This morning I spent a couple of hours at “Minnie’s Food Pantry” in Plano, tx. I became a member of the board a couple of months ago and today was the day that the board was to come out and serve those in the community that where coming to get their weekly supply of Food. Not only was the board coming out but so was the Mayor of Plano Phil Dyer and of course the media. Needless to say this was my kind of party. I’m ashamed to say that I was coming only because I was expected to make an appearance. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy serving, but that was not my intent for showing up today. I don’t think I knew what to expect. In the board meetings we had made such a big deal about the Mayor being there and the marketing video that I was confused about what my job would be.
This morning I woke up and pondered my outfit for sometime. I didn’t want to dress up and look like I was trying to impress the Mayor and yet I didn’t want to dress to casually and be that young punk on the board that didn’t know any better. So, I found a look somewhere in between. When I arrived I realized that I had overdressed. Everyone was there to work and their attire showed it. I was kind of embarrassed even to be in jeans because a lot of the work was going to be outside. But, I pushed my pride aside and jumped in.
There was a line for the food pantry that stretched around the corner of the building it was located in. Needy families that lived in one of the wealthiest suburbs in the country coming just to get a two weeks supply of food. It was very eye opening. So we served them and we served them hard. I saw the faces of these people come and go. There was no dominate race and many of them drove nicer cars than my own. I was struck with the reality of what their lives must be like. I thought of shame and depression I would feel if I were in that line waiting to get food for my family. Knowing that for me this would have been the last resort and it would have taken everything in me to ask for help. So, I smiled at them and prayed for them knowing that their stomach would be full but for many of them their souls and spirits would remain empty. These are people who live in the wealthiest country on the planet and sadly many of us are only a paycheck away from that same fate. It made me value family, because I know that I would have to go through a ton a family before I ended up in that bread line. I thank God for that.
I also, thought about how privileged I was to be a part of the work going on there. As I was driving away from the food pantry I thought to myself “That is what I want to be doing when Jesus comes back!” Serving others or something like it. Something that is not about me and my stupid wants. What do you hope to NOT be doing when Jesus returns?
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Forgiveness of God
I’ve been reading through the Old Testament lately and I have been amazed at the forgiveness of God. It feels weird to write that because growing up all I heard about from the Old Testament was the wrath of God. People would say the Old Testament God was the God of wrath and the New Testament God was the God of love. I don’t really see that as the appropriate description. Granted you could say both of those things about God but if you look at the big story of the Bible you come to the conclusion that forgiveness is truly God’s most amazing action.
Now, in the Old Testament we do see a lot of God’s wrath, but this wrath was not undeserved or unmotivated. In fact God’s wrath comes after the Israelites have done something corporately to spit in God’s face, which happened on a number of occasions. Whether it was complaining about the food God provided, stealing from evil cities that God gave into their hands or creating idols for worship, the Israelites never ceased to find ways to give God the middle finger. The Israelites turn from God, experience God’s wrath, repent, and then receive God blessing again. The ebbs and flows of their behavior were almost bipolar in nature. One could say that along with the manna from heaven God should have been dropping blue pills. This behavior goes on and on which is why I love God. He forgives us.
If I were God I would wipe the human race off the face of the earth every hundred years or so just for good measure, but God doesn’t do that, he forgives. Why you might ask? Well some would say that it is because he loves his creation and he wants us to see how to love also.
In the Old Testament book of Hosea we read of a man named Hosea who God constantly asked to show forgiveness to his adulteress wife Gomer. He would and shortly afterward she would go out and cheat on him again. Each time God commanded Hosea to go out to get her and bring her home to be with him. Through this story God is showing his people, Israel, how he has had to love them all these years. He is also showing us the amount of forgiveness he expects from us.
I don’t know about you but the gift of forgiveness is not a one that many seem to possess these days. With all the lawsuits, road rage and gang violence going on everyday I would think that we have developed more of a gift of revenge than forgiveness. Many of us upon reading this would nod our heads in agreement and band together to stop such violence without seeing the log stretching full out in our own eyes. Many of us practice the act of revenge through the holding of grudges, the withholding love and affection from our children or sex from our spouse and finding joy in the misfortunes of those who have embarrassed or harmed you among others. These acts of revenge or un-forgiveness seem to go unnoticed when compared to more obvious examples of revenge mention earlier, but they are revenge nonetheless. This I hope opens our eyes to rabid un-forgiveness that we demonstrate in our daily lives, thus reveling the how incredible God is to forgive us for ills we heap upon Him and because our ills or sins as they are more commonly called we deserve death, but God showed his love for us that while we were still sinners he sent his only son Jesus to die in our place. Pouring his out his “Old Testament wrath” on His own Son because of His “New Testament love” for us resulting in the ultimate expression of forgiveness. Who do you need to forgive?
Now, in the Old Testament we do see a lot of God’s wrath, but this wrath was not undeserved or unmotivated. In fact God’s wrath comes after the Israelites have done something corporately to spit in God’s face, which happened on a number of occasions. Whether it was complaining about the food God provided, stealing from evil cities that God gave into their hands or creating idols for worship, the Israelites never ceased to find ways to give God the middle finger. The Israelites turn from God, experience God’s wrath, repent, and then receive God blessing again. The ebbs and flows of their behavior were almost bipolar in nature. One could say that along with the manna from heaven God should have been dropping blue pills. This behavior goes on and on which is why I love God. He forgives us.
If I were God I would wipe the human race off the face of the earth every hundred years or so just for good measure, but God doesn’t do that, he forgives. Why you might ask? Well some would say that it is because he loves his creation and he wants us to see how to love also.
In the Old Testament book of Hosea we read of a man named Hosea who God constantly asked to show forgiveness to his adulteress wife Gomer. He would and shortly afterward she would go out and cheat on him again. Each time God commanded Hosea to go out to get her and bring her home to be with him. Through this story God is showing his people, Israel, how he has had to love them all these years. He is also showing us the amount of forgiveness he expects from us.
I don’t know about you but the gift of forgiveness is not a one that many seem to possess these days. With all the lawsuits, road rage and gang violence going on everyday I would think that we have developed more of a gift of revenge than forgiveness. Many of us upon reading this would nod our heads in agreement and band together to stop such violence without seeing the log stretching full out in our own eyes. Many of us practice the act of revenge through the holding of grudges, the withholding love and affection from our children or sex from our spouse and finding joy in the misfortunes of those who have embarrassed or harmed you among others. These acts of revenge or un-forgiveness seem to go unnoticed when compared to more obvious examples of revenge mention earlier, but they are revenge nonetheless. This I hope opens our eyes to rabid un-forgiveness that we demonstrate in our daily lives, thus reveling the how incredible God is to forgive us for ills we heap upon Him and because our ills or sins as they are more commonly called we deserve death, but God showed his love for us that while we were still sinners he sent his only son Jesus to die in our place. Pouring his out his “Old Testament wrath” on His own Son because of His “New Testament love” for us resulting in the ultimate expression of forgiveness. Who do you need to forgive?
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