Barbara's Banter

Last week my husband, whom I affectionately call Zorro, and I were in a small town in Iowa for a wedding. When I say small, I really do mean small – by today’s standards anyway. I know a little about small towns because I was born in one in Southeast Missouri called Kinder. Of course Belmond, IA is a metropolis compared to Kinder, MO which had a population of about 10 if you counted everything that moved. In other words, when driving along if you saw the sign that read entering Kinder, you could turn around and see it read the same way on the other side. Perhaps these are slight exaggerations, but not much.

I love small towns. They have a certain charm. In Belmond the one theater still charges $1 for children and $2 for adults regardless of the time you go. Of course they only run one movie a week, but it’s always a first run film. Could they possibly make any money this way? I guess they do because they’ve gone digital. It helps to have the concession stand manned by volunteers who get free popcorn, soda, and entrance to the movie.

There is no Mc Donald’s or Starbucks, but the local coffee shop has a standard routine. The older farmers arrive around 6 a.m. to discuss the weather, crops, and politics, but they are gone by the time the ladies arrive to discuss the more important issues such as who’s having a child or grandchild, who’s getting divorced, or who moved into the old Randall house.

There’s a sense of community in a small town. They have community activities that the community actually attends. Whether they are raising money for the ambulance, fire department, or school band, people are supporting by baking or buying homemade goodies, purchasing raffle tickets, and volunteering to help.

While major league sports teams get some attention, the athletic focus is usually on the high school games. Where else but a small town would the local restaurant offer free chili after the game?

Neighbor helping neighbor is a way of life in a small town. Even helping a stranger is commonplace. For example when Zorro needed a little hair trim before the wedding he called the local salon. They said, “Come on in!” They quick trimmed him for free. Yes, I said free. Of course, he insisted he wanted to pay, but they wouldn’t hear of it.

Long before the sitcom Cheers coined the phrase, “You want to go where everyone knows your name” small towns had that covered. When Zorro was looking for that hair salon he map quested and ended up at the previous owner’s door. She steered him in the right direction. Then one day later we were strolling down Main Street for their Fall Festival. Vendors had tables outside their stores with merchandise for sale, local craftsmen offered their ware, and the local library on the corner had books to buy for the library fund. A lady greeted us. Zorro didn’t recognize her but she remembered him. It was the woman from the house he accidentally went to the previous day. She wanted to be sure Zorro had found what he needed. We had a wonderful chat.

Most everything charming about a small town revolves around community or “people connections.” Not only is it charming, but it’s also healthy! It used to be called the Roseto effect stemming from a study done in the 1960s on the inhabitants of a small town of Roseto, Pennsylvania. Although they had the same water, income levels, races, occupations, and diet as other communities, they had half the rate of heart attacks.

How could this be? Their lifestyles defied most health laws. Their jobs were labor intense. Their diet was high cholesterol. The men smoked unfiltered, stogie cigars. Although not drunkards, both sexes consumed wine in preference to soft drinks.

So what made the difference? The study concluded it was because they had strong family ties and community relationships. They took care of their own. There was no crime. There was no government assistance. There was no social stratum where the rich flaunted their wealth and the poor felt inferior.
Of course, as time passed future Roseto generations became less interdependent and less close, then consequently become less healthy. Perhaps there is really no way to escape inevitable health problems but staying connected with people can help slow that devastating process down.

Let’s face it, God created us to be relational. From the beginning God told us, “It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18).” The New Testament is full of scriptures about loving our neighbors (Matthew 22:36-40), and being kind and caring to one another (Philippians 2:4, Romans 12:10, etc.). This is not surprising considering that God lives in a community: Father, Son, and Spirit. He wants us to live in a community as well – a community with him and with others.

Somehow I think it’s easier to embrace this concept in a small town. Big city people guard their privacy to the point of shutting themselves off from the world, refusing to get to know neighbors or be neighborly. Since many are transient, they have little regard for community. After all, tomorrow they will probably be in a different community.

Life is a trade off. For every gain we think we make, we really lose a little something. Sure our metropolises may offer a variety of entertainment, chic shopping malls, upscale restaurants, and up to date fitness centers, but what have we traded for those luxuries?

We can learn a lot by visiting a small town. Let’s face it – not only do they have a certain charm, they could very well hold the secret to longer, healthier lives.

I love this phrase: “It is what it is!”

Say you are seated in a restaurant, they bring the menu, and you notice there are no prices. You are too embarrassed to ask what the items cost or leave, so you choose to order. When the bill comes – “it is what it is” – and you pay it, but the tip may be a little low.

Say you are traveling and have car trouble in a remote town. There is only one lone gas station and you need your car fixed. When the bill comes – “it is what it is” – so you just pay it.

Life is full of what I like to call “it is what it is” situations. Some are inconveniences such as: Your child gets sick at school and you must leave the big meeting you planned to go get him. You have a really, really bad hair day. Your car won’t start and you are late. You get lost. Men forget to shave. Women get a run in their panty hose. “It is what it is” – so you deal with the situation.

Some circumstances are just soooo unfair: The other person gets the promotion. A debilitating illness strikes a loved one. Your girlfriend breaks up with you. Someone gossips about you. You do the work; your superior takes the credit. “It is what it is” – so you cope.

Other things may be unfair but you get the benefit: You get the promotion when the other guy should have gotten it. You survive the accident when you should have died. The cop didn’t give you a ticket even though you were speeding. “It is what it is” – so you rejoice!

You can’t control life, but with God’s help you can control your reaction to it. That’s what the first part of the serenity prayer is talking about.

“GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…”

The serenity referred to here is not complacency to what we are going through. The prayer goes on to ask God for “courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This serenity is a peace that can only come from God. It passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). We don’t need to fret or worry. We know God is with us. This kind of peace or serenity can only come through developing a relationship with God.

Much of life is a mystery. We don’t know what will come next all the time. It is what it is! I think God planned it that way. If we knew everything, we wouldn’t need faith. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. It is what it is! Fortunately, we know who holds tomorrow. And God will see us through whatever lies ahead, if we let him.

The great “I AM” (John 8:58) can help us make it through any “it is what it is” situations that come along in our lives!

The Serenity Prayer

GOD, grant me the serenity

to accept the things

I cannot change, 

courage to change the

things I can, and the

wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; 

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as the

pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this

sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make

all things right if I

surrender to His Will;

that I may be reasonably happy

in this life, and supremely

happy with Him forever in

the next.  Amen

Reinhold Neibuhr-1926

I must admit that I am always a little leery when people say God spoke to them and told them to do this or that.  Now I do not doubt God has the ability to audibly speak to us, but I do doubt it happens as often as people claim in this day and age.  It gets a little tricky because sometimes what God supposedly tells one person contradicts what he supposedly tells someone else.  And I really get irritated when those claiming to have audibly heard God’s voice think those who haven’t are lesser Christians.  Some would have us believe that God speaking audibly to people should be the rule, not the exception.  I don’t think so.  It wasn’t even really the norm in biblical times either.          

Occasionally God did speak to individuals in the Bible.  God spoke to Adam (Genesis 3:9). God spoke to Abraham (Genesis 12:1).  God spoke directly to Moses (Exodus 4).  God spoke to Joshua (Joshua 1).  Of course, God also spoke to Balaam’s ass (Numbers 22:22-40) which leads me to believe that if God were to actually speak audibly to us it might not mean we are all that special.

If we listen carefully we find God has many different ways to speak to us other than audibly.  Here are a few:  He can speak to us through the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:12; 13:2) which might come as an inner voice.  He can speak to us through a feeling of guidance (Isaiah 30:19-21).  He can speak to us through the wise counsel of others (Proverbs 12:15).  He can speak to us through our conscience (1 Timothy 1:5).  God can speak to us through events (James 1:2-5).  He can speak to us through nature (Romans 1:20).  God can speak to us through circumstances (Mark 4:19).  However when we let the circumstances or cares of this world overwhelm us they can choke out God’s Word. 

Why is that so important?  Because the main ways God definitely speaks to all of us is through his Word (2 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 55:11; Psalm 119:105) and through Jesus, his son (Hebrews 1:1-2)!  Unfortunately people are far too busy to read God’s Word, the Bible.  This is quite sad because everything we really need to know is in the Bible (2 Peter 1:3) and God has chosen to speak to us mostly through his Word. 

If we do not know the Word of God how do we know who is speaking to us?  How do we know it is the voice of God we hear?  The newspapers are filled with accounts of people killing others because they heard the “voice of God” tell them to do so.  These people would hold fast to the claim that God spoke to them audibly.  We forget Satan as well as God has the power to speak to us.  If someone claims to hear the voice of God but brings a message that contradicts the Bible we need to beware for God tells us many will do that (Matthew 24:4-5).  How will we know the message is from God if we don’t know what the Bible says?      

Many times people don’t really claim to have a message from God as much as God telling them what decision to make.  I’ve literally heard different people say God told them to take a new job, move to a different state, start a specific ministry, or marry a certain person.  I never contradict these conversations.  In fact, I marvel at them.  How I wish God would tell me such things!  I think it would be wonderful if God would do this for everyone.  However, does that not take away the reasoning power God gave us?  God gave us the ability to think, gather information, and process data.  He even gave us the Bible to guide us into making wise decisions.  It is so much easier to say, “God told me to do it” than do the research ourselves and accept responsibility for decisions we make. 

Perhaps we need to be cautious when we think we hear God’s voice.  Are we truly hearing God’s voice or are we just trying to convince ourselves God approves of what we are doing?  Remember the true voice of God doesn’t always tell us what we want to hear.  Sometimes it’s quite the opposite.  

Having just returned from a visit with my cute-as-a-button four-year-old granddaughter Sophia, I am once again reminded of why Jesus said, “Let the children come to me…those who can’t receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it.” (Mark 10:13-16)

Jesus is telling us there is a lot we can learn from children. So much in fact that I’m convinced we should make an effort to be around or even play with little ones periodically or we forget what Jesus is talking about. Matthew 18: 2 goes so far as to say that unless we become as little children we won’t inherit the Kingdom.

Those of us blessed with children have a built in opportunity to see them in action. Unfortunately, when our children are young we’re usually so busy trying to feed, clothe, and provide for them that we can be too tired to appreciate what they have to offer. I managed to write down a few of the cute things my own children said but I must admit I was so pre-occupied with life that I missed a lot.

I do remember when Grandma (we called her Nana) Dahlgren died our daughter Sherisa was a preschooler. In the midst of our sadness she said, “Why is everyone so gloomy? Nana’s with Jesus, isn’t she?” Out of the mouths of babes and into our hearts – her words helped us see the bigger picture.

It reminds me of the Sunday School teacher who asked her students, “What do you need to do to get to heaven.” The intention was probably to have them focus on doing good deeds and living a moral life. However one little boy managed to cut through all of that and give the definitive answer. He said, “You have to die.”

Now that I have a little more time on my hands I find grandchildren an absolute delight. They don’t mind being transparent and uninhibited. They openly trust, love, laugh, cry, hope, sing, endure, dance, ponder and generally enjoy life to the fullest. Not only do they help adults keep perspective they share their perspective as well.

For example last Christmas when my husband adjusted Sophia’s chair so she could more easily enjoy Christmas dinner she declared in a loud voice, “You’re a genius, Grandpa!” Do you know how good it feels to have someone actually think you are genius? This has become quite a catch phrase at our house. When my husband or I do something note worthy we praise each other with, “You’re a genius!”

Sophia, like your grandchildren I’m sure, is so smart – and very literal. Here are some choice responses her mom shared with us in a recent email.

Babysitter: “What a nice toy; where did you get that?”
Sophia: “From the toy box” (with a ‘you idiot’ expression on her face).

Daddy: “Deal, let’s shake on it.”
Sophia pauses, thinks and then shakes her behind!

As she’s slowly climbing the stairs after a hard day of play: “We need a faster house.”

Surgery nurse when Sophia was to have tubes from her ears removed explaining she would need to breathe from a mask: “Can you breathe?”
Sophia: “Yes, and when I’m angry I do deep breaths.” (Yeah! She has been listening.)

Checking in for surgery, the nurse asked Sophia: “You are so cute. How did you get to be so cute?”
Not missing a beat, Sophia said: “Well, Daddy planted a seed in Mommy…”  (She didn’t get to explain any further because mom and the nurse were ROFL.)

At preschool, out of the blue and not in context to anything, Sophia told her teacher Miss Dee: “I love my mommy; she takes good care of me.”

Of course, as children grow they learn to be a little more guarded with responses – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although I wonder sometimes if God wouldn’t love it if we threw our arms up in the air and spontaneously declared, “You’re a genius, Father!” Or out of the blue we sincerely pronounced, “I love you, Father! You take such good care of me!”

It’s true we should all grow up and mature, but at the same time we are still God’s children. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to occasionally be like a little child.

Years ago – before moving pictures, visual effects, and technology that constantly shocks the senses – people seemed to appreciate their surroundings more.  They realized that life itself is a miracle.  The whole universe is a miracle.  These are not chance happenings, but actual miracles. 

Perhaps the following classic authors and poets were on to something…

Ralph Waldo Emerson:  “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miracle in the common.”

John Donne:  “There is nothing that God hath established in a constant course of nature . . . but would seem a Miracle, and exercise our admiration, if it were done but once.”  Donne was referring to things such as flowers blooming, the sun rising, the stars appearing in the sky, or a rainbow.  Perhaps if we had seen that oak tree grow strong and tall from one little acorn in fast motion before our very eyes we might consider it a miracle.     

Walt Whitman:  “To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle….Every cubic inch of space is a miracle. . .”

Sometimes we are so busy looking somewhere else for a miracle we can’t see the ones before our very eyes.  Jesus told the disciples, “Do you have eyes but fail to see…?” The same might apply to us.  That was certainly the case with those who were looking for Christ to come.  Since they were looking for a Messiah descending from heaven with a flaming sword of righteousness they did not recognize the Christ child in the manger as their Savior.  They missed what was right before their eyes.

How much do we miss every day?  Can we see God in ordinary miracles?  Miracles like…    

• Finding your lost car your lost keys without having to spend all day looking for them
• Losing your Visa card with absolutely no idea of where it might be when Target unexpectedly calls to say you left it there
• Receiving an unexpected note of appreciation for no reason at all – just because you are YOU 
• The grocery line being short when you are in a hurry    
• Singing your lungs out because your favorite oldies song came on the radio   
• Answering the phone to hear your son from college saying he just called to say, “I love you” and doesn’t even ask for money  
• All the lights being green on your way to work
• Enjoying the shade of an oak tree and realizing it grew from one little acorn
• A healthy child being born

If we don’t recognize and appreciate the ordinary miracles in our everyday lives, it’s likely we won’t recognize the bigger ones when they come our way. 

People looking for God to reveal himself through a supernatural happening sometimes miss the fact that not all miracles come from God.  Consider these scriptures…

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says that if people foretell dreams or signs and wonders that come to pass, then encourage you to follow other gods than the one true God you should not listen to their words.  Therefore, it must be true that others besides God can perform certain signs and wonders. 

Mark 13:22-23 tells us to be on guard because others than God can perform miracles that can deceive us into thinking they represent Christ. 

Matthew 7:22-23 tells us that many will come to God pointing out that they had performed miracles but God will say, “I never knew you.  Get away you evildoers!”

2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 reminds us that Satan has the power to perform counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders. 

Exodus 7:11 recounts how Moses and Aaron performed miracles such as having a staff turn into a snake, but Pharaoh summoned his sorcerers and they did the same thing. 

Therefore miracles are not always proof of where God is working.  Plus, we cannot always trust what we actually see.  Just watching a master illusionist such as David Copperfield in Vegas will prove that.  Did he really make a tiger appear out of thin air or did he make you believe he made a tiger appear out of thin air?  It’s a tricky world. 

When we watch faith healings on television, is the person really healed?  I’m not so sure. Perhaps some but consider this – in Jesus’ day when He gave a blind man back his sight or made the lame walk it happened in a setting where a whole village actually knew the person.  They could attest to the fact that yes, indeed, that person had been blind from birth or this person had never been able to walk.  A whole town had seen them struggle day after day.  That is just a little different than watching it on TV, attending a faith revival, or having someone you don’t even know interviewed on TV and claim healing.  There was no doubt about what Jesus did.  It wasn’t left up to speculation.   

Also consider this – miracles rarely increase one’s belief in God.  The Israelites experienced miracle after miracle and still they did not believe.  Once people experience one miracle, they want another, and another, and another.   

Do we look to God or to what we think God can do for us through a supernatural wonder?  If that is our approach we miss the biggest miracles of all – Christ living and dwelling in us, the peace that passes understanding, fruits of his spirit manifested in our changed lives, and so on. 

Be careful what you wish for.  If a miracle is what you wish for, you might get it.  But just remember this – not all miracles come from God.

In the book Thrilled to Death, clinical psychologist Dr. Archibald Hart describes our pleasure seeking society as one that overloads the brain circuits, driving us to seek more intense and sensational experiences.  We become addicted to extreme forms of stimulation and bored with the ordinary.  I think he’s right. 

In today’s technologically driven age we are constantly exposed to ever increasing mind boggling activities.  We are plugged in, turned on, or hooked up all day long.  A recent article in July 16, 2012 issue of Newsweek Magazine entitled Tweets, Texts, Email, Posts:  Is the Onslaught Making Us Crazy by Tony Dokoupil supports this theory.  Average adults process 400 texts a month.  This would sound high unless we compare it to the average teen who processes 3,700 texts a month.  All of this is in addition to emails, ipods, ipads, youtube, and just surfing the Net   Is it all making us crazy? The conclusion is YES!

How does this affect the Christian community or those searching for Christ?  Well no longer are they satisfied with the ordinary.  They must have dramatic faith healings and spectacular miracles or in their minds God does not exist or at least isn’t doing a good job.  Unfortunately, they have the cart before the horse.  People want to experience a miracle to believe in God when actually they need to believe first. 

In Christ’s hometown of Galilee Christ didn’t do many miracles because of their lack of faith (Matthew 13:58).  Was this because Christ’s miracles are dependent on our faith?  Not at all!  But what would have been the point?  They wouldn’t have believed anyway. 

Sometimes God does provide a visual when he knows it will actually boost our faith.  Such was the case with Thomas who said he wouldn’t believe Christ had risen from the dead unless he saw him (John 20:24-29), but Jesus was quick to tell him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

The need for Christ to authenticate his message through miracles has long passed.  His message speaks for itself.   Sadly some professing Christians are still seeking signs and wonders long after their conversion.  This is not so much that they doubt Christ’s existence as they are looking for a “thrill” that comes from the miracle.  It gives a “high,” a byproduct from an over stimulated society.  But when we are always looking for the next big thing or supernatural happening in our lives to feel God’s presence we forget that he has been with us all along.  We miss the daily walk.

Sure there are times we have those horrible “lows” in life where we cry out to God for miraculous deliverance and experience the “high” that comes when we are delivered.  But when there is no major difficulty going on do we see the miracles of God in the drudgery of everyday life?  Do we see God in our day to day grind – getting up when the 6 o’clock alarm rings, taking a shower, brushing our teeth, carpooling the kids, driving to work in the same old car to the same old job and coming home to the same old family, then cooking something to eat, doing the dishes, helping with homework, falling into bed dog tired?  Can we cheerfully get up and do it all again the next day and stay totally centered on God?    

Healthy Christians are able to go through life without God having to supernaturally zap them with an addictive spiritual meth amphetamine to get them through the day.  As we grow in God’s grace we realize the miracle of God revealing himself to us all the time.  It might be in the laughter of a child, the smile of a coworker, clouds in the sky, sunlight on a window pane, or the guy who lets us merge in traffic.    

If we are truly looking for a miracle, we need look no further than where we are.  For where we are, God will be.  He’ll never leave us or never forsake us no matter what.  He can be our peace and calm in an over stimulated world.  If we don’t see that as a miracle, there is no need to look anywhere else, because we’ll never find it.

It is remarkable how many times the exhortation to remember things is found in the Bible. 

God had to remind the Israelites to remember when he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt.  Remember when they were slaves in Egypt.  Remember that God delivered them to freedom (Deuteronomy 5:15).  Remember what God did to Pharaoh and to Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:18).  Remember how God led them through the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2).  He admonished them to… “Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the Lord do for you.  Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live (Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT)!”

Jesus was continually telling the disciples to remember what he told them and what he had done.  Remember that I can supply all your needs; after all, I did feed the 5000 (Matthew 16:9).  Remember to reconcile with your brothers and sisters (Matthew 5:22-23).  Remember that a servant isn’t greater than his master (John 15:20).  Remember there will come a time people will put you out of the church or kill you thinking they do God a service (John 16:1-4). 

After Christ was crucified the disciples remembered what Christ had said and done, and encouraged his followers to do the same.  Remember that Christ said it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).  Remember how Jesus Christ was raised from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8). Remember what the apostles of Lord foretold (Jude 1:17).

Humans have a memory problem so we have to be prompted to remember things.   

Sometimes the right kind of ritual can help us remember things.  At the Last Supper Jesus and the disciples took what we call Communion.  They ate the bread representing the body of Christ broken on the cross for us and drank the wine representing his blood, shed on our behalf.  Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me (Luke 22:14-20).”  This ritual continued all through New Testament times and still exists today (1 Corinthians 11:24 – 26).   

The point of doing something in remembrance of Christ is not to let it become so routine or ordinary that it has no meaning to us.  We need to think about it every time it’s done.  Taking Communion should feed our relationship with Christ.  Not only does it help us remember who Christ is but it also helps us remember who we are in Christ. 

Other Christian habits or spiritual disciplines such as going to church, studying the Bible, meditating on God’s words, or praying reinforce this as well.  C.S. Lewis puts it this way in his book Vice and Virtue, A Dictionary of the Good Life:  “…once you have accepted Christianity, then some of its main doctrines shall be deliberately held before your mind for some time every day.  That is why daily prayers and religious reading and churchgoing are necessary parts of the Christian life.  We have to be continually reminded of what we believe.  Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind.  It must be fed.” 

Most people don’t leave a church or the Christian life because they are reasoned out of it.  They just sort of drift away.  They get out of the habit of remembering who they are.  Perhaps this is one reason the command to remember is mentioned so many times in the Bible.

After years of bondage in Egypt it was only natural that the Israelites had absorbed quite a bit of the Egyptian culture. When God delivered them He wanted them to be a separate people – an example to surrounding nations. To accomplish this God provided them with a set of laws.  If the Israelites obeyed this covenant God said that they would be His “…treasured possession…and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6).” 

Therefore the book of Leviticus is crammed full of detailed procedures, rules, and rituals the Israelites were expected to follow. Each instruction had a specific purpose designed for the time in which they lived – in Old Covenant times. However – times change.

When Jesus came to establish a New Covenant, things would be different. No longer were godly people identified by their rules and rituals. Their identity would be in Christ.

This was a hard concept for the Pharisees to grasp. The Pharisees were the religious experts of the time, the keepers of the Mosaic Law. By the time they encountered Christ certain rules had been added to the law, many becoming extreme customs – so much so that the original intent of the written law was often lost. Yet, they felt the observance of these regulations were vital in keeping God’s favor and considered themselves the righteous standard for obedience to God.

Jesus claimed to be the son of God but he continually violated the Pharisaical “godly” customs. For example, He ate and drank with sinners which made him ceremonially unclean (Luke 7:34-39). He broke the Sabbath by healing people (Luke 13:14) and picking a little corn to eat (Matthew 12:1-2). He and the disciples did not participate in the ceremonial washing of their hands before they ate (Mark 7:1-23).

Now this washing of the hands ceremony was a little bigger deal than just using some hand sanitizer for healthy eating.It went something like this: Fingertips pointed up. Water poured down them until it ran down the wrist. A palm would be clean with the fist of the other hand. Fingertips would then point down. Water poured down them until it ran off the finger tips. Then they would switch hands and repeat.

Shockingly, Jesus did not do it that way. When the Pharisees asked him why he replied with a quote from Isaiah 29:13: “These people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, but their teachings are but rules taught by men.” He went on to say, “You nullify the word of God with your tradition (Mark 7:13).” In other words, “You think your traditions are more important than the word of God!”

Christ was saying that what we do is not as important as why we do it. Jesus did not come with a list of rules and regulations. He came with His teachings and the law of love.

In New Testament times people were used to seeing “works” – customs and rituals being performed. So they asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent (John 6:28, 29).” This was a new, radical concept.

Most of us think, “Those silly Pharisees. They just didn’t get it!” How could they set up their own customs, rituals, and standards of righteousness and think they were God’s?

But how many of us really “get it?” How many of us have subconsciously done the same thing, worshiping traditions more than Christ?

Are we tied to total immersion baptism, how often we take Communion, the order of our church service, the tempo of our worship music, what instruments are allowed in church, certain hymnals, dietary habits, circumcision, tithing, Old Testament holy days, hair length, specific Bible translations, abstaining from alcohol, men wearing ties to church, women wearing dresses, Saturday or Sunday worship, the altar call, collecting an offering, and so on? There is nothing wrong with having opinions about these things or even doing them in a “traditional” manner – one to which we have grown accustomed – but when we focus more on what we do instead of why we do it, we miss the mark.

Even more dangerous is when we judge and condemn others who do not do it the way we think it should be done. Are we using God’s standard or our own? Are we doing things for God’s glory or our own? Are we doing things because we think God likes it or because we like it? We need to be honest with ourselves.

The same goes for those who break tradition. Are they doing it as an act of rebellion? Are they judging and condemning those who like tradition and ritual? It works both ways. God’s word is a two-edged sword.

If a custom or ritual can enhance our relationship with God, then so be it. But we must control our rules and rituals; they should not control us. If they control us we have no flexibility or room for anything that might be a little different – sort of like the Pharisees.

We need to keep perspective. After all, God has called us into a relationship not a ritual (1 Corinthians 1:9).

Last month an article in Good Housekeeping Magazine caught my eye:  50 Simple Acts of Kindness by Katy McColl.  Once again I am reminded that acts of kindness benefit the recipient, plus those who take the time to do them.  Acts of kindness not only help us feel better emotionally and psychologically, but physically as well.      

McColl sites Ph.D. David R. Hamilton, a chemist who left a career developing cardiac and cancer drugs to research the health benefits of kindness, as saying, “Kindness is literally good for your heart.”   Doing acts of kindness releases oxytocin into your system.  Oxytocin is the same brain chemical that surges when you hold your baby, which temporarily lowers blood pressure – unless, of course, your baby is crying. 

Unfortunately, there are always deterrents that discourage us.  Take for example Raymond Dolin who was hitchhiking across country gathering info for his book called The Kindness of America.  He was shot in the arm by a motorist in a random act of violence.  I’m not sure if he was looking for material by doing acts of kindness or recording acts of kindness done for him.   There is some sad but humorous irony here somewhere. 

But I digress…Other studies show that if you help others you actually get more done.  Boston Globe columnist Gareth Cook cites Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton.  “It’s not so much how much time you have, as how you feel about what you can get done…”   In experiments, participants were asked to devote time to others such as writing to an ill child or to do something for themselves.  Those who did a good deed for others consistently always felt like they had more time, so accomplished more. 

It always amazes me when science and studies prove what God has told us all along:  it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35).  Again and again I am reminded through science, studies, statistics, and even God that there are definite benefits in doing acts of kindness.  So what will I do about it????

I admit that I really admire people like the man in Chicago who has committed to doing an act of kindness everyday for a year and blogging about it (www.366randomacts.org).  Or the guy who hitchhikes across America recording acts of kindness – although in today’s climate of crime he might want to consider riding the bus.  But let’s face it – I don’t have that level of commitment. 

However I do know there are small things I can do that don’t take an enormous amount of time or energy. Things like…

• Smiling at others
• Saying, “Please” and “Thank you!”
• Writing a note of appreciation
• Arriving on time
• Letting someone go ahead of me in line
• Holding the door open for someone
• Giving a complement
• Complaining less
• Having good driving manners
• Being interested in others
• Saying something nice about someone to others

Sure they may seem small and insignificant but Aesop said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.”  So I’ll start small and try to be consistent.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll build a few kind habits and something bigger will grow from it.  After all, I need all the oxytocin I can get!