The Cloud and the Storm

When I left the University on Monday, I noticed an ominous-looking cloud in the sky. Although it was beautiful in the evening sky, it looked like it was bulging with all types of precipitation and mayhem. While sitting in a coffee shop yesterday, I learned that I was not the only one who noticed this cloud. These college-aged kids could not stop talking about it. They called it "The cloud that brought Zeus." Whenever there was a lull in the conversation, someone would say “how about that cloud yesterday” and everyone else would say “yeah dude, that was awesome.” 

Personally, it made me remember my younger years when my family lived on a hill so that every spring we could see the bulging thunderhead clouds coming over the horizon.  Usually, seeing a cloud this massive would signify a coming storm. Unfortunately for the dying plants of central Texas, Monday’s cloud did not bring any rain to our area. It did supply us with a brief sense of joy and a bunch of facebook status updates.

In Matthew 8, the author describes how some clouds appeared that did bring about rain and wind. Even though Jesus and the disciples were in a boat, which is generally not where you would want to be during a storm, Jesus went to sleep. It seems that all of the men on the boat thought that their situation was dire, except for Jesus. When the disciples woke him, Jesus rebuked the storm and calmed the sea.

Some people interpret Jesus’ sleeping as a sign of his ability to feel at peace in tough circumstances. Although that is true, may be Jesus also knew that this storm simply was not that bad. He may have known that the boat was strong enough and the sailors were capable. In the end, may be Jesus knew how his life was going to end, but it was not from drowning in a rainstorm. 

May be we need to learn to see a cloud as a cloud. When our situations ominously tower above us, covering our view, we should try to take a step out and consider that things might appear worse than they are.

Healed

I feel that I am extremely blessed to have had an amazing childhood. Having a 2 acre yard meant that we had space to run around and do all kinds of boy things, like building forts and playing ball. We even had a sandbox. We could make a game out of just about anything. We also played with other neighborhood kids. We did not always enjoy showering, so mom would take us to my grandmother’s house for swimming so we would be at least a little clean.

There is a growing amount of medical evidence which suggests that my early exploration was not only good for my happiness as a child, but possibly also my health as an adult. The hygiene hypothesis is a theory which suggests that not coming into contact with bacterias and diseases early in life may impair the growth of one’s immune system, resulting in immune system-related problems such as allergies and asthma. It is similar to getting a flu shot which contains a small amount of the disease to build up one’s immunity to that particular disease. I have even heard of successful medical procedures in which the bacteria from a healthy person is transferred to a sick person, then the disease is eradicated.

In Matthew 8:14 - 17, Jesus heals many people of their diseases. First he heals Peter’s mother-in-law, then others who were brought to him. Matthew then quotes Isaiah 53, in which the prophet foretold that Jesus would be a healer, taking up our diseases and infirmities. It seems that Jesus’ healing was a powerful demonstration of God’s care for the pain suffered in humanity.

What about the rest of us who may have never had a serious infectious disease or have been possessed by a demon? Can we not know the love of God in the same way?

Using the logic of the hygiene hypothesis, one might suggest that there are actually three types of people: (1) those who are sick and yet to be healed, (2) those who are not sick because they have not yet come into contact with the disease, and (3) those who are pre-healed through immunity. 

I think this type of viewpoint might be helpful in the way we think about other people. We are all vulnerable to the brokenness of the world, but for some problems God has placed within us healing before our affliction. For other issues we may be vulnerable and yet to be afflicted. The most powerful set may be those things we have actually encountered directly and experienced healing.

How to Ask

My four year-old niece knows how to ask in a way that is conducive to getting a good answer. She looks at you sincerely, with a cute little face that is hard to resist. I am not sure where children learn this, but it can be very effective. Even when they ask over and over again, it can still be hard to say “no.”

In Matthew 8, Jesus encounters two men who made very effective requests of him. One of them was a man with Leprosy, who said to Jesus: “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.” The second man told Jesus about the affliction (his servant was sick), but then also said he was not worthy to have Jesus enter his household. Jesus responded very positively to both of these men, granting their requests. 

It seems to me that the two things these questions had in common were faith and humility. Both men expressed their complete confidence that Jesus could grant their requests. They probably had heard many stories about Jesus’ power to heal the sick. However, neither man expressed much confidence that Jesus would grant their requests. They humbly asked, knowing that Jesus was under no particular obligation to acquiesce to their requests.

Although we may have learned how to ask when we were very young, I think we often forget about it when it comes to God. Instead we often ask God “Why Me?” with this glaring sense of entitlement. People sometimes even ask questions of God, while putting on the line whether or not they will continue to believe. We treat God like a vending machine, always expecting to get what we want when we push the right button. 

God is not a vending machine, or even some nebulous “force” in the universe. God is an  immense, omnipotent, and creative being that has a will, not an algorithm. I hope we can learn to treat God that way!

Desirably Difficult

Very often, we want our lives to be easier. We want things to be convenient, accessible, and user-friendly. For example, if you went to an important presentation, you might be really frustrated if someone gave you an outline of it that was organized differently from the actually presentation. You might think they were out to get you or playing a joke. 

However, when some researchers gave some of their students outlines consistent with the paper they would read and others inconsistent, something different happened. When it came to memory, the consistent outline was superior. When the students were required to solve problems with the knowledge they had gained, seeing an inconsistent outline was actually more advantageous (Mannes & Kintsch, 1987). Although the inconsistently organized information was more difficult, the end result was better than that which was easier.

In Matthew 7, Jesus talked to his followers about adding some difficulty in their walk. He presents an analogy suggesting putting his words to practice in one’s life is like building a house on a strong foundation. When the inevitable storm of life comes, the house stands firm. By contrast, hearing Jesus’ words and not putting them into practice is like building one’s house on an insecure foundation. In this situation, the house will not stand through the trials of life and is destroyed.

It seems to me that many Christians have interpreted this portion of Matthew 7 to mean that putting one’s faith in Christ is a firm foundation. I do not think that is necessarily incorrect, but it seems to me that Jesus is saying something else. Jesus suggests that actively putting his words into practice is a firm foundation. However, rock is much harder than sand, therefore building on a rock would likely be much more difficult than sand. 

One way that Christians traditionally have practiced difficulty is during the season of Lent. During this time, one may choose to abstain from something as an exercise in remembering the difficulty that Jesus encountered in his life. Of course practicing lent is not the only way to encounter difficulty, usually it just happens. When it does, I think it is useful to think that I am just securing that strong foundation, knowing it will be better if it is strong.

Potential and Evidence

One of the things I like about the area I live is that the city of Austin seems to be chuck full of idealistic visionaries. In this town, it seems like people have many big ideas, especially about technology and culture. Twitter was first introduced at a conference here 5 years ago. Gowalla also was started in Austin and is still based here. Forbes magazine rated Austin as the second most innovative city in the United States.

I think I tend to connect with the innovative culture because I am an optimist, I tend to focus on potential. I like to think big and imagine immense possibilities for the future. It is also exciting to get involved on the ground floor of something that may become huge.    

Unfortunately, focusing on potential can also lead to problems. Sometimes when I focus on someone’s potential, I fail to see the proof in the pudding, so to speak. For example, I once dated someone who I noticed did not go to church unless I was with her. Since involvement in a church community is something I think is important, I should have been concerned. Instead, I focused on her potential because we talked often about how God was very important in her life. Eventually I came to realize that the true importance of her faith to her was much more aligned with her church attendance than her words. 

In Matthew 7:15-23, Jesus uses an analogy to tell his followers how they should try to recognize the honesty of someone’s faith. He says that a good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. It sounds so very simple, but it rings true in my life. In a recent book, sociologist and researcher Bradley R. E. Wright said that most survey research suggests that Christian behavior is much more aligned with regular church attendance than it is identifying ones’ self as a Christian.

As with most things, this has to start with me. As I examine my own life, I need to honestly ask myself: “Am I producing fruit, or just focusing on my own potential?” Would Jesus say to me: “Here is a man whose genuineness you can see through his fruit?” 

Second, I also think it is worthwhile to seek counsel from others whose lives reflect their ability to bear good fruit. I know that in the past I have tended to listen to just about anyone who offers advice. I think Jesus would have us weight their advice by the evidence of fruit in their lives.

Barking Stance

It is always funny for me to see my brothers dog, Molly, attempt to “speak.” She is a very smart and trainable Bichon Frise, she knows what she is supposed to do. She assumes a barking stance. She forms her face into a barking expression. Then she opens and closes her jaws. She looks like she is barking, but it takes a while for any sound to come out. When it finally does, it is not nearly as loud as the sound she makes when she is really barking. I think this happens because dogs usually bark instinctually as a reaction to something, so it is hard for her to re-create such an experience deliberately.

Even for humans it seems there are a few things in life which cannot be obtained by actively seeking to obtain them. One might be sleep. If you are trying to go to sleep, it often will not happen. It seems like you have to simply put yourself in a sleeping posture, then sleep comes. 

Several studies have found that happiness may be a similar process. Participants who listened to music in order to make themselves happy were less happy than those who just listened to it . Similarly, another study found that individuals who value happiness more, were actually less happy.

In Matthew 7:7-12, Jesus seems to be telling his followers two separate (seemingly contradictory) things. First he tells them to seek and they will find. Then he tells them that God is like their father, who will give them good things. It seems a little contradictory because if I find something myself, why do I have to depend on God giving me something? 

Although it seems contradictory, it fits with some of my life’s endeavors. Sometimes everything appears to be in order, yet something does not work, the reason for the failure is illusive. The opposite also occurs, where all signs point to failure, then success is the outcome. 

I think the reality of the situation is that we are supposed to use the resources God has given us to “ask, seek, and knock.” However, we also have to realize that our receiving good things or being successful is not entirely related to our efforts. May be we are a little like Molly, trying to act out the bark. We have to keep trying, trusting God that he will produce the sound.

Solidarity

It is a little hard for me to fight back a feeling of disgust related to the current labor dispute happening between the players and owners in the National Football League. On the news we see both sides going back and forth to negotiations with expensive lawyers, fancy suits, and luxurious vehicles. For the majority of people, such a lifestyle is a stark contrast from our own. When we see them arguing because both sides want more than the millions they already have, it is a hard pill to swallow. It seems like both sides should take their money and be grateful for having such success.

Underlying such a feeling may be my notion that I would NOT act that way if I were in their shoes. However, I think this is a pretty negative judgment on my part. I am failing to understand the relative nature of the situation. For example, I would imagine that a slave fighting for his or her freedom to exist might have a similar feeling of disgust for teachers in Wisconsin who are fighting for their collective bargaining rights.

In Matthew 7:1- 5, Jesus warned his followers against judging others. Immediately afterwards, he talks about not giving “pearls to pigs (verse 6).” Although it seems like the second part is unrelated, I think there is a pretty strong connection between the two teachings. I think that Jesus is saying that judging others is like giving pearls to pigs, a waste of useful resources. 

Surely if I were invited to the negotiation to give a pep talk to the NFL players and owners and tell them that they are highly blessed and being ridiculous, they would suddenly see the error of their ways and resolve the dispute immediately, right? Then I could be the knight in shining armor that saves football fans from the increasing likelihood of a weepy fall without NFL football. 

In my opinion, such an effort would actually be an exercise in futility, like giving pearls to a pig. However, if I were to take a similarly critical look at how similar scenarios may occur in my own life, some change might actually occur.