Greetings Dear Reader,
So many times I find myself in the midst of something unpleasant and take the wrong path. I choose to panic, be impatient, or try to control. I choose to manage my way out of a situation or into something I want without truly waiting for God to work. I move too soon.
I can spot this so easily in others. People will be in a tough spot or have a hard or even life changing choice. Anxious to be free from the pressure or stress of the situation, they force a resolution or an answer that is not the best. They move too soon.
How many times have we heard of the irony of someone acting in the wrong direction just when the right solution was around the corner? For me it is always an attempt to control my world when in truth I know that I have no control. When faced with difficulties it is simply important that I not move too soon. God knows what he is doing and I must trust him to open the path that I should travel. It is truly the only thing that works.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
19 May 2011
16 May 2011
No Longer Lost but Not at Home
Greetings Dear Reader,
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. – J.R.R. Tolkien
I recently had lunch with someone who was updating me on some growth areas in life. This person commented on feeling “no longer lost but not at home.” This struck a chord so very deep inside me and the note has carried in my mind for days now. I wake up thinking about this phrase. It is often the last thought I have at night before I drift off to sleep. Music that I know carries the same thought echoes in my dreams.
I have known this truth for decades but of late it has become of primary importance to me. This thought is at the heart of my writing and even my signature. We are on a journey. We know where we are headed: to God. We know where we come from: a lost existence that is impossible to escape without Christ. In between is mostly a mystery.
I have taken drives from a vacation spot to home via routes that were unplanned and unknown. It is always the journey that captivates me. It is always over too soon. The miles slip past and you wish you had stopped at the Opossum Grits Diner or to see the lost underground sea. Even though home is your destination the road offers so many beautiful and wonderfully strange things along the way.
I think that sometimes I get so busy with the getting home part that I forget to notice the potential stops en route. In the same vein I find that I get distracted by things along the way that hinder the journey. I get in my own way so often and sometimes in the way of others. I forget that what I do along the journey is what matters. The place I came from is lifeless and holds nothing for me. Where I am headed is set and offers more than I can imagine.
What matters is what I do along the way. I am not in a place where I belong. I am ruined for this world. Anything I do to try to fit in will not work, but I can do things to shape my pocket of this world to reflect a little of home. I realize that this may sound meandering but that is how I travel (I wanted to say “roll” but it seemed too cheesy). Even those who abandon Christ for other detours and rougher roads will find that the journey ends in the same place.
We are all on a journey toward God. Once we find Christ we understand that path we need to follow, but it creates within us a longing for a home that we cannot see and that we have not yet reached. For me, I must assure that I follow the path given me and do so with my whole heart. When I feel lonely for home I need to remember that it is what I do on the journey that makes the final turn sweet. For now, it is to the journey I must attend and to the road I must keep my feet.
There is a joy in the journey
There’s a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey. – Michael Card
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. – J.R.R. Tolkien
I recently had lunch with someone who was updating me on some growth areas in life. This person commented on feeling “no longer lost but not at home.” This struck a chord so very deep inside me and the note has carried in my mind for days now. I wake up thinking about this phrase. It is often the last thought I have at night before I drift off to sleep. Music that I know carries the same thought echoes in my dreams.
I have known this truth for decades but of late it has become of primary importance to me. This thought is at the heart of my writing and even my signature. We are on a journey. We know where we are headed: to God. We know where we come from: a lost existence that is impossible to escape without Christ. In between is mostly a mystery.
I have taken drives from a vacation spot to home via routes that were unplanned and unknown. It is always the journey that captivates me. It is always over too soon. The miles slip past and you wish you had stopped at the Opossum Grits Diner or to see the lost underground sea. Even though home is your destination the road offers so many beautiful and wonderfully strange things along the way.
I think that sometimes I get so busy with the getting home part that I forget to notice the potential stops en route. In the same vein I find that I get distracted by things along the way that hinder the journey. I get in my own way so often and sometimes in the way of others. I forget that what I do along the journey is what matters. The place I came from is lifeless and holds nothing for me. Where I am headed is set and offers more than I can imagine.
What matters is what I do along the way. I am not in a place where I belong. I am ruined for this world. Anything I do to try to fit in will not work, but I can do things to shape my pocket of this world to reflect a little of home. I realize that this may sound meandering but that is how I travel (I wanted to say “roll” but it seemed too cheesy). Even those who abandon Christ for other detours and rougher roads will find that the journey ends in the same place.
We are all on a journey toward God. Once we find Christ we understand that path we need to follow, but it creates within us a longing for a home that we cannot see and that we have not yet reached. For me, I must assure that I follow the path given me and do so with my whole heart. When I feel lonely for home I need to remember that it is what I do on the journey that makes the final turn sweet. For now, it is to the journey I must attend and to the road I must keep my feet.
There is a joy in the journey
There’s a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey. – Michael Card
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
14 May 2011
Choice Cordials
Greetings Dear Reader,
I believe in fires at midnight
When the dogs have all been fed
Golden toddy on the mantle
Broken gun beneath the bed – Ian Anderson
Of all the ways in which I can enjoy an adult beverage my favorite is a small glass of a good liqueur or cordial. I have several choice ones that I keep on hand. Peach schnapps is the most common and I truly enjoy Irish Mist®, Drambuie®, and my very favorite Grand Marnier®. I have a 150 year old bottle of the latter put away for the day when I can assure all around me that my living comes from my writing and no other source.
I share these choice cordials with friends and family in special moments. I drink them slowly and enjoy every sip. This love of fine potent potables has caused me to look into the history of cordials. It is interesting that they began as a medicinal concoction. Cordials were used to either carry foul tasting medicines or were the medicine. Soon the cordial without the medicine became desirable and the very rich adopted them as a repast.
It soon became clear that most fruits could be fermented into a liqueur, brandy, or used as a cordial. Herbs, woods, nuts, and botanicals are used to achieve the desired flavors and marry the bouquets into just the right taste and smell. For example Grand Marnier is made from choice oak-aged cognac infused with tropical oranges.
What strikes me about this is that I yearn for the quiet taste of this fine liqueur when I am the most stressed. Just an ounce in a small brandy glass does so much to settle my mind and focus my thinking. Sometimes I warm it over a candle flame to drive away a damp chill.
It occurred to me the other day whilst reading Streams in the Desert what a beautiful provision these moments are from Christ. I know that many think that all use of alcohol is wrong, but the Bible is quite clear that only drunkenness is wrong. In at least one case God tells us that strong drink is appropriate for celebration.
Late Tuesday night, feeling both tired from work and emotionally spent from other duties of the day, I sat quietly in the dark with a single amber ounce of warm Grand Marnier. For me the moment when the warm liqueur touches my tongue is a moment of gratitude. The sweet strong orange flavor and it oaky under current remind me that every day spent walking with Christ has a sweet rich beauty.
My broken heart and unrealized dreams fade into a moment of clarity. In that moment I am reassured that no matter the burden or boundary I am not alone and I only need carry as much as I can endure. All that I need to move forward with Christ will be provided.
God keeps his choicest cordials for our deepest fainting. – Charles Cowman
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store." - ATT
I believe in fires at midnight
When the dogs have all been fed
Golden toddy on the mantle
Broken gun beneath the bed – Ian Anderson
Of all the ways in which I can enjoy an adult beverage my favorite is a small glass of a good liqueur or cordial. I have several choice ones that I keep on hand. Peach schnapps is the most common and I truly enjoy Irish Mist®, Drambuie®, and my very favorite Grand Marnier®. I have a 150 year old bottle of the latter put away for the day when I can assure all around me that my living comes from my writing and no other source.
I share these choice cordials with friends and family in special moments. I drink them slowly and enjoy every sip. This love of fine potent potables has caused me to look into the history of cordials. It is interesting that they began as a medicinal concoction. Cordials were used to either carry foul tasting medicines or were the medicine. Soon the cordial without the medicine became desirable and the very rich adopted them as a repast.
It soon became clear that most fruits could be fermented into a liqueur, brandy, or used as a cordial. Herbs, woods, nuts, and botanicals are used to achieve the desired flavors and marry the bouquets into just the right taste and smell. For example Grand Marnier is made from choice oak-aged cognac infused with tropical oranges.
What strikes me about this is that I yearn for the quiet taste of this fine liqueur when I am the most stressed. Just an ounce in a small brandy glass does so much to settle my mind and focus my thinking. Sometimes I warm it over a candle flame to drive away a damp chill.
It occurred to me the other day whilst reading Streams in the Desert what a beautiful provision these moments are from Christ. I know that many think that all use of alcohol is wrong, but the Bible is quite clear that only drunkenness is wrong. In at least one case God tells us that strong drink is appropriate for celebration.
Late Tuesday night, feeling both tired from work and emotionally spent from other duties of the day, I sat quietly in the dark with a single amber ounce of warm Grand Marnier. For me the moment when the warm liqueur touches my tongue is a moment of gratitude. The sweet strong orange flavor and it oaky under current remind me that every day spent walking with Christ has a sweet rich beauty.
My broken heart and unrealized dreams fade into a moment of clarity. In that moment I am reassured that no matter the burden or boundary I am not alone and I only need carry as much as I can endure. All that I need to move forward with Christ will be provided.
God keeps his choicest cordials for our deepest fainting. – Charles Cowman
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store." - ATT
12 May 2011
Tethered to the Flesh
Greetings Dear Reader,
Sensing the changes impending
My thoughts are diffused by despair
I feel like I'm swimming straight up
Underwater
Desperately racing for air
I'm racing for air. – Dan Fogelberg
The thing about this world is that you cannot get out alive. We are all dying. How and when that process ends is mostly out of our control. During the time I have in this mortal coil I find that my constant search for peace is interrupted more by my own internal struggles than it is by anything else. I get in my own way on my journey toward Christ by allowing this internal war to influence my choices.
Galatian 5:17 Your corrupt nature turns against what the Holy Spirit in you wants, and what the Holy Spirit in you want turns against what your corrupt nature wants. They are in constant conflict with each other. As a result, you do not always do what you intend to do. – ATT
You see when I intend to do good and forget to listen to the spirit within me I do not do as I intended. When I start out with the best of intentions my fallen nature immediately goes to war against the voice of the Spirit in me. My mind thinks about what I will lose or what it will cost. My own needs look for some way to fulfill their wants. My anger and hurt look for a way to water down what Christ wishes me to do so that it will not cost so much. I constantly, foolishly look for a way out without dying.
The truth is that the journey is difficult enough without constantly trying to cling to a life that is over. I do not mean that I see actual death but I must run to the death of self that leads to a fuller life in the Sprit. Everything that crosses my path is intended to aide me in cutting my tethers to the flesh so that it has less influence.
I see that I go to such great extremes to not conform to the will of Christ and to feed the things of this life that do not matter. As I become more aware of this it becomes so obvious when others do it as well. We replace true faith and obedience to Christ with constructs of logic and reason the redress our private hurts and inner bitterness. We reject the truth that the only peace in this journey is constant conversation with Christ through the spirit. The joy is found in cutting every tether to the flesh that we can and embracing Christ alone as our source of life and succor.
During my hard times is when I finally see that we have so many loose ends that the Spirit has cut from the flesh that we can no longer truly reconnect to that dying body for answers. Yet too often I still see my fallen nature as the place for an answer when it can only be Christ that can carry me through the moment.
And the chords struck at birth
Grow more distant
Yet, we strike them again and again.
And we plead and we pray
For a glimmer of day
As the night folds its wings
And descends,
Exposing the loose ends. – Dan Fogelberg
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
Sensing the changes impending
My thoughts are diffused by despair
I feel like I'm swimming straight up
Underwater
Desperately racing for air
I'm racing for air. – Dan Fogelberg
The thing about this world is that you cannot get out alive. We are all dying. How and when that process ends is mostly out of our control. During the time I have in this mortal coil I find that my constant search for peace is interrupted more by my own internal struggles than it is by anything else. I get in my own way on my journey toward Christ by allowing this internal war to influence my choices.
You see when I intend to do good and forget to listen to the spirit within me I do not do as I intended. When I start out with the best of intentions my fallen nature immediately goes to war against the voice of the Spirit in me. My mind thinks about what I will lose or what it will cost. My own needs look for some way to fulfill their wants. My anger and hurt look for a way to water down what Christ wishes me to do so that it will not cost so much. I constantly, foolishly look for a way out without dying.
The truth is that the journey is difficult enough without constantly trying to cling to a life that is over. I do not mean that I see actual death but I must run to the death of self that leads to a fuller life in the Sprit. Everything that crosses my path is intended to aide me in cutting my tethers to the flesh so that it has less influence.
I see that I go to such great extremes to not conform to the will of Christ and to feed the things of this life that do not matter. As I become more aware of this it becomes so obvious when others do it as well. We replace true faith and obedience to Christ with constructs of logic and reason the redress our private hurts and inner bitterness. We reject the truth that the only peace in this journey is constant conversation with Christ through the spirit. The joy is found in cutting every tether to the flesh that we can and embracing Christ alone as our source of life and succor.
During my hard times is when I finally see that we have so many loose ends that the Spirit has cut from the flesh that we can no longer truly reconnect to that dying body for answers. Yet too often I still see my fallen nature as the place for an answer when it can only be Christ that can carry me through the moment.
And the chords struck at birth
Grow more distant
Yet, we strike them again and again.
And we plead and we pray
For a glimmer of day
As the night folds its wings
And descends,
Exposing the loose ends. – Dan Fogelberg
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
10 May 2011
Pursuing the Journey
Greetings Dear Reader,
Mat 28:18-20 When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, "The right of complete power and choice in the universe and on the inhabited world has been handed over to me. So pursue the journey you have begun by teaching the human family to follow my precepts: Submerging them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Hold discourse with them to attend carefully to the whole of what I have commanded you. "And remember that I am always with you until the end of time." - ATT
I love road trips. For me the journey is a valuable as the destination. I used to regularly drive the fourteen hour trip between my home in Wisconsin and my family in Georgia. Familiar sites and stops in route to the destination made the long drive that much more enjoyable.
Sometimes I would plan longer stops in my journey to visit attractions that I or my family could enjoy. We took a half day to visit the Superman Museum in Metropolis. We planned a trip to Mammoth Cave and Kentucky Down Under. A couple of times car trouble stopped us even if we did not wish to stop. What we never did was abandon the journey because of the side trip or breakdown.
On our journey toward God there are so many things along the way. I have sometimes for forgotten the purpose of my journey for distractions that detract from the journey. Breakdowns of my own choosing have deterred me from the truth that moving toward Christ in all things is necessary if I am to hope to teach others of Christ’s entire message for them. My distracted moments cost me the ability to observe all things that Christ has commanded me.
Indulging private beliefs, questioning my faith, or abandoning my vows to Christ create great distractions for me and for others that keep the journey from moving forward. It is not my place to indulge my own interests in place of my commitment to Christ. I gave my word, my fealty, and my heart to Christ. I vowed to follow him in all things. No matter the distraction or attraction my word must be my bond. It is easy to reason my way to other views and justify other pursuits. None of these justify abandoning the daily hungry pursuit of Christ and all that he has commanded of me.
It is the journey toward Chris that matters. If I focus on Christ alone in that journey everything else will become opportunities and adventures. To pursue anything but Christ leads to pain and the breakdown of my progress along the way. It creates an inability to hold discourse with others about all that Christ has for us. In short the journey is always subject to the destination and the destination is Christ. Even in that, he is always here with us.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
Mat 28:18-20 When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, "The right of complete power and choice in the universe and on the inhabited world has been handed over to me. So pursue the journey you have begun by teaching the human family to follow my precepts: Submerging them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Hold discourse with them to attend carefully to the whole of what I have commanded you. "And remember that I am always with you until the end of time." - ATT
I love road trips. For me the journey is a valuable as the destination. I used to regularly drive the fourteen hour trip between my home in Wisconsin and my family in Georgia. Familiar sites and stops in route to the destination made the long drive that much more enjoyable.
On our journey toward God there are so many things along the way. I have sometimes for forgotten the purpose of my journey for distractions that detract from the journey. Breakdowns of my own choosing have deterred me from the truth that moving toward Christ in all things is necessary if I am to hope to teach others of Christ’s entire message for them. My distracted moments cost me the ability to observe all things that Christ has commanded me.
Indulging private beliefs, questioning my faith, or abandoning my vows to Christ create great distractions for me and for others that keep the journey from moving forward. It is not my place to indulge my own interests in place of my commitment to Christ. I gave my word, my fealty, and my heart to Christ. I vowed to follow him in all things. No matter the distraction or attraction my word must be my bond. It is easy to reason my way to other views and justify other pursuits. None of these justify abandoning the daily hungry pursuit of Christ and all that he has commanded of me.
It is the journey toward Chris that matters. If I focus on Christ alone in that journey everything else will become opportunities and adventures. To pursue anything but Christ leads to pain and the breakdown of my progress along the way. It creates an inability to hold discourse with others about all that Christ has for us. In short the journey is always subject to the destination and the destination is Christ. Even in that, he is always here with us.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
08 May 2011
A Cold Spring
Greetings Dear Reader,
This spring has been unusually cold in Wisconsin. This does not bother me but all around me friends complain about the weather. It seems that by midweek we will have higher temperatures. The weather app on my second screen says eighty degrees for Wednesday.
The complaints about the temperature will subside and if the weather holds true the complaints about the rain will begin. I wonder how often I complain about things that I have neither control over nor the right to complain about. I have seen some clear examples of God’s provision lately in beautiful and unlooked for ways.
I gladly accept the good things that come into my life but I know that I fail at holding my tongue when things are not the way I wish them to be. It seems that I am all for the sovereignty of God when things happen the way I wish but when they do not I call it into question. I know that I have made some serious mistakes in my life because when things are not going the way I wish, I question God instead of looking for his presence in the moment.
It is so easy to erode my own faith in this way. I then find myself looking for things that justify my complaining and compound my journey away from acceptance of whatever God allows as what is best for me.
The bottom line is simple. God never gets the weather wrong, nor anything else.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
This spring has been unusually cold in Wisconsin. This does not bother me but all around me friends complain about the weather. It seems that by midweek we will have higher temperatures. The weather app on my second screen says eighty degrees for Wednesday.
The complaints about the temperature will subside and if the weather holds true the complaints about the rain will begin. I wonder how often I complain about things that I have neither control over nor the right to complain about. I have seen some clear examples of God’s provision lately in beautiful and unlooked for ways.
I gladly accept the good things that come into my life but I know that I fail at holding my tongue when things are not the way I wish them to be. It seems that I am all for the sovereignty of God when things happen the way I wish but when they do not I call it into question. I know that I have made some serious mistakes in my life because when things are not going the way I wish, I question God instead of looking for his presence in the moment.
It is so easy to erode my own faith in this way. I then find myself looking for things that justify my complaining and compound my journey away from acceptance of whatever God allows as what is best for me.
The bottom line is simple. God never gets the weather wrong, nor anything else.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
03 May 2011
On Killing a Terrorist
Greetings Dear Reader,
“…any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind…” John Donne
With the announcement last Sunday evening of the death of Osama Ben Laden our nation erupted in spontaneous celebration and cheering. I am saddened both by his death and by the response of my fellow Americans. I agree that this individual dealt in death and terror and perhaps his crimes are worthy of death.
None of that eclipses the need to also see him as a human in need of the love and healing of the Father. I know that I could have prayed for him more than I did. I could have encouraged others to do the same. Jesus made his position on enemies very clear.
Mat 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust. If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? Even the tax collectors do that! Are you doing anything remarkable if you welcome only your friends? Everyone does that! That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
You cannot love an enemy and hunger for his death at the same time. It is vital that those who take up the name of Christ as their standard live by that standard. We need to collect few enemies and the ones we do must be the constant object of our love and compassion.
If we play the game of who is better in the eyes of God it is too easy to see men who do great evil as somehow less than ourselves. The very act of comparison is an exercise in foolishness. We cannot afford to see the stains on another’s soul and not be moved to compassion for his reclamation. That need for reclamation is at the very heart of the gospel. Notice that Ezekiel’s warning is directed at Israel
Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?"
It is never easy to see the acts committed on September 11, 2001 and not feel the anger and hatred rise up like bile in my throat. The only thing that quells that bitterness is when I remember to pray for those who believe that violence is the way to solve our problems. As Christ followers, if we rejoice in the belief that anyone is eternally condemned, we are truly missing the point.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
“…any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind…” John Donne
With the announcement last Sunday evening of the death of Osama Ben Laden our nation erupted in spontaneous celebration and cheering. I am saddened both by his death and by the response of my fellow Americans. I agree that this individual dealt in death and terror and perhaps his crimes are worthy of death.
None of that eclipses the need to also see him as a human in need of the love and healing of the Father. I know that I could have prayed for him more than I did. I could have encouraged others to do the same. Jesus made his position on enemies very clear.
Mat 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust. If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? Even the tax collectors do that! Are you doing anything remarkable if you welcome only your friends? Everyone does that! That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
You cannot love an enemy and hunger for his death at the same time. It is vital that those who take up the name of Christ as their standard live by that standard. We need to collect few enemies and the ones we do must be the constant object of our love and compassion.
If we play the game of who is better in the eyes of God it is too easy to see men who do great evil as somehow less than ourselves. The very act of comparison is an exercise in foolishness. We cannot afford to see the stains on another’s soul and not be moved to compassion for his reclamation. That need for reclamation is at the very heart of the gospel. Notice that Ezekiel’s warning is directed at Israel
Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?"
It is never easy to see the acts committed on September 11, 2001 and not feel the anger and hatred rise up like bile in my throat. The only thing that quells that bitterness is when I remember to pray for those who believe that violence is the way to solve our problems. As Christ followers, if we rejoice in the belief that anyone is eternally condemned, we are truly missing the point.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
24 April 2011
Holy Week with Judas – Resurrection Sunday – Even for Judas
Greetings Dear Reader,
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. I realize that those sentences are grammatically incorrect but they are what I mean to say. Paul pointed out that without the resurrection from the dead our faith is vain.
My faith is too hard won and too long cherished for me to not see the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. Judas has every right to the respect and love that we are to give to all other humans and I dare not violate this and celebrate this day. The duty to love for all men cannot be separated from the claim to follow Christ.
I will not belabor this but will end my Holy Week writing with this: If we do not love Judas and hope that he was secure in Christ then we dare not say that we love Christ.
May your Resurrection Sunday be filled with all the blessings that Christ has to offer.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. I realize that those sentences are grammatically incorrect but they are what I mean to say. Paul pointed out that without the resurrection from the dead our faith is vain.
I will not belabor this but will end my Holy Week writing with this: If we do not love Judas and hope that he was secure in Christ then we dare not say that we love Christ.
May your Resurrection Sunday be filled with all the blessings that Christ has to offer.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
23 April 2011
Holy Week with Judas – Holy Saturday – All are Waiting Except the Son
Greetings Dear Reader,
We wait. I have found faith in Christ through long struggle and pain so deep that after 43 years I still feel it fresh and new. Other pains, some of my own doing haunt me every time I set fingers to the keyboard. My failures have their own price. The ways in which I have pushed God to do things my way at times are multitude. The cost of those failures is higher than I can carry at times and were I now bound to Christ I would take the same path Judas chose. Fortunately Christ is willing to carry me.
On this lonely waiting Saturday I look at the cost of my betrayal of my faith in Christ and wonder about my brother Judas. I have failed in two marriages. My beloved Sons will not attend church with me. The little difference I make is still far below my potential. I have gifts I do not use to their full extent. My heart is fractured into so many pieces that I fear it damaged beyond repair. I have been both a betrayer and been betrayed. Unlike Christ I sinned on both sides of the issue. Unlike Judas it took me much longer to see my own sin and seek out forgiveness. Am I truly any better than Judas? The waiting is easy because I know the outcome. The waiting will end and someday Christ will return all things to the Shalom that he intends. This life, however, is void of the things dearest to my heart. Every Sunday in church, a very good church is painful and I have no one to blame but myself. Most Sundays I weep for the absence of my Sons. Every night when I go to my bed I miss the companionship and love of a spouse. Some have been hurt for a lifetime by my sins.
In contrast, Judas pushed Christ toward the cross. He moved wrongly but out of faith in what he hoped Christ would do for his people. He was greedy and impatient. This was the fracture in his faith. He did not believe that God could turn death into a fighting chance to live. It was also what God knew would happen and God planned accordingly.
I love Judas. Once long ago I judged him so harshly. Then a student, seeking hope, asked me about him and I took an honest look at who he had been. If I am to love the Lord with all my heart, then I must love Judas as well. I cannot hold him in judgment if I am to escape judgment for my own vast sins. I am far worse than him because I have his and so many other examples of what not to do.
So I wait. I wait for the next resurrection and hope to hold Judas to my breast as a brother and thank him for his faith and bless him for his courage. He did wrong but then is that not what the death and resurrection of Christ is all about?
I anticipate tomorrow and the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and I anticipate that day down the path when we are all gathered into a redeemed world where my sin and that of Judas are far in the past and forgotten by God.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
22 April 2011
Holy Week with Judas – Good Friday – At the End of My Rope
Greetings Dear Reader,
I am so often deterred from my actual intent
By distractions in a cellophane wrap
And the cruel voice that taunts me when I open them up
To find just one more box full of crap. - Waterdeep
How often have my intentions not met the results of my actions when those actions were not the right thing? How often have I tried to convince God to do things my way for my own purposes? Maybe daily.
So Judas follows whilst the other apostles flee. As the charade trials and abuse unfold he waits for more falling down and glimpses of power. As Jesus begins to bleed Judas begins to despair.
Judas goes to the priests. He is acutely aware of the law. He knows that he is guilty of innocent blood under the law of Moses. He goes to the priests with this and the response is to turn the law against him. They leave his sin on his head and their evil intent becomes his guilt. Those who are to be ministers of the law use it to truly betray Judas.
What despair he must have felt. He sees the end of Jesus and knows it is his end as well. The penalty for what he has done is death under the law. He has abandoned his God and the law has abandoned him. His failure to understand the heart of God’s law leads him to the only conclusion left.
Jesus lays down his life for Judas and all who need hope. On the same day Judas takes his own life in despair. Has there ever been a more painful moment in time?
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
I am so often deterred from my actual intent
By distractions in a cellophane wrap
And the cruel voice that taunts me when I open them up
To find just one more box full of crap. - Waterdeep
How often have my intentions not met the results of my actions when those actions were not the right thing? How often have I tried to convince God to do things my way for my own purposes? Maybe daily.
So Judas follows whilst the other apostles flee. As the charade trials and abuse unfold he waits for more falling down and glimpses of power. As Jesus begins to bleed Judas begins to despair.
Judas goes to the priests. He is acutely aware of the law. He knows that he is guilty of innocent blood under the law of Moses. He goes to the priests with this and the response is to turn the law against him. They leave his sin on his head and their evil intent becomes his guilt. Those who are to be ministers of the law use it to truly betray Judas.
What despair he must have felt. He sees the end of Jesus and knows it is his end as well. The penalty for what he has done is death under the law. He has abandoned his God and the law has abandoned him. His failure to understand the heart of God’s law leads him to the only conclusion left.
Jesus lays down his life for Judas and all who need hope. On the same day Judas takes his own life in despair. Has there ever been a more painful moment in time?
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
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