue them from a temporary hell and not the eternal one.”

And this is my fear for the church. It is socially acceptable to address temporary hells but that can never be why we do what we do. We need to proclaim the good news that delivers us from eternal suffering and that brings us into lasting relationship with the Living God. We must emphasize the next life more than the present one.

The problem with the eternal message is it is not socially acceptable. The Christian message is not that God wants to fix your outer poverty, it is that God wants to fix the destitution of your soul. If we address only the visible suffering, we are not fulfilling our purpose nor truly serving the world. It is my hope and prayer that the eternal message of the gospel returns to its central place in our preaching and practice. We need to continue to serve the poor and needy in this life but we serve them best when while doing so we lift their eyes toward heaven to the one who delivers us from ultimate suffering.

-          Bart

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One Man's Nightmare, Another Man's dream

He was worried. He had been a well paid executive manager for years and had climbed the corporate ladder to a salary of $300,000 a year. His outlook had been positive and his future secure. Then the market crash came. Now he was out of a job and watching his savings rapidly disappear. He was stressed and worried and his blood pressure was way too high.

We talked about life, financial security and what the future might hold. He was in the midst of a job search but had no solid leads. He expressed concern that he might lose his home if he did not find a suitable job but then talked about his faith and how he was trusting God to help him through the difficult times.

“But what if He doesn’t?” I asked. He was surprised by my question. I explained that while I often hear people talk about trusting God for material blessing and support through difficult times I wasn’t sure that He had promised the level of support people hoped for. Here in America when we think about our "needs" we think of keeping our houses and having a good paying job. In poorer parts of the world people pray for the true necessities of life such as a meal and safety. I shared that what we would consider terrible would be anything but for most people on the planet.

“What is the worst thing that could happen to you?" I asked, "Losing your house and winding up living in a one bedroom apartment in Santa Ana flipping burgers for a living? There are people dodging Border Patrol agents and coyotes for an opportunity like that!” I shared that a one bedroom apartment in Santa Ana would be an answer to prayer for many people in the world.

He paused for a moment, “You’re right,” was his simple reply. As we talked I reminded him that none of the difficulties he currently faced threatened any of the things that mattered most in his life such as his faith or his relationships with his family.

I think about our conversation often, usually when I hear someone's prayer request. It causes me to reflect on what really matters in my life and reminds me not to cling too tightly to my “stuff.” I remember that Lisa and I aren’t really any happier now than we were when we were living in an apartment and barely making ends meet. Back then we found joy in trips to the laundry and cooking meals together. We lived paycheck to paycheck and scrounged up loose change for trips to McDonalds, but we were happy. Even now we realize that our best times are our best times because of who we are with and not because of what we have. True joy comes from our family and not our possessions.

I am also reminded of the danger of putting too much emphasis on what happens in this life. When all is said and done and I am called to give account for my life my financial achievements will not matter at all but the love I gave and the sacrifices I made for others will. Like all men I well be measure by the content of my heart and not the contents of my bank account.

-          Bart

A Good Man Dies. Or Does He?

Allan Meyer died last week. Although he was in his 80’s it was unexpected. He was a friend to my wife and her family for over fifty years as well as a consistent source of encouragement to me. He was a natural encourager. He seemed to seek us out every Sunday, as if had a special radar he used to seek us out so he could greet us with a smile, a kind word and a silly joke. He was a lover of people who frequently visited friends and church members who were hospitalized. He was a good man. Today is his memorial service. I expect it to be a long one. There is a lot to say about Allan and a lot of people who will want to say it. 

It seems that this is how it works, that the true value of a life comes into clearer focus when it ends. Death is the time when our true worth and accomplishments are understood. Death is the great commonality, an event shared by all regardless of culture, ethnicity, social status or religious faith. It can be delayed but it can never be avoided. Everyone dies. When they do, people reflect on who they were and what they did.

Death also brings with it a question. What comes next? The answer to this question defines all human existence and brings the standard by which all lives are measured. Answers vary, yet all of the possible answers have profound ramifications for how people think and live.

The secular answer to the question of what comes next is simple. Nothing comes next. The  final heartbeat and last breath represent the moment when the person completely and totally ceases to be. Nothing remains of their personality, their emotions, feelings or memories. They are just gone. Death is the absolute end.

People of faith answer the death question differently. For them life follows life. The body ceases to function but the essence of the person, the personality and thoughts, the soul and spirit, continue on. 

Believing that something comes next changes everything. If there is a next life, particularly if it is an enduring life, then earthly actions must be measured not solely on their immediate impact but according to their impact on the life to come. Earthly wealth and accomplishments decrease in importance. Faith assumes the preeminent position and character qualities such as love and faithfulness and a person’s relationship with the Divine outweigh those things which can be seen by the eye. 

While worldly achievements are in large measure dependent on when, where and to whom a person is born  the things that matter for eternity are available to all. Faith, hope and love are gifts that can be received and given by the poorest of the poor.

A person’s true answer to the what “what next” question can be determined from a distance. Those who pursue pleasure and happiness with vigor, who work hard build a name or legacy for themselves, and strive for earthly success are living as if this life is all there is, as if they embrace the secular view. Further evidence of a temporal mindset is seen in rejection of moral absolutes. 

People who hold onto earthly goods more loosely, who are more willing to forego wealth and security in this life and more willing to give their lives for a cause are living as if there is an eternity.

What we believe about death defines our entire existence.

• From what I observed, Allan was a man who believed in eternity. It is why he lived as he did and loved as he did. I look forward to seeing him again.

- Bart

Prayers for Allan's family will be appreciated. He is at peace, it is those who remain who are suffering.