“Don’t be conformed to
the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so
that you can figure out what God’s will is – what is good and pleasing and
mature.”
Romans 12:2 (Common English Bible)
My wife,
Grace, and I celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary with an eight-day
Caribbean cruise. That was in November of 2012 – four months after beginning a
new ministry that took me from the Philadelphia area to Delray Beach, Florida.
The last day was a sea day, the ship making its way back to Port Everglades,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Placing an assortment of oatmeal cookies and
chocolate chip cookies on a plate someone approached me, thrusting his hand
toward me for a handshake, and said, “Hello Dr. Hood.” Naturally, I was
startled. I am on a cruise ship of nearly 3,000 strangers. Who could possibly
know me? The stranger continued, “I am a member of the First Presbyterian
Church of Delray Beach. I saw you board the ship. I’ve been watching you during
this cruise. I wanted to see what kind of man you were when you didn’t know you
were being watched.”
That is a
good question for any of us. What kind of man, what kind of woman are we when
we don’t know we are being watched? This question reminds me of a presidential
race several decades ago. Suspicion whirred around one candidate, suspicion
about his private life and fidelity to his marriage vows. The candidate boldly
told the press, “Follow me. Watch me!” Apparently, he didn’t believe they
would. They did. And he was caught being unfaithful to his wife. That was the
end of his presidential run. What kind of man, what kind of woman are we when
we don’t know we are being watched? It is a good question.
The
apostle Paul teaches us in his letter to the Roman Church that each of our
lives are being molded and shaped by one of two forces, either by the world or
by God. The world has its patterns and desires which would shape our lives and
God has another pattern and desire for us. Fortunately, says Paul, we have a
choice in the matter. It is a matter of where our attention is focused.
Attention to the values and priorities of the world will result in feelings of
scarcity, a fear that there is simply not enough to go around. Our response
becomes one of struggle – wrestling with others to ensure our fair share. Attention
to God and God’s values and priorities results in concern for others and
generosity. The world will create a man or woman that is selfish,
self-centered, and fearful. God creates a man or woman that is secure in God’s
care and embodies hope for the future. Again, teaches Paul, we have the freedom
to choose.
The
Christian life is a life lived in, through, and for God. Attention to God
through regular prayer, reading the Bible, and intentional practices of
obedience to what we hear in scripture increasingly conforms us to the image of
Christ. Neglect of these things thrusts us into a default position of being
conformed to the brokenness and disintegration of the world. Over time, we become
someone who lives in the dark, fearful that someone will see what we are
ashamed of. The apostle Paul is urging the church to recognize the negative and
destructive forces of the world that seek to grasp us and shape us. “Don’t be
conformed to the patterns of this world,” writes Paul. Rather, “be transformed
by the renewing of your minds.” That is accomplished by living into a
relationship with God. It is then we are not ashamed of what others see when we
don’t know we are being watched. My conversation with the man on the ship ended
that day with his gentle and gracious comment, “I look forward to you being my
pastor, Dr. Hood.”
Joy,
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