Absorbing Christ

“May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God...” (1 Thessalonians 3:13 MSG) 

Jasmine tea is made by placing dried tea leaves in layers next to fresh jasmine blossoms. Once the scent of the flowers has been imparted to the tea leaves, the flowers are separated. The longer the tea leaves remain in proximity to the flowers, the more aromatic they become. The fragrance becomes part of the inherent flavor of the tea. In the best jasmine teas, any trace of bitterness and astringency is replaced by the refreshing sweetness of the flowers. 

Like tea leaves near jasmine, we are called to be in God’s presence. This requires intentionality and time. First of all, we must remain adjacent to Christ. This means we may have to forgo other company. Next, we have to patiently wait, allowing the Spirit of God to transform us. The closer we are, the longer we absorb His essence, the more Christ-like we become. Eventually, strength and purity replace all traces of bitterness and astringency that we may harbor. We are now ready to be poured out for others, so they may taste the goodness of God. 

Holiday Traditions

“They pretend to worship me, but their worship is nothing more than the empty traditions of men.” (Matthew 15:9 TPT)

I’m already seeing Christmas stuff in some stores. This reminds me of how warped our society can be about holiday traditions. There are some Christians who insist that there is a ‘war on Christmas’ because some businesses have chosen inclusive phrases that acknowledge that there are other holidays in December. I am not sure how a picture of Santa Claus with the words ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ is any more acceptable than the phrase ‘Happy Holidays’ imprinted on a card or a cup. 

Holiday traditions such as decorations, cards, gifts, and food may bring joy and feelings of camaraderie, but they bring us no closer to God. Pretending to worship the Lord while worshiping empty human traditions is hypocrisy. Neither religiosity nor ritual behavior equals holiness. As Christians, we need to focus more on putting Christ first in every day. If intimacy with Christ is our goal, then we must pursue a life aligned with His purpose, suffused with  trust, and devoted to truth. 

What Now?

“Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” (Exodus 4:12 NLT)

Moses noticed the heavy burdens of the Israelites. He heard God’s call to help the vulnerable. Yet, Moses was reluctant to step forward and speak up for the powerless. He felt ill-equipped. He didn’t know what to say or do to change entrenched cultural attitudes. Self-doubt and fear held him back. BUT God called Moses out on his excuses and objections. HE told Moses to quit stalling and get going. God would provide the right words, contacts, and directions at each step. 

The scapegoating of immigrants for all of society’s current problems, the endemic prejudice against people of color, and the indifference of the privileged to the plight of the marginalized--is hard to ignore. Yet, I am reluctant to stick my neck out and become a target for hate. My desire for comfort and security makes me want to keep my head down and look away--to be a model citizen who never challenges the system. I am aware that my complacency makes me a complicit participant in society’s evils, an accessory to the crime. 

Self-doubt and fear, camouflaged as humility, hold me back from speaking out against injustice. I hear a voice deep within me, calling me to set aside my excuses, to quit stalling and get moving. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do as one individual. I am ill-equipped and powerless against the system. BUT GOD is not. 

Lord, you know that I lack courage. Honestly, I wish You would bug someone else about all of this and leave me alone! However, I am sure You have your reasons. I shall trust You to provide me with whatever is needed to participate in Your plan.

From Apathy to Empathy

“Years later, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people, and took notice of their heavy burdens. He saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew, one of his own people.” (Exodus 2:11 ISV)

Moses witnessed the atrocities committed against the Israelites. He could have continued to ignore it. After all, it didn’t affect him directly. He was assimilated and accepted by the privileged class. But something in Moses changed. He grew up. He took notice of the injustice. He woke up from the apathy of affluence and felt empathy toward the oppressed.  

We see images of injustice all around us. Most of us feel a tug in our hearts when witnessing suffering, but we shrug it off. We move on to our own concerns, convinced that we are powerless against the system. We avert our eyes and minds from the plight of the marginalized, occupying ourselves with distractions. 

What causes a person to shift from indifference to compassion? The Spirit of God opens our eyes and transforms our hearts. We cannot unsee what we have seen through God’s eyes. Neglecting the vulnerable and minding our own business is no longer an option. Grace replaces apathy. As we conform to Christ’s likeness, we learn to be merciful. We see ourselves in the displaced immigrant and the suffering child. Radical compassion takes hold and doesn’t let go. 

Turning Point

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless.” (Isaiah 1:17 NIV)

I saw a video today that moved me profoundly. A scared little girl, whose father is being detained by immigration officials, spills all her thoughts and emotions while sobbing uncontrollably. She voices what millions of immigrants in the U.S. are feeling--terrified, powerless, oppressed, unworthy.

The current persecution of immigrants, whether legal or illegal, has to be shocking to every decent human being. How can anyone ignore or justify treating others as subhuman? There has to be a turning point soon. As Winston Churchill said: “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing--after they’ve tried everything else.” I believe that what is represented by this period in history is an anomaly, that America is better than this. It has to be! 

During the Civil Rights Movement, certain images of injustice--like the police turning dogs and fire hoses on protestors and businesses that refused to serve people of color--turned public opinion. The laws that supported segregation were changed, because the majority of voters realized that they were inhumane. I pray that racialized immigration policies will soon be a thing of the past. I hope that we will learn to do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed, and take up the cause of the powerless. 

Repudiating Grace

“Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace.” (Galatians 2:21 MSG)

Religion can provide societies with a set of moral principles which lead to orderly citizens. Rules and regulations are solid tools for community building. Peer-pleasing, appearing righteous, and wanting to fit in can all be powerful motives to identify with a particular religion.  Traditions can be good, but they don’t bring us any closer to God. 

A personal relationship with God is built on trust, love, and surrender. It is neither ego-centered nor other-centered; Christ becomes central. Real intimacy is often private. To know and be known--that is the only goal. We recognize that we are loved and accepted despite our unworthiness. A grace-based faith is saturated with gratitude, adoration, and devotion. To go back to an old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in our relationship with God. Let us not repudiate God’s grace!

The Power of Bold Faith

Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. (Hebrews 11:1 TPT) 

I worked in a laboratory for several years. I spent my days peering through a microscope, analyzing human chromosomes. I had been trained to culture and stain specimens properly, so that the cells revealed their chromosomal structure. I also had access to powerful microscopes that allowed me to see details that most people never get to see. I no longer work in a lab, so I don’t have this privilege anymore. However, I know that all humans have chromosomes in their cells. I don’t have to see your blood under a microscope to assure you of this fact. It may be difficult for those who have never had my work experience to be as sure of this truth. Second-hand information cannot imbue the same level of certainty as first-hand knowledge .

Faith reveals that which is invisible to the naked eye. It provides supernatural magnification, bringing Christ and His power into focus. Faith is non-transferable; each person must experience it for himself. Second-hand faith does not provide the same conviction as first-hand awareness. The experience of personal faith grants the assurance of God’s presence; it doesn’t guarantee that everything will work out according to our wishes. Yet, there is power in bold trust. Faith gives us the confidence to transfer all our weight onto the Lord, knowing that He is dependable and capable.