The Grave Robber

Pastor Mark Batterson's latest book is entitled The Grave Robber. This devotional focuses on the seven miracles performed by Jesus as recorded in the gospel of John. Each of the seven chapters of the book introduces one of the miracles:

• turning water into wine
  
• healing the royal official's son from a distance
  
• healing the invalid at the pool of Bethesda
  
• feeding of the 5000
  
• walking on water
  
• giving sight to the man born blind
  
• raising Lazarus from the dead
  

Batterson expands on issues of faith, perseverance, trust, love, and patience associated with each. He introduces anecdotes from his own life and others, both contemporary and historical, that help us to understand Jesus and his purposes better. The discussions not only serve to make it clear what purposes Jesus had in mind during his earthly ministry 2000 years ago, but also how his work then should impact our lives today. When I told my pastor that I was reading this book, he asked my opinion of it. I told him:

It still has that Batterson style, but with each new release his books get a little slicker a little bit more over-produced. I prefer his earlier books to his later books. However, I am still enjoying the read.
I think that sums things up for me. To be clear though, I would definitely recommend this book to folks looking for something to read during their devotional time. Each section is broken up into page-long, subsections, each of which can serve as a stand-alone devotional, even though its theme fits well within the overall section to which it belongs. I also worked my way through the teaching and expository video series that is available for free as part of this book. Mark's lessons are taught on location in and around Israel. They were very well done.

Phony Baloney

I have known a few folks over the years who put too much effort into sucking up to their superiors. However, their shameless behavior was far from smooth and miles from natural. Fake smiles, exaggerated chortles, over-the-top compliments. 100% saccharin. It is astounding how quickly they denigrate others they see who attempt to suck-up to their bosses using the same approach. Are they incensed so because they are blind to their own actions or because they were beaten to the punch? Witnessing their awkward pantomime and cloying affectations makes me wonder if their bosses recognize this phony baloney act and try their best to endure it or if they ever actually fall for that juicy worm left bobbing on the surface of the water.

I have a number of simple suggestions to impress my bosses with my behavior:

• Show up to work each day and give my best effort.
  
• Take responsibility for my work assignments.
  
• Be honest and forthright in my interactions with others.
  
• Step up and do my part.
  
• Take my work seriously and carefully review what I do to ensure it can stand up to scrutiny.
  
• Work hard whether anyone can see me or not.
  

Some might think this a radical approach, all that "honest work for a day's pay" rubbish. It amazes me how some folks can have any self-respect when they exert so much energy trying to look busy rather than actually working and trying to fool folks into thinking they are indispensable when they most often fall short or exist only on the fringes of hard work and useful input. I hope that when I retire, folks who work in and around me will say that I was a good worker, that I wasn't a counterfeit seasoned sausage made of finely ground meat, usually beef and pork, that has been cooked and smoked.

Flood

The genre of post-apocalyptic fiction is by now well populated by a host of novels. It is definitely a popular niche. The novel Flood by Stephen Baxter is another in this category. It was a chilling tale that got under my skin and left me with a lingering sense of anxiety and a sense of mourning. A story that slowly and methodically built to a deafening crescendo of suffering and loss until there was only silence. Chilling, haunting, and impactful would be appropriate labels.

The story begins in 2016 where a group of American and British hostages is liberated from a five-year captivity by rogue anti-government agents operating in Spain. As a result of their shared experience, the group vows to stay in contact and support each other as they go back to their lives. However, they quickly find that the world that they have returned to is battling some rather strange and unexplained climatic events that have caused water levels world-wide to rise to unprecedented levels. The former captives were actually in Spain in the first place to support investigations of anomalous weather patterns. Continuing their work, they bounce around the world investigating and trying to develop predictive models. Ultimately they come to the conclusion that the water-level rise is on an exponential curve, and members of their team believe that they understand why. A long-standing theory in some terrestrial models held that vast oceans were trapped beneath the Earth's crust during its formation. The volume of water contained in these voids could potentially enclose a volume significantly larger than the world's oceans. If tectonic shifts occurred such that this volume was released, then humanity could be in trouble.

The story follows the development of the flood up until the year 2052 when the waters finally cover all of the land. Humanity struggled at times valiantly and courageously, but more often selfishly and murderously as the incessant rise of the waters overran every trace of human history, leaving nothing behind. Baxter paces his story in such a manner that you can feel the noose constricting about humanity's neck. Finally, humanity has reached a point where we are all equal, red, yellow, back, and white, poor or rich, educated or ignorant, the water drowns us all without regard, without favoritism. All that remains are a few rag-tag bands of individuals floating about on raft-based habitats gamely trying to exist and hold on. There are also rumors of a small remnant of survivors who left for the stars to spread humanity's seed to a new world. That is the focus of the second part of this saga in Ark.

Observations 67

My occasional blog series "Observations" was created to be an outlet to share a variety of topics that pop into my field of view as a result of a condition that many bloggers are afflicted with known as "blogger's eyes". In this state we view the world on the constant look-out for topics on which to write about. Today's blog came about from random odds 'n ends of things that I have noticed over the past few weeks.

• The reporters on ESPN's SportsCenter seem to regularly declare that some highlight from the day's slate of games is the best play ever. Sounds less like expert commentary every time I watch and more like a couple of guys sitting around drinking a few while watching the tube.
  
• At the book exchange that we have at work, which contains 4 shelves of assorted books for folks to borrow, I saw the title "Wealth Without Risk". I guess the previous owner struck it rich and was passing on the secret to unchecked money to the next lucky soul.
  
• I was in the kitchen fixing a snack for my daughter while she was in the living room watching a cartoon on T.V.. The following dialog hit me upside the head, "So what do you like to do? ... oh eat poop with a bee on it ... cool." What a deliciously random line.
  
• There was a story in the news about a man who was shot by police. The incensed locals set out to protest and voice their anger, yet it ultimately turned into a scene of people destroying, burning, and looting local businesses. Seems to me the moment they turned to criminal behavior, they lost their legitimacy and their purpose ... and my sympathy.
  
• It seems to me the fairest way for two folks to divide a pie is for one person to cut it and the other to select what piece they want. Oh, and I am not really talking about pie.
  

Merry-Andrew

In a recent moment of pique regarding the actions of a colleague, I rashly labeled them as a fool. If I had taken half a beat to filter my thoughts before I uttered them, I would have said something different, less emotionally charged. I think when most of us toss around the word fool, we use it as a synonym for idiot. As I found a quiet place to cool down after this incident, I began to think about the term "fool" and its different meanings, and I realized that not all of them have such negative connotations. In this series of posts, I wanted to explore the different senses of the word fool.

Fool #4 - Someone who has been tricked into appearing or acting silly or stupid.

Perhaps the most unfair label of fool is one who is cheated out of their time, money, or possessions through the trickery or deceipt of another. Sometimes we may be naive, too trusting, or overrun by an unexpected blow. Through no true fault of our own, what was once ours has been taken from us in such a manner that others pity us, think us gullible, brand us with a scarlet F.

Scripture tells us a thing or two about fools, but worse yet than being deceived, is not to learn from our experience.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. Proverbs 26:3-12

(Part 4 of 4)

Classic Christianity

I just finished reading what may be termed a "classic" book, the best-selling devotional Classic Christianity by Bob George. In fact, the front cover of the book declares that it has sold over 600,000 copies. Numbers like this actually made me a bit edgy about reading it because my mind immediately wanted to dissect the book analytically, to critically examine its every nook and cranny. It was almost a challenge for me to approach my reading with a critical eye to see if this book was as worthy as it claimed. I had the same mindset when I read A Purpose-Drive Life by Rick Warren which claimed to have sold more than 30 million copies.

The subtitle of George's book really fits well to his main message, "Life's Too Short to Miss the Real Thing". Christians tend to fall into traps of routine, of false doctrine, of being led by folks of dubious intent, of legalism. If they can just get a whiff of what entering into a relationship with Jesus is really supposed to be all about, they might just begin to understand that their empty, patterned, rote religion, has something much better to offer.

This book is based on very sound exegesis and George's reasoned and sensible approach helps to provide comfort, reassurance, and insight into God's word. I would not say that this book particularly stands out among the dozens and dozens of other similar books in this genre. In fact, why this book should sell more copies than others of its ilk is likely due to the fact that George hosts a nationally syndicated radio call-in program. That is not meant to be a criticism, in fact, spreading the word about the Word is all that really matters and if this book helps then that is good thing. This book provided me an enjoyable daily devotional.

Paradox

A paradox is defined as a statement that seems to contradict itself and yet still might be true. As one approaches a paradox from the outside and begins to ponder its complexities and subtleties, one can sometimes find a path to reason whether it is true or false, plausible or unlikely. However, typically, the unraveled paradox can still provide insight into something that had not been clear before its consideration.

Poking about online I came across a number of sites that have assembled a collection of paradoxes. Some use words that you might claim to be fictional:

Cole's paradox: Even a tiny fecundity advantage of one additional offspring would favor the evolution of semelparity.

Some will get you to wondering how such a thing is possible:

Potato paradox: If you let potatoes consisting of 99% water dry so that they are 98% water, they lose 50% of their weight.

Some will give you a smile of recognition:

Hedgehog's dilemma: Despite goodwill, human intimacy cannot occur without substantial mutual harm.

Some will make you curious:

Faraday paradox: Diluted nitric acid will corrode steel, while concentrated nitric acid doesn't.

Some will make you think about anthropomorphism:

Crocodile dilemma: If a crocodile steals a child and promises its return if the father can correctly guess exactly what the crocodile will do, how should the crocodile respond in the case that the father correctly guesses that the child will not be returned?

Finally, some will be seen as easily dismissible by most, except those who have been hurt by those closest to them:

Loneliness paradox: A close and loving family is a blessing. But the more people we love and the more deeply we love them, the more vulnerable we are to loss and grief and loneliness.