Job's Friends: Dangers of the ‘Health and Wealth’ or ‘Prosperity’ Gospel

I’m writing this article on the topic of the fast-spreading pseudo-theology going around these days known as “Health and Wealth” or “Prosperity” Gospel. The idea behind it being that if you are doing well spiritually then you will be doing well financially and in your health -  and if you aren't doing well financially or health wise then it is because of a lack of faith on your part or even hidden sin.

Nothing could be further from what the Bible teaches and I hope this article will help us began to understand this very obvious truth. For the purposes of this project we will focus primarily on the “health” part of this lie but will also take a quick look at what the Bible says about the “wealth” part at the very end.

I recognize that some illnesses or even deaths could be the result of sin in a person’s life – but much discernment, wisdom and compassion is needed before jumping to such a conclusion. And though this might be one answer, it is only one of many possible reasons and is usually the rarest.

My motives for writing this at this time are 1) because it is unbiblical ( actually anti-Biblical) and 2) because lives and families are, to varying degrees,  literally being destroyed by this lie ( I know of some personally).

I would say that the first point where this kind of thinking goes radically wrong is by not properly differentiating the Old Testament (OT) from the New Testament (NT).  It is true that both are the Word of God, but it is also true that we are dealing with a new covenant between God and man differing than we were in the OT. It has been rightly said the New Testament was written TO us and the Old Testament was written FOR us. One must interpret the OT through the lens of the NT.   

It is apparent that wealth and health were often a sign of success and good standing with God in the OT but the NT is radically different in this respect.  As Francis Bacon noted:

“Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New.”  Sir Francis Bacon

There is a lot of Biblical theology summed up in that short quote.

In addition to this, even if we looked at the OT as an example we would need only to read the book of Job to realize how contrary this Health and Wealth / Prosperity gospel is to Scripture.  Job suffered much . He lost his family (except for his wife who told him to curse God), his wealth and his health but not because he was sinning – it was in fact the opposite. It was because he was so righteous.   The book opens:

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

When Satan suggested to God that Job was only righteous because God gave him all this wonderful stuff God basically said –go ahead and test him.  So you see this was a testing of Job’s faith because he was righteous. Not a punishment for sin but a testing of faith due to already existing faith and  righteousness.

Job 1:22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

If this wasn’t enough to convince a person of the reality of righteous suffering then enter Job’s three friends who were sorely scolded by God at the end of the book. Why? Because they had told Job that he had lost everything because of sin in his life. As it was, Job did learn many lessons through this experience and became closer to God – but no thanks to his friends.

Job 42:7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

Before leaving the OT, there is a very poignant and relevant passage in Exodus we should look at where the Lord asks Moses to represent his people before Pharoah.

Exd 4:10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I [am] slow of speech and slow of tongue."
Exd 4:11 So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?

The mute, the deaf, the seeing and the blind –God declares that He has made them. They are not a curse but a blessing – a way for God’s strength to be made perfect in our weakness.

But now lets take a look at the New Testament that was written “to” us directly.

First of all let’s look at the New Testament verse that proponents of this false gospel often use to support their propaganda  - III John 2

3Jo 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

The ironic thing is that this verse can be used to argue the exact opposite of the HWPG. John is here talking to a very godly man named Gaius ( we know he is godly  by the context of the book). So when he wishes that Gaius may prosper in his health just as much as he does in in soul – it would be an  example of being spiritually well yet physically ill.

And there are so many examples of suffering within the will of God in the NT.

We begin with Jesus who, of course is the ultimate example. When Jesus and His disciples encountered a grown man born blind this is what played out:

Jhn 9:1 Now as [Jesus] passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth

Jhn 9:2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Jhn 9:3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

 Jhn 9:4 "I  must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work

Jhn 9:5 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Jhn 9:6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
Jhn 9:7 And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

In other words, this man spent his entire life blind because one day, when the time was right and it was the will of God, he would be healed by Jesus – and God would be glorified and the man would find even more than just physical sight!

Other examples in the NT of devout believers suffering physically were Trophimus ( a follower of Paul) and Timothy (Paul’s foremost disciple and leader of a local church). From the context it is obvious ( especially with regards to Timothy) that they were righteous, faithful Christians who were simply suffering   - perhaps for the glory of God, perhaps as opposition from the enemy who knew how effective they were, perhaps just because “the rain falls on the just and the unjust”  , or perhaps even to learn lessons they would never learn otherwise – but not because of sin or a lack of faith!

1Ti 5:23 (Timothy, ) No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.

2Ti 4:20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.

Then, no less than Paul the apostle, who healed many people wrote this passage in regards to his own suffering:

2Cr 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

2Cr 12:8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me

2Cr 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me

2Cr 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

My Grace is sufficient for you - Ahh, how sweet this sounds to the desperate heart.

  “For My strength is made perfect in weakness” - this echoes God’s declaration to Moses that we read earlier.

No one is saying that miracles and healing cannot happen today – but we must use the Scriptures to discern what is of God and what is God’s will.

Can you imagine promising people that if they become Christians everything will become perfect in their lives? What happens when this lie is undone and they walk away from God?

Can you imagine looking at a young couple who just lost their baby to a miscarriage and telling them its because they weren’t good enough?

Beholding the joy a downs syndrome child brings to their family and calling it a curse?

Hearing the news that a Christian brother has been diagnosed with cancer and, instead of comforting, offering only accusations?

Or encountering a devout Christian who is suffering from a mental illness or epilepsy, and because of your ignorance, telling them they are demon possessed?

To a confused, suffering Christian trying to make sense of it all - these types of reactions  could push them further away from God and bring God’s wrath upon you (as it did with job’s friends). Where there is sin, God knows -  it is primarily our job to hold them, comfort them and be Jesus to them. God will work the rest out.

2Cr 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort

2Cr 1:4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God

2Cr 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

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To briefly touch on the “Wealth” aspect:

 There is certainly nothing wrong with being rich – many wealthy Christians are used by the Lord in great ways. However it is when the wealth (just as with the health) becomes an idol – something that replaces God, something you lust after – that it is sin.

It is often misquoted that money is the root of all evil – the Bible actually says that it is the LOVE of money that is the root.

1Ti 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Jesus also said the following:

Mat 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money).

Luk 18:25 "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Finally from the book of James:

Jam 1:9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
Jam 1:10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
Jam 1:11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

Colour, Light and the Rainbow ( a Scientific and Biblical Look)

Colour, Light and the Rainbow

I’ve been reading a little about Physics lately ( an altogether new thing for me) and I was very excited when I came across the Electromagnetic Spectrum; that is,  the spectrum of energy-transferring waves from the highest frequency and shortest wavelengths on one side (Gamma Rays) to the exact opposite on the other (Radio Waves).   Right in the middle is what we know as “Visible Light”, and this is what really spiked my interest because I’ve always been fascinated with Light and Colour – both from a scientific perspective and from a spiritual one (i.e. what the Bible says about light -  Jesus said “I am the Light of the world.” And it has always intrigued me that in the creation sequence of Genesis, God created Light before He created the Sun.)

“White” light was originally thought to be the fundamental colour of light until Isaac Newton proved that white light entering a prism is refracted into different colours . The exact colours, in fact, that are in the Rainbow – you know the old “ROYGBIV” we learned in school ( red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet)?

These colours are, in fact, just different wavelengths – red having the longest wavelengths and violet the shortest. The cones (light-sensitive cells) in our eyes pick up three primary colours of light – red, green and blue. All colours we see are a mix of these base colours.

(Note: You will notice that in paints there is a different set of primary colours:  Red, Blue and Yellow or,  even more scientifically accurate: Magenta, Cyan and Yellow - now you know why your printer ink cartridges have these weird colour names on them !)

Back to light and colour now though – prepared to have your mind blown: When you shine one of each of the primary light colours (Red, Green and Blue) against a white wall, at the point where all three intersect you will get…wait for it… white light! How cool is that?

So all of this set me up to start looking at the phenomenon known as the rainbow more closely. I’ve always been intrigued by rainbows ( not as much as that guy on youtube but still..) and so I studied a bit more about them.

Webster’s definition first of all:

1

: an arc or circle that exhibits in concentric bands the colors of the spectrum and that is formed opposite the sun by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in raindrops, spray, or mist

When viewing a rainbow ( and there are different types mind you), we usually see seven distinct colours – however it is interesting to realize that the spectrum is actually all continuous changing colour.

Rainbows have been in the fabric of popular culture for a very long time. Whether it’s the leprechaun trying to hide his pot of gold at its end ( and the end of a rainbow, of course, doesn’t exist except optically) or Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz looking for a place “where there isn’t any trouble” queuing  the musical number “Somewhere Over the rainbow”.  

Aristotle was the first to really study the nature of it and Newton solidified the science of it.

But as I said, in addition to the beautiful science of it all, I wanted to see what the Bible said about it as well. In Genesis chapter 9 we read that Noah and his family have stepped off the Ark and God is about to establish a covenant (or promise) , not only with Noah, but with all humanity forever.

The promise is that He will never again destroy the sinfulness of man with a worldwide flood and the sign of this promise? The rainbow. (I realize many will not take this account as literal but that is up to you. I for one, based on all my studies and experiences with the Bible and about the Bible, do).

Gen 9:16 "The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

Imagine that – when we look upon a rainbow, God is looking upon it to.

 

As we look further into the Bible, we realize that this is part of a much larger and central promise of the Old Testament  - not to just not destroy the earth by water but , in fact, to SAVE the earth… by blood. His own.  That is what is played out years later at Calvary, the hill of Golgotha, where Jesus the Christ saved the world on the cross. Though, spiritually speaking,  He may have saved the world, it is still up to each individual whether they would believe Him and have His salvation.

Back to definitions for a moment. We have seen the English definition, now let’s look a little at the Hebrew and Greek words.

The Hebrew word qesheth means simply “A Bow” . An archer’s bow or an arc and , figuratively, it speaks of might and power (Gen 49:24). It is interesting that in Genesis God refers to it as “My bow” …“ in the cloud”. Apart from the ninth chapter of Genesis the rainbow is also referred to in the books of Ezekiel (1:28)  and Revelation (4:3 and 10:1)

Now here’s where things get really interesting – the Greek word for rainbow?   Iris.

Now we know this name for the flower ( referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species of Iris. *wik) and of course the coloured part of our eye , “ the opaque contractile diaphragm perforated by the pupil and forming the colored portion of the eye” *wik.

Again, how cool is that? – the coloured part of our eyes was named after the rainbow (and its colour).

What you may not know is that Iris was  also a goddess in Greek mythology who personified the rainbow (the goddess of the rainbow) and acted as a messenger between Heaven and Earth. Iris linked the gods with humanity (reminding me of God’s original purpose in Genesis).

So when all is said and done, the science, Biblical significance, culture significance and etymology of the “rainbow” is a fascinating topic.

In both Greco-Roman and Norse mythology, the rainbow was considered a path or bridge from the gods to humanity.  In light of our Bible study, we see the rainbow as a smaller picture of the way to Heaven and the mediator between God and humanity – Jesus Christ.

Science and faith were never meant to be separated but rather to fuel each other’s growth.  And Light, Colour and the Rainbow is a wonderful example of that to me.

                                         The Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo

                                                                             

Broken

I wanted to share a recent realization I’ve had about the Biblical teaching of the sinfulness of man and the struggles we have to deal with it.

Sin is an old word really, people think it religious and antiquated but what it really is – is what separates us from a Holy and Just God, a breaking of His law. Of course, we know that this same Holy and Just God is also a loving tender God who, at the ultimate cost, made a way to reunite with Him through the forgiveness available through Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross.

When I worked for eBay a few years ago, one of the company’s main tenets was that “People are basically good”. I have to say, that all of us who worked there, religious or not, had quite a laugh every time this was quoted. You see, we had just finished a conversation with an irate member over a penny or two; we had just finished trying to resolve a conflict between two members who despised each other and called each other all types of names over a small transaction gone wrong; or we had just finished dealing with a death threat…or a suicide caller. What really made us laugh though is when we worked in the account security department and fought hard against constant fraud and theft of money and identity.  Even to the most optimistic of us, this “tenet” seemed naïve and hopelessly idealistic.

As C.S. Lewis concisely and accurately puts it:  "We are not merely imperfect creatures that need improvement: we are rebels that need lay down our arms".

So most of us will admit that we are less than perfect (although not many will admit they are rebellious to their Creator) . Others think too little of this, not understanding how pure and Holy our Creator is- others take it to extremes of self hatred.

I know and believe that we are indeed guilty before God – we need redemption. However, when I was younger, and even still today, I struggle with my sinful nature, I struggle with my own view of myself and worthiness or lack of it. I even struggle with self-hatred some times . I struggle with a type of guilt that I don’t believe is from God. In other words, I need to discern the difference between the CONVICTION of the Holy Spirit and the ACCUSATION of the devil ( Rev 12:10*)

 I used to think that self esteem ( in today’s connotation) was evil because it was in fact , just pride.

What I have come to realize is that admitting and acknowledging both the Biblical teaching and the seemingly obvious track record of our sinfulness is not just about feeling guilty. True guilt or conviction of the Holy Spirit will lead to forgiveness, redemption and then peace , love and joy. Its not just about how guilty we are, but how BROKEN we are. To me the term “broken” speaks not of self-hatred  but a literal inability to live a perfect life, a helplessness to help oursleves. It speaks of my hurts, my harms, my need for spiritual and emotional healing. When I acknowledge this, this utter insufficiency,  it is not suffocating hopelessness I feel but rather joy at the realization I don’t have to do this on my own – God is here. I don’t have to earn it, God has offered a way out – not just into heaven and eternity but also in this day to day grind that is life.  

And on the topic of self-esteem - what better esteem could I have than that the One who made me, loves me just as I am ( loves me so much in fact, that, like a parent, He will not leave me the way I am but discipline me and mold me into all I was meant to be)

I believe we need to exercise our free will and turn from the “sin” and towards God but also acknowledge our helplessness and surrender all to God (believing the Gospel)  so that He may make us what He wants us to be….

I realize now that self esteem is realizing you are loved by your Creator, made with purpose and self-respect. God has already forgiven you , if you will believe and receive it –now you need to forgive yourself and move on, comforted and victorious in His grace..

As one so eloquently put it, “We are unworthy, but not worthless”

 *

Rev 12:10

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

The Touch of the Master's Hand

It was battered and scarred, And the auctioneer thought it hardly worth his while To waste his time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried, "Who starts the bidding for me?" "One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?" "Two dollars, who makes it three?" "Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"

But, No, From the room far back a gray bearded man Came forward and picked up the bow, Then wiping the dust from the old violin And tightening up the strings, He played a melody, pure and sweet As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer With a voice that was quiet and low, Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?" As he held it aloft with its' bow.

"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?" "Two thousand, Who makes it three?" "Three thousand once, three thousand twice, Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered, But some of them cried, "We just don't understand." "What changed its' worth?" Swift came the reply. "The Touch of the Masters Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune All battered with bourbon and gin Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine, A game and he travels on. He is going once, he is going twice, He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes, And the foolish crowd never can quite understand, The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.

Myra Brooks Welch



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Addendum:

Dear_____ , that is a very interesting analogy but I have to disagree with it as far as a Biblical definition of sin – there is a definite individual fault and accountability on the part of the “sinner” that I don't really see in that analogy.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Here the word for Sin is Greek -  Hamartano

1) to be without a share in

2) to miss the mark

3) to err, be mistaken

4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong

5) to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin

 “to miss the mark” has the connotation of an arrow that has failed to reach its target – our helplessness.

But there is also the definition  “to violate God’s law”  -  as 1 John says:

1Jo 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

That is why I believe we need to exercise our free will and turn from the “sin” and towards God but also acknowledge our helplessness and surrender all to God (believing the Gospel)  so that He may make us what He wants us to be….

Another poem/hymn resonates with me now:

Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot, To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind, Yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown Hath broken every barrier down; Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove, Here for a season, then above, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

A Mile in Their Shoes

The other day I saw someone in a public setting. If you had seen them, not knowing anything about them, you may have thought that their attitude was a bit rude and snobby - you may have even been offended. The thought had occurred to me as well – but in this case, I did know them and a bit about their life. I happened to know that they were going through some pretty insane stuff and, equipped with that knowledge, knew there was nothing rude or snobby about them. But it made me think of how quick I am to judge negatively.

Its not that there is no place for “positive” judging  ( almost sound like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?)  – Jesus talks about “righteous judgement” and knowing a person by their “fruit” or actions.  Some people do need to be called on their behaviour.

But this is about negative judging – jumping to conclusions, being uninformed and uncompassionate and there is always a tinge of pride, self righteousness and even hate behind it.

So as I said before – it made me think of how quick I am to judge. How do I know what’s going on in that person’s life? How do I know what goes on behind closed doors of anguish and suffering? And so the old saying “Never judge a person until you walk a mile in his shoes”  is filled with wisdom.

God must have thought so too. In an unfathomable move, He stepped down from His throne, through the mass of worshipping, adoring angels , through the galaxies and into this mad world. He walked in our shoes for 33 years before we killed Him and was “in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  Hebrews 4:15

Do we really believe that Jesus knows and understands what we are going through – in a detailed and personal way? Well, apparently, He does. And that is humbling .. and oh so comforting. 

So let’s be a bit more like Jesus ( always good advice in any situation) and try to understand a bit more before we judge.

It doesn’t cost us anything to give someone the benefit of the doubt and we may end up being a better person (and Christian) for it.

Hbr 2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hbr 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hbr 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A Short Thought On Delivering Truth

Sometimes Biblical Truths are best delivered to a person (whether that person be a believer or a non-believer) by someone who has had personal experience with the specific truth in question.

If we are parents, we are much more likely to receive advice from someone else who is raising or has raised children. If we are dealing with mental illness we are much more likely to accept the wisdom of another who has been through similar circumstances.

And to be honest, sometimes it is very detrimental for a Christian to blurt out Biblical truth without any understanding or experience of the particular issue at hand.

Biblical truth is best given with the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, the love and compassion of Jesus and the heart of the Father – with deep humility and, if possible , a personal first hand  understanding and education of the topic at hand.

It is also best received and accepted when given this way. Defense systems are more readily laid down and cracks of light can began to form in the wall that someone has put around their heart.

1 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Ephesians 4:15

“… but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ…”

Invisible Disease

Invisible Disease

An invisible disease has stricken me

An invisible disease is all I see ...

Some days 

Not only cannot they see

This disease that has stricken me

But they cannot perceive, understand or believe

For experience seems to be the only way

That others can fully say

The oft miss said  “I understand”

Not even half the man I used to be

I work harder , push further , endure longer…

Just to seem… below average

Sometimes I cannot begin to understand the misunderstanding

Of the ailments that have been allowed my way

The locust that eats my day

Yet I am no worse off,  or worse , than any other man

Despite the voices that say I am

I am not a victim

I am, in fact,  a victor… through Him

I am more than a conquerer in my weakness

Than Caesar or Alexander in their greatness

Because of Him

And the blessings I see when I have clarity

Well, That is far more than enough for me

Like Jean Valjean

I have experienced grace

It invaded me

It took my place

For all Eternity – Blessed be

But also day by day – how sweet

Grasping for Expression

Not sure that this falls into any official category of writing... perhaps a song or spoken word. At any rate I didn't want to change it from the way it is.

You may recognize the last portion from Counting Crow's "Anna Begins"

Grasping For Expression

I remember filling up and falling down to my knees

When Your love anew came over me

Gasping for air and grasping for expression

Long after I was born again

Desperate, frustrated and trying to earn it

Inadvertently, I almost spurned it

Till Your love cascaded over me

And finally…through me

Like bathing in a lightfall

Step down from golden throne through stars?

To take on flesh and pain .. be marred?

To feel the sting of broken nature

I cannot but worship this humble posture

Not just forgive but love your enemies?

Pray for the religious, rebellious murderer?

Touch the leper, comfort the prostitute

And even forgive the one who prostituted her?

You would heal  Malchus’ ear

So that he could hear

You say, “Permit even this”

How deep, how wide, how long, how high

Is this love?  Four dimensions –

A hint,  perhaps,  that it is beyond comprehension

And beyond condition – but not beyond the malnutrition

Of our starved and thirsty heart.

It takes both a father and a mother’s heart

To fully express how kind “Thou art”

To take back a wayward child

Though proud, rebellious  and wild

Not even a lecture to hear?

No.

Just an embrace… .and a tear.

What love is this?

This time when kindness falls like rain

It washes me away.

And He begins to change my mind.

His kindness bangs a gong,

 Its moving me along

And Oh Lord,

I’m so ready for this sort of thing

On Disagreeing and Loving: Some Timely Truth for Christians and Society in General

I've been saying this for a while now but have recently heard a few people, who are probably a lot smarter than me, say almost the exact same thing - so maybe there's something t it;)




 "It is possible to strongly disagree with someone and yet still deeply love them."






"Honestly, it is my prayer that people on both sides of the argument would stop yelling at each other and talking about one another and actually sit down and talk to one another understanding that just because two people do not agree on an issue does not mean they have the right to hate one another for it.  Conversation is NOT compromise…it’s actually Christ like!"    Perry Noble