tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40333636942709359372024-03-13T10:04:06.729-07:00Inklings of FaithJeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-17589603126911019632016-06-07T16:44:00.003-07:002016-06-09T06:28:13.282-07:00"The Greatest Love of All?"In Whitney Houston's 1985 hit song, we are told that "learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all."<br />
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Christians certainly ought to disagree with that sentiment, for we follow One who summarized the Law in His greatest commandment to "love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself." Surely going <i>outside of oneself</i> to love God and others is the greatest love of all!<br />
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Still, by including those last two words, "as yourself," Jesus does not deny us the right to a healthy self-love. He only denies us a total preoccupation with ourselves to the extent that all interaction with God and others is calculated to our own self-interest. We must <i>love </i>God and others, not <i>use </i>or <i>manipulate </i>them.<br />
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Some believe that human beings are naturally selfish...that we come into this world hard-wired to seek our own interests. This may or may not be true, but to be selfish is not the same thing as to <i>love one's self. </i>Here I agree with Whitney: proper love of self is something that one must <i>learn</i>. <br />
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In<span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://jeffreykahl.blogspot.com/2016/05/god-is-love.html"><span style="color: yellow;">my last post,</span></a> </span>I delineated three attributes that characterize the love of God as presented in the Bible: specific, tangible acts; merciful understanding; and a willingness to reconcile. I further argued that if we claim to love as God loves, then our interactions with others should also be characterized by such attributes. So today I want to ponder the question: What does Godly self-love look like?<br />
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<u>Specific, Tangible Acts</u><br />
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To love myself properly, I must do concrete things that benefit my life. And by "benefit," I do not mean that I should gratify my immediate urges, but that I should do what is in my long-term best interest. Here are some concrete acts that I believe every person ought to do to love themselves:<br />
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<li><u>Physical self-care</u>: <span style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/the-10-healthiest-foods-on-the-planet/">eating healthy foods,</a> <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389">exercise at least a couple times a week,</a></span> <span style="color: yellow;"><span style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/9-reasons-to-sleep-more">getting eight hours of sleep a night</a>.</span> </span>Scripture tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We ought to start treating them like that!</li>
<li><u>Mental/emotional self-care</u>: be intentional about creating space for <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/get-some-headspace/201305/the-need-silence">silence</a>, but also for <a href="http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/11/15/the-importance-of-play-for-adults/">play</a>. Give yourself permission to take care of your own inner life, and also to do things that bring you joy. This is personal Sabbath, and it is essential for our own well-being.</li>
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<u>Merciful Understanding</u></div>
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There are two equal and opposite errors that we often make in relating to ourselves. The first is to fail to look honestly at our own failures, weaknesses, and sins...to rationalize our own behavior even when it is destructive. The second error is to be so self-critical that any fault, mistake, or sin--even small ones--evoke shame and self-doubt that paralyze us.</div>
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Godly self-love requires that we candidly confront and accept responsibility for our own misdeeds. We must face the reality of all our choices and actions, because in doing so we actually affirm our worth and dignity as responsible persons. Not to take responsibility is actually to diminish our personhood. </div>
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But even more, as sinners saved by grace, we can let go of the destructive tendency to berate ourselves with undue shame and guilt. The Gospel tells us that Jesus understands our fallen nature (Hebrews 4:15), and since He gives us merciful understanding, we ought to give ourselves merciful understanding as well. To do less is to cheapen His grace.</div>
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<u>Willingness to Reconcile</u></div>
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Love involves more than just understanding...it involves reconciliation. God did not just understand our fallen nature...He reconciled that fallen nature to Himself in the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. True self-love, then, involves reconciling ourselves to ourselves. What does <i>that</i> mean?</div>
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Much of our sin, our brokenness, is rooted in deep hurt and dysfunction from our past. Sin is much more than just our own action: it is a deeply entrenched system of evil that has existed since the Fall. No relationship, no family, no community has escaped its influence. </div>
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It is a harrowing experience, but true self-love involves an honest confrontation with the brokenness in our past: a discerning look at how the false stories of our past tend to mar the story that God intends us to know about ourselves. Often this involves facing personal experiences of abuse, abandonment, loss, or injustice. </div>
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These are not just "in the past." All these experiences...and the lies and distortions of reality that result...will continue to influence our present <a href="http://www.dailyom.com/library/000/001/000001721.html">and our future.</a>. Godly self-love demands that we reconcile ourselves by seeking healing and restoration that can only come from God.</div>
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Loving yourself is not "the greatest love of all," but it is a love that we must learn to practice so that we can live with integrity and joy as we seek to love God and our neighbors.</div>
Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-43473330356715725502016-05-27T15:25:00.001-07:002016-05-27T15:25:12.441-07:00God is Love<i>"Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love." </i>- 1 John 4:8.<br />
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This passage is quoted by all kinds of people in order to justify all kinds of attitudes and behaviors. Which attitudes and behaviors? That depends on how one understands those three simple words, "God is love."</div>
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Should I take my experience and definition of love and then assume that to be, in some way, what God is? For example: <i>The people who really love me just accept me for who I am and don't demand that I change. That's the kind of God I believe in!</i></div>
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Or should I take an abstract, doctrinaire concept of God and then use that to put limits on what love is? For example: <i>The God of the Bible disapproves of homosexuality, greed, and Islam, so preaching against homosexuals, "the 1%," and Muslims is actually the loving thing to do! It will get those people to repent and turn to Jesus!</i></div>
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These are perhaps crude characterizations, but I think they do reflect a very natural human tendency. Love is active and risky. As C. S. Lewis once wrote, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken." To combat this disturbing insight, in our relationships with others we may tend to act out of self-protection and self- justification: to be defensive, to wear masks, to avoid authenticity...because that is the way of safety.<br />
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Biblical love--God's love--is not self-protection or self-justification, and it requires risks that many of us wish not to make. However, to love truly as the bible defines it, we must look at God and then love as He loves.<br />
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Much could be said here, but from Genesis through Revelation I definitely see three characteristics of God's love:<br />
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1. God's love is shown in <i><u>specific, tangible acts</u>. </i>God's people are always asked to recall specific acts in history in which God acted decisively to love them: the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Law, the sending of Jesus, the Cross and Resurrection. While some theologians argue that the love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the true essence of God's love, I think the overwhelming testimony of Scripture reveals God's love in His intentional, loving acts towards His people and, indeed, towards all creation.<br />
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2. God's love is shown in <i><u>merciful understanding</u>. </i>Like the Good Samaritan, God enters into the midst of our brokenness. He sees us not as He expects us to be, but as we are, in all our humanity, and yet He chooses to react (to quote a friend of mine) with compassion instead of contempt. When Jesus interacted with "the sinners," he referred to them as "sick, in need of a doctor," not "damned with a one-way ticket to hell."<br />
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3. God's love is shown in <i><u>the willingness to reconcile</u>. </i>God is a Person, and therefore a relational Being. Though His heart is deeply hurt and offended by our sin and rebellion, it is God's constant will to reconcile us to Himself...never to write us off or reject us. Ultimately reconciliation only happens when we respond in love and repent of our sin, but the point is that our sin does not stop God from taking the risk and reaching out first.<br />
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If we claim to know God, and to love how God loves, our love ought in some way to reflect these characteristics. This is necessary in our love of God, others (in our immediate sphere of influence but also beyond), and even ourselves.<br />
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My next several blog posts will take these very general thoughts and put some shape on them. For now, my challenge to myself, and to you as well, is to meditate deeply on the Bible's portrait of God. Ponder the concrete images of God's love in passages like Isaiah 40, Psalm 23, Luke 15, or Romans 8. Drink deeply from the well of the Gospel, and receive that love. Only then will you be able to live it out. </div>
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Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-49188655837618341382016-05-10T18:21:00.000-07:002016-05-11T08:48:56.701-07:00The Virtue of EmpathyIn 2010, researchers at the University of Michigan carried out a vast, comprehensive study on college students' ability to have empathy for others. You can read more details about this study <a href="http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/7724-empathy-college-students-don-t-have-as-much-as-they-used-to">here.</a> The study concluded that today's college students have displayed a 40% decline in their ability to show empathy to others compared with those from thirty and forty years ago.<br />
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Based on a surveyed understanding of our culture today, and a deep understanding of my sinful heart, I'm going to take a leap and say that this data is true for the general population. <br />
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Webster gives this simple definition of empathy: <i>the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else's feelings.</i><br />
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Why is this important? Put simply, empathy is the basis of all honest dialogue and relational connection. It is next to impossible to communicate in any meaningful way with another person unless one can, in some sense, see the world as that other person sees it. Without this capacity, I merely talk <i>past </i>the other person...and regretfully, that is what I see with alarming regularity in the current cultural conversation.<br />
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I believe there are three dimensions of empathy.<br />
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First, there is <i><b>narrative empathy. </b> </i>All of us have a basic story that runs through our heads and hearts, defining who we are and what life is about. It may be healthy or unhealthy, positive or negative, helpful or unhelpful to us...but it is there. A huge part of empathy is embracing the truth that each individual has a unique story, and if we are going to relate with him right now, we have to accept that his story is probably different than ours. <br />
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Another dimension is<b> </b><i><b>intellectual empathy. </b> </i>At present, there is a dangerous tendency to attach dismissive, judgmental labels to anyone with whom we disagree. We live in an era of sound bytes and social media, and it is easier to label than to engage. For a true and open dialogue to occur, one must have genuine goodwill for opponents as persons who honestly hold differing views, and then debate the logic and content of the views without attacking the persons.<br />
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Finally, I believe there is <i style="font-weight: bold;">volitional empathy. </i>This last dimension is perhaps the hardest to overcome. At least it has been for me. Volitional empathy recognizes that a defensive spirit exists in every one of us--that we all have triggers--and then makes the conscious choice to let <i>our</i> defenses down. Volitional empathy is a simple decision to move toward the other person in love, regardless of that person's response.<br />
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While intellectual empathy might be relevant only in broader cultural discussions and in academia, the other two are indispensable in any human relationship. <br />
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Now for the really bad news. Genuine empathy isn't as easy to come by as we might think. It is not an innate character quality, and as <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/10/20/450175865/do-we-have-less-sympathy-for-people-facing-things-weve-overcome">this study</a> suggests, our own experiences of pain and distress do not necessarily make us more empathetic towards others. In essence, empathy is a choice that we must make and, ultimately, a habit that we must cultivate in our souls through hard work.<br />
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How do we cultivate empathy? Here are some practices that have been valuable to me:<br />
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1. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Be humble. </i>Acknowledge that your personal narrative skews your perspective. You have biases based on your own experiences and your own interpretation of those experiences. Admit that your personal experience does not define the whole of life, and therefore, others will have different values, feelings, and attitudes.<br />
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2. <b><i>Listen.</i></b> Allow others the chance to express their perspective <i>without interruption</i>. Maintain eye contact. Don't try to come up with responses in your head. Just hear what is being communicated. Then communicate back to the other person what you heard, and let the person clarify any misunderstandings.<br />
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3. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Make diverse friendships. </i>As a Christian (and certainly as a pastor), it is uber-tempting to enclose oneself in a virtual ghetto of like-mindedness. (We often misinterpret certain biblical passages as proof that this is the way of godliness). I imagine the same is true for other social or racial groups. Empathy requires that we break down some of these social inhibitions and develop genuine friendships with people who hold different views, who come from different cultures, and who live different lives than we do.<br />
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4. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Broaden your perspective. </i>If you only read the Huffington Post and listen to NPR, you have a biased view of life, culture, and politics, whether you admit it or not. Ditto the Washington Times and FOX News. Every once in a while, read something that makes your blood boil. Then when your blood returns to 98.6 degrees, read it again. Avoid labeling the writer and focus on the content of the article. Ask yourself why he/she might be advocating the views he/she is advocating. Are his/her facts accurate? Does the logic make sense? Is there anything in the piece you can affirm as basically true?<br />
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I am deeply grateful for the ongoing challenge to grow in empathy. Will you join me in that?Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-11612365719808532872016-03-30T17:09:00.003-07:002016-03-31T08:04:49.101-07:00In Defense of LeisureThe first four weeks of my Sabbatical have reminded me of the absolute importance of leisure.<br />
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Let me state at the outset that I do not define leisure as laziness or inactivity. Nor do I envision leisure as merely reclining on a cruise ship, drinking a Long Island Iced Tea and listening to sultry jazz standards (not that there's anything wrong with that).</div>
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No. As originally conceived, leisure is a very profound concept that generally escapes most peoples' sensibilities. The German philosopher Josef Pieper (taking his cue from ancient and medieval philosophers) offered this erudite definition of leisure:</div>
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<i>Leisure is a way of looking at the world, born of an affirming oneness with the origin of all being and an authentically free, gracelike experience of the meaning of reality as a whole.</i></div>
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At the risk of seeming presumptuous, let me try to take that definition down a verbal notch or two: </div>
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<i>To be at leisure is to step beyond the daily grind of life, not to rest passively but to contemplate intentionally the deeper meaning of one's existence and one's place in the world.</i></div>
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Thus, leisure is a state of being that we must choose to enter. It doesn't just happen when we "stop working." It requires intentional thinking. That's why it escapes many people.</div>
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In fact, most people exist in either one of these two states of being:</div>
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<li><i>Functional activity</i>, in which we simply do what needs to be done, accomplish what needs to be accomplished, checking off all the tasks on our list. In this state, we identify with whatever function we have at the moment. I'm "at work." I'm "parenting my child." I'm "cleaning the house." I'm "doing something productive."<br /><br />or...</li>
<li><i>Mindless inactivity</i>, which we often mistake for leisure. In this state, we are often consuming something (media, sports, food, alcohol) to escape from "the real world" of nonstop demands, activity, and busyness. But to consume is not the same as to receive, and while we may be feeding our bodies or our attention spans, we are not feeding our minds and souls.</li>
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Read that last sentence again: <i>To consume is not the same as to receive, and while we may be feeding our bodies or our attention spans, we are not feeding our minds and souls.</i></div>
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If you want to know why American culture is in jeopardy, I think it is because we are feeding our bodies and our attention spans but starving our minds and souls. I think it is because many people spend their lives shifting back and forth between functional activity and mindless inactivity.</div>
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People need genuine leisure, and the sad part is that our cultural institutions that ought to be promoting and encouraging leisure, aren't. Whether it's churches, schools, or the arts, quite often they seem to be promoting even more functional activity and mindless inactivity. They offer few opportunities to step back (not escape) from the "real world" in order to ask deeper questions about what is our purpose, what is the good life, or what ultimate spiritual reality imbues our lives with wonder, majesty and grace. In other words, they offer us little opportunity truly to be human.</div>
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If we cannot rely on our cultural institutions always to provide us with opportunities for leisure, then that means we must create opportunities for ourselves. Here are just a few that I engage in and recommend:</div>
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<i>Soul Friendship. </i>This is based on an ancient Celtic practice called the <i>anamchara </i>(Gaelic for "soul friend"). Schedule a regular meeting with a trusted friend. No cell phones, I-pads, Kindles, or laptops allowed. Don't just talk about what you're doing at work or what mutual hobbies you enjoy. Talk about who you are. Explore the deeper values that animate your life. Ask each other why you do what you're doing. Encourage one another, but ask deeper questions of each other about your motives and your choices.</div>
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<i>Spiritual Disciplines. </i>The ancient and medieval Christians offer a treasury of disciplines that can be used to create space for leisurely contemplation and, indeed, transformation. However, I recommend a brand new curriculum entitled <a href="http://www.essentialpractices.com/">Essential Practices of the Faith.</a> My wife and I are currently journeying through this material. We love that it is simple without being simplistic; it is profound without requiring a degree in theology; and it requires commitment but not a great deal of time. One thing it does require is that you study it with others...not on your own!</div>
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<i>Contemplate Great Art. </i>I'm not talking about the "arts" that fill our popular culture and win Oscars, Emmys, or Grammys. I'm talking about the "Classics." Read a book with exalted language and heroic characters that embody great values (my favorites are Harper Lee's <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>and C. S. Lewis' <i>Till We Have Faces</i>). Listen to classical music that stirs deep emotion (my favorites are Copland's <i>Symphony No. 3 </i>and Ravel's <i>Daphnis and Chloe, Suite 2</i>). Look at great works of art that stylize great subjects (my favorite is Dali's <i>Crucifixion</i>). Find your own favorites, but remember that great art is more than just entertainment. It "incarnates" and enables you to experience profound ideas at the physical and emotional level. That is food for the soul.</div>
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Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-52604284143456857692016-02-25T12:34:00.000-08:002016-02-25T12:34:33.185-08:00KairosIn the Greek language, there are two words for <i>time. </i><br />
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First, there's <i>chronos</i>, which refers to <i>linear </i>time: the quantified units of seconds, minutes, hours, etc..., in which we measure and live out our daily lives.<br />
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Then there's <i>kairos</i>, which refers to something quite different. Kairos is not about quantity but about quality. It refers to <i>opportunities </i>or <i>moments </i>in time which seem to present themselves and of which we ought to take advantage. <br />
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When you look at your daily calendar to see what you've planned, you're thinking about <i>chronos. </i>When you look at old photo albums to remember milestones or significant dates in your life, you're thinking about <i>kairos. </i><br />
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This morning, my family and I experienced <i>kairos.</i><br />
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First, some background: My son has been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, and one of the many sensory issues with which he struggles is his utter fear of snow. He hates it. Hates feeling its coldness, hates getting it on his clothes. Hates snow. He'll walk on it only if we make him, and only in snow boots, but he will not play in it. Ever. And we live in West Michigan.<br />
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Second, we got a significant amount of snow overnight. (We live in West Michigan.) My wife and I had a ten o'clock appointment this morning, but due to the condition of the roads, the appointment was cancelled.<br />
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Now, I was already preparing to go outside and shovel the driveway, but my wife decided she wanted to turn this morning into an adventure. She said, "Let's all go outside and build a snowman." (Remember: <i>My son hates snow.</i>) <br />
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The next several minutes of chronos time witnessed Cyrus in total tantrum-mode as we struggled to help him put on his snow pants, winter coat, hat, gloves, and boots. We assured Cyrus that he could merely stand in the garage and watch as mommy builds a snow man and daddy shovels the driveway. He assured us that he was not going to let us win. But Cherith wisely fought this battle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuw5Nip3QoxlEBkFm5E0tgbukQo4mQ8pcs5O7x-lLlgBS6kAtXeA3l27eQl282huAF3mqUdIE9CiA7whZTJ-ssbCzdnaYzUtVdxcqUC9iSUKv_fbYveokjN3TYMSEriWUC1YHD2Qdwp8/s1600/Cyrus+Snowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuw5Nip3QoxlEBkFm5E0tgbukQo4mQ8pcs5O7x-lLlgBS6kAtXeA3l27eQl282huAF3mqUdIE9CiA7whZTJ-ssbCzdnaYzUtVdxcqUC9iSUKv_fbYveokjN3TYMSEriWUC1YHD2Qdwp8/s200/Cyrus+Snowman.jpg" width="200" /></a>We got Cyrus out into the garage. Cherith started building the snowman. I started shoveling the snow. Occasionally we would throw snow at each other jokingly. (At least, I think it was jokingly...) Slowly but surely, possibly encouraged by the fun he saw his mommy and daddy have, Cyrus began walking out to the driveway. He walked over to the snowman and insisted that he help mommy put on the finishing touches. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rWxKGe76MZtNmNxppDgUUM2yiGW_hgyXop-QxNxG8cMkmtxcE7lFbG7p6i8KrpwZa40LSlW6Kggik1LTz9JkXExQGvj0rq5xh__D8HA3SjwbaM97vR_XTxiYN5uZd0PZX-ZF6bsf21U/s1600/Cyrus+Car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rWxKGe76MZtNmNxppDgUUM2yiGW_hgyXop-QxNxG8cMkmtxcE7lFbG7p6i8KrpwZa40LSlW6Kggik1LTz9JkXExQGvj0rq5xh__D8HA3SjwbaM97vR_XTxiYN5uZd0PZX-ZF6bsf21U/s200/Cyrus+Car.jpg" width="200" /></a>That was just the beginning. Next, he offered to help clean off daddy's car. He brushed all around the car, and even though some snow occasionally flew in his face or fell on his head, he pressed on undeterred by any discomfort he might have felt. <br />
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And then, just to show what a bad-ass he really is, he made snowballs and thew them at mommy, daddy, the snowman, and the big tree in our side yard that we lovingly named Treebeard (after the character from <i>Lord of the Rings</i>). Long after I had finished shoveling and was ready to go inside, Cyrus wanted to stay outside and play in the snow.<br />
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Just to be clear, this was not our first venture along these lines. Cherith and I routinely try to get Cyrus out of his comfort zone, and we've made previous attempts to acclimate him to the fun of snow play. It never worked. If it had been snowy a week ago and we had tried then, I don't think it would have worked.<br />
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But for some reason, this time was different. It was the right time. For most kids, this would be no big deal. For my son, it was kairos.<br />
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Have you ever experienced those moments? I mean those events when you knew, in the moment, that eternity was entering into time and offering you a unique gift? And I don't necessarily mean something huge, like the birth of a child or a spiritual conversion. Those huge events are unmistakeable and obviously life-changing.<br />
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However, I tend to think that life offers us many more kairos moments than we realize, and we don't realize them precisely because they're not huge and obvious. They happen in the ordinary mess of everyday life, in the very mundane and predictable choices that we sometimes face. <br />
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We miss those events because we are a culture wired by chronos time. Chronos time is orderly, predictable, and much more within our control...and oh, how we love to be in control. <br />
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Only if we relinquish some of that control will we have the eyes to see kairos time, which is much more random, much less predictable, but ultimately much more imbued with depth, meaning, and possibilities for growth. <br />
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Today, thank God, I had the eyes to see it when it happened.<br />
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So I'm grateful for my wife, who saw an opportunity and fought for it.<br />
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I'm proud of my son, who was brave and overcame a fear.<br />
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And I'm overwhelmed by the Creator, who showers us with snow, with grace, and with kairos.<br />
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<br />Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-8339010353770243672016-02-13T16:48:00.001-08:002016-02-13T16:55:20.112-08:00Soul MusicIf you look to the right column of this blog, right under the "About Me" section, you'll notice that "My Other Passion" is music...specifically, playing and composing pieces for piano. <br />
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I started taking lessons at age eight when, every Saturday morning at 10:30 am, my grandfather would take me to King's Music in Downtown Sharon, PA, where I would take a half-hour lesson with Jeff Wachter. Jeff's lessons with me went beyond mere piano playing: he taught me music theory, he showed me how to read and interpret orchestral scores, and he patiently coached me through some of my early attempts at composing. <br />
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I took lessons faithfully for eight years, until my sixteen-year-old ego determined that I didn't need anyone to teach me anything anymore. Of course I still played all the time. I accompanied the high school choir, and when all my relatives converged upon my small home for various family get-togethers, they would bribe me into providing crowd-pleasing entertainment. (I had to learn Sinatra songs and specific old Catholic hymns because certain Italian aunts demanded it...and one other relative insisted that I learn the theme to <i>The Young and the Restless</i>.)<br />
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In college I had the great blessing of studying under Elizabeth Pastor. She was a total prodigy--she had studied with some of the greatest piano teachers herself (Beryl Rubenstein and Arthur Loesser), and performed with the Cleveland, Boston, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras, just to name a few. Although I didn't major in music, she graciously accepted me as a student, and from her I received a <i>rigorous </i>(that's putting it rather mildly) training in classical performance.<br />
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I know several individuals over the years who have asked me why I did not make music my vocation. My answer is always that I view music more as an avocation: not something to earn money, but something to feed and edify my own soul. In my time working with teenagers I gave piano lessons to some interested students, and I use my musical gifts in church when I'm able. But the music I like to play and compose is more for my own personal expression...not to win fans.<br />
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Unfortunately, when the busyness of life overtakes me, I often find myself unable to make the time to use this gift. Lately I was reminded of how empty my own soul can feel when that is the case. Perhaps each of you has his or her own "avocation" that feeds your soul and you can relate. If so, will you join me in promising ourselves that we will make time--whatever it takes--to keep that "soul music" in our lives? To do that one thing about which we can say, "This gives <i>me</i> life"? <br />
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My personal commitment is that I will go back to composing. On this Valentine's Day, I'd like to share with you a piece (click the title below) that I composed ten years ago for my wedding day. My bride inspired it just by being her. I hope it might inspire you too. Blessings...................................<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7FTuryi35o">"Cherith" by Jeffrey M. Kahl</a><br />
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<br />Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-74309126852590242122016-01-29T19:27:00.001-08:002016-01-29T19:27:39.751-08:00My Top Ten ListNear the end of his life, C. S. Lewis was asked by <i>The Christian Century, </i>"What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?"<br />
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Not surprisingly, the list of ten books offered by Lewis is an eclectic mixture of philosophy, theology, poetry, biography, and social commentary. The authors are Catholics, Protestants, pre-Christian pagans and post-Christian humanists...and one or two in a class all to themselves. Like some of the early Christian saints, Lewis affirmed that "all truth is God's truth," and he read widely and deeply in order to absorb as much truth as possible. You can find Lewis' "top ten list" <a href="http://www.discovery.org/cslewis/articles/writingspblcdmn/influential.php">here</a>. <br />
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You'll notice that the Bible is not in Lewis' list. Lewis never gave a reason for this "omission," but to my mind, the reason is perfectly clear. For Lewis, the Bible is not a book to shape his philosophy of life; it is a book to shape <i>him. </i>The Main Character of the Bible does not call us to come and think about His ideas...He calls us to "come, follow Me." <br />
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At any rate, the past few weeks I've issued myself a similar challenge to discern the books that most sharpened me and helped me to define my personal sense of life. It was much more difficult than I thought, but here I offer ten books, all published in the last one hundred years, that have been foundational for my journey through this mess we call life. <br />
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Like Lewis, and for the same reason, the Bible is not listed. And like Lewis, my list includes a hodgepodge of philosophy, theology, history, literature, and drama, written by believers and nonbelievers.<br />
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<li>Kenneth E. Bailey, <i>Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes. </i>We live in a world full of causes that try to create Jesus in their own image...to co-opt Jesus into serving their own particular ideologies. The result is today's Religious Right Jesus, Socialist Jesus, Anti-Church Jesus, and Hipster Jesus. This book is a needed remedy. Having lived for fifty years in traditional Middle Eastern villages, Dr. Bailey is in a unique position to interpret the life and teachings of Jesus as they would have been experienced by His original disciples. The result is a fresh look at the stunning, scandalous Man whose words reached right into the heart of every person He met.<br /></li>
<li>C. S. Lewis, <i>Till We Have Faces. </i>While his <i>Chronicles of Narnia </i>and his <i>Space Trilogy </i>are much more popular, this is by far his best work of fiction. It is a reworking of the pagan myth of Cupid and Psyche, and it delves deeply into the nature of human love.<br /></li>
<li>Anne Holm, <i>I Am David. </i>A children's book written in the 1960's, this is a poignantly heroic tale of one little boy's escape from a Soviet gulag and his quest to find his mother. Along the way he learns about courage, friendship, and grace, and perhaps most importantly, he learns to affirm his own unique identity.<br /></li>
<li>Josef Pieper, <i>Leisure: The Basis of Culture. </i>This is a work of dense Thomist philosophy, but its message really is quite practical. In a world full of noise, busyness, and productivity at all costs, Pieper calls us to reclaim a spirit of "leisure." However, leisure (far from being laziness or boredom) is an intentional quieting of our internal and external lives so we can observe and listen to the deeper truths of life. Only in such leisure can human culture genuinely flourish.<br /></li>
<li>Ayn Rand, <i>Anthem. </i>Being a liberty-lover, I am a huge fan of Rand's much more substantive works such as <i>The Fountainhead </i>and <i>Atlas Shrugged. </i>However, this brief novella will always be my favorite. It portrays one young man whose spirit cannot be crushed by the collectivist society in which he is held captive, and his quest to find the one word that will liberate him.<br /></li>
<li>T. S. Eliot, <i>The Cocktail Party. </i>This thoroughly modern play illustrates the bungles of contemporary relationships...relationships defined by narcissism, half-truths, and manipulation. Yet through a mixture of hilarious comedy and profound tragedy, Eliot adroitly hints at the kind of sacrificial love that is required for true reconciliation.<br /></li>
<li>Bernard Bailyn, <i>The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. </i>I'm a history buff, and I have a particular love for early American history...a love that was first kindled by my grandfather and then fanned into a steady flame by two college professors. By examining the writings of philosophers who influenced the American patriots, and also dissecting the pamphlets that helped spread their ideology, we are given a thorough elucidation of the Revolutionary spirit that created our nation.<br /></li>
<li>Richard Rubenstein, <i>Aristotle's Children. </i>Another work of history, this book examines the oft forgotten dialogue among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle Ages...a dialogue that centered on the writings of Ancient Greece's greatest philosopher. Definitely relevant for today!<br /></li>
<li>Barry G. Webb, <i>Five Festal Garments. </i>This work of biblical theology scrutinizes five books of the Old Testament known as the "Megilloth" (The Song of Songs, Ruth, Esther, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes). While not often read today, these five books illuminate fundamental attitudes that every human being ought to cultivate in order to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.<br /></li>
<li>Agatha Christie, <i>Murder on the Orient Express. </i>Not really deep or anything, but a well crafted murder mystery and a detective, Hercule Poirot, who uses the "little grey cells" in his brain to find the killer. I just read this one for pure enjoyment.</li>
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So that's my top ten. What books would be on your list?</div>
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<br />Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-77735896704189039782015-12-27T13:22:00.000-08:002015-12-27T13:22:57.796-08:00Real Power (Part 2)Imagine with me an adolescent kid, maybe late teens or early twenties, whose mind is so obsessed with death that he literally spends all his time wandering around the local cemetery. <br />
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Imagine this man who, while in the care of professionals, was so volatile that he needed to be restrained with handcuffs or straight-jackets.<br />
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Imagine him so inwardly disturbed that his only method of expressing raw emotion is to emit high-pitched wails, like a groupie at a screamo rock concert.<br />
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Imagine him so devoid of self-worth, so unable to affirm his self-image, that he regularly cuts himself.<br />
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In this second part of my series on <i>Real Power, </i>this describes the subject of the Gospel narrative in Mark 5:1-20. This young man, resident of a Syrian city east of the Sea of Galilee, was utterly rejected by his community and written off as hopeless.<br />
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However, this is also a description of far too many young people in our world today. I have known and worked with teenagers like this, first in my seminary days as a shift-supervisor at a juvenile detention center, and later in professional youth ministry. <br />
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The man in Mark 5 was labeled "demon-possessed." So are many young people today. They are deeply tormented, and they often express their torment in ways that offend the sensibilities of "normal" people.<br />
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This man comes into the presence of Jesus and, ironically, begs Jesus not to torment him. A life of torment has become so normal for this man that the presence of the true Healer feels like torment.<br />
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But Jesus engages with this young man and, once again, reveals His real power. He literally spared no expense to drive the source of the torment out of the young man: He used a whole herd of pigs (the villagers' main source of wealth) in order to destroy the demons. When the villagers later found him, he was completely "in his right mind." (With another twist of irony, the villagers were so often used to seeing him in his demonic state that <i>when they found him healed, they were afraid</i>!)<br />
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In our last post, Jesus displayed power to bring order out of chaos. <b><i> In today's lesson,</i></b> <b><i>we see Jesus with power to bring sanity to torment.</i></b><br />
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In the past one hundred years, our understanding of mental illness has grown exponentially. Many human phenomena once attributed to demons are now known to have natural causes. Without ruling out the existence of the demonic, I concur that there are so many factors that combine to create unhealthy and destructive patterns of thought and behavior in a person: body chemistry, family history, personal upbringing, childhood trauma, etc. <br />
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Diagnosis is multifaceted, and healing is a long process. Truly no human being can bring about the kind of instantaneous and miraculous healing Jesus did. But we can follow Jesus' model in another way. <br />
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Too many individuals--and especially in the Church--tend to mimic the example of the villagers. We seek to <i>control </i>or <i>exclude </i>the mental illness, to keep it at the margins where it will not upset our carefully staged happiness, where it will not exert its disruptive effects on our much-loved status quo. <br />
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But Jesus does not use His power to <i>control </i>and <i>exclude. </i>He <i><b>engages</b></i> mental illness, even to the extent that it is allowed to disrupt other aspects of life. He expresses unreserved value for the person, regardless of the mental torment experienced, regardless of what other secondary values might need to be sacrificed.<br />
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I, for one, am grateful that Jesus models for us a better, healthier way to explore the very rough terrain of mental illness, and that <i><b>He indeed has the power to bring sanity to torment.</b></i>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-48307721927402042772015-12-17T18:26:00.002-08:002015-12-17T19:12:44.350-08:00Real Power (Part 1)Over the next four weeks, I will share some thoughts about a section of the Gospel of Mark that has become for me a very meaningful portion of Scripture.<br />
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In Mark's gospel, Jesus reveals His divine identity more by what He <i>does </i>than by what He says about Himself. In Mark 4:35-5:43, His divinity is on full display through four acts of unique power.<br />
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The first incident is described in 4:35-41. It is a well-known story. One evening, Jesus convinced His disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee in their small fishing boats. In their crossing, a great windstorm arose, bringing with it violent waves that began to fill the boats. While the disciples immediately catastrophized, believing that they were "perishing," Jesus slept soundly on a pillow in the stern of the boat. When the disciples woke Him to the danger, Jesus simply spoke His words, "Peace! Be still!" and the wind and the waves were calmed.<br />
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Full disclosure: I affirm the historical veracity of the Gospel narratives, including incidents of the miraculous like this one. But I don't think it's necessary to believe as I do in order to benefit from the narrative, and rather than picking apart the details of this story, I'd like to look at the broader principle that I believe it teaches.<br />
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In the ancient world, the sea was the symbol of chaos. Unlike the firmness and stability of land, the sea was often unpredictable, temperamental, and turbulent. At night, many people believed the sea was haunted by ghosts and demons hovering just above the surface. <br />
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In the midst of the windstorm, surely the disciples' fear was exacerbated by their belief that demons and ghosts might be lingering about their ship, waiting to steal them away to the underworld. And even though these guys were professional fishermen who knew how to navigate in the sea, the chaos of the moment caused them to doubt their own skills and their own judgment.<br />
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We should have empathy with them. I'm sure each of us can remember a time when we allowed our own irrational beliefs--our own false narratives--to create additional stress, to bring greater turmoil to our lives? I'm sure we all can remember a time when the unexpected chaos of life caused us to doubt our own abilities and our own judgment?<br />
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Yet there was Jesus, utterly calm in the midst of the chaos, to the point that He was able to sleep through it. He had no fear of demonic forces haunting the waters. He was unshaken by the turbid sea and the ferocious winds. And to calm the fears of His friends, <i><u>He exhibited His power to transform chaos into order</u></i>. That is indeed real power.<br />
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On a smaller (but no less real) scale, I believe we human beings possess that same power to transform chaos into order. We can bring peace into situations of discord and disharmony. But we can do it only when we, like Jesus, do two things:<br />
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We must first challenge all the irrational beliefs that immobilize us.<br />
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And we must learn to stand in the chaos of life without being shaken. <br />
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I'm still learning this. And I won't have it mastered this side of heaven. But I am grateful that occasionally I am graced to be able to speak those words with authentic conviction: "Peace! Be still!"<br />
<br />Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-14622806167844603082015-12-04T11:02:00.000-08:002015-12-04T15:16:40.532-08:00"Enjoy the Silence"After nearly three years of inaction on this blog, I've decided it's time once again for me to engage my creative self and my passion for writing, and hopefully bless a few people in the process. Ironically, after these three years of "silence" in the blogosphere, my first post is about the significance of not saying anything.<br />
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Yesterday, the topic of the need for silence came up in three separate conversations: with my spiritual director, with a friend, and with my colleague. In all three conversations, I was reminded of just how counterintuitive it is for me simply to be still--especially when others are present--and allow for silence to exist.<br />
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I'm sure part of this is due to the current state of our culture, in which chaos and noise rule. Never mind radio, TV, and computers. Smart phones (or I-phones) bring the constant distraction, the constant engagement with a cacophony of media, right to our fingertips. <br />
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But I shouldn't blame our culture. The reality is that when my life becomes overwhelmed with emotional triggers and <i>internal </i>n<i></i>oise, I feel a compulsive (or perhaps defensive) desire to speak when I really should be silent. In those moments, what comes out of my mouth is rarely grace-filled and almost never edifying to others. I wish I had a dollar for every time I should have bit my tongue...<br />
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Even when my own internal life is not turbulent and overwhelmed, I wonder if I give full credence to the role that silence plays in forming us as human beings. Silence can bring amazing healing not only to our emotional lives but to our physical lives as well. It can lower our heart rates, calm our nervous system, and ease tension in our muscles. It can, if we allow it, bring a holistic sense of well-being that is absolutely essential for genuine human flourishing.<br />
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Years ago, Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel wrote a penetrating spiritual work entitled <i>The Sabbath. </i>H<i></i>e highlights the fact that after six days of creation, Scripture tells us that "God rested on the seventh day." <br />
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However, Heschel follows many ancient rabbis who maintain that God's rest does not mean that He was inactive on the seventh day. He still created, and what he created was <i>menuha -- </i>a<i></i> rich Hebrew word that means tranquility, peace, rest, and <i>silence. </i><br />
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What this profound thought says to me is that silence does not merely happen. </div>
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Silence is something that must be created intentionally. </div>
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Silence is not simply the <i>absence</i> of noise, chaos, and work. </div>
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It is the <i>presence</i> of peace and tranquility.</div>
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In fact, I would go further and state that silence is Presence itself. It is simply and solely the acknowledgement that you are who you are, and that you are receptive to whatever the world (and even Someone beyond the world) might offer to you. </div>
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May we all have the wisdom to follow God's example and create <i>menuha </i>in our lives. And as Depeche Mode once intoned, "Enjoy the silence..."</div>
<br />Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-7033318760228911292013-03-21T18:24:00.000-07:002013-03-21T20:11:45.965-07:00Wild and Unsafe Again???In his famous <i>Chronicles of Narnia, </i>C. S. Lewis' Christ-figure is Aslan, the kingly lion who oozes with mystery, adventure and ferocity as well as tenderness, strength, and love. Who can forget that incredible quote in <i>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, </i>in which Mr. Beaver, speaking of Aslan, says, "Safe? Of course He isn't safe! But He's good!" In Lewis' mind, there is an arresting quality about Christ that is far removed from the "gentle Jesus, meek and mild" of our overly sentimentalized evangelicalism.<br />
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Lewis' fellow Britishers seemed to share this view of Christ. In his popular work <i>Orthodoxy, </i>G. K. Chesterton wrote, "People have fallen into a foolish habit of speaking of orthodoxy [that is, authentic Christian faith] as something heavy, humdrum, and safe. But there was never anything so perilous and exciting as orthodoxy."<br />
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Likewise, Dorothy L. Sayers issues this scathing reminder about the One we Christians supposedly follow: "Somehow or other, and with the best intentions, we have shown the world the typical Christian in the likeness of a crashing and rather ill-natured bore--and this in the Name of One who assuredly never bored a soul in those thirty-three years during which He passed through this world like a flame."<br />
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These are salutary reminders from Christian masters of the last century. And yet sometimes I wonder: how exactly are we American Christians to communicate the stunning, stalwart features of Christ that so scandalized and confounded His contemporaries...not to mention the legions of believers in the centuries since?<br />
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The modern church has tried to "repackage" the faith by almost shamelessly exploiting mass media, technology, and contemporary art forms...and in the process watering down the message. Mega-churches, and their less-mega imitators, seem to be more enamored by the latest leadership books out of Harvard Business School, the latest musical styles out of Nashville or Detroit, and the latest communication methods from Hollywood.<br />
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Some Christians feel the need to reassert the traditional "hard edges" of traditional Christian belief and morality, directly confronting the world in its error and rebellion. Yet the very uniqueness of our current cultural moment is the tendency we all have to simply shut off any message that comes across as threatening or critical to our own individual sensibilities.<br />
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Other Christians seek to re-ignite the flame of faith with praxis -- proclaiming and living (almost to a fault) a radical type of compassion that they see reflected in the human life of Jesus. But once again, I see our society as almost sick of compassion. Our liberal elites, in my opinion, have taken the life out of genuine compassion by bureaucratizing and depersonalizing it.<br />
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Don't misunderstand me...I am not trying to be cynical here. But I am trying to understand a genuine challenge that we Christians face as we try to communicate the Gospel with the kind of perilous excitement that Lewis, Chesterton and Sayers rightly request. Obviously, any presentation of our faith must be saturated with prayer and informed exclusively by the Biblical witness. And obviously only the Holy Spirit can provide the real passion. But we Christians must make sure that, from our human perspective, we do not cling too tightly to any of the "methods" that I have outlined above. <br />
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So what am I saying here? Maybe nothing. I don't think I'm offering an answer to anything. I think I'm joining Lewis and his friends in asking a very pertinent question: How can we American Christians once again present the wild and unsafe Jesus in a way that truly evokes wonder in the minds and hearts of people living in a seriously jaded world?<br />
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I'd love to hear your thoughts....Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-57494206207530996922013-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:002013-02-22T09:27:32.406-08:00Spring Clean Your Minds!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And now, dear
brothers and sisters, one final thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise.” – Philippians 4:8</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You can’t live in our world
today without at least being tempted to cynicism, discouragement, and
negativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our televisions are full of
violence, filthy language, and immorality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The media seem only to report on tragedies and scandals because they
think that’ll get our attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
political leaders seem more interested in telling us how bad life is and
blaming their opponents for it, rather than inspiring us to take responsibility
and make life better for ourselves, our families, and our communities.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When St. Paul penned that verse
from Philippians, he was living in a very similar cultural environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “good old days” of the virtuous Roman
Republic were coming to an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Violence, sexual immorality, and petty greed were destroying
communities, and corrupt politicians were creating more problems than
solutions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yet St. Paul tells his readers
not to dwell on the negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead
they should think about what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and
admirable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Romans he tells his
readers that they should “be transformed by the renewing of their minds”
(Romans 12:2) and that they should “take every thought captive and make it
obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God is not just concerned about our behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is concerned that we are thinking about
the right things, that we not allow negativity, violence, impurity, and evil to
take control of our minds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think all of us struggle with
this in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my case (and maybe
yours too), I sometimes allow too much negative “self-talk” and negative
emotions to build up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For others, it’s a
case of being too negative, critical, and judgmental of other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or we might have a specific struggle in our
thought-life: lust/pornography, passive-aggression, or self-destructive
thoughts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As Christians, we need to
acknowledge that these kinds of thoughts are simply not what God wants for
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants us to take responsibility
for the thoughts and feelings that we allow in our minds, and He wants us to
focus on the kinds of things that will build us up and challenge us to obey
Christ’s law of love and His gospel of forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As we enter the month of March,
we are in the midst of Lent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us “give
up something” for Lent, and in my case, I am giving up negative thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a discipline I need, and quite frankly,
it’s a discipline that our world needs as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To put it another way: in March
we begin the season of Spring cleaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve never been much of a “cleaner.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(For evidence, see my office…)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But this year, I plan on “spring cleaning my mind!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you join me?</div>
Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-35492606337862890142012-04-30T18:03:00.000-07:002012-04-30T18:03:00.530-07:00Books for KidsC. S. Lewis begins his book <em>The Abolition of Man </em>by bemoaning the fact that too many intellectuals are unaware of the importance of children's books. We usually think of children's literature as mere stories without any long-term consequences for the kids who read. We see their main purpose as merely to entertain kids and inspire in them a general love of reading so they'll be ready to tackle the <em>really </em>important stuff in high school and college.<br />
<br />
I agree with Lewis that the kind of reading we do as children will implicitly aid in the formation of our intellectual and moral character. Every story is about people of certain character (either good or bad) who make choices (either right or wrong) that form the basis for the story's plot. And quite frankly, there are many children's books out there today that actually celebrate characters with questionable personal qualities, making choices of dubious merit. They certainly are not the kind of stories to which I want my young son Cyrus exposed. <br />
<br />
Thankfully, my wife is something of an expert in the field of children's literature. She owns over one thousand children's books, and she shares my concern for exposing our son to good, uplifting stories that can inspire him to be a man of intelligence, integrity, and moral courage. Here are just a few of the books that I personally evaluate as good literature for children.<br />
<br />
[It should be assumed that <em>The Chronicles of Narnia </em>and <em>The Hobbit </em>are not mentioned in this particular list because those books are in a class unto themselves.]<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Anne Holm, <em>I Am David. </em>An inspiring story of self-discovery, depicting a young boy who escapes from a Communist gulag in Eastern Europe and heroically navigates through dangerous country in an attempt to find his mother. </li>
<li>Madeleine L'Engle, <em>A Wrinkle in Time. </em>An intriguing fantasy/science fiction story about three children who are transported to another galaxy by three mysterious ladies. Meg, the main character, is on a quest to find her lost father...but in the process she is called upon to fight a great evil that threatens to overtake the entire universe.</li>
<li>Esther Forbes, <em>Johnny Tremain. </em>This is historical fiction at its finest, set in Boston during the onset of the Revolutionary War. Johnny, an independent and daring young man, gets caught up in the conflict between the Bostonians and the British, and he learns how to put his courage in the service of a great cause.</li>
<li>Marguerite de Angeli, <em>The Door in the Wall. </em>This story is set in late-medieval England. The main character is a young boy named Robin who had dreams of being a knight, but during the Black Plague he became permanently handicapped. With the help of a pious monk named Brother Luke, Robin learned that studying can take you places that your legs can't, and that you don't have to be a knight to display true courage and strength.</li>
<li>E. L. Konigsburg, <em>From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. </em>A young girl named Claudia feels unappreciated by her parents and decides to run away, joined by her younger brother Jamie. She ends up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and takes an interesting walk through history, learning that she needs to do some appreciating of her own!</li>
<li>Any of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or Encyclopedia Brown mystery stories. I'm a huge fan of mysteries, and I grew up loving these stories. As an adult, I can see why they are such great stories. The main characters are presented as heroes not because they are cool, popular with their peers, or athletic. Rather, they are heroes because they use their intelligence and skill to solve problems and help others; they display moral courage and have a real sense of right and wrong; and they earn the respect of their parents and other adult figures by acting mature and responsible. </li>
</ul>
These are just a few. But here are three common themes that I find in all of these novels:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>They are well-written stories. They use language artfully and tell a story in an exciting, inspiring way.</li>
<li>They present a view of the world as a benevolent place: while the characters have problems, they learn that they can overcome those problems and that life basically makes sense. They are not victims of a fate beyond their control.</li>
<li>The main characters model for the readers the values of honesty, intelligence, compassion, courage, self-discipline, and maturity.</li>
</ul>
Thanks to my beautiful wife for reminding me of the joy of reading children's books! Happy reading!Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-1259349991824083452012-04-06T07:56:00.013-07:002012-04-13T04:51:33.695-07:00Dueling with Words<div><em>"Because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to vomit you out of my mouth." - Revelation 3:16</em></div><div><em></em> </div><div><em></em><br /><br /></div><div>Because of my last post (see <em>Something More than Life, </em>below), I became involved in a debate on Facebook with a self-described atheist/agnostic. This individual and I have been friends for a decade, and though we haven't really seen each other in a few years, our conversations always avoid the polite chit-chat or typical fluff about the weather, sports, or the past, and we engage in serious conversation about real ideas. In this latest debate, my friend once again displayed his razor-sharp intellect and quick wit. His weighty comments required of me more than the usual "pat answers" that Christians often give to skeptics; it was a genuine meeting of the minds, and I sensed a mutual respect even in the midst of our fervent disagreements.</div><div> </div><div><br /><br /></div><div>This reminded me of a novel written nearly 100 years ago by G. K. Chesterton. Entitled <em>The Ball and the Cross </em>and set in Victorian England, it is the story of a fervent Christian Theist who challenges an equally fervent Modern Atheist to an illegal duel. They meet to fight to the death, but keep getting interrupted and end up dueling with words. Word of their saber fight gets out and they begin to be chased by interested commoners as well as the police. Over the course of their interaction, they begin to develop a liking for one another, and they slowly come to realize that they are not enemies. In fact, they are fighting the same battle: a battle against a world in which people no longer believe in anything enough to stand up and defend it no matter what the cost. I won't give away the ending, but let's just say that eventually, their swords do cross!</div><div> </div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Not much has changed in the past century. We see few Christian Theists like the one in Chesterton's novel (or like Paul at Mars Hill and Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany). Most Christians prefer to believe in a bland, moralistic, therapeutic Deism (to steal the phrase originally coined by Christian Smith) in which religion is a matter of personal feelings and individual preferences, rather than a total devotion to a systematic worldview. Likewise, many modern atheists/agnostics hold views that are rooted in rebellious, nihilistic cynicism, rather than ones based on a rational appraisal of the facts of existence. They do not have the intellectual integrity of the atheist in the novel, or some modern unbelievers like Ayn Rand and others.</div><div> </div><div><br /><br /></div><div>The majority of people today seem to be motivated by a desire to not say anything offensive, or to avoid being pinned down to any firm truth commitment. Even in churches, and (I'm sorry to say) in far too many pulpits, the motive to be popular and relevant seems to have eclipsed the motive to speak truth with conviction. Many Christians today are seeking after leaders with the look of a GQ model and the rhetorical flourish of a late-night talk show host, regardless of their intellectual seriousness or integrity. And what's worse, many Christians today seem to be getting what little theology they have from Christian rock music (which is annoyingly inferior to its secular counterparts) rather than from a serious wrestling with the truths of the faith. I'm not saying that every Christian ought to have the brain of a philosopher...but I do think that God is asking every Christian to use the brain he or she has to "support his or her faith with knowledge," to "grow in the grace <em>and knowledge </em>of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," and to "always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have within us."<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div>If this comes off a bit judgmental, so be it. But I firmly believe that this is a telling symptom of the state of our culture, which has become so "lukewarm" about truth that it is literally making God hurl. I thank God for the many unbelievers He has led into my life, for whom I continue to pray and with whom I hope to continue to dialogue. They always engage me in honorable duels, sharpen my intellect...and we somehow manage to have fun in the process! <em>En garde!</em></div><div> </div><div> </div>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-72559846620541797672012-04-03T17:37:00.005-07:002012-04-03T18:49:42.241-07:00Something More Than Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYRmLu3YT7naNlNQHYic51lxilV6Qk1SlnwhWngw39jN8y_s1FDp8SnrriRHeY6Wvx8t4eRIILBRTTl_xjTM4AnOjW8BacW_IO0DvlrqNv05fDx263F-99riM3fznueCYM50cRwIx-Ds/s1600/resurrectionsun.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 192px; height: 320px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727345748734234402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYRmLu3YT7naNlNQHYic51lxilV6Qk1SlnwhWngw39jN8y_s1FDp8SnrriRHeY6Wvx8t4eRIILBRTTl_xjTM4AnOjW8BacW_IO0DvlrqNv05fDx263F-99riM3fznueCYM50cRwIx-Ds/s320/resurrectionsun.jpg" /></a>Since we are in the middle of Holy Week, I've been thinking a lot about the concept of resurrection, which is what we Christians celebrate at Easter. It's a bit farfetched these days to believe in anything like a literal resurrection and all that it entails: that death is not the final chapter of our lives; that we were made to live forever; indeed, that all of existence (which seems to show nothing but death and decay) will be remade according to its original glorious design. It's truly irrational and unbelievable.<br /><br /><br />In spite of this, it seems to be a universal hope.<br /><br /><br />Three of my favorite writers--G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien (why do they insist on being known by their initials??)--all made the same fascinating observation:<br /><br /><br />Throughout human history, almost every culture and religion has taught something akin to resurrection. Almost every ancient pagan religion has some myth about a god who is killed and then comes back to life. In Norse mythology, it was the god Balder. For the ancient Egyptians, it was Osiris. For the Celtic peoples of Britain, it was the god Lugh who was killed by being hung on a tree and then comes back in victory.<br /><br /><br />But then let's look at modern philosophies and worldviews: All of them, even the most atheistic and materialistic, do not merely tell you that life is good exactly the way it is. They all say that life will only be good in some unknown, ideal future when all the injustices and human failures are eradicated and the goodness of life is renewed. This is true of the socialism of Karl Marx, the Objectivism of Ayn Rand, and even the American Progressivism of Barack Obama and his allies. Eastern philosophies and religions do this as well.<br /><br /><br />Not one philosophy or religion of life has taught us that we must be satisfied with the world as it is. Every single human teaching avers that there is <em>something more than life </em>that is just beyond our grasp, something that gives our lives meaning and hope and renewal, and it exists either in some mythical past of gods and goddesses or in some undefined future that we have yet to see.<br /><br /><br />There is only one religion that teaches that the <em>something more than life, </em>for which we all hope, actually became a tangible, datable fact of history. That fact is that Jesus Christ lived and was crucified "under Pontius Pilate" (which even Greek, Roman, and Jewish historians attest) and that He rose to new life. The early Christians insisted on the historicity of the resurrection to the point that Saint Paul proclaimed, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (I Corinthians 15:14). He was willing to stake the entire Christian faith on the fact of Christ's resurrection as a historical event.<br /><br /><br />Christians do not believe that they are better than anyone else. What they do believe is that they have found a concrete answer to the deep desire that animates every human heart -- or rather, they believe that the concrete Answer has found them. Because of that, they are able to enjoy the <em>something more than life </em>even here on earth, and on their best days, they live their lives in a way that makes that <em>something more than life </em>visible to others.<br /><br /><br />If you are a Christian, take a moment to recognize that what you celebrate this Sunday is not merely a nice tradition or an orthodox theological dogma: it is the deepest truth that every human being desires, even if they can't admit it to themselves. May that recognition give added meaning to this season for you.<br /><br /><br />If you are not a Christian, I still challenge you to take a moment and celebrate this Easter. Celebrate the fact that deep down, you know that life as we know it is not enough for you. You want something more. Something that you may not be able to define. But something that you <em>hope </em>is real.<br /><br /><br />Have a blessed Easter!<br /><br /><br />(For more insights on this, I highly recommend G. K. Chesterton's <em>The Everlasting Man, </em>J. R. R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories," and C. S. Lewis' book <em>Miracles </em>or his essay "Myth Become Fact." Great reading!)Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-43675236712272731352012-03-30T11:30:00.010-07:002012-03-30T13:27:31.682-07:00An Inkling of Political Wisdom from C. S. Lewis<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0HzprqUEOY3doUwfpwhc4k3wckOhYRUqv1u_cWix907Hxcgh2VwlQCflK-SX5sEN_N-LRDKR1jNxliZYftINkAxP3reZKb4R_nIFp2vCAo9KD0CooD8ZgfnqcJThC_zU34ml8iBbhJ0/s1600/obamaromney.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725774126519774402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0HzprqUEOY3doUwfpwhc4k3wckOhYRUqv1u_cWix907Hxcgh2VwlQCflK-SX5sEN_N-LRDKR1jNxliZYftINkAxP3reZKb4R_nIFp2vCAo9KD0CooD8ZgfnqcJThC_zU34ml8iBbhJ0/s320/obamaromney.png" /></a> In recent years, I have become increasingly frustrated with the narratives and rhetoric utilized by politicians in both the Democrat and Republican parties. Neither group appears to offer anything more than simplistic and shallow answers to many deep and far-reaching problems affecting our nation and our world. The permanent bureaucratic mess in Washington, D.C., has turned the American government from the role of the peoples' servant into what Margaret Thatcher termed "the Nanny State." Politicians are less interested in protecting our lives, liberty, and our right to pursue our own happiness. Instead, they are more interested in being self-appointed experts who tell us how to live our lives, tell us what is the limit of our liberty, and then give us whatever they think will make us happy (at least until the next election...).<br /><br /><br /><div>In the late 1950's, C. S. Lewis wrote a political article entitled "Is Progress Possible?" Originally published in the British periodical <em>The Observer, </em>it has been reprinted in <em>God in the Dock, </em>a collection of over forty of Lewis' essays. In this particular essay, Lewis offers a salutary critique of a great deal of modern political thinking, and it is just as relevant today as it was over fifty years ago.</div><br /><br /><div>Especially since the 1970's, the Republicans have displayed their gruesome tendency to placate sincere and pious Christians in order to gain political power. Some of these people may be motivated with the best intentions, but it is difficult to hide the unintended results: the Christian Right has become just one more "special interest group" which narrowly focuses on single issues like abortion, gay marriage, and prayer in schools, and which (like all other special interest groups) is often willing to sell its soul in order to gain treats from government. To this group, Lewis sternly warns against any kind of theocratic approach to politics:<br /><br />"I believe in God, but I detest theocracy. For every Government consists of mere men and is, strictly viewed, a makeshift; if it adds to its commands 'Thus saith the Lord', it lies, and lies dangerously."<br /></div><br /><br /><div>On the other hand, American Democrats have for the past eighty years displayed a shrewd fascination with continually expanding the powers of a bureaucratic Welfare State. Their idea is that every supposed ill of society must immediately be nationalized and bureaucratized if it is to be solved effectively, and anyone who disagrees with this approach is labeled as hateful and uncompassionate. This goes for everything from LBJ's "War on Poverty" to Obamacare. To this crowd, Lewis argues that putting such unquestioned faith in the Federal Government will inevitably lead to tyranny:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>"The modern State exists not to protect our rights but to do us good or make us good - anyway, to do something to us or make us something....We are less their subjects than their wards, pupils, or domestic animals. There is nothing left of which we can say to them, 'Mind your ownbusiness.' Our whole lives are their business."</div><br /><div><br /><br /><p>Before casting their votes in this upcoming election, I urge everyone (especially Christians) to read "Is Progress Possible?" Citizens need to go into the voting booths armed with more than rhetoric, attack ads, and emotions. We need to vote based on a coherent philosophy of government, and the role that it ought to play in the lives of individuals. Particularly, Christians ought to examine whether their own political philosophy is truly based on government's legitimate functions, or is it yet another example of our own penchant to put unquestioning trust in the idol of government rather than in the God who created and redeemed us.</p></div>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-51954895081689607792012-02-16T18:29:00.001-08:002012-02-16T18:54:10.926-08:00Screwtape RemixedHey readers (if any of you are left!).<br />After a two year hiatus, I decided to get back into the blogosphere!<br />Much has happened in my life since I last posted here:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>God called my incredible father, George J. Kahl, home to heaven. I was so blessed to be there with my whole family, and I had the added privilege of "serenading" my dad into God's presence. As I was playing <em>Amazing Grace</em> on the piano, and as my mom was holding his hand, he left us to join His Savior, Jesus Christ. You will be missed by many, Dad!</li><br /><br /><li>I finished the process for Ordination to Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Covenant Church. A long process, but full of many blessings as I have met many fantastic mentors and colleagues who have encouraged me on this journey.</li><br /><br /><li>On July 31, 2011, my wife Cherith gave birth to our son, Cyrus Shepard Kahl. (Notice the initials...C. S.!) Cyrus has been such a blessing to my life, and I have come to understand the heart of Our Heavenly Father by being privileged to father Cyrus. He has brought us both so much joy. Perhaps in a future blog post, I'll share with you all the many influences behind his name!</li></ul><br /><br /><p>So that brings us up to date, at least in the major things.<br />As for my initial post, I have been thinking quite a bit about the current state of American culture, specifically in light of the upcoming elections and the major confusion over economic, social, and religious issues. I often ask myself the question: What can be done? Involvement in politics at times seems so futile...especially when you consider that most of our problems do not stem from politics but from intellectual and spiritual reality.</p><br /><p>Today I was on YouTube and found this incredible lecture by Dr. Peter Kreeft, a philosophy professor at Boston College and a major fan of the Inklings. His lecture is modelled on C. S. Lewis' classic <em>The Screwtape Letters, </em>but its content is updated for a 21st Century audience. Although he is speaking out of his own Roman Catholic background to an audience of like-minded Catholics, I think his basic points have a broad ecumenical relevance. The lecture is over 45 minutes, but well worth the time!</p><br /><p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm08x8YiuXk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm08x8YiuXk</a></p>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-22627390102676427612010-01-07T12:14:00.000-08:002010-01-07T13:09:35.356-08:00Recommended Reading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeJFWFSt5Fx0aJ7ZYhpFC85jJfDLA5QldDuMVn_-pqDPjPAoUW3doEFMyDF2WUPlM_y6h1ctYTdKKWSevQFNFaZP8G5MQlBTXpZ6v12iJXaacBg-GbuCYY7AYAmDjggKQ9q7gus9ch7s/s1600-h/trellisvine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424094946395218610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 168px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 251px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeJFWFSt5Fx0aJ7ZYhpFC85jJfDLA5QldDuMVn_-pqDPjPAoUW3doEFMyDF2WUPlM_y6h1ctYTdKKWSevQFNFaZP8G5MQlBTXpZ6v12iJXaacBg-GbuCYY7AYAmDjggKQ9q7gus9ch7s/s320/trellisvine.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Well, as of January 1, I broke my ritual fast of all theology- or church-related books, and I jumped right into the sometimes-inspiring, sometimes-frustrating, always-challenging world of Christian reflection.<br /><br />I highly recommend that you look at the first two books that I read, both recent releases:<br /><br />The first is Colin Marshall and Tony Payne's <em>The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift That Changes Everything </em>(Kingsford, NSW, Australia: Matthias Media, 2009).<br /><br />What I love about the book is that the authors take seriously the valid frustrations, raised by the Emergent and the House Church movements, regarding the tendency of both traditional and seeker-sensitive churches to focus too much energy and resources into corporate structures and institutions. They are in total agreement with the Emergents and the House Church people that Christianity ought primarily to be about freely investing in relational ministry, and that traditional and seeker-sensitive church models both have the tendency to create "spiritual consumers" rather than authentic disciples of Jesus.<br /><br />However, Marshall and Payne avoid the truly unbiblical aspects of the Emergents like Spencer Burke (who shy away from making absolute truth statements concerning Christ and who believe that one can be a Christian apart from any connection to a church) and the House Church people like Frank Viola (who extrapolate their own frustrations about "institutional Christianity" into a rallying call to do away with any institutional framework, even that which is biblically mandated).<br /><br /><br />The image of a trellis and a vine illustrates the third alternative offered in this book, and I believe it will be helpful to others like myself who see the immense problems with the institutional church as it currently exists, but who are also deeply concerned with where the Emergent Church and House Church movements seem to be headed, both theologically and practically. I give the book my highest recommendation. It is available online at <a href="http://www.matthiasmedia.com/index.php/">http://www.matthiasmedia.com/index.php/</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqAexozD5wjOEb9LfAwsDVOVBa93PIzc74tv_u48vvmzlfE6LdsU34bMAAcsnmNthyCxDMviECqQRpXJk_Wz6LxwJAIkwibEw4EFlcIHoY_nuqplMgBkBbr7uly54k8YfrnArbWB5H98/s1600-h/devilreadsderrida.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424102685290187810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqAexozD5wjOEb9LfAwsDVOVBa93PIzc74tv_u48vvmzlfE6LdsU34bMAAcsnmNthyCxDMviECqQRpXJk_Wz6LxwJAIkwibEw4EFlcIHoY_nuqplMgBkBbr7uly54k8YfrnArbWB5H98/s320/devilreadsderrida.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My second recommendation is James K. A. Smith's <em>The Devil Reads Derrida: And Other Essays on the University, the Church, Politics, and the Arts </em>(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009). Smith is a professor of theology and philosophy at Calvin College here in Grand Rapids. His goal in this book is to interpret current cultural realities through the lens of a broadly Calvinist perspective.<br /><br /><br /><br />His reflection on the role of Christians in the universities is very insightful. In a world in which many institutions of higher education view their students as little more than "consumers," Smith proposes that Christians must heed the high, counter-cultural call to be disciple-makers of college students.<br /><br /><br />His theological interpretations of various recent movies, including <em>The Devil Wears Prada, American Beauty, </em>and <em>Little Miss Sunshine</em>, are incredibly helpful and challenge all Christians to enter into the culture with discerning eyes and elicit the biblical messages that are already there.<br /><br /><br />And he is ruthlessly critical of the political Right and the political Left, articulating his hope that Christians will stop dividing themselves over political agendas and instead focus on the high call of Christian formation through dynamic worship.<br /><br /><br />Although I fervently disagree with a great deal of Smith's analysis and conclusions, I am grateful for the challenge that the book afforded me, and I think Christians of all backgrounds will find his work both meaningful and helpful in their own discipleship.Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-39443987770227513482009-12-28T13:40:00.000-08:002009-12-28T17:45:34.412-08:00The Blind SideJust got home from the movie theater, where I joined my wife and parents to see <em>The Blind Side, </em>which has received box-office success and decent critical reviews. It is the "feel-good drama" of the holiday season, but it is not at all superficial or cheesy.<br /><br />Sandra Bullock is a wonderful actress whose work in the past has been overlooked. Initially I took her to be a "star" of comedy, action, and chick flicks, but she has since revealed a profound sensitivity and depth in films like <em>Crash </em>and <em>Notorious. </em>I feel that with this film, she is receiving long-overdue recognition, having already nabbed Golden Globe and Screen Actor's Guild nominations for this role. I hope to see her as one of the five Best Actress nominees on Oscar night.<br /><br />The film's portrayal of committed Christians is overtly positive; it is the strong faith of Bullock's character (Leigh Anne Tuohy) that impels her and her family to take Michael Oher into their home. Their actions are among the most solid examples of specifically <em>Christian </em>compassion and social activism (as opposed to the many secular versions on the market today) that I have seen on film. No segment of society (the poor, the rich, Republicans, bureaucrats) is "demonized" or "blamed" for anything. (Well, there are a couple smart-assed low blows directed towards the GOP, but what do you expect from Hollywood?) The film's lack of cynicism is refreshing.<br /><br />What I appreciated most about the film is the way in which Leigh Anne Tuohy's compassion for Michael Oher was not a generalized, detached sorrow for his lot in life. She invested in his life as an individual, intentionally struggling to understand who he was. And then she used what she knew about him to motivate him to excel in all areas of his life. The same could be said about her husband, her children, and the other Christian teachers depicted in the film. All of the Christians in the film are true witnesses of the way Christ loves each of us.<br /><br />Props to director John Lee Hancock, the cast and crew, and the producers for having the integrity to put out such an inspiring film.<br /><br />And extra props to Michael Oher for his life and his triumph. Sorry the Steelers got lucky and beat you yesterday... :)Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-32776567082022650292009-12-24T17:39:00.001-08:002009-12-24T17:51:36.686-08:00The Grand Miracle<em>"The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, into human nature, descended into His own universe, and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away there is nothing specifically Christian left."</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>- C. S. Lewis</em><br /><br /><br /><em>"The Incarnation is the eucatastrophe of human history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends with joy."</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo01sHq_xc6ac4O-7jBRy6dZAcPJ6EOdevq7JEyvvYPY88n71eytIAxYZB1Kvgv6m9IOHUzSzhpigwRkBFcH6hzbmSBQjLFHH8aPS2p2yjpdzXv541fwP8H3IgP8p9RXIEIfL5KHuSOqs/s1600-h/christmas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418982766934745090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo01sHq_xc6ac4O-7jBRy6dZAcPJ6EOdevq7JEyvvYPY88n71eytIAxYZB1Kvgv6m9IOHUzSzhpigwRkBFcH6hzbmSBQjLFHH8aPS2p2yjpdzXv541fwP8H3IgP8p9RXIEIfL5KHuSOqs/s320/christmas.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>- J. R. R. Tolkien</em>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-24317242000688502762009-12-23T12:55:00.001-08:002009-12-23T16:55:08.177-08:00Light in the Darkness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgpewpBlX7fAB-8KHzSW-TqsLLM7F2PE5QAIsKaL5zd8B3QMqDkSrZJM3gvOEuIcwLolOI7oOXGJR4_8_VlFTusXQF-BTTe969MHo57236f4R0AzHRW7ZL-TiOMS0uPnnys49mOIBXl0/s1600-h/The-Christmas-Star.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418538309063766914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgpewpBlX7fAB-8KHzSW-TqsLLM7F2PE5QAIsKaL5zd8B3QMqDkSrZJM3gvOEuIcwLolOI7oOXGJR4_8_VlFTusXQF-BTTe969MHo57236f4R0AzHRW7ZL-TiOMS0uPnnys49mOIBXl0/s320/The-Christmas-Star.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."</em></div><div><em>- Isaiah 9:2<br /><br /></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div>This is a classic Christmas verse that we hear every year at some point during the Advent season. It has become one of those sentimental texts that hits our ears and somehow provokes a nice reaction in our hearts, without being absorbed fully in our brains. Darkness becomes light. A nice positive message over which we should rejoice, right?<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Or is it?</div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Have you ever been in a situation of darkness for a long time, when your eyes have become totally adjusted to it and you're actually able to make your way around? What would be your initial reaction if someone immediately shined a light in your eyes? Would you welcome the light?</div><div></div><div><br /><br />No! Whether you've just been awakened by someone turning on your bedroom light, or you're seeing approaching headlights while driving on a lonely, unillumined road in the dark... Your eyes are used to the darkness, and your first reaction is not to welcome it but to shield yourself from it, fearing its penetrating brightness. You must make a choice to allow your eyes to adjust to the light, in order that you might see the things the light reveals.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />John's Gospel tells us that "Light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. All those who do evil hate the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed" (John 3:19-20). All humans live in a state of willful rebellion against their Creator. Until recently this was generally accepted as the doctrine of Original Sin. To such rebelliousness, the Divine light of truth is not something that is initially welcome, for it will expose those things which made darkness so appealing.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />In American culture the Christmas story has become so "sanitized" that it no longer makes the impact that should be made by a bright light shining in darkness. It has become a cutesy children's tale, enmeshed in elements of paganism and commercialism, that does nothing to penetrate beneath the surface of our lives and shock us with a prophetic indictment that <em>should </em>accompany the proclamation of God's Word.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Can we reclaim the message of Luke 1, which tells us that the cultural, political, and religious establishment generally fails to grasp what God is really all about, and that we must be receptive to messages of Divine truth from unexpected places, from the fringe of life?</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Are we willing to view Mary and Joseph in a different light...not as iconic, perfect saints but as a scared young couple willing to put everything on the line for the sake of the call God placed on their lives? Are Christ-followers willing to be more like that second option, instead of unfairly holding themselves and others to the standard of the first?</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Can we discern a deeper meaning in the story of the Magi, whose faith in pagan religious practices and in their own wisdom led them to the evil dictator Herod, while it was the Word of God <em>alone</em> that led them to Baby of Bethlehem?</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Is there a political message in the story of King Herod, who ruled with lies and fear rather than with truth and justice? Will the "Herods" of our day (of <em>all </em>political affiliations) learn to bend their knees before the true King of Kings and be willing to expose all their deeds to the light of Christ's truth?</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Most importantly, are we willing to acknowledge that so much of what we define as Christmas today...commercialism, entertainment, obligatory gifts, and wanton busyness...that these things have <em>nothing </em>to do with the One whose birth we celebrate and whose life we claim as our standard of everything that is true and good.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />May the light of Christmas break through the darkness of sin, injustice, and apathy, that we may truly sing, "Joy to the world! The Lord is come!"</div><div></div><div></div>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-91793310330670264182009-12-19T04:42:00.000-08:002009-12-20T04:47:49.973-08:00Reflections on "The Sing-Off"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgWgb3VKWSTWd2bUURyhe5oz7WjECwl9ddClIfl-135v7qbLJRA5ERWLQ4cEGTc0tvGlRJhKtKFItRVPlWYhmj4GhP6myN1Feg1d7q6Y7Wdr9YUrBRi69MRJadO0eGXQZbp1h02o97-I/s1600-h/logoSingOff.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417070293408540994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 118px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgWgb3VKWSTWd2bUURyhe5oz7WjECwl9ddClIfl-135v7qbLJRA5ERWLQ4cEGTc0tvGlRJhKtKFItRVPlWYhmj4GhP6myN1Feg1d7q6Y7Wdr9YUrBRi69MRJadO0eGXQZbp1h02o97-I/s320/logoSingOff.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This past week my wife and I became engrossed in NBC's new talent competition, "The Sing-Off." What an incredible display of vocal talent by very diverse groups of singers! You don't have to be a musician to appreciate how tough it is for a group to sing <em>a cappella</em> music well, and these groups have nailed it each night!</div><br /><p>My two favorite groups are "Nota" (who have given a distinctively urban grit to <em>a cappella</em> music) and "The Beelzebubs" (who combine off-the-wall college-boy antics with superior vocal stylings, and they project the simple fact that music is just plain fun). Going with my gut, I'll predict that "The Beelzebubs" will take the grand prize, but I think "Nota" will give them a tough fight till the end.</p><p>Even though I am staying away from theology books until January 1, I've been reminded through my reading of secular books that <em>anything </em>can provoke theological reflection, for God has saturated every inch of His creation with clues to His character and truth. One only needs to seek, and he will find. (I think I read that somewhere...)</p><p>With that in mind, here is a nugget of theological wisdom that "The Sing-Off" has helped me to clarify:</p><p>The human voice is the only musical instrument that God made without any help from human beings, and it is without a doubt the most beautiful instrument of all. As my wife and I watched "The Sing-Off," we marveled at what those human voices were able to do musically, without any help from man-made pianos, guitars, or drums. And yet it is not so marvelous, when one considers that God specifically designed the human voice for the high and holy purpose of worshipping Him.</p><p>Our voices also have more power than any other instrument--for good or evil--to touch us on the deepest levels of our being. But therein lies a profound tragedy, for I believe that part of our rebellion against God is the misuse of our voices. In today's culture, so much of our speech and our singing is focused downward, towards the basest and most sinful elements of life. Ben Folds is one of the judges on "The Sing-Off," a very talented composer, pianist, and singer...and yet his songs are replete with gratuitous profanity, sexuality, and hedonism which make it difficult to respect the serious ideas that his lyrics (sometimes) contain.</p><p>Unfortunately, even Christians (including myself) have a way of misusing our voices: communicating anger rather than joy and peace, speaking words of judgment and hostility rather than words of grace and reconciliation. We raise our voices in these improper ways, and yet on Sunday mornings we do <em>not</em> raise our voices with the same level of intensity in our worship to God. That is, in my opinion, sinful, and it reveals the fallenness of the human voice and its need for redemption. If every Christian congregation sang with the same fervency and joy as "Nota" or "The Beelzebubs," I believe the world would be converted in no time.</p><p>Indeed, what Christian churches might learn from "Nota," "The Beelzebubs," and the other groups on "The Sing-Off" is how to <em>incarnate an ensemble </em>that resounds with the sonorous harmonies of the Gospel. For I believe if you asked any of those <em>a cappella </em>groups how they got to where they are, they would answer the following (in substance, if not exactly in form):</p><p>1 - Ensembles work only when each individual brings forth the best of who he or she is. Slackers, in the long run, will do more harm than good.</p><p>2 - Ensembles do not come into existence overnight. When you join a new ensemble, do not be too quick to judge if it does not perform exactly the way <em>you </em>think it should. Perhaps it is <em>you</em> who needs to alter your expectations.</p><p>3 - Becoming an ensemble is hard work: you must get to know and appreciate each others' voices, you must commit to learning your part of the score, and you must find a way to blend all the parts harmoniously, knowing when to hold back your own part and when to stand out.</p><p>4 - Becoming a good ensemble requires both task-oriented work (learning the music, perfecting the vocals, etc...) and relationship work (encouraging each other, learning to work together in a positive, affirming manner, etc...), and the leadership must be diligent in intuiting which type of work is called for.</p><p>5 - Coming together for rehearsal should never be seen as an end in itself. The purpose is always to go out and share the ensembles' gifts with others. If our music is only being heard by our own ensemble, why the heck are we bothering?</p>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-8715472656348789062009-12-01T02:22:00.000-08:002009-12-01T10:42:30.309-08:00Serenity, Courage, and Wisdom<p><em>"God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."</em><br /></p><br /><p>It has been over seventy years since that prayer was first penned by Neo-Orthodox theologian/ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr. Since then it has been adopted as the official prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous and is respected by individuals of different religious backgrounds...indeed, even by those of no religious background. The atheist philosopher Ayn Rand praised it as being "profoundly true, as a summary and a guideline: it names the mental attitude which a rational man must seek to achieve" (<em>Philosophy: Who Needs It</em>. New York: Penguin, 1984, p. 23).</p><p>Personally, this prayer ranks as #3 on my list of favorites, right behind The Lord's Prayer and The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. However, like all prayers (including the two aforementioned), The Serenity Prayer can take on the quality of a rote, formulaic mantra devoid of any personal meaning when uttered inattentively or without full understanding of its substance. Here is my humble attempt to shed light on the deep philosophical and theological meaning of the three separate statements in this prayer:</p><p><strong><em>Serenity to accept the things we can not change.</em></strong> This seemingly simple statement involves the deepest issues of philosophy (specifically, the fundamental branch of metaphysics). For at its root is the acknowledgment that reality is what it is, that facts are what they are, independent of our own wishes or feelings. So much of the misery in human life comes from our psychological, emotional, or willful evasion of the plain facts of life, such as:</p><ul><li>God is quite willing to allow a great deal of suffering to take place out of respect for our own free will<br /></li><li>Human beings were made to be creative and productive, not to coast through life doing "as little as possible"<br /></li><li>Actions (and inactions) have consequences whether we like it or not</li><br /><li>No one else, and nothing else, can make us happy; we must choose happiness for ourselves and take responsibility to do those things which will make us truly happy</li><br /><li>We cannot force anyone to see things our way or to believe anything they don't want to believe</li></ul><p>These are fairly commonsensical notions, yet people consistently contradict them in their daily lives when they question God and His will every time tragedy besets them, or when they make irresponsible decisions regularly and then wonder why "life" treats them so unfairly. This prayer challenges us to examine and confess every negative attitude we hold, discerning whether that attitude is a legitimate gripe or merely a spineless unwillingness to deal with hard truth.</p><p><strong><em>Courage to change the things we can. </em></strong>If the first statement addresses the metaphysical issues of life (God and reality), then this statement addresses life's <em>moral </em>issues (personal responsibility). While there are certain fundamental facts about life <em>in general</em> that we can not change, God has granted each individual the freedom of choice concerning <em>his or her own life </em>for which each individual is personally responsible. In making these daily choices, most individuals resort to their "whims" or "feelings" as guides for what they will do, or they default to habits which may or may not be good ones. Then, when the undesired consequences of these choices are made manifest, rather than confess their responsibility, those same individuals assert that it was a situation "beyond my control," or they blame their bad choice on their upbringing or their brain chemistry, or they want the government to save them from the consequences, or - my favorite cop-out - acquiescently asserting that "shit happens."</p><p>It takes real moral courage to move beyond this victim mentality, to look at every moral situation we encounter, and then to face squarely the following questions:</p><ol><li>Which aspects of this situation are directly within my power to choose and change, and which are not?</li><br /><li>Based on my God-given reasoning ability (and the advice of others when available), what are the logical consequences of each option I have to choose, and am I personally willing to bear responsibility for those consequences?</li><br /><li>Which option and which consequences seem most consistent with the teachings of Scripture?</li></ol><p>This is truly the only way to effect significant "change" in our lives.</p><p><strong><em>Wisdom to know the difference. </em></strong>This final statement addresses the <em>practical</em> issues of judgment and discernment. In many situations, knowing the difference between what we can and cannot change is merely a matter of common sense. But ultimately, wisdom in <em>any </em>situation comes to us when the chief emotion of our hearts is reverence (fear) of God. In other words, our ultimate focus should <em>not </em>be on the problem we face, but on the One who provides us with ultimate meaning and hope for our lives. Put another way, we should interpret the specifics of life through the lens of the general purpose of life, not the other way around. To give two specific examples:</p><ul><li>At this moment a major source of worry in my life are two individuals for whom I care a great deal, but who have been making a lot of unwise choices that are bringing upon them an immense amount of pain and depression. My worries impel me to rush head on to "save" them, to fix the situation and literally preach at them to make them see the folly of their ways. I confess that I have lost sleep over both of these dear people. Yet as I step back and allow wisdom to have her way, I see that both situations are things that I can not change and must accept with serenity. Both individuals are free agents who are responsible for their own lives and their own happiness: I can bring them to the throne of grace in my prayers, asking the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. But I must let go of my worries, or my thoughts that I can do more than I actually can.</li><li>Historically, I have not been very good at processing my own anger. I often allow it to become bottled up inside of me, and then it comes out all at once when one little thing sets me off. In the past, I have been good at blaming that one little thing for my outbursts. But as I have matured in wisdom, I have come to realize that this is an area of my life over which I alone am responsible. While I certainly need to rely on the graceful, sanctifying power of God, I acknowledge that this is an area in which I needed to make a change...I needed to process my negative emotions in a more godly way.</li></ul><p>In a nutshell, my challenge to all of us is to pray the Serenity Prayer, but let us not pray it in the manner of a pious platitude. Let us pray it, rather, fully understanding the nature of the serenity, courage, and wisdom that we are asking God to grant us.</p>Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-31611170752399535822009-11-26T05:35:00.000-08:002009-11-28T06:27:41.158-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!For the Christian, and even for the Jew, this day is kind of unnecessary.<br /><br />Seriously, those of us who claim the Biblical story as our own should not need to set aside one day of the year for giving thanks. Thankfulness ought to be the consistent emotion of our hearts, given what we believe about who God is and who we are.<br /><br />The Biblical account avers that each individual is a sinner who stands (deservingly) under God's judgment. Ironically, however, the Bible also affirms the incredible reality that God Himself continuously takes the initiative in reaching out to us in reconciliation and love.<br /><br />In fact, Scripture's unique message is that true religion <em>never </em>consists of human beings trying to take the initiative with God. True religion is always a humble response to what God already has graciously done on our behalf.<br /><br />God took the initiative in creating us in His Divine image and charging us with the holy responsibility of being stewards of creation. He took the initiative in seeking us out when we fell short of His standards. He took the initiative in creating a community of people - the Jews - who were called to live out His will in the world that all nations might be blessed. And he took the initiative to dwell among us in the Person of Jesus Christ, bringing the definitive revelation of God's character and purposes, and the definitive act of redemption in the scandalous beauty of the Cross.<br /><br />And what is our part in this? Simply to respond...to repent, believe, and live a life worthy of the love that God has so freely given to us. We do not come closer to God by <em>doing </em>anything, certainly not be taking any initiative with God.<br /><br />In fact, the Bible reveals with total honesty the horrors that result when we humans come before God with a grasping ambition. We need only think of Adam and Eve going for the fruit of the tree, the building of the Tower of Babel, Abraham's attempt to "force" God to give him the heir He promised, etc... In the long run, anything we do apart from God's grace will give us little reason for thankfulness.<br /><br />So enjoy today: The parades, the football, the time with family, the food, and the shopping (well, maybe not the shopping...). But in your prayers ask God to cultivate within your soul a consistent "attitude of gratitude" that transcends this national holiday. Certainly the Pilgrims - those whom we commemorate on this day - would agree with me.Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4033363694270935937.post-30851004313504411942009-11-05T12:16:00.000-08:002009-11-05T12:40:02.613-08:00Jeff's Oscars - Pre-1980For the years prior to 1980, I'll avoid personal commentary, and just list the year's winner, noting when I disagree with the Academy's final vote.<br /><br />1979 - <em>Kramer vs. Kramer </em>(Jeff's pick: <em>Apocalypse Now</em>)<br /><br />1978 - <em>The Deer Hunter</em><br /><em></em><br />1977 - <em>Annie Hall </em>(Jeff's pick: <em>Star Wars</em>)<br /><br />1976 - <em>Rocky </em>(Jeff's picks: <em>All the President's Men </em>or <em>Network</em>)<br /><br />1975 - <em>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</em><br /><em></em><br />1974 - <em>The Godfather Part II</em> (<em>Chinatown </em>is a close second!)<br /><br />1973 - <em>The Sting</em><br /><em></em><br />1972 - <em>The Godfather</em><br /><em></em><br />1971 - <em>The French Connection </em>(Jeff's pick: <em>Fiddler on the Roof)</em><br /><em></em><br />1970 - <em>Patton</em><br /><em></em><br />1969 - <em>Midnight Cowboy </em><br /><br />1968 - <em>Oliver! </em>(Jeff's pick: <em>2001: A Space Odyssey </em>or <em>The Lion in Winter</em>)<br /><br />1967 - <em>In the Heat of the Night </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Cool Hand Luke</em>)<br /><br />1966 - <em>A Man for All Seasons</em><br /><em></em><br />1965 - <em>The Sound of Music </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Doctor Zhivago</em>)<br /><br />1964 - <em>My Fair Lady </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Becket </em>or <em>Dr. Strangelove</em>)<br /><br />1963 - <em>Tom Jones</em><br /><em></em><br />1962 - <em>Lawrence of Arabia </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em>)<br /><br />1961 - <em>West Side Story </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Judgment at Nuremberg</em>)<br /><br />1960 - <em>The Apartment</em><br /><em></em><br />1959 - <em>Ben-Hur</em><br /><em></em><br />1958 - <em>Gigi </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>The Defiant Ones</em>)<br /><br />1957 - <em>The Bridge on the River Kwai </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Witness for the Prosecution</em>)<br /><br />1956 - <em>Around the World in Eighty Days </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Giant</em>)<br /><br />1955 - <em>Marty</em><br /><em></em><br />1954 - <em>On the Waterfront</em><br /><em></em><br />1953 - <em>From Here to Eternity </em><br /><em></em><br />1952 - <em>The Greatest Show on Earth </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>High Noon</em>)<br /><br />1951 - <em>An American in Paris </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>A Streetcar Named Desire </em>or <em>Quo Vadis</em>)<br /><br />1950 - <em>All About Eve</em><br /><em></em><br />1949 - <em>All the King's Men </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Twelve O'Clock High</em>)<br /><em></em><br />1948 - <em>Hamlet</em><br /><em></em><br />1947 - <em>Gentlemen's Agreement </em><br /><em></em><br />1946 - <em>The Best Years of Our Lives </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>It's a Wonderful Life</em>)<br /><br />1945 - <em>The Lost Weekend</em><br /><em></em><br />1944 - <em>Going My Way </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Double Indemnity</em>)<br /><br />1943 - <em>Casablanca</em><br /><em></em><br />1942 - <em>Mrs. Miniver </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Yankee Doodle Dandy</em>)<br /><br />1941 - <em>How Green Was My Valley </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Citizen Kane </em>or <em>The Maltese Falcon</em>)<br /><br />1940 - <em>Rebecca </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>The Great Dictator </em>or <em>The Philadelphia Story</em>)<br /><br />1939 - <em>Gone With the Wind</em><br /><em></em><br />1938 - <em>You Can't Take It With You </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>Boys Town</em>)<br /><br />1937 - <em>The Life of Emile Zola </em>(Jeff's Pick: <em>The Good Earth</em>)<br /><br />And that's about as far back as I go, except to say that the Academy got it right in 1934 with <em>It Happened One Night </em>and in 1931 with <em>Grand Hotel. </em>Both great flicks!<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed this stroll down Oscar lane!Jeff Kahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13016581430364691310noreply@blogger.com2