THE LOOK OF A BOY FROM ABOVE

[A Monday / Wednesday / Friday Devotional Feature of the First Road Blog]

We have a skewed imagery of what perfection looks like.  We are only able to imagine someone who thinks he’s perfect; and the person who thinks he’s perfect is self-deceived and annoying. However, throughout Jesus’ ministry there is no record of his acting holier-than-everyone-else, even though he was exactly that. Reactions were to his claim, not to his character.

Therefore, as a wrap on this series about Jesus’ development into a twelve-year-old conversationalist who could hold his own with the religious leaders of his day, let me say a little more about his kid brother – James - the Spirit directed author of a letter in the New Testament.

In the middle of his letter, James pulls together all he has said and has yet to say. There he speaks of the character of wisdom that is from above – a phrase which easily relates to Jesus. He describes this wisdom in terms of a person who will not defile you, and who will not instigate unnecessary conflict. He has a good bedside manner, is approachable, and will not flaunt your failures. He is one whose conduct will be an attractive alternative to the belligerence of the self-seeking crowd. He will not separate people by artificial distinctions (wealth, ethnicity, etc.), and he will not say one thing to your face and something else behind your back.

James would have seen this character in him as a Junior High kid as well as an itinerant Rabbi. Character descriptions in James’ letter can be transferred to Jesus at any age. He who intrigued the religious leaders long ago ought to intrigue us today.

Search the Scriptures. Don’t pick and choose. Let them give you the whole picture of this One who warns us of our danger, and promises forgiveness, life, and destiny to sinners who will come to him in faith – sinners in need of someone to stand between us and our just condemnation.

PREVIOUS DEVOTIONAL:  JESUS BEYOND CHRISTMAS

FIRST DEVOTIONAL IN THIS SERIES

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF ALL FIRST-ROAD ARTICLES

THE MAPLE TREE BOAT

[A Tuesday / Thursday Variety Feature of the First Road Blog]

A branch thrust gently upward from one trunk

and resting against the other 

served as both deck and bow. 

There was no gang plank. 

As soon as the boy was tall enough

to reach the remnants of lower limbs, 

he easily hoisted himself on board. 

There was no ocean, 

but the flexible prow beneath his weight 

could be made to plow the fiercest sea. 

And atop the mast, southern hills 

beckoned to less simple places. 

His grandmother must never have seen him 

swaying where the wind 

whispered its invitations to dream 

and sometimes dried lonely tears.

And so the simple boy and the simple boat 

sailed on 

long after pretending passed. 

One day, 

he would not remember when, 

he climbed the mast
to climb no more.

It must have been awhile. 

Now perched among the sacred limbs,

he found the crow's nest smaller, 
more complex,

awkward,  

less welcome 

intimidating; 

and the distant hills less mysterious…

or, maybe more so.

He had been among them, 

and discovered a new Adventure – 

a Man to follow, 

a God to love, 

a cause to embrace, 

a destiny to pursue.

When he disembarked that day

did he say "good-bye?" 

The moment is lost to memory. 

In time he left the simple home 

in the simple village 

atop the simple hill. 

The seas he has sailed

have been the Real Adventure, 

more than a boy could imagine, 

There is no wish to go back.

But still,

the heart feels a sadness

in knowing 

the Maple Tree Boat 

is gone. 

© Harold H. Comings 2016 

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF ALL FIRST-ROAD ARTICLES

WHEN I FIND THESE THINGS, I WONDER

[A Tuesday / Thursday Variety Feature of the First Road Blog]

There is a text from the Book of Proverbs which is frequently used with regard to divine revelation. However, the maxim comes to mind whenever I run across public testimonials such as the 2012 appearance, on Britain’s Got Talent, of a group called, Only Boys Aloud. 

The text is:

Where there is no vision, the people perish;

but he who keeps the law, happy is he.

Its primary subject is not salvation. It has in mind individual happiness through good behavior rising from a personal sense of purpose. Without that governing purpose, people are likely to set aside self-discipline. Perish can be translated, cast off restraint. Since vision may be interpreted as revelation, the message is that purpose with eternal value rises from the Word of God. While Only Boys Aloud, is not, as far as I know, a biblically oriented outreach, it does capture the general principle of casting a vision.  

Formed in 2010, under the artistic direction of Tim Rhys-Evans, Only Boys Aloud has as its mission statement: “…to encourage young men from across Wales and between the ages of 13 and 19 to effect positive change in their lives through the power of singing together.” You would find a visit to their web site a worthy read.

Of special importance to me is their commitment:

“Only Boys Aloud is about something much deeper than the fleeting nature of fame, it is about belief in future generations to uphold our traditions that they may continue with pride, vitality and strength.”

That, to me, is a way of saying, give a boy a vision and he will accept the discipline which can achieve a happy life for himself and pass it on to others.

Who are these boys? They are boys invited off the streets of a country struggling with unemployment and a darkening youth culture. The invitation reads like this:

If you are a teenage boy living in Wales and would like to join us, simply click on the links to find your local choir. There are no auditions, no fees: if you can sing a lot, or a bit, or even if you’re not sure you can sing at all, but would like to give it a try – just come along! New members are always welcome…”

Such a statement makes me wonder if there might be some lessons to learn by which Christians could, on a smaller scale, reach out to troubled youth through such an atmosphere. It is worthy of special note that the two songs they sang on the stage of Britain’s Got Talent are Welsh hymns.

At the Audition and again at the Final, they sang:

Calon Lân [A Pure Heart]
[This clip includes a background sketch at the beginning.]

I don’t ask for a luxurious life, the world’s gold or its fine pearls.

I ask for a happy heart, an honest heart, a pure heart.

A pure heart full of goodness is fairer than the pretty lily.

None but a pure heart can sing – Sing in the day and sing in the night.

If I wished for worldly wealth, it would swiftly go to seed;

The riches of a virtuous, pure heart will bear eternal profit.

Evening and morning, my wish rising to heaven on the wing of song

For God, for the sake of my Saviour, to give me a pure heart.

At the Semi Final they sang:

Gwahoddiad [I Am Coming, Lord]

I hear thy welcome voice, that calls me, Lord, to thee;

For cleansing in thy precious blood, That flow’d on Calvary.

I am coming, Lord! Coming now to Thee!

Wash me, cleanse me, in the blood that flow’d on Calvary.

Though coming weak and vile, Thou dost my strength assure;

Thou dost my vileness fully cleanse, ‘till spotless all, and pure.

‘Tis Jesus calls me on to perfect faith and love,

To perfect hope, and peace, and trust, for earth and heaven above.

And he the witness gives to loyal hearts and free,

That every promise is fulfilled, if faith but brings the plea.

All hail! Atoning blood! All hail! Redeeming grace!

All hail! The gift of Christ, our Lord, our strength and righteousness

Dyslexia Has a Champion in Lakeland, Florida

The Roberts Academy is an educational outreach of Florida Southern College and began in 2010 with a generous donation from Hal and Marjorie Roberts. It is located on the college's beautiful campus – at the corner of Frank Lloyd Wright Way and Lake Hollingsworth Road. 

The Academy's purpose is to help children in grades 2-6 who struggle with reading because of dyslexia. According to the school's web site, it is “the first transitional school for children with dyslexia in the state of Florida and one of only a few comprehensive schools for such students in the United States." 

Conscience Abuse

2 Peter 1:5-8

Self control – inner strength of character which enables a person to say “yes” to something he should do even if he does not want to, or to say “no” to something he should not do even though he wants to do it.

We find the word in Galatians 5:22-23. We also find it in Second Peter as part of the Christian growth process. 

The fact that self control follows “knowledge” in Peter's sequence is significant. Self control will use knowledge with healthy restraint. Paul dealt with that matter when he wrote to the Corinthians. They were deeply entrenched in the idea that knowledge gave them superior privileges.  For that reason, h reminded them, knowledge swells the ego. 

Just in front of knowledge, in Peter's list, we find moral excellence (virtue) That is an ethical term. We have a responsibility to control what we do with what we know in line with moral categories.

Paul also spoke to the Corinthians about this matter. He confronted their reckless practice of freedom as a travesty which encouraged weaker believers to defile their conscience. This misuse of freedom is perhaps the most grievous sin a believer in Christ can commit. It ranges from sexual exploitation to persuading a person to play cards before he has settled his conscience biblically. Once a person’s conscience is sullied, whether by flagrant sin or premature casting aside of inconsequential taboos, he has embedded a lethal habit. Jesus did not speak gently about putting stumbling blocks in the lives of young believers. 

Self-control, therefore, is not about self-righteous will-power driven by pride. It is about what is in the best interest of one’s self or someone else. In some cases it has to do with right versus wrong. In other cases it has to do inappropriate context. In still others cases it has to do with turning away from or incorporating some freedoms because of the ministry vision God has given.

The second in the Withered Grape series: an examination of self control and its place in twenty-first century Christian circles.

Previous articles in this series.

• Previous: The Withered Grape 

• Freedomism

• Home: The Withered Grape

Best Friends, Worst Enemies by Thompson, Grace, Cohen and Barker

Typically, Michael Thompson (Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children), does a superb job providing real-life sketches of children in today’s culture. He is, in my opinion, an authentic source of insights into how kids think and what they are up to. Although he approaches his subject with a non-biblical paradigm, I strongly recommend him for a presentation of raw data which Christian’s often lack because of non-involvement or an extra-biblical naiveté. We will rightly disagree with some of his and his co-authors’ interpretations and conclusions; but we can profit greatly from their observations of children in contexts where we have not walked.

The particular strengths of this book are in five categories.

First, the exposure of the life of the socially marginalized child and the forces which marginalize him or her. Anyone who is seriously concerned about bullying ought to read the sections which present this issue in scenarios ranging from kindergarten taunting to collegiate hazing and beyond. What the reader will find especially amazing are Mr. Thompson’s discoveries as to why both children and adults justify such practices.

Second, the discussions concerning the development of friendships are enlightening.  In fact, I believe Michael Thompson, Catherine O’Neill Grace, Lawrence Cohen and Teresa Barker do an excellent, although unintentional, favor for any Bible student who wants to seriously pursue the dynamic of Philos (filov) love. I would strongly recommend that a student read C. S. Lewis’ section on Philos in The Four Loves both before and after reading Best Friends, Worst Enemies.

The drama of group dynamics is the third selling point for this book. Anyone working with groups of children or youths should inform themselves with the observations which unfold in Best Friends, Worst Enemies. The book provides valuable service in distinguishing between “normal” and serious relationship issues and challenges the reader to learn how to help young people negotiate those turbulent and adventuresome seas. It also sharpens awareness concerning the significant and unavoidable role of peer pressure in the lives of children and adults.

The fourth benefit of Best Friends, Worst Enemies lies in its appeal to and encouragement of parents. Again, although Thompson, Grace, Cohen and Barker do not come at the subject with a deliberate nod to biblical principles, they show a remarkable amount of God-given common grace in their ability to analyze cause-effect patterns and offer explainable solutions.

Finally, the effort of the authors to challenge educators to develop “moral schools” is a strength built on a weakness. That weakness has to do with the dilemma of trying to think “morally” in a secular context with no clearly defined moral base. Largely, Thompson, Grace, Cohen and Barker lean toward a conservative consensus. However, there is an unaddressed paradox as they accept the ambiguous paradigm of orientation. The value of their struggle lies in the way it surfaces ethical questions we ourselves may not have thought about as biblically as we should. We will, of course, disagree with some things they accept morally; but are we willing to challenge ourselves to develop a well-thought-out, gospel-driven ethic with regard to what we cannot accept?

Again, I highly favor adding this book, along with Thompson’s other book, Raising Cain, as a worthy read for anyone who is serious about representing Christ through an informed ministry to the next generation.

If You're Going to Sneeze!

What do Kindergarteners and First Graders remember? Well, maybe stories.

Many years ago I was asked to read a story to a group of these little folks at the Cortland Christian Academy. I selected one of the books my own boys had enjoyed. Several years later I re-encountered one of those children. He was being graduated high school. Once we recollected when our paths had crossed he said, “Oh yes! You’re the man who read a story about an elephant when I was in Kindergarten.”

The story he remembered was Patricia Thomas’ 1971 classic (in my estimation), “Stand Back!” Said the Elephant. “I’m Going to Sneeze.” Illustrated by Wallace Tripp.

It is a pachydermic fantasy with breathtakingly delightful anxiety. It invites the reader to use his voice creatively, and it draws the listener in with anticipation. It builds suspense through the common phenomenon of an approaching sneeze raised to an art form. It bursts with laughter as it unpacks irony at its funniest. From bees' knees to a zebra's stripes it is a frolicking romp through absurd panic, cool observation and a delightful catch-twenty-two conclusion.

Note: Cortland Christian Academy is a ministry of Bible Baptist Church of Cortland, NY.

Book Review: "Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys"

If reading the Scripture one-dimensionally is a real and present danger, so also is our approach to people in their struggles. I find this especially true in academic and ministry paradigms where we are prone to look at people who are not “with the program” in terms of simply making wrong choices. This is why I choose to include in my study of soul problems books by authors who do not come from my biblical worldview. It is not that I doubt the biblical worldview. It is that I doubt our willingness to be life-informed in our biblical worldview. 

The bible is very soul conscious in the study of a world where people are entrenched in living for their own kingdom. It recognizes that there are movers and shakers who establish cultural trends and package them in ways to draw people in and hold them captive. In so doing it speaks with words which are graphic if we would let them be: bondage, captivity, slavery, darkness, blindness and lostness. 

I say they are graphic if we would let them be because I find that we in the Christian community do not do well in letting these words speak to our imagination. We can be eloquent about the wrath of God, but academic with regard to the captivity of the human heart. Christians counselors have observed that we are often forced to go to secular writers to discover what is happening among the sin-bound because they are the ones doing the real life research. My observation is that we are good at glimpsing the surface and giving surface answers. If we take time to let our secular neighbors lift the covers we are forced to dig deeper into the Word of God to find how to make ourselves available to the souls they have exposed. 

It is for this reason that I recommend a book such as Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson. It by no means represents a fundamental, evangelical or reformed Christian paradigm and, because of that, does not jump to their presumptions before actually examining what is happening in the lives of boys in our culture. Neither do I endorse most of their take on the account of Cain in the book of Genesis. My recommendation has to do with the facts they uncover and the clear dots which they are able to connect. I am not endorsing some of the ways they think the problems should be resolved.

I must also warn the reader that these authors deal with youngsters in the raw problems of life which most of us do not face until suddenly (and all too often unexpectedly) they explode in the life of a son or close friend. That means, if a reader cannot get past quotes which include the profanities of angry and hurting kids he might as well not pick up this book. For that matter, he might as well not make himself available for an authentic talk with a struggling kid. 

No, I am not in favor of the use of profanity. The force of such statements as, “Let your conversation be always with grace…” and “put off…filthy communication,” weigh heavily on my personal word choices. Neither am I impressed by the current trend among “recovering” fundamentalists to throw a four-letter vocabulary around as some kind of profound authenticity. Nevertheless, that does not bar me from listening to a troubled person or reading material which chooses to use their terms to describe their frustrations. People who are in prison (physical or spiritual) are in a culture of deep and vile darkness which will have its impact on their vocabulary. Two of the last four chapters of Raising Cain (“Drinking and Drugs” and “Romancing the Stone” - which deals with sexual concerns) are especially difficult reads for a Christian community, but I believe they serve their purpose well. 

Besides letting us look deep into the dark soul of a kid in trouble, the authors help us put what is happening to the boy in the larger context of home culture, peer culture and social culture which fail to define manhood, sap men of emotional awareness and vocabulary, barrage them with sexual messages, and offer no authentic rite of passage beyond alcohol, drugs and fornication. 

The book’s strongest feature has to do with its subtitle: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. Here, more than in any other issue, the authors expose a pattern which is all too familiar both in the Christian neighborhood and in our western culture at large. If reading Raising Cain would do nothing else than prompt the reader to begin to look for a way to help boys develop an emotional vocabulary it will have been worth his time.

Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys

Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson

With Teresa Barker

1999/2000

Ballantine Books, Random House