Huffed and Puffed Houses

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.”

1 Corinthians 3:10-14

“Little pig, little pig, let me in…”

“Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin…”

I had an amusing first lesson with my new youth group this Sunday. I used the story of the “Three Little Pigs” to try and illustrate the above text, and our conversation about it was enlightening. My group comes from many different nationalities, so different versions of the story came out. In the French version, for example, the little pigs whose houses were built of straw and sticks, and, consequently, blown down, were actually eaten by the big bad wolf. In the much more humane American version (and, perhaps, less realistic), the little pigs were blown by the huff-and-puff of the wolf into the brick house of their wiser brother.

Regardless of the degree of barbeque involved, the point of the story remains relevant and biblical. It is important how you build. There is no foundation that can hold against the elements other than Christ. Once on that foundation, however, one must decide how they construct their house.

You may choose to build houses of straw or sticks. The first two pigs chose this route, as it took less time and effort. There were plenty of these weaker materials lying all about. They could throw some of them together and be lounging in their new living rooms in no time. It was certainly the quickest way to get four walls and a roof.

Yet the big bad wolf was coming. The easy and weak houses were not strong enough to stand when the adversity came against them, and they fell. Perhaps you also chose the convenience of building your house on straw and sticks. You neglected to get serious about God’s word. You determined that you didn’t need to go to church in order to live a Christian life. A vibrant prayer life is something you always said would happen “someday.” Consequently, in the place of bricks, gold, silver, and precious stones, you built your house with hay, wood, sticks, and straw. And perhaps, like the poor little pigs, your house has been blown to the ground.

The fire reveals the purity of the work and is capable of devouring the whole structure. Yet the foundation, if it is laid on the strong rock of Christ and not on the sinking sand, will never give way. If you are in a place today where you find nothing but that foundation; if you are standing in the open air looking at the fallen rubble of what was once your house of straw, then there is nothing left to do but rebuild. But be careful how you build! Every day we must decide the quality of materials with which we build our house. We must choose wisely, as there are always big bad wolves just around the corner ready to test the quality of our work.

The third little pig had no reason to fear the fangs of the wolf. The house he had built was ample protection…even in the French version of the story. So as with the house built with God’s word.

The wolf huffed and puffed but he could not blow down that brick house.

The Joy of the Bittersweet

“For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:8

There is a great café in Paris that I’ll visit as soon as possible upon my reentry in France. Angelina’s has the world’s best hot chocolate (that is a fact, not an opinion). It is a strong and thick chocolate, and drinking it is like sipping on a melted candy bar. It is very sweet, and one cannot drink too much or they will get sick. There is just the right amount of bitter aftertaste at the end that perfects the experience. It is, however, a bittersweet chocolate.

I find the term “bittersweet” interesting. This paradoxical word helps us to describe something that we feel all too often. After every sweet gulp of life there lingers a small amount of bitterness that keeps us longing for a perfection that we haven’t quite grasped. The sweetness tempts us with hope, but it still remains a hope that has not yet been perfectly fulfilled.

I am sitting in the Charlotte airport with a bittersweet feeling. I am moving back to Paris, a city that I love and long to see know Jesus. I got a great job at a church working with youth and am thrilled with the opportunity to invest in young lives. I am about to renew old friendships in France after being away for a year. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am taking in all the sweetness of God’s provisions for me.

Yet even while enjoying these provisions, there is still a small, bitter aftertaste that I must endure. I have said many good-byes in the past few days. Some of the good-byes will be for short times, and others for long times. It was bitter saying good-bye to some friends that I don’t know when I’ll see again. It was bitter to walk out of my sister’s house last night after hugging my niece and nephew. It was bitter leaving my parents at the terminal as I proceeded through airport security. All of those steps leading me away from my loved ones were heavy steps.

Yet the steps toward God’s call were light. It is here, in this bittersweet life, where God has called us to perform the good works that He has prepared for us. While it was difficult leaving, I am thrilled to be following God down his narrow road. These mixed feelings, I have learned, will always be a part of our present and momentary troubles. No matter what continent I live on I will always be missing people I love. There will always be bittersweet feelings.

Yet bittersweet chocolate, as I hope I have already established, tastes delicious; and just like the bittersweet chocolate, this bittersweet feeling is good. It is a good thing that we long for one another, as Paul did for the Philippian church that he had to take heavy steps away from. The bitterness is only evidence of a deeper sweetness that waits only to be reawakened according to God’s providential guidance. The longing that we have for our loved ones is evidence that we have the treasure of relationships. The bittersweet experience of being away from loved ones is much better than the bitter experience of not having loved ones to miss.

I am blessed of God to have such an enormous weight of bittersweetness on my shoulders right now. This “bittersweetness” would not be possible without all of the great people that God has put in my path through the years. It is a great gift to be able to say, with Paul, that I “long for all of you in Christ Jesus.” It is a gift I treasure, and the bitterness only affirms its worth. While the bitterness may nevertheless be tough to swallow, it will only strengthen the sweetness of the moment when our longing is fulfilled.

All of these longings, of course, are only echoes of a deeper longing. God will fulfill that one as well.

dev187 - Shootings and Depravity

"as it is written,

'There is none righteous, not even one;"

Romans 3:10

In the past year there have been two significant shootings in Europe. One took place in Norway and was accompanied by a bomb, and the other in France at a Jewish school. I thought the response of the people from these countries was interesting and I have a few thoughts.

In both cases the gut reaction was to declare the criminal to be crazy. This reminded me of one of my favorite movies, the 1995 thriller Seven, in which a serial killer undertakes a sequence of murders according to the seven deadly sins. Throughout this movie, the two detectives (played by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) are having a continual conversation about the saneness of the killer. The young, naïve Brad Pitt insists that the actions of this murderer come from his mental problems, while the more experienced Morgan Freeman argues that his actions come from the simple fact that he is sanely choosing to do evil things.

At the end of the movie they meet the killer and discover that he is closer to a genius than a madman. He has full charge of his faculties and knows exactly what he is doing. The movie is a powerful message about the depravity of man, as Brad Pitt’s character soon learns that he is also capable of the sin that he had formally stood as judge over. In the end, he was just as adept at murder as the serial killer.

Freeman’s character understood human depravity from his years of police work. We have the opportunity to understand it from God’s word. Romans 3:10-20 is an emphatic statement about the true nature of humanity. It boldly affirms that no one is righteous. This is not merely a theological doctrine but a terrifying and ever-present reality. People are evil. This scares us.

And, because this scares us, we want to imitate Brad Pitt’s character and write these killers off as crazy. If they were less than human then we would not be capable of their sin. We could continue to think of mankind as basically good and not have to worry that we have weaknesses of our own. The frightening truth, however, is that these killers do not represent an aberration from the norm. The same weakness that dwells in them also abides in us. Mankind is not basically good…and neither am I.

The European killers ended up being remarkably similar to the killer in the movie Seven. One had a far right-winged political agenda, and the other was a militant Islamist. They knew what they were doing and did it intentionally, much the same way we intentionally choose to hate our brothers and rebel against God. These crimes shatter the humanism of our postmodern world and force us to a higher ethic. We answer to God’s law, and we will be judged by it. Perhaps God will have mercy on us murderers

Seven ends with a great line by Morgan Freeman’s character in which he quotes from For Whom the Bell Tolls. He says, "Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part." Indeed.

The Pooey Princess

Once upon a time there was a rejoicing kingdom. The rejoicing king of the rejoicing kingdom was rejoicing because he had just become the proud papa of a beautiful little girl whom he named Ananda, which is the word for joy in some other language he knew. He knew that this little princess brought hope to his, until then, heirless kingdom, as all that remained was to marry her to a prince, and his kingdom would be preserved. With such excitement running through the nation, the king threw a great banquet for the entire population under his rule.

The crowd for this banquet was enormous with each citizen thrilled to be a part of such a fantastic event. There were wide smiles and hearty laughs found in the souls of nearly each person present. However, there was one in their midst who had mischief on his mind. A mysterious magician from the mountains had snuck into the banquet in disguise with plans of disrupting the party by placing a curse upon the princess. He was hidden amongst the crowd, awaiting just the right moment to strike.

The king had been making his rounds and greeting his guests when he finally turned to go before the crowd to make a grand presentation of his newly born child. As the crowd hushed in eager expectation, the queen entered the room carrying the future sovereign. She handed Ananda to the King, and he held her in his arms so that the people might see her for themselves. The child was gorgeous, and there were ooh’s and ah’s to be heard all over the room as the people looked on with admiration. It was now, while everyone was thus enamored, that the magician made his move. He jumped upon a table and declared in a loud voice:

With my piercing words all your hopes will surely sink,

From this moment forward the sweet princess will stink.

There will be no relief, from below or above,

Until she encounters the pure bliss of true love.

With these words, the magician smiled, wisped his cape around his body, and disappeared into thin air.

A silence overtook the crowd as the shock of what had just happened had rendered them speechless. All eyes turned to the king as he held the princess to see if the magician’s curse would indeed cause her to smell. It immediately became evident that the curse was effective as the color of king’s face was changing from his normal pinkish hue to a more disturbing shade of light purple. He quickly moved toward the nurse to hand her off before he passed out from the overwhelming stench that was filling his nostrils. Yet, to his dismay, the nurse also had to retreat, as the foul odor had quickly permeated the room. The crowd was fleeing the chamber, and while the family initially tried to look after the tiny princess, they too had to leave. The King sat the baby on a cushioned chair and managed to escape the banquet room before the smell caused him to pass out. Less than a minute had passed since the magician had disappeared, yet the banquet hall had already been emptied of all life save the poor lonely princess who was lying helpless in the room.

As lonely as this scene appears for the princess, it would be wrong to conclude that her family did not care for her. The truth is quite the contrary; the reason they left her there was because they were afraid they would drop her if they passed out and passing out was a real danger. The smell was so malodorous and spread so quickly that within a few minutes it had overtaken everyone present. Upon leaving the banquet room, the king quickly sprang into action for the sake of his daughter. He caught his breath, put a clothespin on his nose and reentered the stench laden room to retrieve his daughter. He grabbed her, hurried her to her chamber, and managed to lay her in her crib just before the smell overtook him. Just as he laid her down in her bed, he passed out beside it. The servants then quickly came in and carried him out as the princess slept peacefully in her bed.

When the king awoke, he quickly put a plan into action for the care of the princess. A greater number of servants were brought in, and a large number of clothespins and cotton balls were purchased. After much trial and error, the family learned that if they soaked the clothespins and cotton balls in perfume, they could stand the smell of the princess long enough to be in her presence for ten minutes at a time. The servants would then alternate shifts in order to take care of her needs, and the king and queen would also take their turns in order to make her feel loved. Nevertheless, the princess had many days of hardship in store for her.

There was little amusement for the child in her younger years, but she took comfort in wearing the family jewels. No riches were withheld from her. She wore all kinds of jewelry, set with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Her favorite piece was a rare red diamond necklace that had been in her family for generations that was worth a fortune. She loved the pretty jewelry in her family, and this brought her some sanctuary. Her jewels were the most important thing in her life. When friends and family had to leave her presence, her jewels stayed. They were the sad princess’s best friends.

The family tried everything to rid her of this jinx. She was washed thoroughly multiple times to no effect. The finest perfumes were brought in from all over the world, but none of them could overtake the smell of the curse. They even brought in priests to try to cleanse her spiritually, but this was all to no avail. They began to comprehend that there was only one way to cure her of the stench. They must address the problem on the magician’s terms-to rid her of the curse, she must encounter “the pure bliss of true love.”

The family’s hopes about the princess finding a prince to marry her grew as the princess grew older. The servants took good care of her, and her physical beauty blossomed like a young rose that had just awakened to bless the dawn of a new spring. By her sixteenth birthday, she had developed into the most beautiful maiden in all the land. She had deep blue eyes that one would get lost in if he happened to make eye contact with her. She had flowing blond hair and a beautiful smile which, despite the difficulty that her curse had caused, communicated a joy that seemed to be worthy of her name. This was combined with the best attire that money could buy and, of course, the princess’s precious jewels.

It is easier to be joyful when one is hopeful, and hopeful she was. While she understood she was cursed, she did not experience it the same way that others did. She did not actually smell herself, so she had failed to understand how difficult it was to be in her presence. She also looked in the mirror and saw how beautiful she was, so she was very optimistic about finding a young prince to bring true love to her and take her burden from her.

A great artist in the kingdom painted an exquisite portrait of her (which he could only do in ten minute intervals), and that portrait was sent to all the surrounding kingdoms with a message informing them that the stunning princess in the portrait was looking to marry.  Many eager young princes looked deep into the blue eyes that stared back at them from the portrait and decided to make a trip to meet the damsel in the painting with unprecedented beauty.

After the first month of the Ananda’s sixteenth birthday, the royal family entertained dozens of potential suitors. Yet time after time, the princes took one whiff of the odor that she was emitting and fled. There was even one prince, who being so enamored with her beauty, attempted for days to endure her presence. He tried the same tricks the servants did: the perfume, the clothespins, the cotton balls. However, he was never able to stand it for much longer than ten minutes. Once he hit the eleven minute mark before he passed out and had to be dragged out of her room. The young man understood that true love was needed to cure her, so he thought that perhaps if he kissed her then the curse would be lifted. Yet, to everyone’s disappointment, his kiss proved to be woefully impotent. Evidently, true love was not to be found in his kiss or in his efforts. Disappointed at being unable to conquer the curse, he left the kingdom.

Ananda’s hope diminished with each failed suitor, and, as often happens when hope fades, her joy began to dwindle away. She sank into a deeper depression with each passing day as she began to ponder the idea of a future without love and dominated by the odor being emitted from her body. She now clearly saw her problem-she couldn’t cure the curse without love, but she couldn’t find love because of the curse.

Eventually the suitors stopped coming. Ananda would look out of her window during the day longing to see a caravan that would renew her hopes, but time and time again she would be disappointed. By the time of her seventeenth birthday she had lost all hope of finding true love.

It is a very dangerous thing to lose hope. Human beings were created in such a way as to expect good things, and their hopes, once disappointed, simply search for new things to place their hope in. However, once the lists of hopes have been exhausted to the point where there is no longer positive expectation, terrible things happen. That human being begins to become less than human. The distinctive beauty that comes with having a soul begins to fade into something that can only be described as death. There is no greater danger for people than to be found in a hopeless state.

Ananda was approaching this point. She saw no way of finding love and curing her curse, so she did something desperate. She decided to flee the castle. She waited until the middle of the night and disguised herself in rags and a hood. Under the rags in which she dressed herself, she hid her most prized possession around her neck, her red diamond necklace, which she wanted as a memento of her family and her former life. She fled the castle and soon found herself in an unfamiliar place, as she had never actually left the security of the castle. She followed the road and quickly found herself in the center of the town. She sat on a bench there and watched just as the sun was climbing into the sky out of the darkness.

With the morning came people, and people have noses. Noses quickly recognize unpleasant odors, and it wasn’t long before Ananda was assumed to be a beggar and asked to leave the center of town. She proceeded further and further away from the town center with people continually asking her to go further away. Eventually she got to a very poor area of town where she found a bench. Exhausted from not having slept the night before, she laid down there without reflection and, in her depression, drifted off to sleep.

She awoke several hours later and examined her surroundings. She was in a slum, and this was a strange experience for her. She had never before left the castle and its beautiful marble floors and painted ceilings. Yet here was a place that seemed to be falling apart. The small shelters she saw looked as if a strong gust of wind would blow them down. It seemed to her that the people who lived in this neighborhood had mistaken their street for a garbage dump, as litter littered the street. But it was on that trash filled road where the princess first experienced something that had had such an impact on her life to that point. She finally understood the concept of “stink.”

That place smelled horrible. The odor was a complicated mix of sewage, sweat, and body odor. What she had not noticed before in her fatigue now hit her like a ton of bricks. The smell was filling her nostrils aggressively, and it made her faint. Yet, in experiencing the stench of that neighborhood, a new resolve was born in her. All of her life people had been fleeing her because of her smell. She would not flee. Determined to conquer what those close to her had not been able to conquer, she sat on that bench intending to savor every rank scent that the slums could muster.

Hours passed. Then the hours turned into a day. Still another day passed. She sat there until she got tired, then she slept. After she slept, she awoke only to continue smelling. Lack of food and water eventually made her weak, but she was unwilling to take care of her own needs. She only wanted to smell in her solitude. The people of the neighborhood, however, had noticed her and had pity on her. They had discussed the strange girl on the bench in their homes, and eventually one lady decided to offer her some food.

“Hey, dere,” she said. “My name’s Rakas, and I couldn’t help but noticin’ that you’ve been sittin’ dere for a long time. Is there somthun wrong wit’ ya?”

“You can’t tell what’s wrong with me?” the princess replied.

“Well, I ‘spect you oughta be mighty hungry and thirsty.”

“No, not that. I mean that I stink. You haven’t noticed?”

Rakas approached her and took a whiff. “Whew! You do stink. But it ain’t no matter, we all stink honey. Far be it for me to be a judgin’ someone for that. It’s been a while since I’ve bathed myself. Besides, this neighborhood isn’t exactly known for smelling like flowers.”

Ananda smiled, feeling as if she had found a kindred spirit. Rakas then spoke again, “I can tell yer hungry. Why doncha come over and have lunch wit’ us?”

Ananda replied that she would like that very much and followed Rakas to her home. The home was a dump, but Ananda was just happy to be somewhere with people who wouldn’t pass out in her presence. She was invited to sit at their table and a bowl of gruel was sat down in front of her.

Ananda was very hungry, but she had never seen food that repulsed her as much as the bowl of gruel. She had only ever eaten the large, extravagant feasts that had been offered to her in the castle, so a meager bowl of gruel looked very unappealing. She began to think that these were some pretty poor hosts when this nasty looking substance was all that was offered.

“Yer lucky that we got a little extri’ gruel today. I see the look in yer eye, but don’t protest. We’re happy to share it with ya.”

After hearing this, Ananda felt a tidal wave of shame flood over her soul. She had never imagined that there were people in her kingdom who lived on such meager rations as this. She tasted the gruel and determined that this dish had earned its appellation. She realized how privileged she had been growing up in the castle and, for the first time, began to understand the responsibility that she had to help. She began to think of ways she could help this family and this neighborhood and discovered that she had enormous means to be able to improve their situation. What she didn’t notice, however, was that for the first time, she was thinking about other people’s misery rather than her own.

She asked Rakas what the needs of her family were. She gave a long list, talking about the difficulty they had in keeping food on the table, the scarcity of good water, and a terrible virus that had been going through the neighborhood that her son had caught. They told her that their neighbor’s girl had recently died from the same virus that their son had, and they were all anxious that they wouldn’t be able to find enough money to provide for his medication.

Ananda asked if others in the neighborhood had similar problems, and Rakas stated that most were worse off than they were. Ananda requested to be introduced to them, and she spent the rest of the day going into the other homes in the neighborhoods and learning about their situations. All her life she had been shielded from poverty, disease, and death, but one day in the slums helped her to understand the true condition of the kingdom. Every family didn’t live in comfort and luxury as she had, and, while she did have a curse, it was a curse that was so trivial that the people in the slums didn’t even notice. She wanted to do something for them, but how could she help?

As this thought passed through her conscience, she felt the cold of the necklace against her skin under her clothes. An immediate bolt of fear shrieked through her body as the knowledge of what ought to happen met her selfish desires in a terrible collision. Her beloved red diamond was worth far more than this entire neighborhood and would be more than enough to ensure that these children didn’t die of disease and that they would have an education. It would allow each family to have clean water and food on the table. It would completely change the lives of the residence of the slums. Yet, it would also mean her giving up the one comfort that had helped her through her miserable existence.

It would mean sacrifice. Sacrifice is one of those ideas that look beautiful from afar only to become more and more repulsive as it is approached personally. The great stories that grip us are those where we see someone make a costly ransom for the sake of a greater, holier good, yet we are far less gripped by the sacrificial opportunities with which we are continually presented. Ananda was here presented with one of those opportunities. The diamond that hung around her neck could save hundreds of people, yet this was the one thing she didn’t think she could give to them.

No one could observe the battle raging in her heart. The poverty-stricken friends that she had just made had no idea who she was or that she was even capable of making such an offering. It was an average day at around 2 in the afternoon. Children were heard laughing as they played in the street. Mothers were hanging up laundry, and fathers were busy trying to find work. Normal life was happening all around Ananda, yet this was the most important moment of her young life. Would she give?

The thought of selling the necklace made her sick, but she quickly ran out of the slums into a wealthy area of town. She immediately went to a jeweler and presented him with the diamond. He was shocked to see such a fine stone and wondered who this girl could be. Yet he was fair and offered her the true value of the diamond which was far more than she had expected. She took the money before she could allow herself to be tempted to be selfish and immediately began her mission to turn around the neighborhood.

Over the next few weeks, the area formally called the slums needed a new name. The men of the neighborhood were immediately hired to clean up the quarter and earned fair wages to make it beautiful. A hospital was constructed and competent doctors were employed there full time. A school began in the community and proper teachers were hired. New industries were brought in, and many new jobs were readily available. Within a few months, the whole place was completely transformed.

Yet the biggest transformation happened in the heart of Princess Ananda. She built a house in the neighborhood and decided to live amongst them. She was no longer sitting around depressed over what would happen to her; rather, she was actively concerning herself with what would happen to the people around her. She was obsessed with their good and spent very little time thinking about herself at all. Her beautiful smile was the trademark of the neighborhood, and it made the people believe in themselves again. Her goodwill was contagious. She longed to see the entire kingdom know the prosperity that this neighborhood was now experiencing. She had learned to live with less and never regretted her decision to leave the castle or to sell the diamond. She did, however, miss her family.

While all of this was happening, the jeweler began to inquire of the origin of the massive red diamond that the strange girl had brought into his shop. As he followed the trail, he eventually came to realize that this diamond had come from the castle and the royal family. As you might imagine, the royal family had become quite frantic with the loss of their daughter. Months had passed, and they had been all over in search for her, yet no one had any information. The King and Queen had nearly lost hope when the jeweler arrived at the castle.

After seeing the necklace, the Sovereigns immediately knew that it must have come from Ananda. They went back with the jeweler to his shop and began to explore the surrounding districts to find news of their daughter. Eventually, they came to a particularly pretty area and were confused because it was a part of their kingdom that they did not remember. They walked inside a park that they had never seen before when they noticed a young lady with golden blond hair, and it was unmistakably their long loss daughter. They called out to her and ran to her, excited but expecting to be overwhelmed by the odor of the curse. Ananda saw her parents and ran to their embrace. To the astonishment of both sides, they realized that she no longer stunk. The curse had been broken! They jumped in joyous laughter and celebrated together before the question entered their minds. How had the curse been broken?

“Who is the young man,” asked the king, “who brought true love to you? I assume you are married.”

“No,” said Ananda. “There has been no romance in my life at all. I have just been busy trying to help these people. You should’ve seen the state of this neighborhood when I arrived.”

Suddenly at this moment, out of nowhere, the magician reappeared. He smiled at the party and then said:

I can see you have learned from all your reeking

That the pure bliss of true love is not self-seeking

Its value is not found in hug or embrace,

Neither ugliness nor stench can thwart this grace.

Love is the law by which all good things are bound,

There is no peace until its bounties are found.

Search not your meaning in the things you receive,

It’s in what you give that purpose is achieved.

dev186

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

Ephesians 4:7

America has a problem with materialism. I will not dispute that. It is tragic the way so many people measure their worth and contentment based on the things that they possess. While I think the popular Christian criticism of this problem is for the most part fair and the consequent shift towards increased giving towards missions and social justice an incredible and righteous alteration, I do think that the Christian fight against materialism has gone one step too far.

I do not like the fact that the way we traditionally celebrate Christmas is being thrown into the same materialist basket. I admit a bias. I come from a family that went all out for me for Christmas. I did not get an allowance growing up and my parents would not buy me random toys when we went out. There were two times of the year when I could get things to play with, a smaller portion for my birthday and an overwhelming abundance of gifts under the tree when I woke up on Christmas morning. I think that this had a positive impact on my life, though my experience as a child is different from my adult experience.

As a child I understood one thing much better than I understand it today, namely, how to receive a gift. As a child I was completely dependent on my parents, so I received things from them without ever thinking that I had to pay them back. I received presents and was truly grateful. This made me good at receiving. Yet as a child I had a different problem, namely, I had to be taught how to give. My natural selfishness made it difficult to give because I was me-first.

Now that I am grown up I find myself having the opposite problem, and I observe the same problem in many others. Adults also have a me-first mentality, only this leads them to be good givers and bad receivers. It is a lot of fun to pay for someone’s lunch, yet having my lunch paid for (which has happened quite often this Christmas season) makes me uncomfortable. I feel like I need to be square with everyone. I don’t want to depend on others and, consequently, I always feel the need to pay back people for a gift. This makes me a bad receiver of gifts and prevents me from being thankful.

Spending the last three years in France I saw what this attitude can do. People there are very suspicious of gifts and it is difficult to give something to someone without expecting something in return. Even their idea of Santa Claus involves earning your gifts by being good all year. There are no gifts just for the sake of giving. If one person gives one thing, the other must also give something of equal value in order to be in right relationship.

This idea is human arrogance. Before God we find ourselves in a position where a gift is offered and we have no means of offering anything close to reciprocal. Out salvation, our life purposes, our families, and each breath we breathe are gifts from the Lord that we receive and cannot pay back. Our dependence necessitates that we respond to these gifts, not with trying to be square with God in generosity, but in loving thankfulness and the humility that comes with it.

To be specific about my gripe, I don’t like the upcoming popular Christian notion that giving gifts to families and friends ought to be replaced with giving to stop global poverty or that the gospel may go to the nations. Certainly I am for those things, but one should not have to compete with the other. I can give to those things without neglecting to give to my closest circles, and I am afraid of the consequences at what would happen to our society if we stopped exchanging gifts for Christmas. We need not only to be a people who give gifts, but also a people who receive them. The importance of the jacket I received from my parents this Christmas is not simply that I have another article of clothing (although I do and can certainly use it), but that I have received a gift from my parents. I was thankful. And while I also gave them a gift, there was never any feeling that my gift had to be equal to theirs. We exchanged gifts from each other and we experienced joy. I was happy to see my brother-in-law enjoying the slippers I got him and my sister playing the game I got her. They received their gifts well, and good receiving brings joy to the giver. To not receive gifts well is to rob the giver of joy. This is robbery to our friends and family, and ultimately robbery from God.

Let us not think that it is wrong to receive gifts. God gives to each person according to the measure of Christ’s gift, and let us not ask God to alter his gift according to what would make us more comfortable. Let us be children running to the tree on Christmas morning and respond in dependent gratitude.

dev185

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest,

    And on earth peace among men ^£with whom He is pleased.”

Luke 2:13-14

The other night I was introduced to a show called “Sing Off.” This is a reality show in which there is a contest between different a cappella vocal groups, and each group in the contest is extremely talented both as vocalists and as entertainers. I thoroughly enjoyed the finals of this show, and was excited when they announced at the end that they would have a Christmas special with all the groups performing the next week.

Given my love for Christmas music and how impressed I was with the ability of the contestants, I was thrilled the other night when my family and I were browsing channels and saw that this Christmas special was on. I was looking forward to hearing their outstanding voices harmonize the great hymns of Christmas such as O Holy Night, Silent Night, and my personal favorite, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Yet, to my dismay, I was let down song after song as the contestants continued to choose songs such as Santa Baby, Let It Snow, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I continued to watch each performance with the hopes of hearing one of these groups of gifted vocalists sing the name of my Savior, but I listened in vain.

As I listened to their beautiful voices I felt an emptiness. There was no meaning in their songs. Sure, they sung of traditions that I enjoy each year, and I don’t have a problem with the tracks they sung in and of themselves, but they had taken Jesus out of their Christmas celebration. For the first time I felt the void of the way the world celebrates our holiday. There is no promised glory to God or peace among men. There are no promises at all. December is just another month like any month, with the exception of being able to look at wreaths and drink egg nog. Their remembrances do not lead them to redemption, and their songs do not proclaim hope.

On that day, however, the shepherds experienced a far superior a cappella choir. The Bible says,  “suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host.” This word “host” would perhaps be better translated as armies, as the angels of God brought battle to the world on that Christmas evening. Yet they were not armed with swords or bows that night. Their sword was their song, and their arrows were their harmonies. The power of their chant destroyed the doubts of the shepherds and crushed all of their fears and despairs. There were no sour notes about materialism and empty traditions. Their melodies sung of the Most High and his intentions for the salvation of mankind.

This is one a cappella choir that I wish I could’ve heard. I would have no doubt experienced an excellence beyond words in terms of musical quality and vocal performance, yet the value of this song lies beyond the way it is performed. This chorus’ power is in the message: God will be glorified and He will bring peace to this war plagued world. It starts with this good news of great joy that is for all people. Born unto you on that day was a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Joyful all ye nations rise,

Join the Triumph of the skies.

The Talented Skunk

There was one unexpected person present when the Grand Animal Council was summoned by the Great Lion. The sparrows with their beautiful voices were as usual amongst the first to arrive. The owls in all their wisdom were all present and accounted for. The creative monkeys also took their respective places of honor in the assembly, as well as the powerful tigers.

Yet everyone present was surprised to see that Mr. Skunk had also been chosen to be present. No one would dare tell him to leave, as his attendance implied that the Great Lion had some reason for his being there, and no one would ever doubt the Great Lion. Yet at the same time there was uneasiness in being in the company of the skunk, as most feared that one wrong word or action could upset the skunk and cause him to spray his stench all over the prestigious invitees. He did not possess the talent of the others who were present, but again, the desire of the Great Lion caused the assembly to accept him.

It must also be said that his presence at the meeting was also a mystery to Mr. Skunk. He was a humble skunk and wondered how such a person as he should be amongst such a prestigious Assemblée of animals. Nevertheless, he was honored by the invitation to come and eagerly awaited the Great Lion with the others.

They did not have to wait long until the Great Lion stepped forward to address the council. He was a majestic beast with a long golden mane and massive paws. His voice commanded a respect that was only outdone by the penetrating stare of his large brown eyes. He had complete control over the entire wilderness. He was known to be both wise and powerful, and there was not one animal in the assembly who would have dared say a word against his reign. The whole assembly hushed as he surveyed the crowd and his powerful, deep voice proclaimed:

“There is a great tragedy that has occurred in my wilderness. My sheep have come to be lost. As you all know, sheep are not wise like the owls, so I will need the help of everyone present to find and account for all of the lost sheep. Everyone make this your priority in the coming days, and the council will meet again in one week in the hope of having all of the sheep accounted for. I do not want my sheep to be devoured by the wolves in the wilderness. I have given you all talents, so I want you to use your talents to help you find the sheep.”

While Mr. Skunk was very happy to be included in the prestigious Grand Animal Council, he was greatly distressed upon hearing this charge from the Great Lion. Sure, the other animals must be well able to accomplish this task, as they all have such amazing talents. The elegant sparrows would be able to use their beautiful voices to attract many sheep, as their glorious melodies are able to charm even the most barbaric crocodiles. The owls would be able to use their great learning to reason out the exact location of the sheep and present clear logic to them so that they would all seek out the Great Lion. The monkeys would be able to use their artistic abilities to show the beauty of the Great Lion and attract the sheep to him. Even the potent tigers in all their power would be able to use their strength to cross the rivers and climb the mountains to rescue the sheep from the-hard to-reach places and defend them from even the fiercest of wolves. Being in the company of such impressive creatures, Mr. Skunk wondered what he brought to the table. Those that inhabited the wilderness generally tried to avoid him because of the potential stench that he could cause them.

Upon reflecting on his discouraging predicament, Mr. Skunk decided to first seek out the help of the more talented animals to see if there was some way he could assist them in what was sure to be a more effective method than what he could do. He first went to the sparrows to see if they wanted to solicit his help.

“Excuse me, my sparrow friends. You are known throughout the entire wilderness to have the most beautiful voices amongst all the living things. As I am not nearly as talented as you are, perhaps I can help you find the sheep.”

“Ah yes, finding the sheep,” said the first sparrow. “That is a very noble task that the Great Lion has given to us. Of course you can help us.”

“Yes, you are most welcome to help us,” said a second sparrow. “However, before we begin searching for them we are going to write a song for the Great Lion.”

Mr. Skunk was a little bit surprised by this response, as the charge that the Great Lion gave appeared to be a most urgent one. “I would like to help you, but I don’t think we should wait long, as there are many sheep that are lost in the wilderness.”

“You cannot put a time limit on our artistic task, Mr. Skunk,” the first sparrow retorted. “The Great Lion gave us the talent of singing, so we plan on singing. We prefer to do what we like to do to please the Great Lion.”

“Exactly,” added a third sparrow. “Once we have finished our song to the Great Lion, which he will no doubt appreciate, we will get started on this other task.”

Mr. Skunk was uncomfortable with this approach to finding the sheep, so he thanked the sparrows for inviting him to help but told him he was going to try to find another way to find sheep.

Being someone frustrated with the sparrows, Mr. Skunk contemplated that if anyone would think accurately about this task, it would be the owls. The owls were the sages of the wilderness and they would surely know not only how to proceed but also how best to direct the efforts of Mr. Skunk. Approaching the owls, he said:

“Good day, my owl friends. I was reflecting upon how to start finding the Great Lion’s sheep, so I thought that since you all are the wisest and most cunning creatures of the wilderness, perhaps I could work with you in this mission.”

“We would love your help,” one of the owls said with a long owl grin. “Yet I feel as if we have a greater responsibility towards this task since we are the wisest in the entire wilderness.”

“Yes I concur,” added a second owl. “Since the Great Lion has blessed us with wisdom, perhaps our role should be in telling all of the other creatures how to find the sheep.”

“I think that is a great idea!” exclaimed Mr. Skunk. “We can go out and look together, and as we go I will learn everything I can from you while finding the Great Lion’s sheep.”

“I fear you have misunderstood us,” the first owl replied. “We feel that going out and actually looking for the sheep would be a detriment to the cause because it would take up so much of our time. After all, the Great Lion gave us the talent of wisdom, so finding sheep is much better suited for people with other talents. Rather, we are in the process of writing a book that can teach all the different animals about how to find sheep. We like writing very much, and we prefer to do what we like to do to please the Great Lion.”

“The book is going very well,” another owl said excitedly. “We will be sure to save you a copy.”

Mr. Skunk was sure that they would write a very good book. He was somewhat confused at the owls’ reasoning, as by writing the book they wouldn’t actually be doing what the Great Lion said to do. Nevertheless, he knew the owls were much wiser than he was, so he decided to let them write their book and look for another way to find the sheep. He then turned to the monkeys and their creative genius’ for help.

“Hello, my monkey friends,” Mr. Skunk said as he approached the monkeys. “I know that you are highly regarded by everyone in the wilderness because of your creativity, and I was thinking that you would have all sorts of ideas about how to find the Great Lion’s lost sheep. Since I am not as talented as you are, I thought that you all might come up with a creative way that I could help you in this task.

“It is very kind of you to give us such compliments,” said the first monkey. “But we have presently started a task of our own that we think the Great Lion will appreciate very much, much more even than the finding of sheep. We are preparing an artistic dance to honor him at the next Grand Animal Council meeting.”

“Oh! We are so excited,” said a second monkey. “This is the best choreography that we have ever had. This spectacle will have a unique blend of pulsing percussion, ground rhythm and tree acrobatics. There is no doubt that the Great Lion will be very impressed!”

“He will be very impressed, indeed!” exclaimed another monkey with a joyful smile on his face. “And that is why we are all here in this wilderness, after all. We are here to be pleasing to the Great Lion. We just prefer to do what we like to do to be pleasing to the Great Lion.”

“Would you like to see what we have so far?” the first monkey asked.

Mr. Skunk opened his mouth to respond, but before he had the chance the monkeys had already started their show. A group of gorillas began to beat on massive drums and some chimps began swinging from tree to tree in rhythm with the drums. There were a group of orangutans dancing with torches on the ground, and all of it combined proved to be a very impressive showcase of creativity.

After the monkeys finished Mr. Skunk gave them applause and confessed truthfully that it was the best spectacle he had ever seen. He lamented, however, that this was not going to help him find the Great Lion’s sheep. He wondered why the monkeys were not looking for sheep, but he concluded that the Great Lion would surely appreciate their spectacle. Mr. Skunk, however, was determined to find the Great Lion’s lost sheep, so he left the company of the monkeys trying to suppress his envy of the monkey’s creative abilities.

After the monkeys Mr. Skunk decided he would see if he could help the tigers. The tigers were amongst the most powerful in the forest and were adept and able to reach the tough places. They had the speed to travel far away and the strength to climb the tallest mountains. Mr. Skunk concluded that the tigers with all their strength would be much more effective at finding sheep than he would, so he decided to offer them his services.

“Greetings my tiger friends!” he said. “You are known throughout the entire wilderness to be the most powerful animals that dwell here. There is no doubt that you will be able to find many sheep, and since you are much more talented than I am, I thought that perhaps I could be most effective in the Great Lion’s mission by helping you.”

“That is very kind of you, Mr. Skunk,” the first tiger declared. “We are most thankful to the Great Lion for making us so powerful.”

“Unfortunately,” a second tiger joined, “on account of the fact that the Great Lion made us so powerful we have many more responsibilities. I am not sure how much time we will have to go find sheep.”

“There are indeed many other tasks for us,” a third tiger added. “We must provide food for our families to make sure they eat very well so that our cubs can grow to be as strong as we are. We must also continue our strict strength regiment so that we can continue to be strong. We will continue to work out hard, and when the Great Lion sees all that we are capable of he will be happy with how we have used our talents to become even more talented. Besides, we have to protect the weaker animals that are not lost from the wolves as well. We like these responsibilities, and we prefer to do what we like to do to honor the Great Lion.”

“Yes, there is no doubt when the Great Lion sees our speed when we run and our strength when we hunt that he will be very happy with our strict regimen. After all, we must not be lazy.”

“Yes,” added another. “He will also appreciate the wolves that we kick out of the wilderness. We will rid this wilderness of all conflict.”

Mr. Skunk knew that the tigers would do this task very well. The dirty wolves were surely no match for the tigers and he felt much safer knowing the tigers were on his side. However, he still wondered why the tigers didn’t see the need to find the Great Lion’s sheep, but he knew that the tiger’s great power made them much more talented than he was, so he let it go.

Discouraged, Mr. Skunk realized that he was not going to find help in this task from the other animals. It was hard for Mr. Skunk to not be envious of the other animals. He wished that he had the voice of the sparrows, the wisdom of the owls, the creativity of the monkeys and the strength of the tigers. He did not have these things, however, and he realized that he must use the talents he had been given to find the sheep.

While pondering what he would do he came upon a pasture where he found five sheep. The sheep were dumb and they could not understand the language he was speaking, so he had to come up with another method to lead them to the Great Lion. The Great Lion had instructed him to use his talents, so he thought about the things that made him unique. He realized that he had a remarkable talent for making things stink. In fact, there was no creature in the world more talented at making things stink than Mr. Skunk, so he decided to use this talent to his advantage.

The sheep were travelling down a path that was leading them away from the Great Lion. Mr. Skunk scurried on ahead of them and sprayed their way with such a stench that would make even the most stopped up nose rebel against the direction of the disgusting odor. All five of the sheep squealed and turned around to abandon the direction that Mr. Skunk had sprayed. Mr. Skunk soon learned that it was fairly easy to direct them as long as he showed them that the only way that didn’t stink was the way that led to the Great Lion. After some travail Mr. Skunk succeeded in leading these five sheep near the spot where the Grand Animal Assembly met.

All week long the skunk labored like this. Mr. Skunk showed his resilience by scurrying up towering mountains and swimming across raging rivers to search out every sheep within a distance that he could travel. He was relentless in his service and by the end of the week Mr. Skunk had succeeded in leading ninety-nine lost sheep to the Great Lion. Mr. Skunk knew that he was not very talented and thought there was no way he could have found as many as some of the other animals, but he hoped that the Great Lion would be pleased. He was excited when all of the animals reconvened at the end of the week for their council meeting.

The Great Lion stepped forward at the council with all the animals assembled around him. “First,” he said, “we will hear from the sparrows. How many sheep have you found?”

The spokesman for the sparrows stepped forward. “Before we speak of this matter, Your Highness, we would first like to honor you with a song we wrote for this occasion.”

The sparrows then began their concert. They launched their chant in four part harmony with such precision that it seemed as if there were only four sparrows singing despite the fact that they numbered over forty. Those who heard their song were moved to tears and they met with a great applause from nearly all of the animals present. The one present who did not applaud, however, was the Great Lion.

“That was indeed a very pleasing song, but don’t forget that it is I who have given you the ability to sing this way. Yet our present task is to find the lost sheep so that they won’t be devoured by the wolves. How many sheep have you found?”

“I’m afraid we spent all of our time preparing this song, Great Lion. We thought it better to use the talents you gave us like we wanted to.”

The Great Lion’s patient face glared at the sparrows with a look of strong disappointment. “The question is not what you like to do, my young sparrows, but what needs to be done. You have disobeyed my commands and your singing has dishonored me.”

A great silence grew over the whole assembly as the dishonor done to the Great Lion had brought an intense shame to the sparrows. After a moment of deep dissatisfaction, the Great Lion lifted his head and turned to the owls.

“Owls, let us discuss your efforts. I have made you the wisest of all the animals. Surely you have brought many sheep to me.”

The speaker for the owls approached and said, “We reflected greatly on how we might best serve you. Since you blessed us with such an intellectual disposition, we decided that we could best serve you by writing a book for the other animals so that they might know how to find the sheep. After all, we like to write books and we thought that we could best use our talents by doing what we like to do. We are very pleased to present you with our Magnum Opus, entitled How to find the Great Lion’s Sheep.”

The Great Lion took the book and thumbed through it. I have enabled you to write this book with the talents that I have given you. However, we are here to speak about my lost sheep. How many sheep have you brought to me?”

The speaker for the owls quietly said, “We spent all of our time writing the book. We did not find any sheep.”

There was a piercing silence that came over the crowd. The entire Grand Animal Council held their breath in fear of being the one who broke the muteness that had befallen the wilderness. In the midst of this charged stillness the stare of the Great Lion’s strong brown eyes were cutting through the soul of the owl’s spokesman. The owl could not return the glance as he stared at the ground. The look of discouragement was now starting to boil. The Great Lion’s voice this time had a hint of anger as he said:

“I have not asked you to write a book. I have asked you to find sheep. I like books, but you have deliberately disobeyed my mission in order to make this one. This book will forever be the shame of your people. The question is not what you like to do, but what needs to be done. This book has dishonored my name.”

Great shame was on the face of the owls, and it was now present amongst the other creatures who had also not found sheep. The Great Lion then turned to the monkeys.

“Monkeys,” his powerful voice echoed, “How many sheep have you found?”

The speaker of the monkey’s stepped forward and said, “Before we discuss the matter of the sheep, allow us to present to you our new spectacle.”

Upon saying this, the gorillas began beating on their drums. They had not been playing them long, however, when the Lion roared so loudly that the entire wilderness shook. The gorillas stopped the drums and everyone turned to look at the Great Lion.

“How many sheep have you found?” exclaimed the Lion in a growing fury.

The monkey in great fear was staring at his feet when he said, “We did not find any sheep, your majesty.”

The Great Lion roared in such a way that the speaker of the monkey fled behind the Gorillas and their drums. “Tigers, how many sheep have you found?”

The spokesman for the tigers, in all of his proud strength, remained hidden from the Great Lion because of his understood disobedience. He did not even have the courage to admit his neglect of the Great Lion’s commands.

The Great Lion understood and roared. The assembly wanted to flee from his wrath, but knew they couldn’t run far. The Great Lion arose to all fours and began to speak:

“I have asked you to find the lost sheep. How many sheep have been devoured by wolves because of your arrogance? I gave you your talents to serve me with, yet you have used them to do the things that you like to do rather than the things that need to be done. Do you not know that I desire mercy and not sacrifice? Where did you get the idea that what you wanted to do was more important than what I commanded you to do? The question will never be ‘What do I want to do?’ The question will always be, ‘What has the Lion commanded?’ You have ignored my commands and have used your talents to dishonor my name. The songs of the sparrows, the books of the owls, the spectacles of the monkeys and the feats of the tigers have brought disgrace to me. Is there no one here who has found any sheep?”

Fearing the Great Lion and humbled by the problems he knew were in his own heart, Mr. Skunk meekly raised his hand. The Great Lion saw him and looked him in the eyes. Mr. Skunk was the first animal to return the glance, using his weak eyes to look into the depths of the giant brown eyes of the Great Lion.

“Mr. Skunk, have you something to report?”

“Yes, your highness,” Mr. Skunk responded timidly. “I found ninety-nine sheep and have led them here.” Upon saying this, Mr. Skunk scurried away behind where he was keeping the sheep, sprayed behind them and led them into the presence of the assembly.

A tear fell from the eye of the Great Lion as he saw all of the sheep who had been lost but were now found. The sheep ran to the Great Lion and cuddled up against his mane, and the terrible anger that was on his face changed into jubilant laugher as he played with the sheep that had been found. The disturbing tension of the preceding moments had been transformed into a scene of holy gentleness that moved all of the animals present. After a few minutes of playing with the sheep in the presence of the assembly, the Great Lion turned his visage to Mr. Skunk.

“Well done my good and faithful servant!” he exclaimed with a giant smile across his giant mouth. “You did not receive the voice of the sparrows, the wisdom of the owls, the creativity of the monkeys or the strength of the tigers, yet you remained faithful to me. Come and reap your reward.”

Mr. Skunk came forward bashfully and the Great Lion seated him beside his throne and placed a crown on his head. “You have found ninety-nine sheep,” the Great Lion said, “but there is still one who remains lost. The Good Lion must leave the ninety-nine to find the one, and I will lose no sheep that belongs to me. While I am gone, you must lead these unfaithful animals and teach them to use their talents to do what I command and not simply what they like to do. For to him who is faithful with a little, more will be given.”

Mr. Skunk no longer cared that he couldn’t sing like the sparrows or reason like the owls. The creativity of the monkeys and the strength of the tigers likewise no longer appealed to him. Rather, the smile of the Great Lion had been worth all the work that he had done, and he now knew that he had all the talent necessary to serve the Great Lion in the way he wanted to be served. The other animals looked to the example of Mr. Skunk and brought honor to the Great Lion as a result of what they learned from him. This was plenty to content some old smelly skunk.