A Winter's Tale - who is in control of Good and Evil?

I went to watch the movie "A Winter's tale."  I don't want to give away the story and I won't but if you are super sensitive to things like that you may want to stop reading...

This was really a lot different than I expected.  I was expecting a traditional love story with a twist.  And at the core of it, it was the love story with a twist.  But it was so much more.  It had great implications of faith and "good" vs "evil", heaven and hell.  Their was a love story intertwined in this battle that exist in humanity and in life.

The story shows the battle that goes on and some of the behind the scenes action that "force" us to pick a side.  I think the most intriguing thing for me was asking myself the question, "Are there demons among us that look like you and me?"  Are there those who truly are good that resist and fight evil in their very existence?  Is there a force truly pulling us away from God?  Or is it our humanity that grabs a hold that separates us from God?

I won't really share more about the movie, but it left thinking about why we find ourselves in places and situations?  Is it luck or chance?  Or is it by some bigger plan or "scheme"?

The fundamental questions:  Is there evil in the world?  A negative force that is pulling people toward it away from God?  Personally, I go back and forth.  I think there are times you wonder how a person could do such horrible things to others?  You wonder how anyone with any humanity could do the horrible things you see, hear, and read about?  There must be some force that "makes" them do it.  I think so often people use this thinking to avoid personal responsibility.  If something else made you do it, you can't be held accountable and it really is not your fault... BULL!  But if you go this route... then where is God?  Why would God allow such evil to exist?  Can God not over come the evil?  Does God choose not to or is God unable?  And then Why?

Even though the good vs evil makes for a good movie, I am more inclined today to recognize evil as the separation from God.  Evil happens because people choose to stay away from God, avoid God, or don't believe in the existence of God.  It does not mean that all people who claim God does not exist are evil. It just means there is a better chance for evil to happen because God is not recognized and sought. I believe God is still there holding on and even guiding these toward God.

Sometimes the separation comes from people who believe that God does not exist or have had such evil happen in their lives that they can only think of the dark places in which they have found themselves in.  There are some that cannot see or choose not to see the beauty in that which God has created.

So is there a "hell"? Where is it?  What is it?  Again you get different images, the one that sticks with me is Sheol.  The garbage dump outside of Jerusalem.  This is the imagery used.  It isn't a place where people would want to live.  My best understanding of hell is separation from the God that created us.  Connection to God, you find beauty, grace, hope, and promise.  Separated from God you find darkness, pain, misery, and evil.

Is there more to it?  Sure, but I truly believe that God has created all to be good and all that is good.  I believe God allows us to choose how we live life and those choices produce the evil we meet.  Now that does not mean that if bad things happen to you it has to be your fault for a past sin.  That would mean God is hateful and vindictive.  The God I experience in scripture and in the incarnation of Jesus is neither vindictive nor hateful.  The God I understand is loving, compassionate, and yearning for relationship with the created.

The pain and the joy I experience in life is from living life.  The joy I see in my every day is from allowing myself to be open to where God leads me.  I am aware of God's presence in my sorrow and God's presence in my joy.  When I seek to experience grace and mercy, I am blessed and able to bless others.  When I am depressed, angry, or just tired and forget my outlook on life and faith, then I notice the separation I have allowed.  Evil or sin can happen.

I choose to experience joy.  I hope you do as well.

I truly believe we have free will, but also believe that God puts us in places and with people and in situations where we are supposed to be.  So many times we think we are there to bless or help someone else.  But we have to stop and think that sometimes maybe we are there because we need the blessing, we need the miracle!

So often I ask God,  "how can you use me today? What can I do today to serve you?"  I normally overlook the times people therein my life to share their miracle with me.

In the "Winter's Tale" I would say I give it 3 out 5 stars.  It is intriguing for the explanation of Good vs. Evil and heaven and hell.  But it is slow in points.  Also it is filled with pain and disappointment.  But it shows life in an interesting and thought provoking perspective.

In my own "winters tale", I am so thankful for the snow that fell that allowed me 3 days with my 4 amazing kids.  The snow fort, the sledding, and the joy I see in them makes me ever so thankful!  I hope and pray, that you experience the "Good" that God shares with humanity every day!

Our Disappointments are still God's Greatest Joy

I love having a DVR.  I don't have time to sit and watch every moment of the olympics, but I have seen some great moments played back.  The other day I was watching Freestyle Skiing.  What a cool event.  It hurts my back and knees just watching (and I am only 40).

I was sucked in by team pride and wanting our champion to be champion again.  I was cheering on 3 time Olympian and Gold Medalist in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Hannah Kearney.  I watched her with a mediocre run in qualifying(compared to her other runs, not compared to what I could do) and the concern that was shared.  She needed to be at the top if she wanted to win gold again.  Then I watched her next run.  It was amazingly flawless, technically correct.  The stunts were perfect.  She smoothed the moguls under her feet.  She would run the final round in first place, the last one to run.

You could cut the anticipation and excitement with a knife.  She came out great.  Got great height and then it happened.  One mogul yanked her ski.  She had one brief lapse in technique (or I would say bad luck) and it was the difference between gold and bronze.  The favorite was devastated.  At the ripe old age of 27 she knew this was her last Olympics.  It showed in her face.  You could hear it in her voice before she turned her back and broke down.

Me, I was so excited.  We won bronze in a sport I would never be able to compete in.  We won another medal for our country.  Hannah Kearney is a champion and hero!!  What an amazing job she did.  She skied so well and had an incredible run.  But her disappointment was still there.

We all have those moments where we think we were better.  We knew we could do better.  We really wanted to win.  And yet it just didn't happen.  Was God against us?  Did God want the other person to win more?  (LOL)  How ridiculous!

God created all of us the same.  God in creation did not say that part of humanity was "very good" and the other was "iffy".  No, God saw all of us as "very good" and continues to rejoice and celebrate at the beauty of that which was created no matter how we have evolved over time.  God is proud of the "C" student just as much as the "A" student.  God looks with favor on those who say thank you whether they are the super bowl champs or the team with the 2-14 record.

I was excited to celebrate bronze with Hannah.  My heart broke to see her heart broken, and I knew that Jesus wept and probably weeps when our hearts are broken as well.  I also know that God was so proud when Hannah and all of us use the gifts bestowed upon us to do great things and to bring people together.

I know God's hands are surrounding those athletes from all of the countries.  My prayer is that we will find unity and fellowship with brothers and sisters who are different. The Olympics provide an amazing gift for the world to gather together as one and celebrate without prejudice.  Let's celebrate each other and our diversity.  Let's rejoice and look for God in each other... God did say that we were all created in the same image!

Let's let go of our preconceived ideas of other cultures, faith practices, and ideologies. If we can celebrate who God is, who God created us to be, and celebrate the gifts we have, we may be able to let go of our disappointments and frustrations. If we can let go, we may see that we are God's greatest joy!

A little paint covers just about anything...

I have been planning to create a blog for a long time.  I want to share the thoughts of my head and heart and keep them for later reflection.  I figured I would start by reposting an article I wrote for our newsletter a couple of years ago, August 2011.

“A little paint covers just about anything”

It’s amazing how God gives you what you need when you need it. Last week we had an amazing week of Vacation Bible School. When VBS was done I went back over to the church to begin cleaning up. Gratefully, I found that some angels had been cleaning up the sanctuary after church and a lot of the work was done. However, my celebration was cut short. I started touching up paint where tape had pulled some paint loose, when I noticed “IT”. It was black marks on the wall from the back left corner of the sanctuary all the way up to the front right corner of the sanctuary.

One of our beautiful children from VBS had either taken a toy or a pencil to the wall decorating it with black streaks as far as the eye could see. (silent pause of emotions) Once I got over the feeling of frustration and sadness, I talked to God. It is amazing what happened.

God planted in my heart, “Mike, this is just like I do with all of my ‘children’ all the time. When one of you makes a mistake, colors where you are not suppose to, hurts someone, or is hurt by someone, this is what I do.” God was telling me that the couple hours I spent cover up the mistakes of a little one, is no different than the love God shows us in covering up and forgetting our mistakes.

Many people say kids should not be in church because they don’t know how to act, they are too noisy, or just down right disrespectful. And I am reminded today, they do belong, just like me and you. We are messy and broken too. As long as we are there to let God wash away our imperfections, as long as we are there to give ourselves fully, as long as we can admit that we are sometimes downright disrespectful to each other, God may take a few hours, days, or years, but when you offer yourself to God the paint God uses washes away all our imperfections. I enjoyed painting that day. I hope you will allow God to paint with you.

In Christ,