The Family of God

The body of Christ, as we call the community of those who believe in Jesus Christ, is more than a social group. A body is an intimately united and complex whole made of symbiotic parts. We need each other in the body of Christ; we by necessity have mutual dependence. We are family. I love being in my community with other believers in the United States, but this summer had a different objective for me.

I chose to spend last month alone in Costa Rica. I came by myself. I rented a small, isolated house for solitude. Even so, I wasn’t trying to cut myself off from the Body of Christ. I need community. Coming to Costa Rica alone helped me experience Christian community in a new way, as I recount in the following observations and stories…

When I am in a more secular context, the joy I feel when I meet Christians around the world is increased.
When I find an English speaker, especially with a warm American accent, after having to communicate in Spanish or with body language, I can talk at ease; similar is the peace I find in conversation with another believer. Like the pride I feel for my country gazing upon the embassy of the United States of America, so the confidence I feel in my faith looking at a cathedral. We feel a connection with things familiar to us more poignantly while in a foreign context, but the connection to other Christians goes deeper--a connection of souls. 

Characteristics of the Family

The community of those who profess a belief in Jesus Christ is a family. We use familial terms—brother, sister, mother, father. We operate in a gift economy; we give tithes and gifts generously without requiring reciprocity. These are not commercial transactions (and shouldn’t be, for the church loses her identity when she becomes a business).

In the family of God we can immediately trust each other and desire to get to know each other, even if we’ve never met, just as you extend yourself to someone who shares your blood and DNA at a family reunion. Churches are like the homes of my relatives—I’m welcome there, as if I belong and have part-ownership.

I went to a couple of churches for a few weeks in a Costa Rican city near the Jungle House. No churches there were in English, so I found it a bit hard to follow the sermons and communicate with others. But I did find joy in the one day a week where I had an immediate community of people I’d never met. The Iglesias helped give me a sense of what the Lord told the Apostle Paul in Acts: “For I have many in this city who are my people” (18:10).

Unexpected Brothers

One evening after watching the sunset on the beach, a young, Californian surfer dude took notice of my Biola shirt. Immediately we were in a greatly encouraging conversation, discovering commonality of purpose in being here to learn God’s Word and sharing a joy for getting to be a part of His mission. I never saw James again, but our exchange heartened my spiritual life all week. Perhaps the best part of meeting James was that he introduced me to another “hermano”—a brother in Christ—Juan, whose fruit stand we had been standing under.

Juan, a middle-aged Tico with a loveable potbelly and a gentle, irresistible smile in a stubble beard, quietly moves around his frutería as he works and interacts with buyers and sellers. One day while waiting for the bus I ducked under Juan’s canopy to avoid the rain and buy a plantain. I asked him very simply in Spanish, “So you believe in Jesus Christ?” His answer, as he put his hand over his heart and his eyes teared up with deepest sincerity, I will never forget: “Es mi todo.” When Juan, a man of few words, said “He’s my all,” he conveyed that Jesuscristo is all he lives for, all that has sustained him through hardship, all his hope in life. I’m trying to make him my all too.

On another beach day, after talking with different people searching for spiritual significance apart from the God of the Bible, I stopped by Juan’s fruit stand and with sadness mentioned to him, “There aren’t many Christians around here.” Juan was the only other Christian I knew in town. He nodded with understanding, then gave me a reply that was the exact encouragement I needed, quoting Jesus’ words: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). That’s powerful. Even with different languages, cultures, backgrounds and ages, Juan and I had in each other a bond in Jesus Christ that stirs the soul.

The Search for Donald

The day I was discouraged by the lack of Christians in my little surfer beach town, I had actually been hoping to find a missionary from the U.S. who I’d heard about through a new neighbor. She said Donald and his young family helped transform a small community with love and described something about this family of Christians made her take notice. I was so desperate to find the brother in Christ I’d even asked a random guy at the coffee shop if he was Donald, perchance, thinking he matched the description I’d been given. I prayed the entire week that somehow I’d be able to meet Donald. I needed the encouragement of my family in Christ.

On the eve of leaving my quiet corner of Costa Rica, I walked along the beach and stared out at where the river pushes itself into the ocean with colliding currents and waves. As the rains came and soaked my body and my jeans, I stood questioning why God wouldn’t let me meet Donald. I don’t know what gave me such a strong desire to find him, but I felt confident I would meet him and had not been able to. His phone hadn’t work when I’d tried to call; I couldn’t find him in the streets of the small beach town. Now I was wet and discouraged.

Finally, the morning I was to take buses back to the capital, San José, I tried Donald’s number one more time. He picked up. I told him of our mutual friend, and inquired if we could meet before my afternoon bus. He told me he would be leading a basketball camp the next town over from the hostel where I’d stayed. Perfect! I walked the 4 kilometers to the school and came up to the group as complete stranger. But I was warmly welcomed by a pastor from the mission trip group working with Donald. I got to meet the team of Americans from a Baptist church in Georgia and talk with a few of their pastors—Oh how encouraging! I walked into a family reunion after only expecting to find one brother!

Eventually I did get to meet Donald. With great gratitude to God, I got to share with Donald a love for Costa Rica and a heart for the people. Donald isn’t a missionary superstar; he’s more than aware he hasn’t been to seminary and his Spanish isn’t great. He calls himself an amateur, but humility is exactly what makes Donald exceptional. He’s a guy from the pews who followed his faith to the point of packing up his family and moving to a foreign country to love people with the good news of Jesus Christ. He’s faithful, and he has a heart for people.

After a sincere, meaningful prayer with Donald, two of the pastors drove me back to get my stuff for the bus and listened to me tell stories of God’s faithfulness in my life as they blessed me with lunch and $20. I didn’t deserve any of it. I’m just a child of a God who has a whole lot to give.

Ana’s Hospitality

Back in San José that evening, I was again welcomed into Ana’s house. Ana is the one who left work to pick me up from the airport when I first arrived in Costa Rica, and helped orient me and get my bus to the jungle house. She’s wonderful, and is a sister in Christ. I’d never even met Ana before coming to her country; she welcomed me with motherly care because of an email from my aunt, who knew Ana when her family lived in Costa Rica as missionaries.

Ana exhibited the best of hospitality while I was with her. She bought my dinners, made me impressive breakfasts, packed my lunch to-go. She gave up her room for me (though I didn’t know this for sure until I facebooked her nephew after I left). She worked her schedule around me, even taking two half days off work to show me around San José. She even gave me gifts: a coffee thermos and an LED keychain flashlight.

Ana didn’t have anything to gain by her generosity to me. She was just being faithful to use her life and resources as God’s. I have a lot to learn about being in the family of God from a more mature believer like Ana.

I love being in the family of God. I love the fellowship of other believers. I love that this community is spread all over the earth, where I can show up in countries and find that God has people there. The family of God transcends time and space. Indeed, much of my encouragement on this trip has been from writings of men of the Bible, long dead, or from prayers and emails from friends and family, who are in other parts of the world. Participation in the worldwide community of believers is a magnificent gift of encouragement for those who follow Jesus Christ.

Perhaps the most beautiful thing about the family of God is that no one has earned her place in it. None of us deserve to be called God’s children or receive part in his inheritance. We’re all adopted. Ephesians 1:5 says, “In love God predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Again, Galatians 3:26 tells us, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God in faith.” I don’t merit the benefits of being in the family of God. I’m adopted in, through my faith in Jesus, and I’m incredibly grateful to have such a wonderful family.

The End of Beauty

I wear on my right hand a ring that says “Bonvm Veritas Pvlcher,” Latin for “Goodness, Truth, Beauty.”

The three words are sometimes called the transcendentals or the highest forms/ideas, or could even be considered final causes in teleology, studying the end goal or purpose of things. That’s some of the classical philosophy behind these lofty concepts. Goodness is good because… it is. Truth is… true. Beauty is beautiful… just because.

Beauty is unexplainable; it is something to which other things point. Sunsets, music, mountains, art, fresh air—they all give us tastes of beauty.

We all understand that beauty does something to us. It moves us, excites our souls, is sensed in our spirits. Beauty evokes words of wow and irrepressible smiles. 

When we walk up to the edge of the Grand Canyon and the immense expanse fills our eyes, we can't help but speak our amazement. At first sight the vast crater of Volcán Poás in Costa Rica, person after person says "¡Que lindo!" or “How beautiful!” When a child has her first bite of steak, her face lights up and a big grin creeps out. The music of Mozart played by an orchestra in a symphony hall forces one’s eyes to close in an experience of transcendence. Beauty gives us a sense that life is good, and we humans are drawn to it—desiring to get as much of the delightful experience of beauty as we can.

I’ve been exposed to the most beautiful of worlds humans can create. Being employed in upscale restaurants meant commuting past magnificent homes in luxurious neighborhoods then working around more-beautiful-than-average people driving up in their eye-catching cars, wearing tasteful clothing and leaving handsome tips. Wealth in the city is very appealing, alluring, attractive.

Costa Rica is overflowing in natural beauty. This country contains spectacular volcanoes, impressive mountains covered in tropical green, clean rivers with stunning waterfalls, and pristine beaches. The temperature is warm but not hot, the waters refreshing but not cold. The sun is pleasant but takes breaks for life-bringing rains and awesome thunderstorms.

I like beauty. I find it exceedingly attractive. (naturally). Unfortunately, I often make beauty an end, a goal. I forget to go a step further.

There’s an end to how much happiness beauty can provide us; it has its limits. Though many things contain value strictly because they contain beauty, beauty has not succeeded in satisfying me. I’m a seeker of goodness, truth and beauty. I’m adventurer in life. Yet for all the magnificent beauty I’ve been allowed to see, the high never lasts. My longing is never sated.

Costa Rica is a slice of the world where people come on spiritual journeys. I came on one, though I know the God I seek. Men and women, young and old, come here to appreciate the beauty in this nation, and it’s a good place to visit.

Ticos—Costa Rican locals—frequently use the phrase Pura Vida—literally, “Pure Life”—as a greeting, farewell, or just to say “what’s up?” or “sweet!” Here the phrase is used as the Hebrew Shalom, Sanskrit Namaste or even Hawaiian Aloha. Just as Shalom expresses the Jewish value of and longing for “peace,” or Namaste reveals the underlying Indian idea that “I bow to [the god in] you” or Aloha propels a cool, easygoing and friendly culture, so Pura Vida promotes a Costa Rican appreciation for a clean environment and a healthy, stress-free lifestyle.

The appeal of Pura Vida draws people from all over the world, especially the United States, because we long to be free of busyness, of processed foods and of concrete jungles. We see in Costa Rica a return to the Garden of Eden. The coastal scene we call paradise. We all long for a more perfect world, so why not pilgrimage to the bio-diverse and eco-friendly Costa Rica?

I'm guilty of being caught up in the idolatry of beauty. I may not seek after drugs for a high, but I do love a good adventure in a beautiful place. I like being around beautiful people, and I find wealth magnetically attractive. I like eating delicious and healthy food. I enjoy exercise. While these things may be good, when I fail to acknowledge the God behind the beauty, beauty ceases to please me; it can thrill no further. I’ve noticed that Costa Rican art revolves around Pura Vida and the natural wealth here… oddly similar to the way Indian art revolves around depictions of their various gods and goddesses. We pervert beauty when we make it an idol, when we worship something that contains beauty instead of the God who created it. Perversion never satisfies.

We exploit beauty in other ways too—gluttony, pornography, adultery, over-exercise, drunkenness, laziness… for a few examples. Our sinful human brains just cannot seem to get it right, constantly taking good gifts from God like food, bodies, sexuality, alcohol and rest, and using them improperly or in excess. I try to find the most harmless, healthy “high” possible—and I got it coming to Costa Rica. But I didn’t become a superman. I didn’t transcend to a higher state of being. I found that beauty cannot satisfy.

My ring, given to me by Biola Universtiy’s Torrey Honors Institute at graduation, reminds us of what we studied—a belief that the God-man Jesus Christ is the consummation of goodness, truth and beauty. God is good, and Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. Jesus taught truth that runs deep through the veins of this earth, even calling himself the truth.  No act on earth has been as beautiful as the redemption Jesus brought about for us by his sacrificial death on a cross. Jesus is the be-all and end-all of this universe.

Jesus Christ is all that I’ve found satisfying on this earth. I’m serious. Everything else leaves me empty. Only when I live according to the good instructions in God’s Word do I know peace. Only in reading and meditating on the Bible do I sense that I am studying the most profound truths of the universe. Only when I worship the God who created me and this beautiful world do I feel that my life is rightly ordered.

As  I depart from Costa Rica today, it doesn't mean the end of beauty; it simply means I have to look for it in other places--in smiles, in conversations with friends, in a good cup of coffee on a rainy day. Because God made our world, the undercurrents of beauty are everywhere. We ought to seek out beauty; it’s good. But we ought not hope that beauty alone will fill the cravings of our souls. Drink responsibly from the well of beauty, and remember your Creator.

A Prayer

Lord God, my Father,

Thank you for your love. You are good and righteous, just and compassionate, holy and perfect. You are worthy of all the praise the world can bring you, even if we often ignore you or rebel against you. Thank you for being patient with us and loving us despite ourselves, knowing how hopelessly lost in our sin and selfishness that you would send your only Son to us, whom we killed, but by whose death we are freed from the due consequence of eternal death.

Thank you for my family, for my friends—among your richest gifts to me. Thank you for making this beautiful world that brings me so much joy. Thank you for the gift of good food and the ability to make it. Thank you for health and safety, and please continue provide for me and to protect me from harm.

Forgive me for my continued sinning against you. I should know what is your best for me, but still don’t always do it. Help me to fight temptation and win, that I may glorify you through obedience. Make my mind pure, my motivations blameless, my actions virtuous. You have made known to us the path of life, and I want to follow it to live life to the fullest. With your gentle discipline and your loving hand and your Holy Spirit, guide me into what is best for me.

God, you know I come to you now with particular weight for those who don’t believe in you or think this world can somehow satisfy them. The pain in these souls burdens my heart. I feel a cloud of melancholy for them. You know those whom I have in mind. I have no power to change anyone, but you do. Please show yourself to them, God. Heal them, Lord. Cure their hardship. Help them believe in Jesus Christ as the only way you have provided to get back to you God—the way we were created to be and for which our souls long.

Thank you for the opportunities I have to share your Word with others; please continue to use me for your purposes and to be an ambassador of reconciliation. Help me bear the burdens of my soul. I long for the day you bring about your kingdom and make all things new. Please send Jesus back quickly, because I feel the pains and groans of this earth for restoration.

For your glory and in the name of Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen.

Loving God Like I Don’t Love Surfing

Sitting on my board in the warm, clear Pacific waters off the coast of Costa Rica, I couldn’t help but smile at the privilege of being where I am. I love the beach (here, “la playa”), and I love getting out in the water fighting against some waves. It’s especially nice when you get to look back toward land and see tropical mountains covered in lush green—right up to the coconut palms lining the beach. You’d be tempted to call it paradise.

On this day I had finally decided to use my entire day’s budgeted $10 to rent a surfboard. I really enjoyed surfing with friends in college, so I figured I couldn’t pass up the opportunity while I’m living near the beach of some of Costa Rica’s best surf, Dominical.

I chose the 8’ board because I know I’m pretty novice, and definitely out of shape, then walked out to the beach with a new American friend. Paddling out, duck-diving through turbulent waves and swimming against the strong rip tides, I was quickly reminded how exhausting surfing is!

But I persevered.

“I’ve only got the board for a day, right? And all that lap-swimming I’ve been doing is for such a time as this!”

Proving I can rent a surfboard in Costa Rica

Wave after wave I’d watch go past me or go into me… I wasn’t really riding any of them.

Contrary to common myth, surfing isn’t that much like snowboarding. There’s no lift to take you out to sea, and then your mountain either turns out to be a hill, or drops an avalanche on you to throw you swirling around in the salt water, trying to protect your head from getting hit by the board strapped to your leg.

I’d been out in the ocean more than two hours (!), my arms were completely fatigued, my bare abdomen raw, and my hopes of catching a wave pretty low.

Then there’s the social factor at play: you can feel all the other surfers are watching you and judging your skill. Pride reassures my mind with excuses: “I’m just out of shape.” “I’ve already been out here 2 hours.” “I haven’t surfed in more than two years.” “Can’t you tell I know which waves are good for me?” … but I’m still not riding any waves.

Then I had a profound thought: I don’t really love surfing.

Two-plus hours out in the ocean and I really hadn’t even been surfing. I’d been sitting on my board, watching waves, paddling around, enjoying the sun, sights and saltwater and watching other dudes surf. I was trying to surf, but was a frustrated failure.

Then the other shocking realization: I often love God like I love surfing. I don’t.

I like the challenge of the spiritual disciplines and the fulfillment they provide. I like the gifts God gives. I love the idea of grace, the commandment to love, and benefits of morality.

I even love that my God is powerful, righteous, compassionate, creative, loving, fearful, just, relational, and good.

But I often don’t love God Himself.

Dr. John Coe (see previous post) writes, “the soul must learn to love God just for Himself in such a manner that He... is the center of all things.”

Just as I would say I love surfing, even though I’ve spent numerous sessions without actually dropping in and riding a wave, I say I love God. Even when I’m not actually good at surfing, I appreciate the opportunities to experience beauty and to be in the ocean that surfing provides. Likewise, even when I don’t get a taste of God, I deceive myself into thinking I’m loving Him because I am surrounded by an encouraging Christian community or because the Bible spoke truth into my life.

Though the analogy is admittedly weak, the idea helps me see the difference between loving God and loving all the things that surround Him while missing the essence.

To bring the story a happy ending… yes, I did finally catch a wave. I spent over half an hour floating in the water next to my board, about done, and then the right wave happened to present itself. Suddenly, I was standing up on my board being propelled forward with all the hard-earned thrill that surfers dream of.

I was truly surfing.

I hope we all get the same experience of God. Keep pursuing Him. Keep reading the Bible and praying. Stay active in the local church and get discipled. It’s all worth it, because God is worth it. All the peripheral joys are great, but there’s nothing like actually experiencing God.
Happy surfing!

 I have set the LORD always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

Psalm 16:8-9,11

Growing Pains

 God who is everywhere, never leaves us. Yet He seems sometimes to be present, sometimes absent. If we do not know Him well, we do not realize that He may be more present to us when He is absent than when He is present.

-          Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island

The last two weeks I’ve come to a painful realization of my lack of spiritual maturity.

I don’t love God for being God.

This is a tough thing to acknowledge for someone who has a lot of identity wrapped up in being a good Christian. I’ve done a lot of the right things to conform to the Christian culture; I’m even in Seminary, having dedicated my career to serving the Lord. People hope I’ll be successful as a Christian, including myself (whatever that means). But I’ve got a lot of growing to do.

Coming to Costa Rica was my attempt to jump back from the cliff of doubt, despair and burnout in my faith, and to further prepare myself for ministry. Now that I’m here, I’ve found myself to not love spiritual disciplines. I find it hard to pray. Sometimes I have an aversion to God’s Word.

The Dark Night of the Soul

Many Christians are at least familiar with the term which comes from St. John of the Cross’s work, The Dark Night of the Soul, but we don’t really know how to recognize it or respond.

For me, a night of the soul is a time that removes the guards I place between me and full devotion to God. I’ve got cushions—identities, securities, distractions—that keep me just safe enough from fully giving myself to God. Removing the padding is very uncomfortable.

I’ve had my share of experiences which painfully kick out those crutches: being fired, leaving California, getting sick in India. These are times of great hardship, in part because I’m coming to the unappealing reality that I valued my job, my friends, or even my very life above the God who gave me life.

Now I feel certain despair at my inability to create spiritual richness… to feel spiritual.

Dr. John Coe, director of Biola’s Institute for Spiritual Formation, wrote an article that has resonated deeply with my experience. In it he writes, “Believers in a dark night… become aware of how little they really love God, how little joy they take in the spiritual disciplines. Yet they also perceive, with a kind of sadness, that the world and its pleasures cannot satisfy.”

Yes, that’s it. I can try to read the Bible; I can try to pray. I can go on a hike with breathtaking views in places people call paradise. But none of it is satisfying if I’m not enjoying God.

Coe goes on, “Though they certainly love God in the deep where the Spirit abides, they discover how little there is in their character that enjoys prayer and the Bible, how little they really love God characterlogically.”

Exactly.

The diagnosis is accurate, but what do I do?

“Resist the temptation to spiritually fix oneself,” Coe advises, getting to a root problem of our spiritual pride. Instead of striving harder, I need to rest in God’s grace. This phrase is becoming a theme for my trip. Rest is a state of being, not doing. Humbly I must acknowledge my need for God and my absolute dependence on His grace.

I’m learning to love God for who He is, even if it’s tough and shows me more of myself than I care to see.

Growth is gradual; growth is tough. My Spanish is not suddenly fluent because I’m living in Costa Rica. I’m not suddenly more spiritual because I came here to study the Bible and pray. Out of my love for God I have to build a deep love for the Bible over a period of time, to build a habit of turning to God.

“Be faithful to the spiritual disciplines,” Coe counsels those in the dark night, “despite the fact that practicing them may feel painful and lonely.” Because spiritual growth is a lifelong process, our faith requires diligent habits so that we can daily move forward while keeping Jesus Christ as our goal.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 

- Jesus

Summer Sabbatical

Today I leave for a new adventure… in Central America.

This summer holds a different kind of adventure for me. Rather than sightseeing, thrill-seeking or mission tripping, I am traveling with the purpose of studying God’s Word and prayer. 

My summer will be a practice in being, not doing.

"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. 

(Jeremiah 29:12-14)

Here’s the back-story:

The Setting

I’ve completed a year and a half of seminary: studying theology and the Bible in an academic setting. I also live in an urban center in the United States of America—probably the most fast-paced, achievement-driven country on earth. During the semester, my life is busy. very busy. Studying full-time, working part-time, and trying to even talk to a few people during the week, I barely find time to sleep.

I am not unique in this scenario. As a single young adult in the city, I feel a particular pull towards making a name for myself. We strive for more money, to be attractive, to be cool. For the most part, it comes easily. We’re surrounded by big buildings, big names, and big ambitions. We’re starting to make a lot of money with our time, which feels awesome. We can follow every impulse and desire; we are independent with no one to be accountable to. We’re young and energetic, handsome and strong, smart and funny.

Being caught up in the speed of the city, it’s easy to forget God. Many of us do. I have conversation after conversation with coworkers and dear friends who have lost their faith, or who just don’t care about God, or maybe are in a deep slump. We don’t need him (so it feels). We can succeed on our own, and life celebrates all that we’re good at. It’s hard to imagine I’m dependent on God.

Being in seminary I’m not immune from the world. I’m even guilty at times of following my own pride through the façade of being a good Christian. I just want to be good enough. I just want to earn favor with God, or at least with man. But in the midst of the cultural lies, I must get back to the root of truth. God becomes more real in my life when I obey how he told us to live.

I like my schooling; I like what I’m studying. However, I also value rest and a chance to step back and take a different approach to the Bible—one that is more organic and not so constrained by time. This summer I seek to go to the core of the Christian faith, meditating on what God has revealed about Himself in Scripture and praying as His prescribed response.

The Idea                                            

As I anticipated summer 2013 coming up, I began to look at options of where I would spend it, what I would do. If I quit my job and took the summer off, I would have two solid months to go anywhere in the world. I don’t want to be a perpetual traveler filled with wanderlust, but this seems like a summer I can strategically use for personal and spiritual growth.

Looking international seemed like a good option as I consider one of my life’s passions and purposes to be connecting with the worldwide church and understanding the diversity of humankind.

As this summer may be my last as a single young adult with the ability to travel and try something new, I want to use it purposefully. I know most people do not ever get the opportunity to take a summer off. I’m extremely blessed to be able to afford this financially. Knowing how busy I keep myself, I know this is a great chance to disengage and take a step back to renew the spiritual side of my life, and so I began looking into options around the world.

The Options

First I considered a mission trip back to Asia; I’d love to see China and visit a friend in Taiwan, maybe even partner with some friends in Singapore. But after not being able to find a travel buddy, I considered that door closed. I’m so grateful for companionship with Kyle in India, and I’m convinced I don’t want to try missions without a good friend like him.

Next I looked into an extended “pilgrimage” at Orthodox monasteries in Greece and Mount Sinai monastery in Egypt. Living in a monastery is part of my ambitious “I think I’d like to try it” list, and as I began to seriously consider spending my summer in a monastic community, the idea became extremely appealing. I saw it as an awesome chance to slow down and have nothing to do but read, memorize and meditate on the Bible, and spend ample time in prayer. Yet hopes faded when I was politely turned down by the monks.

Back at square one, I considered other lifelong ambitions: spend a summer abroad studying Spanish in Costa Rica or live in a cabin in the mountains by myself for a month. Only weeks away from summer, I researched heavily and have ended up with a combination of all pursuits…

Where I’m Headed

Today I’m flying to Costa Rica. There I’ll be staying in a “jungle house” by myself for 25 days. It’s rainy season, so I got a great deal (part of why I can afford this), and I’m sure the rain will help keep me focused on my goal of meditating on God’s Word and praying. I’m excited to be in Central America because I can work on my Spanish and learn more about Latin culture and Hispanic people.

I suppose “sabbatical” is a fitting term because this is a rest from work, a break to refresh and renew. I’m excited to refresh my faith by feeding it with essential nutrients. Too often in the city I’ve starved my faith by not being diligent in the core spiritual disciplines. Beauty makes me come alive, and I’m thrilled to immerse myself in such naturally beautiful places and let my soul spring out in worship to God. The house is in hikable distance from some waterfalls and only about 6 miles from the Pacific coast, so I can even hike to the beach while memorizing scripture. :)

Part II of my time in Central America will begin as I take a bus ride up to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. There I’ll begin a more communal approach to the spiritual retreat, staying at a Catholic mission  for almost three weeks, eating 3 meals a day with other volunteers and occasionally partnering with work of the mission. I’ll be able to choose my own pace, so some days I can help with their education projects, go to the coffee plantations, or even help out with mass in other villages, and other days I can just go to the chapel to pray or take a hike overlooking the “most beautiful lake in the world.”

I don’t want to merely do a lot of things in life; I want to become a man of God and to be fully devoted to the gospel. I believe the distinctive of Christian ministry is our use of God’s Word and prayer to a God who hears us and whose Spirit dwells within us. This summer I don’t want to be a tourist or go on another mission trip; I want to be with God. I’m grateful and humbled and excited and afraid as I step into this new journey—your prayers are much appreciated!

But reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible, and train yourself for godliness. For “physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.

Command and teach these things. Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have, given to you and confirmed by prophetic words when the elders laid hands on you. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

1 Timothy 4:7-16

The Gospel: Good News or Deceptive Superstition? Am I Crazy to Believe in Jesus of the Bible?

“Coming though, Jesus Boy!” the bartender announced as he slid by me during a busy shift. We’ve had a few conversations about religion before, and apparently my commitment to follow Jesus has earned me a new title.  

I’m proud to be identified by Jesus—I long for him to become greater in my life as I become less—but after growing up in such a predominately Christian culture, I never expected to be nicknamed for my beliefs about Jesus.

 I don’t know if you think Christianity is foolish or normal, but if you think those of us who believe in Jesus are crazy, please keep reading. I’d love to hear your response.

The Gospel

The “Gospel” is the core of what we believe as Christians. It is the message of “good news” that out of his love for us, God has sent his son into the world to provide a way for us to get right with God. We as humans have disobeyed God, breaking relationship with him and deserving death, but God made a way for us to get back to him.

The verse in the Bible that most clearly states the gospel is John 3:16: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

With any exposure to Christianity, I’m sure you’ve heard this verse and know the reference. There’s nothing magical about this one verse; it simply states the good news of God’s love and salvation through belief in Jesus in a concise, helpful way.

But what does all this mean? I don’t need to be ‘saved’ from anything, you may say. Allow me to explain…

The Human Predicament

The Bible describes humankind as being in a certain predicament shortly after God created the world. God made the world to be a place of peace and perfection (in Hebrew: “Shalom”). The first people on earth, Adam and Eve, lived in a perfect world for some time, before they broke the one command God had given them.

We too have followed after those first humans, going against the way God told us to live and instead following our own desires and wants. Breaking God’s commandment cannot go unpunished, for God is perfect and holy. The Bible tells us that

“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans3:23) 

and

“the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

I’m not trying to be condemning and judgmental; I’m just stating what the Bible says is true about our human condition. I consider this to be a loving warning to a friend as if I were pushing you out of the road as a semi-truck races toward you. Do you believe in an absolute difference in right and wrong? Then if there is a perfectly right God out there don’t you think he should punish our wrong-doing?

So in the big scheme of things, we as humans corrupted God’s intent that the world be a good and perfect place. We brought brokenness and pain and war and suffering into the world by not following God. We do not live as we ought to. We deserve punishment for sin, even the slightest imperfection.

Don’t stop there. This isn’t good news. This is awful, but you have to understand and believe that this world is not as it should be before the rest makes sense.

I find it easy to believe that humans are screwed up, because I’m constantly hurt and disappointed by other people and feel the pain of all the bad things going on the earth.

Just this week a friend of mine in India died of TB and asthma, being weakened by HIV+.

She was only 14.

This world is messed up. Thankfully this sweet little girl became a Christian before she so abruptly passed away, but it’s still difficult to accept the death of a child. Right now I am wearing a bracelet she made for me, keeping the reality of death fresh on my mind.

God’s Provision

Now back to the good news: God did not want all men and women to just die off as punishment for sin into eternal damnation. Instead, he works to restore humanity to himself. God loves us. God provided a way for us to get right with him, and that is by sending his Son—God becoming man—who would die in our place and then show victory over death by rising from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 states that the message of first importance is 

“that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to [many of his disciples].”

Jesus Christ is the substitution for the punishment we deserve.

He died a horrifying death on a Roman cross as payment for my sin. You could say Jesus took my spiritual cancer and healed me by putting it on himself. Then after being killed, he conquered death with victory over the grave. Wow.

That is the Jesus I’m willing to be called crazy for following. He’s amazing.

Our Response

The good news also has a requirement: we must believe it to receive it. The message sounds a bit loony: God became man 2,000 years ago, died for our sins and rose from the dead. But I believe the Bible, and it resonates with my experience of the world.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

These verses point out for me what is fundamentally different about Christianity from every other world religion. Other religions strive to appease God or gods by sacrifices, rituals, or good works, but in Christianity, nothing we can do is good enough to reconcile us to God—we cannot get right with God on our own.

BUT the gospel is the all-important clause that means we don’t have to. We don’t have to earn our way to God; God came to us. So Christianity requires the humility of faith to believe that God saved me and I cannot save myself. I respond with faith, and works are supposed to flow out of the life of faith. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.

My “religion” is exclusive in that I believe faith in Jesus Christ is the only way humans find salvation, get right with God, and live for eternity with Him. However, Christianity is all-inclusive in that anyone is invited to accept this message as truth and respond to Jesus. For me to be more “open-minded” would be to deny the core of my faith. The Bible says,

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) 

Jesus himself said,

“I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father [God] except through me. (John 14:6)

If you’ve gotten this far and still think all of this is ridiculous, the Bible addresses this too:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians1:18) 

I don’t mean for this to be an accusation, but that I understand, according to the Bible, why you don’t believe. I understand why I’m you’d think what I believe is foolishness; maybe it is. Yet my hope, desire and prayer is that you will come to believe the good news of Jesus Christ and share in the joy that I have from following Him.