Why do we feel lonely?

I am getting two opportunities a week to revisit this question via a study in the Book of Genesis.  Genesis offers a spiritual answer to this question alongside the scientific answers we encounter daily.  Why?  How do we come to be here in the first place?  Is there a reason for it all or is this the sum of a billion different random chances?  These questions are answered for every person on earth with varying levels of intensity.

How is it that our universe exists?  We are told it is expanding at a faster and faster rate... but expanding into what?  We are told that according to statistical probability there should be millions of 'earth like' planets out there in space and, again, statistically speaking thousands of them should contain life.  Still... everywhere we turn our gaze we find probability and possibility but nothing like the planet we inhabit.

What does my being alive mean?  What does my death mean?  If it is all meaningless then it is a cruel and terrible thing to spend ones life learning, growing and building only to cease to exist.

So, I choose to find meaning in the faith answers provided by Scripture.  Genesis tells me that there is a reason for it all, there is an intent behind it all.  "God saw that it was good" gives me hope in the face of death.  The values of love, honesty, kindness, faith and joy are worthy and provide a basis for a life here and now but also in the future.

This puts me squarely in the 'religious' camp and likely in smaller company than other views. So be it... but I am enjoying the process of looking at it again.

One Size Fits All

The other day I saw a bumper sticker with which you may have some familiarity... it is just one word and is composed of all the symbols used by the world's religions:  COEXIST.  In the words of a famously beat down man:  "Can't we all just get along?"  If you stupidly religious people would just pull your head out... we'd have a far better world.

This is an interesting viewpoint.  I think it is built on a culture that is widely varied with choices.  Like fast food?  Your choices are extensive.  Want to buy some clothing?  Anyone who watches TV could quickly name 5 places where your clothing needs can be met.  Need some groceries?  A plethora of stores, all fully stocked, await your arrival.  So it is no wonder that people see this same viewpoint when it comes to churches.  Have some vague sense that there is something more than just this world?  There are more religions than you could shake a stick at (wonder where that euphemism came from?).  All claim to have direct connection with the mind of God.   All prescribe certain behaviors and thoughts that when acheived should give you peace of mind and holiness.   If they just weren't so 'exclusive' we wouldn't have any problems.  This is a problem by the way.  When you claim to speak with the blessing of God... it's hard to be wrong until you are.

What is a person to do?  We live in a world that is increasingly separating along 'party lines'.  There are now 7 BILLION people in the world (and McDonald's has made a burger for each of them if you see their signs...) and it seems that at some point in time there will be a 'play' for some of the precious resources left.  It is most likely that this will be along secterian lines and the 'team' with the best organization, plans, weapons and warriors will win the day.  That may be pessimistic but I don't think it is that far afield.  Besides, this is my blog and I get to say whatever I am thinking.  There hasn't been a government in the world that hasn't made use of God in one way or another...  "Gott Mitt Uns" was on the belt buckles of Nazi soldiers.  "In God we Trust" is on the currency of a nation that pretty clearly doesn't anymore and maybe never did...

I must admit that I have only the ability to delineate a problem and would be straying down the wrong path if I used this platform to promote my view (although I have already declared it my blog...).  The usual answer is that this is a personal choice and should not be imposed on the nation in which one lives.  Try telling that to the nations in Africa that have recently deposed their long term dictators.  What form of government are they installing?  Not trying to be prophet here but...

So... what store should we shop at today?  Someday there may not be much choice.

Thanks for listening.

The Six Weeks have ended

Six weeks have passed in our lives measured from the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.  In that span of time I have been the 'preacher' at our church.  (Our pastor completed 25 years of service in January and the church decided to send him on a 3 month sabbatical)  Having had several months lead time to think, plan and pray we went on a 5 week retrospective study in the Gospel of John.  If you, the reader, are interested in hearing any of these you may locate them on the website of the church:  cedarhome.org and if you go to the 'listen' section they should be there for a few weeks.

On Saturday we attended the funeral of a former neighbor.  She had battled 5 long years against lung cancer. A life-long non-smoker she did not give in to the disease and though it took her life it did not destroy her.  It was an up-lifting service and an opportunity to join with much of the Stanwood community in honoring this fine friend, wife and mother.

Did I mention that I am a blessed man?

Musings in late September

Life is grand!  So many opportunities to learn and grow keep coming my way.  I find myself having to remember something important... there are way too many people my age (and younger) that are done too soon.  I remember a song by Neil Diamond called just that "Done too Soon".  It was on the B side of a single - oddly enough I don't remember the single - and in the song he names all kinds of people who passed away before their time.  The song ended:
    And each one of them
    has one thing shared

    Have sweated beneath the same Sun
    And looked up in wonder at the same moon
    And wept when it was all done
    For being done too soon. 

So here is celebrating (quietly and in a dignified manner) the joy and wonder of being alive.  The world is:
in the words of A. J. Rimmer (fusspot to the world)
   "A place of wonder, amazement and... wonder."
Salut!

Trips in Genesis

This evening I will begin teaching through the book of Genesis to our home fellowship group.  Tonight we will be talking about what was there before the first verse: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Our current society is built upon the premise that science has the answer to every question.  Given enough time and chance to experiment the answer will be able to be displayed.  But even science has some basic pre-suppositions:
     1.  Everything that exists can be proven.  If it cannot be proven then it does not exist.
     2.  We can measure everything and repeat the measurement again.
The current view of our world is that we are the result of 'billions and billions' of years of time and during this interval of time amazing things have happened.  These amazing things have happened by the laws of physics and science and are not the result of any intelligent being called God.

It is this belief is now beginning to bear fruit among the young people of our country:  There is nothing to believe in.  No great cause for which to sacrifice.  The only reality is the relatively short 70 or 80 years of life and so the best thing to do is to experience as much of life as possible.  Don't worry if that experience ultimately leads to your death as you are going to die anyway. "Better to burn out than fade away" was in the suicide note of Kurt Cobain summing up all that is left for our younger generation.  Taste it, try it, explore it... this is the new mantra.

As always, the old generation doesn't get the new one.  What man learns from history is that man learns nothing from history.  Easy to get pessimistic.  But we will see where this series of lessons will go.

A Tenth Anniversary survived

As anyone with access to the T.V. internet or any other kind of media knows we just passed the 10th Anniversary of a terrible day for anyone in the Fire/Police community.  I had the very distinct priviledge of being the person who was designated to preach at our church on that day.  I asked all the men/women in our church who are LEOFF (Law Enforcement Officers/Fire Fighters) and there are easily a dozen and a half from all over the area, to wear their uniforms or Class A uniforms in a show of respect for those who died that day.  Not everyone could do it.  Some felt it would draw undue attention on themselves and so chose to dress normally.  I completely understand.  What really surprised me (and it shouldn't have) was that the police officers who came to church in uniform were armed!  Of course they were!  Once you put on the uniform you identify yourself as a target.  No officer I know would like to announce that to the world without the ability to defend themselves.  It is a lot easier for we firefighters.  People like us.

If you would like to listen to the 'sermon' you may do so at the website of the church.  Just go to cedarhome.org and look for the title "Don't Let Your Heart Be Troubled: You Mean I've Got a Choice?" in the appropriate section.  Let me know what you think.

A Quick Trip

Whew!  I took a quick trip back to the State of Minnesota (where I grew up) for the wedding of my niece.  Flew there on a Friday and back home on Tuesday.  Had a great time though, got to see my three grandsons again, saw three of my five children, saw my parents, saw my second sister and her husband and 2 of their 3 kids, saw some friends from growing up years, saw some fireworks from the Grandstand show at the Minnesota State Fair (not from the fairgrounds but from a house nearby), saw some food I had never seen or tasted before - we went to a Nepal/Tibetan restaurant (it was good!).  I saw way too much of the middle seat of two airliners... why is it that if you pay for a seat some (PC here) 'overlarge' person gets to take 15 - 25 % of your seat too?  I hate the "Tyranasaurus Rex" postition (where your arms are attached to your rib cage) just because somebody is too big for the seat they paid for and have to spill over into mine).  Oh well... it was a great time.  Looks like it might be next summer before I do it again... I hope.