That's What Faith Must Be

As my readers know I am a Christian. Sometimes I cringe at saying that because I know some of the preconceived notions that people have about Christians. Unfortunately some of those notions have proven true over the years. When I think of what it really means to be a Christian I am left with really only one answer. At its core, its very essence, Christianity is faith in the God of the Bible and His son Jesus Christ. The question then becomes "What is faith?"

Since this is a simple blog I can only answer simply. I'll leave the detailed explanations to the Theologians. For my part I will only answer from my experience.

Last year I blogged about my family and the joy we shared at the coming of a new baby. Children are always a blessing from the Lord. But in November we lost that baby. I blogged a bit about that too. It was a hard time. We looked forward to the baby with great anticipation. He was one of us; flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. Though I never knew him I still loved him. Then he was gone. A relationship ended before it had begun.

And so I wondered at God. Why does He do things like that?

I never got an answer to that question. I didn't really expect to. He is God. I am not. That's just the way it is.

A year has passed now. I'm still asking the Lord some hard question. Since the time of the scenes laid before you in the above paragraph I have also lost a dear friend and brother unexpectedly. Now I find myself in a situation where my house is sold and I have no place to move my family. In short I find myself in an ever shifting landscape that I don't understand. It's a very unsettled place.

Even though I don't "get" what's going on I'm still walking with God. My beautiful wife of 14 years is again pregnant. What a blessing! And yet even in this pregnancy I am walking by faith. Faith in what? It's not a faith that the baby will thrive. It's not a faith that we will get a new house. It's not a faith that when I get through it all it will suddenly make sense to me. It's a faith that God is God and that He is Good. That's it. It's that simple.

As a final thought, please don't read into this that I am strong and brave. I am neither. I am asking God hard questions because my faith is weak and I struggle. Like the man in the Bible I cry out "I believe. Help my unbelief!". I'm walking in faith and believing that He knows what's best...because I don't.

UPDATE:  The buyer for our house found that they can't get financed after all.  That's the second deal that's fallen through for the same reason.  What's that mean for us?  Not much.  We're still unsettled and still waiting on the Lord.  Our faith is being tested once again.  Right now I can thank God that He is still working.  

A Vote for Conscience

Have you ever heard the term "vote your conscience"?  I hear it every time a presidential election starts to gear up. The truth is I'm not very politically minded by nature. It's a chore for me to follow elections and campaigns. In recent years, though, I have become increasingly aware of my responsibility as a good citizen of the world.

As a Christian I do not feel that I can definitively commit myself to a single party. My heart belongs to Christ and Him alone.  Not surprisingly C.S. Lewis did a remarkable job of explaining it in an essay in the compilation called "God in the Dock.  I have searched for the title of that essay and I can't find it.  I'll plan to post it in a comment when I find it. But I digress.  In the last election I had to look at all the candidates to evaluate them based on what qualities I felt would make a good leader. I ended up not at all sure who to vote for.

On the one hand I had the Democrats. I am pretty conservative overall so I generally shy away from this party.  However, I do not bitterly hate anyone from the party and find that some of the ideals are in alignment with things I believe in (I think I just heard and audible gasp from the Republican readers of my blog).

On the other hand I had the Republicans.  Yes I'm conservative, but when you really look at an individual candidating for the American presidency, you must also evaluate their leadership abilities.  I didn't see much coming from the GOP.  Also, just because a candidate has conservative ideals doesn't mean their life is not full of compromise.  That was also a common theme at the time.

So what's a white middle class conservative Christian American male to do?  I...I can hardly say it...I voted 3rd party!

As you pick yourself up off the floor, I'll let you know that I'm not going to write in this blog which party I voted for.  It doesn't really matter.  The point is that I voted 3rd party. 

An acquaintance of mine was absolutely appalled.  He is a died-in-the-wool Republican.  He works to distribute literature locally and is a staunch supporter of the GOP.  He was quite animated that I would throw away my vote.  Isn't it interesting that even in the land of opportunity we assume that there are really only two parties?  We don't even pretend that a 3rd party will win.  It just will not happen.  According to this person if a conservative voter does not vote Republican, it's almost like giving your vote to the Dem's.  And so I was duly chastised.

Frankly, when I look at a candidate for anything I'm looking at 1) personal character and 2) leadership abilities.  I really don't care what party they are affiliated with.  I want to know who they are and can they handle this position.  And I pray.  I don't make a move of this magnitude without prayer. 

Well, you know the end of the story: the Dem's won out, the GOP started searching for a new candidate, and my life went on pretty much like always.  Did my vote help put a Democrat in office?  Maybe.  But at the end of the day I can stand before God and I am confident that I am not simply voting for a party.  I'm voting for God.  I may get it wrong sometimes, but that's okay.  He knows my heart.  In fact, He's the one speaking to me in that still small voice...my conscience.  So vote your conscience.  God knows who will win.  I don't think He's intimidated.

Be A Man

As many of my readers know, I am a proponent of manhood. Yes, some may call that sexist but it's not. I do not promote manhood against womanhood. It is merely a celebration of being a man. I've been giving some thought on the topic now that the weather in the Midwest states begins to feel very autumn-ish. As always happens this time of year I get ready to walk out the door and I am put into a quandary. To wear or jacket or not to wear a jacket. That is the question. As I am typically a hot blooded sort of man I don't like to wear a jacket until it's good and cold. However, when it raining hard I generally use a windbreaker. That's just how I roll.

What is amazing to me is that every time I wear a jacket or a coat, almost without exception, someone will question my manhood. "Are you serious? Do you really need a jacket? It's not even cold out here!". Or "I don't wear a coat until it gets below freezing!".

Every single time.

Men need tests of manhood in their lives. Say what you will but it's embedded deep within our psyche. We must prove we are men. I don't think that's all bad. Every society must choose for themselves what the test will be.

Ours is apparently whether or not you wear a jacket.

Seriously it is pathetic what we in America do to prove we are men. If you scratch yourself and drink beer you must be a man. If you curse and disrespect authority you must be a man. If you gain power and image you must be a man.

It was not always the case. In America we had fine men who knew what it was to be both strong and kind. They knew how to act in the field and display manners at the table. Today we are in desperate need of modern examples of manliness. Real men who are not defined by societal influence but are rather driven to do that which is right. If you'll indulge me, I'll provide a few examples.

Example 1: My Grandpa
My Dad's dad was a true man. He was part of the last great generation. He served in the second world war and afterward moved to Detroit. He wanted to work in the automotive industry but became an educator in the public school system. He even wore a pocket protector. What made him a man, though, was his commitment. He was a loving husband to two wives (one died at a young age) and fathered three children. He could fix anything that broke. He was a master with wood and genius with mechanics. If you had a problem with your car, he'd come over for a visit in his trademark dress slack (yes....slacks is a good description) and short sleeved button down shirt and climb right under your car to start working. Yet he was, in my mind, refined. He was an antique dealer and his table manners were impeccable. The truth is, he was a nerd before being a nerd was cool. He was committed to seeing his family taken care of. He was committed to serving God in church. He was committed to helping others. He was committed to doing what was right even when there were easier ways.

Example 2: Harold
My friend, Harold, is father to 9 children. That was not a typo. He has structured his life, both professionally and personally, in a way that allows him to give of himself to his wife and children. He has had a series of successful businesses (construction based) in which he actively involves his sons. He considers his wife's needs and desires in his decision making and actively communicates his love for her. He puts a strong emphasis on loving God and serving others. Selfless is the word that comes to mind. And the results? I've never met a finer bunch of kids in my life.

Example 3: Chuck Norris
No, this is not a joke. I've spent some time learning about Chuck. I've been a martial arts fan my whole life. Although the Chuck Facts may be humorous (some are not) they do not in any way truly measure this man. Despite what you may think of him politically you cannot deny that Chuck is in every way a gentleman. He is passionate about God and country. He loves his wife and children. He uses his ample resources to help others, including under-privileged children who receive martial arts classes that emphasize self worth and good citizenship...all for free. His dedication to serving God in more recent years has been evident in his life and his writings. Plus, his roundhouse kick totally rocks.

The truth is that manhood, real manhood, is not about brute strength and Neanderthal-like thinking. It's not about power and prestige. It's not about money. Its not even about wearing a jacket. Its about commitment, honesty, integrity and love. It's about a selfless devotion to God. It's about strength of character.

True manhood is about living to serve.

As I thought of this post I found it difficult to identify modern examples of real men.

How about you? Who are your examples of real men?

Sweat Equity

You can’t live in America without noticing a change in industry.  It’s not secret that manufacturing has largely moved overseas.  Manufacturing, some time ago, replaced agriculture as the primary way to make a living.  Now that both of these powerhouses are disappearing, we are moving to a service society.  Again, no surprises there.  But one thing I’ve noticed is that the manual labor, or traditional blue collar jobs that are available are being taken by older adults. 

I watched the other day as a road crew was working on the side of the road.  I noted that many of them were older men.  In fact, I would guess 90% of them.  I started noticing that trend in most places where manual labor is done.  I’ve recently visited some manufacturing plants and airports where most of the manual labor is being done by older men. 

I want to be clear here.  There is nothing wrong with these men doing the labor.  They are strong, young enough to work, and experienced enough to work hard.  What concerns me are the young men.  I was recently in a restaurant where a young man waited on me.  While he wasn’t serving my table, he was at another table and talking with some other young men and young women.  Those who were seated were studying to become anesthesiologists.  They all agreed that they were looking for position where they don’t have to work outside, sweat, or in general get “icky”. 

That’s my word…and I am making fun of them.

I think we can learn something from this.  First, don’t have a casual conversation when I’m in earshot because I do eavesdrop.  Second, I think we can learn that the generation of today, my generation, in general has no intention of getting their hands dirty.

I am saddened by this.

I’m saddened by this because we have lost a valuable commodity that once was so rick in America.  America became a leading exporter of goods pre-19th century precisely because it was made up of farmers and land owners.  They fed the American people and kept them in work.  We could then, as a nation, focus on exports of our commodities because we were rich both in those commodities and in the sweat equity necessary to harvest those commodities.  When the Industrial Revolution hit, we became a world leader again because we were rich in commodities and in sweat equity.  Today, we are rich in commodities….and we don’t seem to know how to harvest them.

I’m not suggesting that there is anything inherently wrong with a white collar office job.  I have one myself and I’m thankful for that.  I am suggesting, however, that when we as a nation turn up our collective noses at good jobs because they are not clean and require sweat then we have failed.  We have failed because if we will not use our own hands to provide for ourselves and our families then we are at the mercy of those who will do the hard work.  We will choose slavery over freedom.

A Conditioned Environment

I recently made a trip out west.  Specifically, I went to Texas and Nevada...in June.  Why don't business trips get planned according to season?  Why do I end up in New York in January and Fort Lauderdale in July? 

The heat wasn't bad though.  No, I don't mean because it was a "dry heat".  106 degrees is hot whether it's wet or dry.  No, it wasn't bad because I went from one air conditioned building to another in the comfort of an air conditioned car.  To be honest, I hardly noticed the heat. 

But that got me to thinking of by gone centuries where people actually lived and worked in that heat without *gasp* conditioned air.  They lived, and they thrived.  One evening I was in a desert area and the wind was blowing hard.  It was a cool wind, almost too cool.  I think the generations that past must have really loved that wind.  They probably lived to feel a cool wind in their face.

Yet in that heat of yesteryear I wonder how many of those settlers worked indoors.  There had to be some of course, but my guess is that they worked outdoors as much as possible.  Although a roof would provide welcome shade the four walls would prevent air flow and possibly create a stifling environment.  This is conjecture on my part.

But my point is this;  modern industry can only be what it is today because because of our complex energy grid.  Think about it this way.  Would Las Vegas be the mecca it is today if tourists came from far and wide to play games in an enclosed building without air conditioning?  Would they come to see shows in the daytime because without electricity you can't see the dancers?  In reality we only have a thriving office culture world wide because of energy. 

And because of that cultural shift we have lost many practical skills of our forefathers.

I'm so thankful for electricity.  I really am.  I'm thankful for computers, lights, power tools, and air conditioning.  I'm thankful because I know what a benefit they are.  I'm thankful because I recognize that they are luxuries and not a God given right.  And I can only be thankful because I've camped in a tent in sweltering humidity and almost freezing temperatures.  I've spent time butchering livestock and chopping wood.  I've hunted and fished and eaten fresh bass for breakfast.  I've done these things because I enjoy them.  And because of these things I start to realize just how good I've got it.

Spend some time with your kids teaching them these lessons.  Don't keep them inside all day when it's really hot outside.  Turn off the lights one day and purpose not to use them...even in the evening.  take them to a farmers market or a working farm.  Teach them about what life is really like.  They will learn that they've got it good...at least for now.

Fried Chicken

It was very hot in Southern Michigan today.  They forecast 89 degrees, but in reality it got up to 99 degrees.  The humidity made it feel about 105.  Unfortunately, we lost 17 chickens.  The only thing I see as a cause is the extreme heat.  We don't have those kind of days often around here so this is new territory.   I'll keep you posted.  Right now we're okay.  If we lose many more, I'll have to adjust the orders to reflect the loss.  I'll do everything I can to prevent that.  Thanks for your patience and understanding. 

Shackled by Must

I went to the Greenfield Village again over the Memorial Day holiday.  It was the Civil War Remembrance weekend.  I can't miss that!  As usual I got lost in thought and a yearning to finally understand simplicity.  This might be the real reason I like to go to Greenfield Village.  Maybe I really just like to get lost in the pre industrial age ponderings. 

As I was watching the re-enactors cooking their dinners over an open fire in the spring rain, I thought again that I am a man born out of time.  My joy would overflow if only I lived in a simpler time.  Yet as I allow that train of thought to take shape, I realize that being born into another time period would not give me the opportunity to appreciate that period.  Knowing me, no matter what period I was born into I would likely be looking to a time before that and longing for an even simpler way of life.

In fact, I realized that simple living starts with simple thinking.  It starts with a determination, a will, to live more simply.

But that's not so simple.

Here is the scene.  A man is rekindling a now damp fire in the rain.  His wife is stirring the pot and wiping the rain from her face with her apron.  Now, for just a moment forget about the fact that they are wearing civil war era clothing.  What are they doing that I could not do?  Notice I say "could" because, in fact, I would not stand in the rain....but I could.  And yet standing in the rain and cooking over an open fire, as much as it appeals to me, is in itself not simple living. 

Still, as I looked at the scene I have just described, I think it does point to something that feels a bit simpler.  The couple standing at the fire has given up a need to control their environment.  They have ceased dwell on the inclement weather.  Instead they have chosen to embrace the uncontrollable.  I wonder how often my complicated life has become complicated because I am trying to maintain control of everything.  It gets hot and humid so I retreat into the air conditioning, therefore I must have central air.  My stomach growls and I instantly reach for a snack therefore I must always have a snack close at hand.  I seek to be as comfortable as possible therefore I must maintain a good job and a high standard of living.  And with each "must" I shackle myself with complexity.

I know the scripture calls us to take dominion over the whole earth, to provide for our families, and God promises to meet our needs.  Still, I wonder what would happen if I made a list of "must's" and started letting go.  Maybe I'd begin to learn what real needs look like...and maybe life would be a little simpler.