The Miracle of the Sun

My friends, I just have to tell you what an incredible job God has done on our neighborhood star. The Sun is an amazing object, created in perfect equilibrium, to bless us with warmth and light. I’ve been reading a book; Stars, Their Birth, Life and Death by Iosif S. Shklovskii and I am here to tell you just how wonderful is that burning ball of gas we all know and love.

Stars start out in dense clouds of molecules. Space is not empty, it is full of stuff. Mostly the stuff is hydrogen, the most common element in the universe. But there is plenty of other stuff out there, and stars do not form around hydrogen, they form in dense, cold clouds of hydroxyl (OH). Related to water, hydroxyl sends out radio waves, which is how we know they exist. The cold temperatures and gravity cause more molecules to be drawn into the cloud. As more material is gathered the cloud starts to heat up and emits the radio signals that are the first evidence of a proto-star.

And thus we have the first miracle. As the cloud gathers more stuff, it creates more gravity. The higher gravity should cause the material to collapse in upon itself creating something other than a star. However, as gaseous material builds up it creates pressure and that pressure wants to push the molecules away. That would cause the proto-star to disburse. Instead the two forces come into balance, called hydrostatic equilibrium. Thus, our sun stays constant and unchanging, because God caused the cosmic forces at work to be in balance.

The second miracle is the production of heat and light. Our blazing ball of gas would either not give us enough heat and light or would burn out if all it did was produce these elements through pressure. Our Sun needed to ignite the internal fire of thermonuclear radiation. When the heat and pressure of the core of our sun reached a certain level, nuclear reactions commenced. With thermonuclear reactions heating ongoing, our sun can radiate heat and light for a very long time, which is good for us. Here’s the real miracle. The hydrogen atoms in our Sun do not posses enough energy to fuse and create radiation because of the Coulomb Barrier. This barrier is the reason I can’t put my hand through the table in front of me. The energy field around electrons won’t allow it. If the hydrogen in our Sun had enough energy to pass the barrier, our Sun would have burned out a long time ago. However, a very small amount of hydrogen does posses enough energy to pass through the barrier and fuse. Just enough to create just enough heat and light with just enough hydrogen fuel left over to keep the Sun going for a long, long time. Miraculous!

The third miracle involves the limits to the production of heat and light. Despite the Coulomb Barrier, our Sun produces so much energy in its core, that if all of that energy were released we would be burned to a crisp. However, the Sun reabsorbs the energy before most of it can pass through the many layers and into space. The Sun has heavy elements within it, some were created by thermonuclear reactions and others gathered in from space during its formation. These heavy elements regulate our star to release just the right amount of radiation to heat our world without turning us all into little strips of fried bacon. Isn’t that amazing!

With this brief description, I hope you can see what an incredible miracle the Sun truly is. I praise God for it, and I hope that you will as well.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill

What Easter Is All About

 

Ask the above question to ten people, and you will probably receive ten different answers.

Easter can be about pageantry and spectacle. I know several churches that produce lavish productions of the trial and death of Jesus. One church even rents a donkey for Jesus to ride in on Palm Sunday, complete with diaper (just in case you were wondering).

Other churches dress their sanctuaries in black during the week, covering all of their beautiful art and decorations. Then on Easter Sunday morning they unveil it all and dress their pulpits and vestments in white to celebrate the risen savior.

And then there are groups of believers who carry crosses in a dramatic reenactment of Jesus’ walk of pain to Golgotha. I took part in a cross walk when I lived in Pennsylvania. At the end of a five mile walk in which we shared the burden of carrying a cross, we had a prayer service at a local church. I found it to be very moving.

Beyond the ceremony and celebration, the meaning of Easter can have a life changing impact upon believers. There are two important ideas we can take from the story. First is receiving new life through faith in Jesus Christ. And second is the love of God shown to us through Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice himself for us. The first concept is easy to talk about. The second one, sacrifice, is a lot harder. But I think that it is the idea of giving of oneself that needs to be emphasized and promoted more often during the Easter season.

So much of our lives are devoted to the attainment of what we want or need. And yet if we think about the most important moments in our lives, the attainment of things rarely makes the list. Meeting and marrying my wife was an event that filled a gaping hole in me and made me a better person. Throughout our 25 year life together we have had to compromise and sacrifice in order to have a wonderful relationship. Selfishness just doesn’t work. The same goes for my children. I have given up so many dreams and desires in order to provide for them. I have sacrificed so much for my family, and they have sacrificed for me. This is what it’s supposed to look like. And it is the love expressed through the act of sacrifice that makes these precious moments so powerful.

On Easter Sunday Jesus rises out of the tomb and proclaims a new life. And we all cheer. But with that new life, comes a demand to sacrifice for the ones we love. Because sacrifice and love go hand in hand.

Happy Easter!

Pastor Bill

Let’s Revamp Easter

In 325 AD a group of Christian leaders got together in a room and tried to settle, among other things, the Easter mess. It was a mess because people around the world were setting the date of Easter on different days of the week and at different times during the spring season. The work the council did lead to a fix. But I think right now we need to get everyone together in room and fix the fix, as well as some other things surrounding modern Easter.

Every year the date of Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Did you understand that – because I don’t. But it gets worse. The church has fixed the equinox to March 21^st. However, the real equinox can be a day before or a day after. And so if the real equinox and the full moon is March 20^th, then that’s not the full moon the church uses to set Easter. It will be the next one later in April. I think this system is dumb and does not work in the modern world. We have to get together and fix the date to the second Sunday of April so I don’t have to figure out when it is every year.

Speaking of change, what is with the bunny rabbit? This symbol of fertility and the rebirth of the world in springtime came from German immigrants and became very popular after the civil war. I don’t know about you but I don’t see any rabbits procreating around my home in the spring or any other time of the year. So I propose that we change the symbol of Easter to the mosquito. As soon as spring comes they come and as far as procreating rabbits can’t hold a candle to them. What do you say? Let’s get together and talk.

Why do we give kids candy during Easter? My kids get hyper, lose their teeth, and fight over the big chocolate bunny. Other than aggravation, what do I get out of it? We need to get together in a room and decide to give the kids something useful. Like turkeys and hams. A great gift that lowers my food bill.

And finally we should do something about the name. The word Easter has German roots. Estre was the goddess of the rising light of day. Brought to England by the Saxons the word was applied to the Christian holiday. But this is not what Easter is about. It is the day that celebrates the hope of a new life that will extend into eternity. It is the day that Christians all around the world believe is the sure sign that there is more to this life than daily struggles. We believe Jesus rose from the dead and promised that we would do the same. The name Easter should be changed to Resurrection Day.

And so some changes need to be made. We should get together in a room somewhere and fix these things, as well as a few other minor problems like world peace, eliminating hunger and poverty – stuff like that. Now I think I will go and arrange to get at that chocolate bunny before the kids do.

Happy Resurrection Day,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

Being Sensitive to the Needs of Others

(This was written about ten years ago. My son Edward is now a college graduate. We still have cats, unfortunately)

We ran into money problems again. After all of the times my family and I have been short of cash, you would think that I would know not to get too upset. We have always solved our cash problems before. Money comes and money goes. I usually figure out what bills to pay and what to hold off on paying. Then after a while the money shows up and everything goes back to normal. But every time this happens, I just can’t help getting upset. And the emotional turmoil is clearly stamped on my face. I usually develop a grim look and start barking at my family. It’s as if I broke out in measles, the little red spots telling everyone around me that something is wrong.

What normally happens is I look at the check register and see something strange in it. As the checkbook balance goes down I get more and more agitated. And then, checks to companies I don’t recognize. Checks for things that are way outside of the budget. For example, there was a check written to Pet Smart the local pet supply store. This normally wouldn’t get me aggravated except for the fact that the check is a lot higher than I would think kitty treats should cost. A lot higher. Like the difference between the cost of a used Yugo and a new Porsche.

So the conversation with my wife usually goes like this.
“What did you buy at Pet Smart?”
My wife answers, “The cats needed food, kitty litter and I got them a couple of treats.”
“Are the cats going to pay the bill for all of this stuff?”
“You know I have to buy these things for the cats.”
“Maybe we should look into replacing them with pet rocks. The maintenance would be less, and they wouldn’t wake us up at night.”

Not appreciating my sarcasm, Betsy leaves in a huff. And I am left stewing about expenses above and beyond the budget. The expression on my face now changes into something more like Frankenstein with a toothache. Not a pretty sight.

And so it should be of no surprise to me when my son picks up on my problem. He takes one look at my face and can tell something is wrong. Eddie is a good kid. He looks after his parents. He looks into my face and without hesitating asks me what is the matter. I appreciate his asking, though I usually say that nothing is wrong and try to change the subject. My oldest son is very sensitive to the feelings and emotions of his parents. He reads us very well, not just by looking at our faces, but also by checking out our body language and listening to the tone of our voices. Eddie and his brother and sister are sensitive enough to pick up the signals their mom and dad send.

The question I ask is, can I do the same thing? Can I be as sensitive to the needs of the people around me as my children are to my emotional ups and downs? I ask this question because I think it is extremely important for me to know and understand the people around me. I want to be able to read the signs that someone is in trouble. I want to be able to spot the cry for help without a word being exchanged. Jesus said that God knows what we need even before we have asked. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know the needs of my wife or my kids without their having to ask? I know that I am asking for a lot here. But how much more supportive a relationship we all would have if we could only be able to read the silent communication of the people around us.

Now I don’t really want my son to know that there are bills that we are having trouble paying. I don’t want him to be concerned about this. He is too young to be worrying about money. And I just don’t want to deal with the embarrassment of talking about this subject. But, strangely enough, I am glad he noticed. I feel good when my son comes up to me and asks me if there is anything that he can do. It feels good when people see that something is bothering me and take some time to respond to it. Showing concern for others is an important part of life. And I hope that I will show that I care for the people around me each and every day.

God Bless You,
Pastor Bill Whitehead

Growing Old Gracefully

Nature and Boy Scout Camp go together. I spent a few days with the trees and the bugs, the beautiful lake and the golden sunsets, songs in the dining hall and skunks under the tent platforms. It was like going back in time to younger days when I could be filthy dirty from head to toe and no one would care. I volunteer when I can as a chaperone with our local scout troop. And I enjoy living under the trees with the boys – relaxing this 40 year old body – getting in touch with nature and experiencing the peace of the natural world.

Nature is beautiful but nature can also be cruel. We have been blessed with these wonderful bodies, given great natural abilities, allowed to develop and hone our skills. Then we slowly age. At one time I could run and jump like Michael Jordan – sort of. Now, I’m closer to Porky Pig. I don’t know why it works this way. If it were my choice I should be able to do the things I used to do when I was younger. I would want everything to stay the same – always. But unfortunately, this is not to be. For me, getting in touch with nature at Boy Scout Camp also meant getting in touch with aging.

My scouts entered an Ultimate Frisbee tournament. It is kind of a cross between football and soccer. I played this game a lot when I was younger, so I volunteered to help the boys. I was their coach – I organized the teams and gave them basic strategy. Then at one point I entered the game, just to see if I could still play.

Now I had just turned 40 and I am in excellent condition. I exercise and I haven’t gained any weight since college. So I figured I could still run with these boys and teach them a thing or two about this sport. So I entered the game and everything was going well. I felt good, I felt strong, and I was looking sharp. I felt as if nothing had changed. I felt young again, and I was stomping on those little pip squeaks. Then, as we were nearing the goal we lost possession and the boys turned and ran in the other direction. Something happened to me that had never happened before. The game passed me by. These young people stopped on a dime, turned, and left me eating dust. It was at that moment that I realized I’ve lost my former speed and quickness. I no longer have the explosive first step that I formerly used to get open and keep up with the action. I now know how Michael Jordan feels – I used to be able to play this game.

These young people may have an advantage over me in the physical arena, but I still have a lot going for me. I have something that only time and experience can give, I have wisdom. I have learned a great many things over the years, things that only come through the difficult process of trial and error. And as the experiences have accumulated I have learned many hard and valuable lessons. I have become a stronger and wiser person as a result of this. There is a wonderful story in the Bible that I believe captures this concept of people growing wiser with age. It is the book of Ruth and it is only four chapters long, and it can be read in one relaxing evening.

In the book of Ruth Naomi uses the wisdom that came with age to fulfill God’s plans for her, Ruth and all of the people of Israel. The wisdom that Naomi uses does not only come from experience, it also comes from God. The Bible frequently points to God as the source of wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Prov 1:7). The book of Proverbs talks about wisdom being a gift from God to those who seek after it. In fact it says that true wisdom comes only from God. And what I mean by true wisdom is that important ability to know which decision is right in God’s eyes. So we could say that Naomi’s wise choices came from God. And that everyone who seeks after righteousness – everyone who wants to do what is right in God’s eyes – will receive the wisdom to do God’s will.

I may be slower but I’m wiser, and my wife tells me I’m more handsome (HA!). I may be older but I have grown spiritually. I may be slowly declining physically but I am also slowly becoming closer to God. I have been given so much by the years, none of which I would ever give back. So let the aches and pains come, let the game pass me and Michael Jordan by. I look forward to growing with God in wisdom and in age. I am ready for everything that God has to give.

(I wrote this ten years ago, and I feel that it has aged well over time.)

Peace,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

Internet Ministry

A strategy for ministering to people on the Internet that really works.

What is Real?

I own telescopes and I like to post on an Astronomy Forum on the Internet. It is a place where amateur astronomers talk about stuff in the sky. I write something, I post it, someone else comments. Helder, an astronomy friend who also posts on the site started to have a conversation with Trish who lives not too far away. He invited her to one of our outdoor observation sessions and the three of us are now good friends. It seems to me that this is the way the Internet is supposed to work; real people connecting in real ways. And yet, stories like this are rare, because the Internet is not quite like real life. Many people hide their identities, or make up new ones. Many people drop their normal inhibitions and pour out their secrets or their anger to strangers. Many people see the Internet as a toy, a temporary distraction from the stress of the real world. As a result most Internet relationships are extremely tenuous. I would go so far as to say, they are not real. This makes attempts to do Christian ministry online difficult. I know, because I have been pursuing Christian Internet ministry for years.

Numbers Rule, the Rest of Us Drool

Another problem I have encountered is the fact that cyberspace is distorted by an emphasis upon numbers. Porn and gambling have enormous numbers of visitors, and rake in huge profits, but the overall percentages of people around the world who engage in these activities are small. A blogger who logs in a million hits a day is considered an Internet star, yet, the many TV talk shows easily dwarf those numbers. And of course, there are the many fly by night stars that come and go quickly. I remember a kid who dressed up as spider man, danced and sang terribly and made my kids laugh so hard they could hardly breathe. After 100,000 hits on his YouTube site, he was forgotten as quickly as he showed up. However, I bet you he is very proud of those 100,000 hits. And yet, unless a person or business is able to translate the hits into dollars, what do the numbers mean? All I can see is a temporary inflated ego, which doesn’t amount to much.

Jesus didn’t appear to pay any attention to the numbers of people that were around him. After the miracle of the loaves and fish, he walks away from the 5,000 enthusiastic followers. Jesus focused his ministry on individuals, because everyone he met was important and unique in God’s eyes. If we are seeking to do ministry by creating and developing real relationships with real people, then we need to avoid the pursuit of numbers and look for ways to reach people one at a time.

No Rules

I have hiked many miles in the woods and I can tell you one thing for sure. People do stupid stuff when no one is looking. I have seen signs shot to pieces, garbage dumped in the middle of nowhere and mountain top shelters used as party shacks. I’m sure a large number of people view the Internet in the same way. No one is looking over our shoulders, so let ‘er rip. We prowl around sites we would never want our families to know about. We say things in the comment section on news sites we would never say to our friends. I have seen horrible things posted on Christian Forums, which considering Jesus’ message, makes absolutely no sense. This is why I stick to the Astronomy forum. It turns out, Astronomers are calmer than Christians. It appears to me that many people feel that there are no limitations to their conduct on the Internet.

All of these problems caused me to conclude that real ministry is not possible on the Internet. It turns out, that I was wrong.

Real Ministry to Real people

This statement; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” is one of the greatest passages found in the scriptures. In the Gospel of Luke it is followed by the Good Samaritan story. In that story the people who are criticized by Jesus are the ones who do nothing. They don’t help and they don’t hinder the hurt man. They just avoid him at all costs. The man who is righteous is the one who did something to help. When putting these two passages together we get a definition of ministry in our world; loving people means doing something good for the person God has placed in our path. Ministry is not passive and ministry is not distant. Ministry is personal and active. A person who is in need comes into contact with us, God calls us to act. And that is why it is so difficult to pull off on the web. The web favors impersonal and anonymous communication and rewards numbers over persons. However, the creation and popularity of Facebook has changed this equation and opened up a new way of pursuing ministry that is personal and effective.

Facebook Comes a Knocking

When I first looked at Facebook I thought it was stupid. I don’t care what people had for breakfast, and I hated the posts that seemed like I was cutting in on the middle of a conversation. However, it has grown on me in proportion to the ministry opportunities it has given to me. First is the fact that people use their real names, whereas other public Internet sites encourage use of nicknames. Real names open the opportunity to connect with people we already know, as well as getting to know people we have met for the first time. I don’t think it is possible to develop a strong relationship with someone who is holding back basic information like their name. Second, people place a lot of information about themselves on the site. I converse with fellow astronomers because of our shared hobby. This allows Internet ministers to look for ways we can start a conversation through common interests. Third, Facebook seems to encourage regular communications. People post a lot, which gives us more opportunities to find ways to open a dialogue. Finally, Facebook has a Group function that allows groups to form and create a larger social dynamic. I have a pretty successful Bible Study happening right now on a Facebook Group page. Most of the people who follow the group I met for the first time on Facebook. Not too shabby for a guy who thought the whole concept was stupid.

If you think about what I have just described, it sounds a lot like a church. We meet people in church and we get to know them. We share our likes and dislikes. We find ways to connect with each other. And we form a group dynamic that is centered on our love for God. This is exactly what Facebook ministry looks like.

Getting Started

Facebook is really very simple. Place information about yourself, as little or as much as you wish. Then you sign up some friends and you’re off. The term ‘friends’ could mean almost anyone. People you know or people your friends know or someone you just sign up and call a friend. The good news is that you get to decide who becomes a part of your Friends world. You can always de-friend someone after you get to know them and find out that he/she is a real jerk. If someone wants to be-friend you, you can look at their profile. And there is an email feature so you can send someone a note, if you are still not sure of that individual. This system opens up good possibilities for reaching out to people in a personal way.
The easiest way to reach out to someone on your friends list is to comment on something they posted. A supportive or funny comment is a good way of breaking the ice. However, the email feature on Facebook is the real jewel in the crown. I try to find ways of connecting with folks I don’t know. If I see an interesting post, I send a private message commenting on it. The person can either ignore me, in which case I won’t bother that person again, or say hello to me. In some cases this starts a good correspondence that leads me to introduce the person to my ministry website and/or the Bible Survey Group. This is how I have been able to build a small audience. Over time, who knows, it may grow into a large audience.

I Blog, You Blog

Blogging is now the best way to communicate who you are and/or what your ministry is. A traditional Website is static. We post to it as we have need to, which is not very often. As a result, visitors come once and usually don’t return. On the other hand, a Blog is dynamic. A Blog should have frequent postings. As a result, visitors who become interested in the site’s message come every day to see what is new. The trick is to come up with daily content. It’s easier than it sounds. On my church Blog I post a variety of material some of which I produce, most of which I find on the Internet. On Monday’s I post a blurb from a Mission I find somewhere around the world. I feel that I should be promoting mission and so I put in a paragraph, a photo and a link to their website in the hope that my audience might become interested in supporting that mission. On Tuesday’s I look for a video or a written testimony from a person who has something wonderful to say about their faith in Jesus Christ. On Wednesday’s I find something to pray for. Sometimes it is something in the news, sometimes it is a specific illness, and sometimes it is a prayer for our church ministries. Thursday is reserved for my essays on life, the universe and Jesus. Friday is music day. I find Christian musicians on the web and post their videos. I particularly like music from other parts of the world. I also post announcements and pictures from our ministries at First Baptist. Saturday’s and Sunday’s I usually take off. I have been able to fill up the Blog with new material for a year now. And my audience is stable, so I must be doing something right. You can fill a Blog with material you produce, or material you find on the Web. If you’re like me and you produce limited material, there is always something to be found on the Web that is related to your vision.

Speaking about the audience, Facebook comes to the rescue once again. Every time I post something on my website, I post a link to it and a brief message describing it on Facebook. This has almost single handedly boosted my traffic and built my audience. I am not pushy, but I am persistent. Everything I place on the Blog is promoted on Facebook. Over time I hope to grow my friends list and out of that find more of an audience for my Blog. My friends, when it comes to ministry opportunities, Facebook is the gift that keeps on giving.

Finale

There is a lot of opportunity on the Internet for ministers. There is also a lot of frustration and fruitless effort waiting for us as well. The Internet opens a door for us to reach out to a large percentage of the world’s population. At the same time, it exposes us to rejection on a scale we have never imagined. I believe that there is great opportunity to find people we can minister to, for those of us who bravely step through the door. I believe that the Internet tools I have been working with are a part of a new way to do ministry. And, I believe that the more ministers engage in Internet ministry, the more we will find ways of being successful at it. But only God knows what lies in our future. So my friends, I hope you will jump into the virtual world, and find a way to minister to the real one.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

I Believe in a Lawful and Friendly Universe

I was fumbling around the Internet the other day trying to find a good picture of Jupiter for the wallpaper background of my computer. It was hard to find one that looked good on my screen. As I was looking I couldn’t help but realize how beautiful the universe is. How perfect the planets are as they move in their endless cycles through space. I can’t help but feel that there must be reason behind the universe. That in the endless movement of the stars and planets, in the perfection of motion, there is purpose. And that leads me to believe that maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem.

I am fascinated by the concept of immortality. It amazes me how many different ways that people try to be immortal. Most people feel they live on through their children. Many cultures consider the family line continuing through male children. Many people, who can’t have children, work very hard at trying to have children of their own in part to continue their family. I read recently concerning a person who wanted to be cloned. For one, he couldn’t have children, and for another, he wanted to continue to exist through the creation of a copy. The concept is a little too freaky for me, but who knows; the man may get his wish someday.

As far as we know today, the universe is going to continue indefinitely. Now I am not a scientist and I do not understand the principles behind the predictions of the universe expanding forever or suddenly contracting thus ending everything we know. From where I stand, the universe has been around a long time and will be around for a long time to come. The planets will continue to rotate around the sun indefinitely and our little solar system will fly through space for an indefinite amount of time.

When faced with a cosmos in which time continues on indefinitely I find it hard to imagine that there are people who do not believe in an infinite mind. Faced with the sheer size and magnitude of the universe, its seeming infinite proportions, and indefinite time line, it’s hard to believe that it could be the result of chance or mathematics. It’s hard to believe that there isn’t something or someone behind the creation that started it all.

And so I am convinced that God exists and is causing the infinite progression of the cosmos. I also believe that God is not a distant creator who made everything and then stepped back to watch it all play out. I believe that God is involved with the creation and its ultimate destiny. And because of this, I believe that there is purpose and direction to the universe. I believe that things are moving in a direction for a reason. I believe that the creation is ultimately lawful and good, and that things will work for the best in the grand scheme of things. And that goes for my life as well. If the universe is infinite and continues indefinitely, then why should the same not be so for me? If the cosmos is lawful and good, then why shouldn’t my life be as well?

Peace, Pastor Bill

Faith in the Future of Our World

I believe the world is getting better. And I’m pretty sure that I am alone in this belief. What can I say? I am either naive or a visionary. I have a lot of hope for the future, despite the continued problems we see on the news every night. Call me what you will but in the face of continuing suffering throughout the world I think things are getting better.

I have come up with this crazy opinion of the future because of my interpretation of the past. Warfare and depredation is nothing new for the world. Many of my friends point to fighting in Palestine as proof of the end drawing near. But no place inhabited by humans has been free of violence, ever. Fighting in the Holy Land is as old as the rocks. But I have seen a trend in the world that I do consider something new. Large groups of people banding together to help strangers.

Individual acts of kindness have, I suspect, been common since people have existed. But large groups organized into charities as seen in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are a recent happening on the historical timeline. The last hundred and fifty years have seen people reaching out to complete strangers in unprecedented numbers. The Red Cross is just one example of many organizations that have been created in recent years. Coming out of the 1864 Geneva Conference, the movement has spread to 137 countries in the 1980’s and had a membership of 250 million people. Each country has its own society which gives people the opportunity to help out within their own borders. If you have an expanded world view you can support the International Red Cross. They are the ones who help people in crisis around the world. At no other time in history can I find organizations that give a common person the opportunity to help a complete stranger located halfway around the world. And every year more organizations similar to this one are created. How can anyone not feel good about this development? This is truly a step in the right direction.

War is standard operating procedure for humans; world-wide philanthropy is not. And so I have seen this increasing desire on the part of many people as a sign that humanity is growing ethically and morally. I look at the world and I see things getting better. As I said earlier, not many people will agree with me, but I don’t care. The way I see things, the future of our world is brightening.

God Bless You,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

Of Mosquitoes and Men

 


I wrote this essay a while ago, after a crazy summer vacation. With all of the snow building up around me I figured I would break it out and dream of warmer weather. It is about how small we really are when compared to God’s amazing creation.

Being a minister means low budget vacations. No all expense paid cruises for me and my family. We load up the truck, hitch up our camper and head for the hills. A couple of years ago we traveled to the wilds of Northeast Pennsylvania. Beautiful, peaceful, with nice quiet people, it’s the perfect place to relax and read a good book by an open fire. The beautiful blue sky stretches out above us as we ponder the wonders of God’s creation.

A couple of weeks before we packed up and headed out, that beautiful blue sky filled with clouds and dropped more rain on NEPA than has been seen in thirty years. The rain came down and the floods came up and the Susquehanna River overflowed its banks and deluged towns and villages. After the sky turned blue again and the floodwaters subsided, there were thousands of pools of water left behind evaporating in the summer sun. These thousands of puddles soon contained millions of mosquito larvae, which soon hatched into millions of flying insects whose sole purpose was to make my week in the woods a living hell.

They attacked us as soon as we got out of the truck. Within minutes my wife and I were covered with bites. Being veteran campers, we were prepared with various anti-mosquito strategies. We tried Skin So Soft and the mosquitos bit us while they enjoyed the silky smoothness of our skin. We heard that Bounce fabric softener works and is less harsh then other defenses. When the mosquitos landed on us they didn’t suffer from static cling. We applied concoctions featuring the dreaded Deet. Deet is the best anti-mosquito chemical around but it’s like smearing toxic waste all over your body. The mosquitoes paused a while to ponder this new development. Then they donned environmental suits and bit us anyway. We sat close to a smoky fire hoping that would help but I saw the bugs sitting on the edge of the fire pit toasting marshmallows.

Even Jack the camp host wasn’t immune. Most state parks employ a camp host for the summer to act as a liaison between the campers and the rangers. Jack answers questions and calls the rangers if there is any trouble. He told me that he lives year round in his RV and travels the country. He loves traveling because he meets all kinds of people. A family he met in New Mexico maintained an old fort that was a national historical landmark. He found out that the family lived alone at the fort and traveled once a month a hundred miles to the nearest store to buy food and supplies. He asked them if they were bothered by the absence of other people, but they said they wouldn’t live anywhere else. At the campsite, Jack sat in his chair and shared stories with anyone willing to stop and chat. Mosquitoes bit him every so often, but he didn’t seem to be bothered at all. I guess they are part of the memories he collects as he travels the country.

We played games like dominos and a card game called Zap with our friends Pat and John. Everyone who knows Pat is amazed she is willing to sleep in a tent and cook outdoors. Pat is very meticulous with her appearance – putting on makeup and fixing her hair as soon as she rises in the morning. She works hard to keep her world organized. At camp everything is kept in its proper place. Food, supplies, towels, are carefully arranged in milk crates and stacked in the van. Nothing is allowed to sit on the picnic table that doesn’t belong there. Pat’s mission in life is to bring order to her world, even if that world consists of dirt, grass, and gravel. As the mosquitoes swarmed around her waiting for their chance to pounce, they were required to get in line and take a number.

Around the bend from us were several families with lots of little kids. The kids were having a blast running around the playground, riding their bikes, rolling down the hill on a Big Wheel. Their parents valiantly slathered anti-bug stuff on them, but to no avail. They were covered with bites. Every time I saw one I would cringe. But the kids just kept doing what they wanted to do. About mid-week a local news channel car rolled into camp. They were looking for a story about the mosquitoes and they came to the right place. They interviewed the families and filmed the kids and gleefully rushed back to the studio because there is nothing that says suffering better than a ten year old covered from head to toe with red welts. But as usual, this was only part of the story. The other part was that this kid was still having a ball, along with the rest of his little pals. Children are much more resilient than we give them credit for. They may cry and complain loudly when a parent is in view, but when no one is looking they’re back to having a good time.

I did not have the pleasure of meeting the person or persons who propped open the men’s room door. Every day there were a gazillion bugs in the men’s room. There were spiders making webs in the corners, Daddy Long Legs hiding in the toilet, moths perched on the walls and, of course, swarms of the dreaded you-know-what’s. I moved the rock that was the doorstop and closed it. The next time nature called, the door was propped open again. This went on all week long. As I sat on the throne I kept a careful eye open for the flying villains. If I saw one, I swatted it with my hat and celebrated with a notch in the toilet paper roll. But in the end my adversary was victorious and the door was open as I drove out of the campground.

As I sat in that beautiful campground pondering the beauties of God’s creation, I couldn’t help but wonder why He had created these little monsters. It really is 21^st century remake of the David and Goliath story, with a perverted 21^st century twist: David is the bad guy. He’s a tiny insect who takes advantage of the summertime bounties of warmth, and rain, feeds off of our blood, gives us diseases that kill and maim millions. We Goliaths spray him, swat him, and bug zap him. We spend billions trying to come up with the most sophisticated weapons with which to annihilate him. But he cannot be vanquished. The greatest technological achievements of the modern world have come up with only one sure fire way of escaping him – jumping in a space ship and leaving the planet.

Perhaps the message here is that God created mosquitoes to remind us of our ultimate frailty and keep us humble. We think we’re so great because we’re lots bigger than the mosquitoes. But there’s one place where size doesn’t matter, and that’s in the eyes of God. All creatures were created equal, and each and every species has its particular job to do. The mosquitoes’ job is to keep alive at our expense. Our job is to keep alive at theirs. Even though they are one-trillionth our size, they are a formidable enemy, and should be admired as such. Like little David aiming his slingshot at his giant adversary, or third world terrorists bringing down a superpower, they serve as a warning to us lest we get too smug. Arrogance goes before the fall.

So, I returned from my vacation with a new respect for mosquitoes. Not that I’m sending them apologies, or inviting them to dinner or anything. But now, as I swat them and spray them, I try to appreciate them, for keeping me in my humble place and making me a wiser, and maybe better, human being.

Peace,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

What is Friendship?

Friendship is a journey of sharing between two or more people. No one can journey through life completely alone. Linking our lives through relationships permits us to share our hearts with others who, in turn, reveal themselves to us. When this is done in a free, healthy, and positive context, it is more satisfying than almost any other human interpersonal experience. To be loved and accepted – and to respond in kind – is at the very heart of what it means to be a human created in the image of God.

Friendship is also a shared journey in which we combine forces with others to fulfill God’s will. Sharing events and experiences is an integral aspect of friendship. But deep friendship moves beyond leisure activities, encouraging partners to reach their creative potential, to serve others with resolve and hope, and to make the world a better place. Friendships change history in both small and large ways.

This is an extract from: Making Friends, Making Disciples by Lee B. Spitzer.

http://www.abcnj.net/about-us/dr-lee-b-spitzer

Working Outside the Faith in Hospitals

 


Jim Purcell is a Protestant Seminary Student preparing to be a Hospital Chaplain. He has had to learn to coordinate with Catholic Priests for patients in the hospital. Below is his take on working with other faiths in a hospital setting.

"Roman-Catholic clergy occupies a unique place in the hearts and belief structures of Catholics. In the hospital, a place of great vulnerability and even fear, the Catholic priest is a necessary So, in the case of Protestant chaplains and their patients, there is going to be a regular need for contact with Catholic clergy in order to facilitate important Liturgical rites, most especially Last Rites.

"Frequently, where it involves Protestant chaplains, there are abilities for, as an example, Baptist clergy to fulfill the needs and expectations of Presbyterian or Methodist, among others, hospital inpatients. Religiously and theologically, the common experience of faiths are not that far apart. There is a disparity between mainline Protestants and Pentecostals and/or Evangelicals, which may or may not be overcome by interaction with the patient and their family.

"The important thing, here, is the comfort and adaptability of the chaplain. There are just going to be times when chaplains have to work interdenominationally."

Learn More at http://www.faithoutsidethecity.blogspot.com/

Confessions of a Forumite

(I wrote this in 2006, and it seems pretty up to date to me. The numbers have changed, but Internet Forums are still going strong and people are still going crazy. I have since given up on Christian Forums, because there were too many angry people making life difficult. However, I participate in an Amatuer Astronomy Forum that is wonderful. Go Figure)

I clearly remember the first time I posted a message to an internet forum. I told whoever was out there in cyberspace that I thought believers really weren’t free in the way Americans understand freedom. We don’t do whatever we feel like doing. I argued that we choose to be held to a higher standard that limited our actions to those that our Heavenly Father would want us to do. I typed it into my word processor; spell checked it and sent it off where it was posted onto the forum for all to see. Well, those who bothered looking. Not too long afterwards I received a private message in my email box from a forum participant. In the message he ranted and raved about how wrong I was. In fact he cursed me and said that he valued freedom above everything else and that I couldn’t take it away from him. He rounded it off with several more curses and a hearty drop dead.

Welcome to the world of Christian Internet Forums. That’s right, I said Christian.

I love logging onto Internet Forums. I admit it, I love them. But they drive me crazy. They are filled with writings that aggravate me, confuse me, and bemuse me. They are populated by people who are at times loving and caring and at other times hateful and malicious. They are full of intelligent commentary but more often than not overwhelmed by inane drivel. If you have never logged onto a forum, if it has never crossed your mind to jump into the bizarre world of Internet communication just be aware that this is a world far removed from our own and yet hardly different.

Internet Forums are places that people post messages to be read by anyone who wants to take the time to read them. They are categorized by a common interest, religion being a popular one. I was not able to find out how many people currently use forums. But I did find these numbers; MSN has 11,344 different Christian forums, Yahoo has 53,591. A Google search on the words Christian Forums comes up with 6,200,000 responses in only .23 seconds. The largest site I found was the rather obviously named Christianforum.com. A hefty 113,972 members have posted over 16 million messages in 225 sub-forums. The site has a volunteer staff of 93 people who daily take the time to monitor what is being said on the site in an effort to keep the peace with this rather large and diverse community. This limited research makes it clear that forums are a very popular form of communication. More and more people are finding community in these places on the Internet.

But what kind of community is this? A wild and wacky one to say the least. All sorts of people sign on to the service get a password and jump into the fray. When a participant signs up he/she can choose a name that will appear on the screen. Some people use their real names but many don’t. I guess we are all a little nervous about privacy on the Internet. Once one is signed up posting messages can begin. Some people ask questions which are meant to start up a conversation on a particular topic. How can we reduce global poverty for instance? Some people have particular issues that they must tell others about. I know of a gentleman who cannot let an opportunity go by without talking about the global disaster about to befall the earth. Some people tell jokes, write poetry, make snide remarks, and generally act like normal people having a conversation. And just like normal people, forum participants get mad at each other. When most people join for the first time they are shocked by the anger. But we shouldn’t be, after all people are people. And even Christians don’t act like Christians all of the time. Christian Internet Forums become big extended families – just like churches. And just like churches they run into problems.

Problems? Did someone say there are problems? Yes my friends, and with them come rules. Internet Forums better have rules, or else they won’t have any members left. In an effort to keep the peace Christianforum.com has a large list of rules which include the following; no personal attacks, no attacks against Christianity, no posting private correspondence, no selling/marketing anything, no obscenities, or anything sexually explicit. Anyone who breaks the rules can have their password suspended temporarily or even permanently. Most of these rules are the same common sense principles that guide us in everyday life. But it is shocking how often people indulge in inappropriate behavior on Internet Forums. Take the ban on personal attacks for instance. I belong to a forum where personal attacks are almost a daily occurrence. The man who monitors it must spend enormous amounts of time writing emails warning participants to keep themselves under control. When confronted do you know how most people respond? They say “he started it”. This is the same excuse that didn’t work when I was in Kindergarten. God bless Forum monitors – they need all of the help they can get.

During my time as a member of religious forums I have seen certain types of posts that come up over and over again. We all tend to fall into certain patterns. First, there is the great pronouncement. A message that informs us that God has spoken with the messenger personally and that: 1) Jesus is coming soon; or 2) the messenger is to start a mission; or 3) Jesus is coming soon. I’ve always liked reading these posts because we never know when a truly mighty prophet is going to show up and it’s good to be paying attention when he/she does. Next on the list are the political posts. The fact that these web sites are specifically focused on religion does not keep politics out of the fray. Political battles can go on for days and days. After the first couple of months I stopped looking at these kinds of posts. I’m just not interested in the same political arguments that caused me to swear off cable news. And after the fighting stops comes the tearful goodbye. Quite frequently someone gets mad and quits the forum. But before he/she goes a message is posted saying why as well as goodbye. People usually respond with supportive posts but the injured party leaves anyway. The funny thing is, many of these hurting souls end up coming back to the forum after a few months. I’ve never been able to figure that out.

Another common part of Internet Forums is the Chat Room. I’ve not been able to figure these out either. Chat Rooms are ‘real time’ – that is they are a running conversation, like a phone call. Except that anyone with a password to the Forum can join in. The people who frequent these seem to have made up their own short hand. Let me give you an example I recorded one night.

Person a) I was taking my girlfriend to a movie, and she got sick, and we had to pull over where she threw up…

Person b) yo - - - ba da boom!

Person c) how are you?

Person a) Too funny; how about a courting couple.

Person d) heeeey fly

Yes my friends, this is considered communication on some parts of this planet. But I haven’t a clue. I guess this over the hill 44 year old is just too long in the tooth to understand this new fangled style of chat-er-ate‘n.

So why do people log onto Christian Internet Forums anyway? I think I can answer that question by telling you why I log on. I have something to say that I think is important and there are people who are willing to listen. I believe that I have some thoughts and insights that can help a few of the people who are out there searching for answers life’s basic questions. This idea has been reinforced by people responding on the Forum and privately through email. Most of these have been positive, unlike the guy who cursed me out. Another important reason for belonging is the sense of shared values and beliefs that people on the Forum have. We all believe Jesus is Lord and we all want to see His Kingdom come. This gives me a sense of belonging, a sense that these people know me and accept me even though we haven’t formally met. I didn’t just join some strange electronic club, I am part of a faith community, and it feels pretty good. And finally, I must admit that I love these people. I log on day in and day out because I have grown to care for all of my fellow forumites. I love the ones who write beautiful words of faith in God, as well as the ones who don’t. I even care about the people who get angry and rant and rave. These are God’s people and I do love them very much.

Well, another day and another series of crazy posts. I don’t know what to make of some of these people and some of them don’t know what to make of me. But I just can’t resist going back again and again. Isn’t it funny – here I am sitting alone at my desk and yet, I’ve found community?

Peace, Pastor Bill

A Christmas Message from Billy Graham

On that first Christmas night, the angels appeared to shepherds on a hill near Bethlehem. Alfred Edersheim, the great 19th-century Jewish-Christian scholar, wrote in his book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah that the shepherds and the sheep to whom the angels appeared near Bethlehem were no ordinary shepherds and sheep.

The sheep were those bound for the temple sacrifices. The shepherds were outcasts because of their necessary isolation from religious ordinances. And their manner of life rendered legal observances unlikely, if not absolutely impossible.

How wonderful that in God’s wisdom and love the angels should appear to them—the doomed and the outcast—that night.

Today we can declare to the world that the Good Shepherd cares for all people and wants to give them peace. Christ came on that first Christmas for one great purpose—to die on the cross for our sins. Now God offers forgiveness, inner peace, and eternal life to all who will repent and believe in His Son. This is the Christmas message!



Do you know people who need to hear about God’s love and forgiveness? Will you share the true Christmas message with them this year?

http://billygraham.1mobb.com/

The Star of Bethlehem

The following is an excerpt from an article by Physicist and Christian Dr. Michael R. Molnar. He explains what the Star of Bethlehem was through the study of modern astronomy and ancient astrology.

Powerful evidence supports the idea that the Star of Bethlehem is based on Roman-era astrology rather than an exceptionally bright astronomical event. For Roman-era astrologers, a royal "star in the east" meant that Jupiter, the star of kings, rose exactly 12° ahead of the Sun, becoming a "Morning Star." They also believed that this produced a royal birth. Jupiter rose precisely 12° ahead of the Sun in Aries on April 17, 6 BC. In the Mathesis written by Julius Firmicus Maternus in AD 433, this Christian convert described the horoscopes of two Roman divinities. The first is for an "almost divine and immortal" person. This horoscope with Jupiter "exalted" in Cancer is undoubtedly for Emperor Augustus Caesar. The Roman Senate declared Augustus divine shortly after his death.

Firmicus then wrote about an "especially" divine and immortal person, who is probably Jesus. In this horoscope the Sun is "exalted" in Aries, accompanied by the planets Saturn and Jupiter that ruled over Aries. Most importantly, Jupiter was "in the east" with the Moon moving toward Jupiter, accompanied by the Sun and Saturn in Aries, which perfectly describes the conditions for April 17, 6 BC.

There's no proof that Jesus was born on this date, but astrologers would have associated the birth of the King of the Jews with April 17, 6 BC. As astrology lost its significance and the actual birth date was never recorded, religious fervor mythologized the Magi's star. The adoption of the pagan holiday “The Unconquered Son”, on December 25th, as Christ's birth date compounded the confusion.

Unfortunately, many astronomers and historians have ignored the historical evidence that the Star of Bethlehem was an astrologically significant event rather than a sky spectacle. Sky spectacles, like comets, fit our modern way of thinking and satisfy religious expectations. But historically incorrect theories collapse under scrutiny. Only by looking to the ancient beliefs and practices can we understand how a mundane Morning Star became the glorious Star of Bethlehem.

From Sky and Telescope Magazine, December 2008.


Retired Rutgers University astronomer Michael R. Molnar explains his full case in his book:  "The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi."

http://www.michaelmolnar.com/.

The Real Story of Christmas

This is the story of how we have come to celebrate Christmas today. The story starts with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth either in the year 6 BC or 6 AD. Both dates have pros and cons. The earlier one would have the baby Jesus born during King Herod’s lifetime (Matt. 2:1), before the King’s death in 3 BC. Jesus would also be in his thirties (Lk 3:23) during the time Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, from 26 AD to 36 AD. In 6 BC there was a conjunction of planets that could have been what the Magi saw (Matt. 2:1 - 2). However, there was no census (Lk 2:1) that we know of taken in Palestine in 6 BC. We do know that there was a census taken in 6 AD while Quirinius was governor of Syria (Lk 2:1). However if Jesus were born in 6 AD he would not have begun his ministry in his thirties and still face Pilate at a trial. Another date to consider would be 3 BC, but this date has problems too. All we really know is that Jesus didn’t say what year he was born in or what day. In fact, Jesus probably didn’t want anyone to make a fuss, and so he kept quiet about it. And this silence left the door wide open for people to make Christmas into whatever they wanted.

The earliest celebration of the birth of Jesus was called the Theophany or manifestation of God. Today we call it Epiphany and it is celebrated on January 6^th, which was the beginning of the year in the days of the early church. The celebration included more than Jesus’ birth, it included the concept of God being with us always. This celebration was split into two holidays in the 4^th century AD. At that time the Christmas celebration competed with the pagan celebration of the birth of the Unconquered Son which was placed on the winter solstice (the calendar in those days was off by four days). When the Roman Empire became Christian, December 25^th became Jesus’ birthday. Epiphany was then considered the day Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit became manifest to all (Matt. 3:16). And Advent came about as a civil law that required all citizens to be in church for forty days before Epiphany! For over a thousand years Christmas was a midwinter religious celebration. But it changes dramatically in the last several hundred years.

Our modern celebration begins in the fourth century AD in the Turkish town of Myra. Bishop Nicholas was known for his generosity and kindness to children and after his death was canonized as Saint Nicholas. The day of his death, December 6^th became a major holiday around Europe and people celebrated it by exchanging gifts. Protestants in the 16^th century banned the celebration of saint’s days and so people moved the day of celebration to Christmas. German traditions have Nicholas giving gifts to children and a ghost-like Christ child hovering around him called Christkindl (Kris Kringle). Dutch settlers in New York brought with them the story of Sinter Klaas (Santa Claus) who was plump and smoked a pipe. And in the early eighteen hundreds in America Clement Clarke Moore wrote the words, “‘Twas the night before Christmas…” which cemented the story of Santa in the minds of every American. In his story St. Nick rides a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer, is a jolly old elf and delivers toys to children through the chimney. Our modern Santa is dressed in red and white because in the 1930’s Coca-Cola used him to sell soda in the winter. And so there you have it - the story of how the birth of our savior and a kindly saint became tied up with gift giving and soda pop!

Isn’t this an amazing story! Isn’t it astonishing how St. Nick became Santa and was thrust into the Christmas story? I hope you can see that many of our Christmas traditions have very little to do with Jesus of Nazareth. Fortunately the core message of the religious celebration still survives in our churches today. And that is the message of God becoming manifest to people in a very real way. God came to our world, as a real living person to show us how much He loves us. And He lived His life as an example of how to serve our Father in Heaven as well as serve other people. This is the real message of Christmas. And the message is more important than all of the gifts and all of the celebrating in the entire world. It is my hope that as we are opening presents and drinking soda, we keep in mind a child in a manger who came to give us the gift of light and life.

Have a blessed Christmas.

Pastor Bill

We Can Be More Than We Are

I think that many of you can relate to this story. I was out of collage and heading nowhere. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a living. I picked up a job that was taking me nowhere. I had no career aspirations, and I didn’t make much money. I became more serious about my future after I was married and had a baby. Maybe the shock of newfound responsibility forced me to deal with my future or maybe I was finally growing up. I started to take job hunting more seriously. I started to work harder at the goal of forging a new future.

Then a strange thing happened to me. As I was trying to build a career in the Banking world, I was called into the ministry. A ‘calling’ is different from a career goal. We ministers believe that the ‘call’ is a message from God. So I jumped into the role of minister in training. I continued to work at the Bank in the day, went to school at night and worked as a minister on Sunday’s. In-between I found time to study and be with my family. The whole process took six years. I found in this experience that I could accomplish more than I ever thought possible. I never knew that I could work so hard. I never dreamed that I could do so much. Even today I am still amazed at what I accomplished.

Because of this experience, I now believe that people can accomplish anything. And why not? Why can’t we reach those goals that we dream of? Many things are holding us back, but so what? I am not a naturally gifted writer, but I have written a book. I had the vision of what I wanted to accomplish and went out and did it. Why not follow the vision? The only thing that could have stopped me was me. It may take time and energy, but so what? Put the time and energy in and bask in the accomplishment.


Every generation produces great people. We have a set of criteria that is not written down to decide who is a great person. One of the criteria is success in business. Captains of industry like Andrew Carnegie are usually considered great people. Another of the criteria is inventing something that impacts lives. Thomas Edison would fall under that one. And still another of the categories would be people who do extraordinary things to help others. During my lifetime Martin Luther King is considered one of the greatest of people who helped others. So would Mother Theresa. Great people pop up now and again and are remembered.

Why not more? Why aren’t there more people who are considered great by today’s standards? What makes a person great? Maybe it’s because of their family background. Maybe it’s their genetic background. Maybe they’re in the right place at the right time. Most likely it is a combination of factors that no one can guess at before it happens. As a result, great people don’t come around very often. Not everyone becomes a person that others consider great.

But why not more ordinary people doing great things? Why not more great moms and dads? Why not great accountants? Why not more people going to nursing homes and visiting with the lonely people there? I know a woman who goes to a nursing home and sings songs for the people with her guitar. She is not a professional singer. She is just an ordinary person. Wouldn’t the world be better off with more people visiting the lonely people who live in nursing homes? Nobody is going to honor this woman with a national holiday, but in her small way she is doing a great thing. I know that everyone can achieve greatness in everyday living!

Be a great Mom, be a great Dad. There is nothing holding you back. Strive to be more than you are. Reach for achievements that appear high and lofty to you. There is no reason to stay where you are. All of us can be great in our own individual way.

Peace,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

The World is Becoming a Better Place

I believe that our world is searching for the right way to live. And I believe that we are slowly getting closer to the right way of treating each other. It is just taking some time.

Back in fourteenth century France, things were pretty bad compared to today. English armies were invading every few years. After the battle ended, the English King would leave behind large numbers of soldiers, not wanting to pay for their return to England. These men became roving bands of outlaws, attacking villages and travelers. Between the wars and the outlaws, there was also the black plague, which was devastating the people of Europe. In those days, when a village needed help neighboring villages did not respond to their pleas. If they were attacked, their neighbors armed themselves and hoped they too would not be attacked. If the plague struck, doors were shut and locked. If hunger assailed people, there was no help coming from nearby towns or villages. There were plenty of instances of individual compassion and help. Many individuals put their lives on the line to help others. But no general organized effort existed to help neighbors in trouble. And the thought of helping strangers who lived far away, would not have even occurred to most people at this time.

Move to the nineteenth century. The historians call it the age of volunteerism, when most of the organizations that help victims were born. In 1863 a Swiss citizen, Jean Henri Dunant spoke out for the need of an international organization to help wounded prisoners of war with improved medical care. The Red Cross, Red Crescent, and articles of the Geneva Convention came out of his efforts. Before Jean Dunant people didn’t care about prisoners of war, wounded or otherwise. Armies also attacked hospitals as if they were active fighting units. The conditions in prisoner of war camps were horrendous. The average person of the day would not care about the deaths of enemy soldiers. And yet Jean Dunant did care. And not only that, he convinced other people to care, so many that even the governments took notice and supported his efforts.

The creation of the Red Cross and the many other organizations created in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are an amazing part of world history. No where else in our history can I find large numbers of people organizing to help others from around the world. Individual acts of mercy are common throughout history. But organizations that help strangers from other countries, which speak other languages, who have strange customs and who worship gods with different names, that is a new and marvelous thing! In the last several hundred years, the number of these groups has expanded a great deal. Many of the organizations are religious and many are not. Many of the groups help people, and some are out to help animals and the environment. Even countries are joining into this wonderful development. Not only does the United States’ defense department prepare to fight a war, they also prepare to launch peace missions. In light of our war ravaged history this has been truly amazing!

The world is evolving ideas of truth and justice that are being recognized as universal. Treating all humans with love and respect was a concept that only a few held a thousand years ago. But today, many more people hold to these principles. I believe that some day, all humans will hold the same basic principles of treating each other as we would our family. And so I believe that universal principles of behavior will continue to develop over time to guide future generations.

God Bless You,

Pastor Bill

We Learned to Open Our Home and Our Hearts

How do we learn the difference between right and wrong? When I was a child, I learned right and wrong from my parents. Today my children learn the same from me. They watch how I behave and they imitate me. If I handle trouble by getting angry, they will do the same. If I settle arguments by being a peacemaker, they too will learn to become peacemakers. We learn from our parents the basics of right and wrong. We learn from each other what it means to be moral and ethical.

I have several friends named Ken and Bonnie, who have shown me what it means to live a good moral life. Over the years they have taken people into their home that had nowhere to go. This had happened so often that their kids didn’t even ask who was coming. They just started moving their stuff into another bedroom. Then my wife and I invited a family into our house to stay. And we looked at each other and said; we’re becoming like Ken and Bonnie! These two people taught my wife and I selfless living just by being themselves.

Not only have I seen a truth filled life in other people, but I have lived it myself. I have had many opportunities to help people in trouble. Recently several people asked me for used furniture. They were too poor to buy furniture on their own. Unfortunately I don’t have any furniture stored anywhere, but I started asked around. Soon several people were donating furniture, and a friend with a truck was transporting it. It felt so good to help out people in need. Surely I experienced truth when I helped these people.

I believe that many simple truths of how to live a good life are all around us. We learn these truths from our families. We learn these truths from our neighbors and friends. We learn these truths through everyday life. Developing caring relationships is the best teacher of right and wrong. Because we know how we want to be treated, we know how other people want to be treated. Because we wish to be loved and respected, we instinctively know that everyone else wishes the same thing.

* By the way. This article was written a while ago. Recently, Betsy and I have opened our home up again to an 18 year old boy who had some problems at home. I guess the lessons we learned from Ken and Bonnie are still alive and well in the Whitehead household. I am thankful I had the opportunity to learn from two wonderful people.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Smashing Statues in the Woods

 
 

I was hiking on a mountain that overlooks the valley where I live. A friend and I went up there to see if we could view our houses from there. At the top of the mountain there are a series of communication towers. There is one big microwave tower that stands out from the rest. It has large white oval shaped cones facing in different directions. My friend and I noticed that the white faces had little dark marks on them. After a few minutes we realized that the marks were bullet holes. People had been using the tower as target practice. Other signs of destruction were also seen up in that quiet place. A wire fence was torn down and windows of the attached buildings were smashed. There was an old marble statue that had been erected many years ago. It seems to have been a saint who was blessing the people in the valley below. But the only thing left of the statue was the legs and the stand. Vandals had smashed the rest. Maybe the people who did this didn’t like the idea of being blessed.

I hike quite a bit, and so in the woods I have often found the remains of unbelievable human behavior. The skeletal remains of cars, stripped of everything including the engines, left to rot miles from the nearest road. Junk tires, foam insulation, plastic sheets, dumped deep in the evergreens. The remains of buildings, most likely ghost towns, spray painted or just smashed to bits. This behavior has caused me to wonder why people do crazy things in the woods. Why go to all of the trouble of traveling miles from home just to get drunk around a camp fire and smash beer bottles on the ground? The answer that I have come up with is that people feel free in the woods. With no one else around they feel released from the restrictions that society places on them and they think that they can do anything. And by anything that includes destroying property that doesn’t belong to them and/or permanently damaging natural habitat that belongs in the public trust. And so my question to you is; is this what freedom looks like?
I certainly hope not. If freedom means that I can do anything that I want to do, including hurting others, then the free life is not a life worth living. So if I reject this common notion of freedom, then what is the alternative? There must be limits that we place on our behavior. If not then we take away the freedom of others. We must restrict our actions in order to live together in a supportive way.

Society must have rules. There must be a code of conduct by which we operate. But the limits of our rules are being pushed by our individualistic society. The Internet is an amazing creation that gives all of us many ways to express ourselves. I looked for advice on building a telescope. And I was pleased to find many people who build telescopes as a hobby. And they are happy to publish instructions on how to do this. This is a great example of the positive impact the Internet has had. But the Internet also can have a destructive impact. I remember the story of a local politician whose home phone number was placed on the Internet as an ad for sex. It was like saying, for a good time call… This man and his family were harassed day and night until they changed their phone number. The story expresses the need for some restrictions on self-expression. Unrestrained expression means that innocent people are going to get hurt.

There are issues here that affect our greater society. Did you know that anyone could learn to make a bomb on the Internet? This type of information has been available for a long time in obscure books. But those books were hard to come by. Now this information is easy to obtain. Many people can learn to make bombs out of materials purchased at hardware stores. I’m not sure whether the second amendment protects the publication of this material or not, but surely there must be a way for our society to protect itself against people who spread information for the purpose of hurting others.

Ethical living requires limits on our actions. The unrestricted exercising of rights can take away rights from others. For example, I have seen some ugly fences in beautiful neighborhoods. If you live in a lovely neighborhood with open yards and someone puts up a cyclone fence that doesn’t fit the area, do you have a right to complain? In the Sonoma, California there are many housing developments with strong homeowners associations. They tell the owners what type of fence to put up, what colors to paint them, and what plants can be placed in front of the fences. This makes the development orderly and beautiful. But doesn’t this take basic rights from the individuals who live there? Yet people see the wisdom of giving up some personal freedoms in order to receive something they value in return.

Our right to buy and discard things creates massive landfills that pollute land and water. Our right to go to work for industry also pollutes the environment and causes many to develop health problems. Our right to drive cars that pollute the air causes some people to live indoors because they can’t breath. How does the old saying go? One hand giveth the other taketh away.

We are not free to do whatever we want in the world. I am not free to kill someone just because I feel like it. I am not free to take someone else’s rights away from them.

There must be limits placed on our actions. In order for a fair and just system to exist on our world, some of our personal freedoms must be limited. Our purpose for living is not to impose our selfish wishes onto others and therefore deprive them of important freedoms. We were not placed here on this earth to grab all we can and leave nothing left for others. We were created to care for and love other people as well as ourselves. No one can live in a vacuum. We need each other, and therefore we must learn to limit our actions.

God Bless You,

Pastor Bill

I Hate Halloween

I hate Halloween. I hate buying candy. I hate dressing up in stupid costumes. I hate ghouls and goblins. I am the ultimate Halloween party pooper. Every party must have one, and I am it. I am also, not alone in hating this fall celebration.

The Christian world has several responses to Halloween. First, the people who hate it like me, just ignore the holiday and hope that someday it will just go away. Second, are the Christians who try to incorporate the holiday in their ministry. They have events at church with candy and costumes, but they ban scary costumes and have Christian programming as part of the party. I know of one church that has a haunted house that shows kids that if they are not Christians, they are going to hell. Now that is scary.

In the great scheme of things, Halloween doesn’t matter. It’s a chance to have fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that. What really matters is this, Loving God and Loving People. That is the essence of Jesus’ message. God wants to have a loving, supportive relationship with us. And God wants us to have the same relationship with each other. If we make this simple truth the core of our lives, the rest will be easy. Even putting up with candy and costumes will be a piece of cake.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill