Robbyn Abedi |
Musings from a Southern Persian |
May this poem remind us all of the judgement we deserve. By pondering this truth, may our hearts be enlightened with good news: Christ took on what we deserved, so we can live in what we did not.
Oh, do not fill me
With the turn'd vial of thy bitter wrath!
For thou hast other vessels full of blood,
A part whereof my Savior empti'd hath,
Ev'n unto death: since he di'd for my good,
Oh do not kill me!
-George Herbert, Sighs and Groans
We are justified in spite of the reality we're a sinner. Martin Luther absolutely had it right. Yet, for many of us (as Christians) it ends there instead of letting that be the beginning.
Set aside some time and listen/watch this teaching my NT Wright on what it means to be fully human. Pay attention specifically at minute 28:10 on what he has to say about Christianity being more than a hospital where we're all just buying some time as sinners until Christ returns:
[The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey from Anguish to Freedom:]
It can be discouraging to discover how quickly you lose your inner peace. Someone who happens to enter your life can suddenly create restlessness and anxiety in you. Sometimes this feeling is there before you fully realize it. You thought you were centered; you thought you could trust yourself; you thought you could stay with God. But then someone you do not even know intimately makes you feel insecure. You ask yourself whether you are loved or not, and that stranger becomes the criterion. Thus you start feeling disillusioned by your own reaction.
Don’t whip yourself for your lack of spiritual progress. If you do, you will easily be pulled even further away from your center. You will damage yourself and make it more difficult to come home again. It is obviously good not to act on your sudden emotions. But you don’t have to repress them, either. You can acknowledge them and let them pass by. In a certain sense, you have to befriend them so that you do not become their victim.
The way to “victory” is not in trying to overcome our dispiriting emotions directly but in building a proper sense of safety and at-homeness and a more incarnate knowledge that you are deeply loved. Then, little by little, you will stop giving so much power to strangers.
Don’t be discouraged. Be sure that God will truly fulfill all your needs. Keep remembering that. It will help you not to expect that fulfillment from people who you already know are incapable of giving it.
Look, I realize Advent (Christmas) is over and I should not be reading the beginning of Matthew and Luke for another 10 months or so, but I couldn't help myself. This has been burning in my heart and mind for a while so I thought I would share some thoughts from Matthew 2.
Here's what I'm dealing with: the historicity of Jesus has to provoke you. You are either provoked to worship him, or you are provoked to having to deny him and maybe simmer him down to a manageable addition to your life. But even for the person who simply tries to manage Jesus in their life, they do it because the other considerable reality is so unmanageable! Because the historicity of Jesus is so convicting, it is very understandable why so much of the “search for the real Jesus” has been reduced to a legend for many. I get that. The point being - for them it is still the same: Jesus provokes us to having to either believe him, edit him or not believe in him. The question I have for myself and other brothers and sisters in Christ is: do we feel the weight of the reality of Jesus like others; others who have seen what believing in Jesus means and have denied it? Does it provoke us to worship, or to fear and reactions of marginalization of him in our lives?
Herod understood this. He was king and in control. The whispers of a new king meant his reign would have to end.
The Magi understood this. They were affluent and not naïve to what a new king meant - so much so, it drove them to worship.
Herod was driven to insecurity and in turn violence; the Magi were driven to awe and in turn worship.
This passage is extremely relevant in today's culture. The visceral reality of Jesus being either who he said he was or not weighs consciously or unconsciously on the mind of many Westerners. The question is *are we conveying Jesus as he truly is or as we see him?* I have found that many times growing up I conveyed him as I wanted: not Lord over all but Lord over some; otherwise he would be have been too much of a threat to my idolatrous safety. Over the last few years I have become more conscious of this in my walk with Christ and have had to ask the question “does the reality of Jesus drive me to worship and awe, or fear of what I do not want to lose.” My point being: the need to see Jesus as he truly reveals himself is not just important for unbelievers to see but for believers like me, too. My hope is that when I do find how Jesus threatens my reality I would not run to fear and try to marginalize his presence in my life, but humility and repentance.
[Trust me - this post is of nothing profound. You've been warned.]
This may be of no worth to you but I'm throwing it out regardless. I read, write and study a lot - it's part of my job and even more apart of who I am. I've had to learn how to become a good "studier". Everyone's different in what motivates and moves you to sit down and read or write or study. To me the key to a good study, writing or reading session is atmosphere and music. I can usually fudge on one of the two, but it's when both work similtaniously that rhythm starts to happen. Personally, I like libraries, coffee shops and late afternoon's in my office to get the majority of work done, but with that, the right music has to be in place. There are certain albums I can put on and it not distract me with wanting to sing along, but for the most part I have to play scores from movies or classical music.
With that in mind, I decided to provide just 7 scores from 5 different movies I like to play on repeat. The feeling and mood they set really help me focus and stay inspired - maybe it'll be of use to you.
"Time" from Inception by Hans Zimmer
"Honor Him" from Gladiator by Hans Zimmer
"Now We Are Free" from Gladiator by Hans Zimmer
"Arrival to Earth" from Transformers by Steve Jablonsky
"I Rise, You Fall" from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen by Steve Jablonsky
"This Land" from Lion King by Hans Zimmer
"Arrival At Aslan's How" from Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by Harry Gregson-Williams
I know there are lots more - what are some of your favorite scores?
So it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, and instead of trying to make some kind of grand return I decided to post 10 thoughts and experiences from this Summer. Nothing profound - just stuff running through my mind.
10. I get anxious too often. I usually don’t show it, but sometimes I just feel rushed and live that way. What’s behind it? Arrogance and pride – thinking I know better than God how my life should work out, how others should live, how my relationships with my wife and friends should unfold – all with the fear of ‘what if it doesn’t work out on my terms!’ This is why Paul addresses the Church with Philippians 4:6-8. When we reflect upon the reality of Christ – his gospel, our new reality in him, etc – it brings peace. Now, with that in mind, there are some practical things we can do to help along the way that a college professor shared with me 10 years ago. I should take his advice more often.
Walk slower
Eat slower
Drive slower
Is it a sure fire way to decrease anxiety in your life? Nope. That only comes from believing what the Good News actually is – freedom from your life on your terms, and freedom to live life on his terms. Until that reality sets in through belief, try this out.
9. The Atlanta Braves are in 1st place in the NL East. This makes me happy…and suspicious that something bad will happen and they’ll blow it.
8. Last three great reads:
“Far As The Curse Is Found” by Michael Williams
“Jonathan Edwards: Lover of God” by Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney (If you buy this, go ahead and purchase the rest of the series. Excellent.)
“Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament” by Christopher Wright
7. Next three reads I’m excited about:
“A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to see the Glories of God” by Milton Vincent
“The Glory of God” by Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson
A tie between - “Life is so good” by Richard Glaubman and “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” by Frederick Douglass
6. Arcade Fire’s last album, The Suburbs, has surpassed my expectations. They continue to be one of my favorite listens.
5. Despicable Me and Inception are two of the better movies I’ve seen in quite sometime. Also, the wife and I finally got around to watching The Road. Wow…stressful (see point 10).
4. Mine and Suzanne’s favorite TV show (for now) is Covert Affairs. We obviously miss Alias…but are glad J.J. Abrams has nothing to do with this show. If you have any history with Abrams – Alias, LOST, etc, ad nauseum – you know what I mean.
3. We are tempted to like J.J. Abrams' new creation, Undercovers. Sigh.
2. Three restaurants Suzanne and I really enjoy in Memphis (so far)
Grove Grill – great appetizers and drinks
Café 1912 – great overall experience from beginning to end
Mollie Fontaine Lounge – I'm not hip enough for this place…sure do like it, though
1. 1 Kings 18:21, has been monumental to me lately…
“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
Why? If Jesus is who he said he was, why question what in your and my life should be under his complete subjection and rule. Unfortunately, most of us (including me) live contrary to this – he does not have complete rule over all things. This simply shows what we don’t believe – that Jesus truly is the LORD over all and because of that, he gets to look over all of creation and our lives and say, “Mine”.
Since the end of WWII there have been countless stories of individuals and group heroics that happened during the war and move us to tears. Movies and books have been directed and written to portray the depravity of mankind and as well as humanities perseverance and beauty. Of all the stories, one stands out that many times has been forgotten: the substituting grace and faithful love of the La Chambonnais saving Jews from the hands of the Nazis.
La Chambon-sur-Lignon was (still is) a providence in Southeastern France that was occupied primarily by French Huguenots - a remnant of protestant French Reformers left from the persecution of the Catholic church 400 years prior. Within the region of La Chambon lived many Jews who were being snuffed out by the Nazis to take to concentration camps and put to death. The Huguenots of La Chambon, or Chambonnais, were left with an ethical dilemma from the Nazi forces: protect the Jews in the area from genocide and risk their personal safety, or hand over the Jews to the Nazi forces and preserve their safety while exposing the Jews to annihilation. The Chambonnais decided to risk the danger of being found out by the Nazis and hid the Jews from the region, saving many. One of the Jewish survivors from the efforts of the La Chambonnais was quoted many years after:
"Never was there a question that the Chambonnais would not share all they had with us, meager as it was. One Chambonnais once told me that even if there was less, they still would have more for us. It was indeed a very different attitude from the one in Switzerland, which while saving us also resented us so much.
If today we are not bitter people like most survivors it can only be due to the fact that we met people like the people of Le Chambon, who showed to us simply that life can be different, that there are people who care, that people can live together and even risk their own lives for their fellow man."
What drives a people to live with such loyalty and faithfulness and love to another group and to the degree they willingly risk substituting their lives? The Bible says this kind of loyalty and faithfulness and love can be summed up in word in the Old Testament, Hesed.
Come to the Wednesday Bible study at Panera Bread, starting at 7:30pm, to find out as we talk about the Hesed of Ruth and the substitutionary faithfulness of Boaz.
What is their story?
Why do we need to know it?
How do we live it?
Hope to see you there!
Pop Quiz:
When you sin do you ...
A) Repent and tell God you'll never do it again?
B) Ask yourself why you acted on that sin?
C) You never sin.
Hopefully none of you answered "C" - if so, quit reading this and go start a cult or something because you are worthy to be followed. Seriously.
More than likely most of you answered "A" and with good reason. We like the idea that when we're called out, we can change if we muster enough effort and focus on what we should do. But Biblically, this breaks down simply because there isn't enough right-ness (righteousness) in our abilities to change us. So this leaves "B" as our point of focus.
Every one of us sin. Our nature and desires were hijacked with our first parents in a garden by a smooth talking snake that convinced us God wasn't as good as he said he was and thus we have to find and attain what is owed to us by other means. Since the Fall of Man, we've been scrambling around trying to clothe ourselves with our next right action and continually find ourselves falling short of what we were designed for - relationship with our Maker. So, needless to say, sin has been and always will be our problem.
St. Augustine, a 4th century North African Catholic that everybody has copied theologically to some degree since, defined sin as "disordered loves." This is a curious way to look at it when you consider that as modern people, we usually define sin as simply a "wrong decision" that doesn't honor God. But what if next time you sinned you stopped and asked, "why am I doing this?" At first, you might try and give a Sunday school answer along the lines of, "Because I'm a sinner," and you wouldn't be wrong, but you wouldn't be fully right either. The reality is when you finally believed the gospel of Christ was saying about us and Him, you became a different person with a different reality to want to please God (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means you no longer are in bondage to have to sin - as was your reality prior to believing the gospel (Romans 5:12-21; 6:17), but this also means there's something behind the act of your sin - something that demands your attention and affection. In short, a love that's disordered and put ahead of your love for God. Throughout the Bible, this was identified as "idolatry".
This Wednesday we're gonna try and tackle this problem - the disordered love behind the sin - by walking through an Old Testament story that seemingly doesn't deal with this on the surface - Israel and the 10 Plagues of Egypt. At the least, it's a curious story, and at the most, something that makes no sense what-so-ever in our modern world-views. In short, we're gonna talk about how each plague represents an idol God was trying to break Israel from and what in turn he was pointing them towards. If you want a head start and some context, be sure to read Exodus 7-12, and come ready to discuss idolatry - the disordered love behind the sin - and how the Bible tells us to respond.
Hope to see you there!
Paul Simon, of Simon and Garfunkel, was once quoted as saying, “Blessed are the sat upon, spat upon, ratted on.” We can read this and known with certainty the cynicism in which he would have said that. How is that? Because none of us at any time has said, "Hey you know what? I hope I am sat upon by others and not considered important, or I am spat upon by others and not respected, or I am rattled on and others have an edge on me by knowing and sharing my secrets. If only this could happen, I would be blessed!"
Not only does anyone not want any of these things to happen to us, we want the opposite. We want to be considered important, respected and want to know the secrets of others because it gives us an edge. And usually we'll want these things so much so that we'll fight and claw and grasp at whatever cost to gain it or not lose it. The Bible says that this is a result of the fallen nature of man; ever since the fall, we are trying to gain a right-ness or power or worth in everything we do.
The scriptures go on to proclaim that anyone who sees Christ as their right-ness and believes in his power and Lordship, will no longer have to reach or grasp for what they were without before. With this new reality, comes new results - you start giving power away to other people instead of trying to gain it from them.
Starting in Genesis 37 and ending in chapter 44, there's a story line in the midst of a story we easily forget. Usually, Genesis 37 on is considered only a story about Joseph and his struggles to a rise of power in Egypt, but even more this is a story about one of his brothers, Judah. In Genesis 37, we see Judah reaching for power and protecting it so much so, he sends Joseph into slavery and lies to his father that Joseph was killed and torn apart by an animal. Ouch!
The strange part of this story? By Genesis 44, we see Judah as a completely different person - no longer trying to gain power but giving it away by making himself weak and vulnerable to the degree he offers his life for his brother.
What happened to Judah to make him change like he did?
Why is it important for us to know?
How do we change like Judah did?
Be sure to come out Wednesday to Panera Bread (next to Christ Church) at 7:30pm to join the discussion and find out!
Jesus first loved me and now I love him - that about sums it up. I'm married to a beautiful and loving wife, Suzanne, and have a great job with a wonderful church (Christ United Methodist) in Memphis, TN where I get to love people and teach the gospel.
Oh yeah, I'm a Persian who grew up in the South...go figure.
