Small Thoughts on Suffering

Nearly every human will admit to some sort of suffering, whether in their body, mind or spirit, or, in relationships with other humans.  Most often, we as humans view suffering as bad, that is, the pain overshadows and at times interferes with our ability to creatively think how in the world could this hurtful body or painful situation result in good.

Herein lies the problem with our small human minds: small thoughts on suffering are the result. I will not defend in this post mankind's technological progress nor it's scientific understanding of our world and the universe.  The plain fact is that we just do not know everything.  Blaise Pascal, the brilliant French mathematician and physicist, was quoted as saying, "Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, let us know a little bit about everything."

Dilemma, isn't it?

Fortuitously, mankind was given, as a gift, the answer.  No, not as a scientific discovery or math equation, neither an excavation of an ancient civilization or newly created substance is the answer derived. The answer arrived apart from our doing, from the One who existed before time began.

For brevity's sake, the One is the Eternal, Triune God, three persons yet of one substance and not created. We owe our life to Him, whether we acknowledge or believe it to be true. "In him we live and move and have our being" reads Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17, verse 28, from the Sacred Scriptures, the Holy Bible.

"What is truth?" asked Pilate, ruler of Judea, responding to Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, not realizing that here in front of him stood the Truth .  Relativism rules today, at least in our culture, and in our small minds.  Yet, the Sovereign God rules over heaven and earth.  Illusion rules otherwise.

Back to suffering...our view of the world determines how we understand suffering.  Views vary, but the only one that makes sense, the one to which I return is God's revelation.  He alone makes sense of suffering:  a sin problem exists (God sets the boundaries - obey and flourish; disobey and die) and we, as mankind have rebelled against him. Suffering, as opposed to flourishing in life with God, is the end result.

It's our own doing, starting with Adam and Eve believing God was holding out on them, not giving them the best, rebelling, and continuing throughout history to today. The only way out of it, God says, is bloodshed, wrath and death.  Because we could never give what God needs for the atoning of our sins, He provides the answer to our sin problem:  He gives Himself.

The historical Jesus, the Christ, born to a virgin, living a sinless and righteous life (yes, he obeyed his earthly parents just as His Heavenly Father), suffering, being crucified and resurrected - God in the flesh.  Fully human, fully God.  How this can be is agreed upon through the centuries to be a mystery, yet God revealed this truth through His Word.

Even 500 to 600 years prior to Christ's crucifixion, the words of Isaiah (53:4-6) prophesied the brutal suffering of Christ and result for us.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Again, for the sake of space, I'll cut to the end.  Our sin and hostility to God were borne by Christ.  He is the "he" and "him" in the quote from Isaiah above.  Do you believe Christ atoned for your sins and there's nothing you can do to stay the wrath and judgment of God?  If so, salvation, peace, eternal life and so much more are yours.

Suffering...unemployment, broken relationships with sisters and brothers, terminal disease, lifelong illness, unsaved family, homeless, abused...Christ suffered and He continues to suffer with us.  Baffling.  No other "god" makes this claim. In this context only is suffering and the ability to bear up under it made possible because the One who bore our sins continues to bear us, upholding us by His grace and mercy.

May you see with eyes of faith this Holy Week the One, the Christ, who alone takes away the sins of the world, and suffers today with His children.

-CFM

Update to My Review of CollegePlus!

Well, a surprising amount of people have viewed my little post about CollegePlus! (CP!) so after some nudging from my dad, I am writing an update. As a brief background: I graduated from with my Bachelor of Arts in Communication with the aid of CP! in June 2008, just 2 years after first enrolling.

I took some much needed rest and recuperation.  I studied intensely during my degree and was quite burnt out by the time I was done. I didn't want to read another textbook, or any book for that matter! And I certainly had no desire to continue my education. I had my degree and I was done, thank you very much. I wanted nothing more to do with book learning. However, God had other plans.

We took a vacation to visit family at the end of May 2008 and during one of our many excursions we listened to a CD where the panel was discussing the fact that some Christians were getting Master's degrees in Literature to help them understand Scripture since the Bible is primarily poetry and stories. I thought since I loved literature that I would love to get a degree in that area. I returned from our vacation surprisingly interested in continuing my education! I poked around the Internet to see what I could find in terms of Master's degrees.

I searched for months on and off, finding very little that met my requirements. Again, I looked for an online program; plus, it had to be affordable. I looked for literature, English, and humanities degrees but nothing was turning up.

Then in December of 2008, my mom providentially inquired at the local public library the requirements for becoming a librarian. The clerk explained that a Master's degree was required to be a librarian. Say what?! I had no idea; my mother had no idea. Amazed by this encounter, I went online and searched the American Library Association website. They have a very helpful search engine which allows users to narrow down schools. I limited the results to online programs. I think I looked through every single program on the list.

Long story short, there was only one program that stuck out: The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. I contacted the school and learned what the program required. Each year only about 40 new students are selected to participate in The School of Library and Information Studies' Master's program for librarianship. I was informed that only about one (1) out of four (4) applicants were selected. Statistically speaking, I had about a 25% chance of acceptance but I felt this was where God wanted me to apply so I moved forward.

I had to send in references, official transcripts from Thomas Edison State College, my statement of purpose, and GRE scores. The due date for the application was April 2009. This was all taking place in December 2008. I immediately began studying for the GRE. The GRE if you do not know is similar to the SATs but for Master's programs. CP! definitely helped prepare me for studying this massive exam. I did well, submitted my results and simply waited.

Oh! Another amazing event was the fact that I got a job at a fast-casual restaurant just up the road from my house, something I would need very much to pay for tuition. I got the job at the beginning of April 2009; at the end of April 2009, I had been officially accepted into the University of Alabama's online cohort for a Master's in Library and Information Studies (MLIS). I could not believe it! Scared, excited, shocked. My "unconventional" degree from Thomas Edison was not a hindrance at all to getting accepted. In fact, I was quite comfortable learning in an online environment thanks to my experience through CP! and Thomas Edison.

Two years later I am on the verge of graduating with my Master's. I have been able to complete six (6) years of schooling in four (4) years, thanks to the route God provided through CP!. My graduate studies have been difficult and stretching but extremely rewarding. Moreover, I have been grateful for this validation of my undergrad degree. I always wondered if my degree was really acceptable and if it would be good enough for further education. I am here to tell you it is. CP!'s program is a legitimate course for obtaining a Bachelor's degree and is in no way a hindrance to obtaining a Master's degree. The self-discipline, -motivation, and -education that occurred with my undergrad was very helpful for succeeding at the graduate level; here, professors expect that you are self-motivated and self-disciplined.

I must insert here a plug for the University of Alabama's MLIS program. It is affordable, convenient, and most importantly, very well run. The faculty here are wonderful and I cannot say enough good things about the 43 people I entered the program with. As a cohort, we were required to visit the campus for about four (4) days for an intense orientation, just one more benefit of the program. This was an opportunity to meet the faculty, school director, and my fellow cohort members. The cohort moved through the required courses together, building friendships and contacts for when we enter the profession. It was huge to have a group of people who were going through the program with me that I could talk to, ask questions of, suffer with (only half-joking). I am planning on attending graduation ceremonies in August of this year because I love the faculty, the cohort (which I am hoping to see a few of them at graduation), and the campus of the University of Alabama. Here is the link to the website: http://www.slis.ua.edu/

God has been faithful and gracious during my education. It has not always been easy and I will admit to complaining at times when it got tough. But now, on the other end, I am incredibly grateful. I hope to find a job working either in a public library or an academic library. Jobs are relatively scarce since many people are looking for positions. Then again, this whole process has been one entirely orchestrated by God. What do I have to worry about, right?

I do hope this is encouraging for all who have are either considering, in the midst of completing, or have graduated from CollegePlus! As always, I welcome comments and will try to answer them the best I can.

--HM

The Act, er, Journey of Sanctification

To the elect -

After the historical, overwhelmingly merciful act of salvation, that is, Jesus Christ's atoning work on the cross and the grace (free gift) to believe by faith that his death and resurrection alone are enough to pay for our sins and grant us salvation, God provided yet another gift. He said he would not leave us as orphans but would give us Himself, through the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit's work is to not only call us and renew us to a living faith with God through Christ, that is, salvation, but it is also sanctification. We no longer are controlled by our original, sinful nature, sometimes called "the old nature," but instead now are a "new creation" in Christ by the indwelling of His Spirit.

The struggle I sometimes face in this all-out war of our original, sinful nature and the Spirit of Christ is that I focus on the visible and the internal.

• Visible: My 3 year old keeps asking me the same question, despite my same answer.
  
• Internal: My thoughts when I am cutoff in traffic on the way to work are not always Christ-like, dare I confess and easily "heard" by God.
  

These examples are easy to "see" by me. Yet, they are not the whole truth.

In an interview today, USA Track and Field’s chief executive, Doug Logan, said (of the recent USA track team's performance at the World Championships), “This is not a sport of breakthroughs. If you see week-to-week or month-to-month chopping of three seconds or four seconds, you ought to start asking questions. It’s a sport of progression." (from Alan Abrahamson's blog on universalsports.com)

[I include this quote because, 1) Track and field is one of my favorite sports; 2) It is a succinct sports analogy that describes our life in Christ, post-conversion. As a side note, I think God is gracious to use sports and other day-in, day-out examples to communicate His truths that are already expressed in the Bible.]

The truth is, God is at work in us both to will and to do his good pleasure. (Phil 2:13) Sanctification is both an act starting at regeneration and a journey, a progression, only completed when we are at home with Christ in heaven. Typically our life is a series of progressions with a few breakthroughs.

So to apply the truth of progressions, that Christ by His Spirit is continually at work in me, I need to periodically and soberly assess my character.

• Do I see a greater patience towards drivers cutting me off in traffic (what's my internal chatter)?
  
• Am I understanding that my 3 year old will not converse with me like my 21 year old and, hence, am I patiently repeating my instruction to her?

If so, I need to give thanks to God for working His character in me. Apart from him, I can do nothing (John 15:5), so, how can I boast (Rom. 3:27)?

--CFM

What we want as parents

"If we are prosperous, it will delight us to think that we are not acquiring wealth for those who will squander it on their lusts, but who will employ it for the glory of God when we are in dust. Or, if we are poor, it will cheer us to reflect that though we cannot leave you the riches of this world, we see you in possession of the favor of God, a portion which, after comforting you on earth, will enrich you through eternity. My dear children, if you are anxious to comfort the hearts of your parents, if you would fulfill our joy, if you would repay all our labor, anxiety, affection, if you would most effectually discharge all the obligations that you cannot deny you owe us, fear God and choose the ways of religion: this, this only will make us happy." Pg. 5

James, John Angell. The Christian Father's Present to His Children. Orlando: Northampton Press, 2008.

Where's My Anchor - A Review of "Marley & Me"

- Marley & Me: a real-life story, but not just a "dog lovers" movie -

If you've viewed the flick, you'll find:

• family values - a sound marriage, 3 children, living life together
  
• contrast of life between the married guy and the single "world traveler" guy
• perseverance with real life situations
  
• real life - infertility, miscarriage, multiple children, sleep deprivation, husband/wife disagreements, in-laws, job dissatisfaction, job change
  
• choices and consequences
  

All of the above, along with the main characters made for an entertaining movie, and, I admit that towards the end, my eyes filled with wet matter (aka tears). Afterward I conversed with my date, the lovely Catherine Miller, and told her that I was bothered by something in the movie.

At first I was unable to voice the lingering distraction, but the more I replayed the highlights of the film in my mind, I realized that the movie did not show a key to the reason why this family enjoyed life. I had questions:

• how did the wife stick to her choice to be a full-time mom when she apparently was a very successful career woman?
  
• what enabled her to get past her emotions which contributed to some spontaneous, serious, intense spats with her husband?
• how did the husband persevere with his wife through the infertility, sleep deprivation?
• what drove him to believe he could be successful by moving his family 1,000 miles away from the current home and job for a new location and job?
  

Finally, the lightbulb turned on for me: The husband and wife both operated from a foundation of faith and hope that: 1) it all would either turn out okay, or, 2) they would just continue with life and make the most of the situation. But the movie's director chose not to reveal their source of their hope and their understanding of how the world works.

True, not blind, faith must have an object to be faithful to. A camper must secure his or her tent with anchors to ensure that it's not washed away by a sudden downpour. A homeowner in Florida relies on roof anchors screwed into the dwelling to prevent the loss of head covering during a tropical storm or hurricane.

Hope is more than just a feeling. I think you would agree that feelings change more than the weather.

So what object then is to be my focus for faith? What or who does not change?

If you are a Christian, then you may have read (from the ESV, all bolded text mine):

• OBJECT: "...but God shows his love for us in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

• OBJECT: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1

• TRUTH & HOPE: "...for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began..." - Titus 1:1-2

• ANCHOR: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor build it in vain..." - Psalm 127: 1

--CFM

Does My Position Here & Now Matter in the Hereafter?

With my dad here in town, a baptism at church, and extended family gatherings, I've recently been giving some thought to my family history. I find it easier to listen than to read the "family tree" so I asked my dad to tell me about his recollections of his relatives - you know, oral history.

After hearing the memories and looking backward, I would confidently conclude that the Miller clan cannot claim the "pull-myself-up-by-the-bootstraps" or pioneer mentality throughout its 20th century generations. Living in dark shacks, in the grip of alcoholism, and other self-destructive behavior - this was the legacy until Grandpop - my dad's dad.

Now I have a bunch of questions: What happened at the point of my Grandpop's life to change the pattern? How does one get where he or she is at in life? Is it just happen-stance? How can my family of origin be doing so well? Define "well" by most people's standards: My health, Roof over the head, Safe area to live, Healthy children, Food on the table, Clean water, 24/7/364 Electricity (we live in Florida, hence the outage factor of 1 day), Steady job, Bills paid, Friends, Reliable transportation.

Answers??

• If I believed in Hinduism, then I would accept this as "karma," that somehow I had done something right in another life and was benefiting now for past actions.
• If I were a humanist, then my family must have worked real hard and had many who helped them to this place.
• If Taoism were my central belief, I might believe that sacrifices to my deceased relatives had somehow curried favor with eternal entities and now I find myself in the flow and balance of the life with the universe.
• If I were an evolutionist or pragmatist, I would believe that my family evolved in their thinking in each succeeding generation and loosened their bonds to poverty.
• If I believed in Zoroastrianism, then I must have had enough good thoughts, good words, and good deeds to have brought on this station in life.
• If I was a post-modernist, I'd be skeptical of any ideas on how this happened.
• If I were silly, then I'd think I was "lucky."

As a Christian, however, I am closer in life to the lyrics that Chris Rice writes in his song, "Face of Christ":

How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ

See you had no choice which day you would be born
Or the color of your skin, or what planet you’d be on
Would your mind be strong, would your eyes be blue or brown
Whether daddy would be rich, or if momma stuck around at all

The apostle Paul wrote:

"And he made from one man every nation of mankind
to live on the face of the earth,
having determined allotted periods
and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
that they should seek God,
in the hope that they might feel their way
toward him and find him.
Yet, he is not far from each one of us, for
'In him we live and move and have our being...'"

Acts 17:26-28 (ESV)

As much as I think about the station in life from whence my family recently occupied, my attention is captivated by the truly remarkable present contrast:

My family tree was taken from the kingdom of darkness
and brought into the kingdom of light,
and made a Covenant Family
by the God Almighty, through Jesus Christ His Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The life given to me, I am told, is a gift.

"For by grace you have been saved
by faith (in Christ).
And this is not your own doing
it is the gift of God,
not a result of works,
so that no one may boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) (italics mine)

How I am grateful! Soli Deo Gloria - To God be the Glory!

--CFM

In The World

Have you ever wondered what demons converse about? In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis vividly portrays a demon and his reactions to certain situations. HarperCollins published the book in 2001. Interestingly, this book is fiction, but feels authentic. While reading this book, C.S. Lewis, who was born in Ireland on November 29, 1898, paints a vivid picture of a demon's attempts to influence a human. Using humor, Lewis keeps his book lively when it could have been foreboding.

Screwtape is the author of the letters written in the book. Closely, he oversees his nephew Wormwood's temptation techniques. Throughout the book, Screwtape shows his growing disgust of Wormwood's rookie attempts at enticement. Although we never hear directly from Wormwood, we are able to picture, from Screwtape's responses, a "field agent" who is trying to please his uncle. Failing miserably, he comes to an unhealthy end. The "patient," the human Wormwood is "working" on, is completely oblivious to the spiritual struggle for his soul. He doesn't realize how his thoughts and actions are influenced by Wormwood. His story line ends happily. Of the three main characters, the "patient" changes the most while Wormwood "works" on him.

Prepare to enter the demented mind of demons. Screwtape shows Wormwood, as well as the readers, the many ways to turn Christians from their spiritual lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, most of the temptations use our pride and selfish thoughts to reverse our direction from God to physical pleasure and gain. In the "patient's" life, the law of undulation is a powerful tool. As humans experience life's joys and pains, they exhibit the law of undulation through peaks (joy) and troughs (pain), which is also how God strengthens our faith in Him. Demons use it differently. Tempting us, demons manipulate the desires of the flesh to turn us to sinful thoughts and actions. While in the troughs, our resistence to sin is at its weakest, leaving us open for attack. God wants us to turn to Him in these troughs, trusting in Him to get us through. Screwtape states that our sinful nature makes us feel inadequate in contact with God. Not surprisingly, the "patient" experiences the same inadequacies.

Screwtape fears. Wormwood fails. The "patient" succeeds. Interestingly, Screwtape instructs Wormwood to keep the "patient" safe from physical harm. His reason is that if the "patient" dies, he will surely be lost to them. During life, the doldrums of middle-age are, in Screwtape's mind, the best time to have a human die. "The long, dull, monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or...adversity are excellent campaigning weather," Screwtape states. A reason for his anger against Wormwood is that the "patient" has a Christian woman he loves. "Such a Christian," Screwtape moans. Sadly, all stories come to an end. During an air raid, the "patient" dies. Understanding instantly "how all his doubts" were "ridiculous," he is joyfully received in Heaven. Wormwood doesn't have such a happy reception when he returns to Hell.

Thomas More wrote that "the devil...cannot endure to be mocked." This thought-provoking book is definitely a mockery of the devil. Using parody, Lewis makes it look like Satan, "Our Father," is mirroring Heaven. Throughout the book, the letters written by Screwtape could be seen as parodies of the letters written in the New Testament. Interestingly, the temptations, which are used by Wormwood, create, in this book, a genuine feeling. Do we fall into sin by being prideful and selfish? The only answer is yes. Many, if not all, of the temptations in The Screwtape Letters have been experienced by us or by someone we know. The most important part of this book is that even in the hard times, the "troughs," God is still there. While in "troughs," humans feel alone and afraid. Things happen to us that we don't enjoy, but we need to step back and ask, "What is God telling me and what am I supposed to learn from it?" In this story of demons tempting man-kind, Lewis reminds us that we are in the world, not of the world.

--JFM