From Why to Where

The following meditation was written by Doug Hood’s son, 

Nathanael Hood, MA, New York University

As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who was blind from birth. 

Jesus’ disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned so that he was born blind, this man or his parents?” 

Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents. 

This happened so that God’s mighty works might be displayed in him. 

(John 9:1-3)

     On December 26, 2004, the third largest earthquake ever recorded struck the west coast of northern Sumatra, rocking the fault-lines with the power of over 1,500 atomic bombs, vibrating the entire planet by one centimeter. The cataclysmic shockwaves birthed a series of apocalyptic tsunamis that reached upwards of 100-feet high. Due to the relative historical scarcity of tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, the surrounding coastal communities had no practical tsunami warning systems, guaranteeing local populations were unaware of their impending doom while the waters rushed their way. Almost a quarter million in fourteen different countries were killed, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history. A global humanitarian relief effort was swiftly organized, with food, medicine, and over $14 billion in international aid distributed to survivors and first responders. When the waters finally receded and the destruction cleared away, millions were left with a simple question: why? How, in a just, sane universe, could this happen?

     In the January 8, 2005 issue of The Los Angeles Times, reporters Teresa Watanabe and Larry B. Stammer published an article that examined the different theological responses to the 2004 tsunamis from the major world religions. Their findings revealed stark differences in how mankind’s great faith traditions grappled not just with tragedy, but with the theodical implications of disaster. Buddhists, according to a former Sri Lankan ambassador, believe in the doctrine of karmic law, not random chance, implying that the casualties received their just reward for the sins of their past or current lives while the survivors benefitted from their past or current goodnesses. According to a prominent Hindu faith leader in southern California, Hindus also believe in karma, but their belief in god(s) implies the intercession of a divine will: the god(s) sent the tsunamis to punish the afflicted communities’ bad karma. Meanwhile, a Wiccan high priestess in Wisconsin explained that earthquake and tsunamis were the result of “Mother Nature stretching—she had a kink in her back and stretched.”

     The response from the Abrahamic faiths were different. When asked, a prominent rabbi teaching at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles responded that such disasters were a “natural consequence of God’s decision to make a finite world.” But this begs the question of why, if God deliberately created a finite world, he couldn’t design one without physical and natural laws that periodically drown a quarter million innocent people. Meanwhile, according to the leader of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, mankind is called not to ask “why” but “what now”: “We should take it as a test from God to see how human beings respond.” It’s this last interpretation that perhaps comes closest to the Christian theological outlook, finding the idea of God’s causing the tsunamis a non-issue. As Baptist minister Douglas McConnell explained to Watanabe and Stammer, “believing that God deliberately caused the [tsunamis] is a difficult leap for those who believe God was revealed in the compassionate Jesus.”

     We see this belief here in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of John where Jesus’ disciples ask him if the suffering of a man blind since birth was karmic punishment for his family’s sins. Notice how Jesus responds. He doesn’t just reply in the negative, he rejects their premise that mankind’s suffering is ordained. Jesus changes the question, instead saying that what matters now is that in his presence, the mighty works of God might be displayed. Just as Jesus rejected their premise, this text invites us to change our question from why there is suffering to the location of Christ in the midst of said suffering. The answer can always be found in the midst of the church’s response to devastation: the donating of money, the sharing of shelter, the giving of food and medicine. It’s in the healing of the world that we come closer to Christ. We have no time for wondering why.

Faith in Prayer

The following is from Doug Hood's book,

Nurture Faith: Five Minute Meditations to Strengthen Your Walk with Christ

“Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously

and not to be discouraged.”

Luke 18:1 (Common English Bible)

     I believe in prayer. I believe that prayer is the most important fact in the life of anyone who determines to follow Jesus. The trouble with prayer is not belief in the practice – it is what is expected from the practice. For many, prayer is practiced as some sort of holy magic. Pray correctly and with enough faith and the desired result arrives every time. Unanswered prayer is simply the result of praying incorrectly or with insufficient faith. This belief is troubling if not downright harmful to a person of faith. In this sentence from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus teaches that we are to “pray continuously.” Rather than suggesting yet another formula for prayer – pray continuously - I believe our Lord is inviting us to discover at least two ways that prayer is effective.

     On one level, prayer opens the one who is praying to a relationship with God. Meaningful relationships are not built by one or two sentences that are shaped into a request, not with God or anyone else. “Continuous prayer” is the cultivation of a regular conversation with God. This is the kind of conversation found naturally between two people who care for one another. Whether we are angry or thankful, whether we are sharing from a broken heart or celebrating, we share continuously with those whom we love. Such conversations draw us closer to one another. It is that closeness with us that God desires.

     A second level involves the one for whom we pray. By our prayers that person is not alone. Continuous prayer keeps them in the fellowship of our thoughts and in our hearts. A community of faith is created which liberates them from walking a difficult path unaccompanied by someone who cares. Encouragement and strength bubbles forth when we know that there is someone who is “pulling for us.” Creating community among people of faith is one result of continuous prayer.

     Faith in prayer does not exclude expectations of the miraculous. God is still in the miracle business. But we are guilty of a grievous error when we reduce prayer to “getting what we want.” That makes God a dispenser of religious goods and services while we continue to build the life we want apart from God’s claim upon us. Christian prayer is always undergirded by a conviction that God is reconciling us to God’s self for the purposes of being used by God for God’s ongoing work in the world. “Continuous prayer” is an affirmation that our life is not ours to do as we wish. We belong to God and it is for God that we live.

Joy,

The Plain and Simple Gospel

“’Come, follow me,’ he said, ‘and I’ll show you how to fish for people.’”

Matthew 4:19 (Common English Bible)

            We are all living a deeply entangled, complex life. As complexity increases, so does our exhaustion. We run faster, master complex planning calendars that were designed to make life less cumbersome, and come to the end of many days feeling that we have been defeated. Present is a growing nostalgia for a simpler world – a desire for a plainer, clearer path forward. This general desire includes the spiritual realm. The hope is that the church would provide a rediscovery of God, a reclaiming of God’s strength for daily living, and direction for a larger purpose for which we may attach our lives. Unfortunately, what many find are cumbersome requirements for membership and multiple invitations to serve on committees that multiply our exhaustion. With church participation we discover that there are now more oars in the water that requires our attention.

            How can we return to a simpler time? Jesus is instructive. Notice that Jesus does not invite people to register for a six-week new member class. Jesus does not make committee assignments. Jesus does not examine doctrinal purity or demand conformity to creedal statements. Jesus quite simply asks that we follow him. To follow Jesus is to share life with Jesus in the fullest sense: to go where he goes, to listen to what he taught, and to participate in practices and disciplines that were important to him. An invitation to follow is the suggestion that there is something of value to be found. Naturally, to accept such an invitation begins with an acknowledgement that the present life isn’t working anymore. Unless we really believe that another approach to life is required, we will continue trying to make the present one work.

            The one other thing that Jesus asks is a posture of humility, a desire to learn, and willingness to participate in Jesus’ work: “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” All the work of Jesus is about one thing – looking for those who have wandered far from God and bringing them back home to the Father. As with any great work, there are multiple functions that must be accomplished. None of us are asked – or equipped – to do them all. Some of us are to be teachers, some will show hospitality, and others will be administrators, caregivers, and evangelists. Others will provide care and comfort to the broken. The various jobs to be done are many. But one goal remains: “to fish for people” that they may return to God. Jesus will show us the way.

            None of this suggests that boards and committees are without value to Jesus. Leadership boards must be populated with those who have demonstrated the capacity to respond to the promptings of God, to show people where Jesus is moving and call them to follow. Committees provide a responsible means for organizing a great work force for accomplishing all that Jesus seeks to do in a particular community. But, in this over complicated world, the church must not add unnecessary complexity to the simple call of Jesus to follow him and to participate with him in his grand redemptive purposes: a cup of cold water to the thirsty, a helping hand on the roadside, an encouraging word softly spoken. These are all within our reach. Nor are we called to carry the whole world on our backs. Our chief function is to point to the one who does, Jesus Christ. That is the Gospel, plain and simple.

          Joy,

Who Is Jesus Christ?

“Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 

‘Who do people say the Human One is?’”

Matthew 16:13 (Common English Bible)

            One of the great weaknesses of our spiritual life is the inadequacy of our concept of Jesus Christ. By any standard of measure, Jesus Christ is the most important person who ever lived. Persons of another faith or persons of no faith must grant the veracity of that fact. Each December Christmas is celebrated – or ignored – around the world as the birthday of Jesus. Rarely, if at all, does Christmas come and go unnoticed. For much of the world, the season of Christmas is an economic engine that drives employment, strengthens commerce, and builds financial portfolios. Understanding the person of Christ or belief in him is often of secondary importance. What seems to be of primary importance are the Christmas parties and shopping before the day of Christmas and the exhaustion and debt that follows. Even at this level of engagement, Christ seems to be the great divide of people’s lives – anticipation prior to his birth and fatigue following.

For people of the Christian faith, the question of Jesus’ identity is most urgent for a vibrant religious experience. Some questions are not very important. That great preacher of another generation, Harry Emerson Fosdick is absolutely correct that few Christians concern themselves with the fate of the Jebusites in the Old Testament. Questions of the extraordinary length of life for some biblical characters may provide interesting debate or stir wonder but are really of little importance in the struggle to live faithful lives today. But the question Christ asks, “Who do people say the Human One is?” is important. To simply ignore the question – or not wrestle with it deeply – is to give an answer. It is an answer that something else matters more in your life than Jesus. The question is a dividing line. Either Jesus is acknowledged as central to a life-giving faith or Jesus is dismissed.

One answer to the question that is helpful is “Teacher.” This is a place of common agreement – Jesus was a teacher. Jesus did teach. He taught about the character of God, the nature of men and women, our struggle against pain and brokenness, and our responsibilities to one another. The Bible tells us that Jesus taught in small groups and to thousands. Jesus taught in the plains, upon mountains, and by the Sea of Galilee. He spoke plainly and he spoke in parables. Some of what he taught demonstrated uncommon insight and other lessons he shared had been heard before from other teachers. Though some said he was a gifted teacher, Jesus simply took his place in history among other gifted teachers. But, if Jesus had been a teacher and no more, it is quite reasonable to suspect that there would be no New Testament today or a church. To answer that Jesus was a teacher is inadequate.

A vibrant faith demands a deeper answer to the question, “Who do people say the Human One is?” That answer is provided by the Resurrection – Jesus Christ is the “Living Lord.” All of the New Testament points to the Resurrection or comments on how the course of human history has been altered by it. Those who wish to reduce the person of Jesus to “a good man” or “a gifted teacher” must toss out a good deal of the New Testament. It is the power of the Resurrection and the continuing presence of the risen Christ today that gives power to the Christian faith. We may not be able to explain this event, nor fully grasp its’ claim upon us, but we cannot escape that at the center of our faith is the declaration that Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead. Death was no match for Jesus. This is the basic faith of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. And the risen Christ, as yesterday, calls each one of us to follow him. As we follow Jesus – however imperfectly – in the struggles of our own lives it is then that we learn more and more who he is.

Joy,

Doubt That Pulls Us Forward

“Nicodemus said, ‘How are these things possible?’”

John 3:9 (Common English Bible)

Someone once commented that today we are hanging a question mark on everything. Rarely is anything simply accepted without a deeper inquiry. We are suspicious of anyone who declares, “Just trust me.” Offers that are too good to be true often aren’t. Telephone scams, fraudulent use of personal information and malfeasance by elected leaders advances a culture of distrust. Nearly everything is challenged. Doubt is pervasive and this is particularly true in matters of faith. Declining membership and church attendance on a national scale suggest doubt that the church has anything of value to contribute to the present conversations and struggles that engage our nation. There is a new level of skepticism operative in public discourse.

Nicodemus is skeptical of Jesus. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus is an authority of the Jewish law and interpreter of religious statutes. Widely regarded as someone who is exemplary in character and intelligence, he belongs to a distinguished company of seventy-two elder statesmen. Nicodemus has heard of Jesus and, here in John’s Gospel, we learn that he came to Jesus “at night.” That is a curious notation – “at night.” The deepest beliefs and cherished traditions that Nicodemus is charged with defending are now being disrupted by Jesus. As a defender of the religious status quo, Nicodemus might challenge Jesus’ own claims of authority by day, where it would be noticed – and applauded – widely. But Nicodemus comes to Jesus “at night” so that he may go unnoticed. That is because Nicodemus doesn’t come to challenge Jesus’s teachings but to make a serious inquiry.

Nicodemus’ skepticism is clear, “How are these things possible?” He cannot say “yes” to Jesus but – and perhaps more importantly – he cannot say “no.” Nicodemus has serious doubts about the teachings of Jesus but they are not doubts that result in him dismissing Jesus. They are doubts that result in a long, unhurried, and uninterrupted conversation with Jesus. They are doubts that pull Nicodemus forward in faith. Nicodemus is not ready to become a disciple of Jesus, but he refused to turn his back on Jesus. It has been said that one mark of intelligence is the capacity to make inquiry where there is doubt. Nicodemus has doubts but he is far too intelligent to remain belligerently fixed on his own understanding of truth.

Naturally, there are people who will only accept what is obvious to everyone else. They possess a dull intelligence. Their doubt is a dishonest one. It is not located in the desire to know the truth but in the preservation of sheer prejudice. It is a doubt that poisons the very root of sincere inquiry and search for truth. It is afraid of the light and finds habitation in darkness more desirable. This isn’t so with Nicodemus. When he came to Jesus with his doubts he demonstrated his belief that there may be more truth than he presently possessed. Nicodemus was prepared for his doubts to pull him toward a deeper understanding of God. And Jesus sat with Nicodemus through the long hours of the night until the darkness broke and, with the dawn, came greater clarity of faith.

Joy,