Getting Out of the Boat

I’m letting you know right up front that today’s message is for all those who profess a saving faith in God. From a lifetime of church and bible reading, even in moderation, we have a pretty fair idea of what kind of life we should be living. Better yet, God indicates repeatedly that He’s on our side and more than willing to help us along the way. What He asks it that we take those daily steps of faith in order to tap into His power and guidance for our lives. Sounds great, right? Eternal fire insurance paid up by Jesus, check. Instruction manual (the bible) provided in nearly every language, check. God is our coach. The Holy Spirit has been provided to play the role of Jimminy Cricket - and so much more. We’ve read the end of the book and we already know the good guys win. Alrighty then, looks like this life of faith and obedience is all charted out and it should be smooth sailing … in theory. However, much like the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness, we seem to go weak in the knees when it comes down to living our daily lives out in the real world. First of all, the life of faith is the real world. Second of all, there’s no secret formula to successfully living a life of faith. Perhaps I’m preaching to the choir, but I’m in the choir and I certainly struggle with this every day. We huddle in our homes and churches discussing how to change both ourselves and the world, yet we often fall flat when it actually comes down to executing. This is where I love the example of the Apostle Peter. Jesus called him the rock, but he stumbled through his life of faith much the same as we do. The great thing about Peter, however, was his willingness to act. At times he was kind of a ready-fire-aim guy, but at least he moved forward. One of my favorite images is that of the frightened apostles out in a boat on the Sea of Galilee during a storm. They’re best friends with the creator of the universe, but have difficulty translating that knowledge into action. When Jesus comes walking across the water to save them, instead of rejoicing at the miracle, they remain as frightened and wet as ever. Only Peter has the faith to leap out of the boat and claim the saving power of his relationship with Jesus in the midst of that raging storm. It’s a great picture to focus on in the midst of the inevitable storms in our own lives. Maybe that is the secret to successful Christian living. We don’t need paperback books or “three easy steps” sermons. We simply need to take a deep breath, climb out of the boat, keep our eyes on Jesus and start walking. In the end, Peter showed us that faith isn’t something we can merely say or feel, it’s what we do. Faith is action. So for all of you other sheep who, like me, often feel daunted by what God asks of us, it’s time that we climb out of the boat and get down to the business at hand. That first step is a doozy … but it’s the one we most need to take. Here goes! Getting Out of the Boat In the black of the night, the waves tossed the boat And the roar of the wind filled the air While twelve weary men pulled, in vain, at the oars They were frightened and close to despair When Jesus appeared, walking over the waves Across the water, He came to their aid Even though He had fed the five thousand that day They couldn't believe, and the men were afraid But Peter jumped up and cried, "Call to me, Lord And I'll walk on the water to You!" Jesus said, "Come." and Peter climbed out Then he walked on the water too The men in the boat, astonished, believed Yet, though they had seen with their eyes None, but Peter, stepped out of the boat with the Lord None could muster the faith up to try These were the men who had been with the Lord Who'd seen Him heal the sick and the lame Eleven disciples, the apostles, stood by Unwilling to trust or to call on His name How often we cower before the storm Content to sit in the boat with the rest Knowing well what the Lord has the power to do But afraid to put faith to the test Yet, God calls us to be more than soggy and scared He calls us to stand up and fight The storm still is raging, but Jesus says, "Come, Who will walk on the water tonight?" By Frank Carpenter ©

Dangerous Rhetoric

There has been a great deal of anti-Semitic rhetoric coming out of Iran lately, especially from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Most worrisome are blatant statements by him to the effect that “Israel must be wiped off the map.” The outrageousness of that sort of comment speaks for itself, but I wish to address another line of comments which have been spewing from the silver tongued leader of that nation. He has also been publicly pedaling the falsehood that the Holocaust was merely a myth fabricated to bolster pro-Jewish sentiment. When a leader begins to twist the lessons of history to his own advantage, the world needs to keep a very close eye on him. This may be a ploy to solidify his position, to unite Arab nations, or even to soften public opinion prior to some future intended military action. This is all the more disturbing when such a leader simultaneously calls for the destruction of another nation, discounts the value and rights of its people and strives to develop a nuclear arsenal. These issues add up to a recipe for disaster, while pointing to some ancient historical lessons which warrant our attention. You see, how a nation deals with the Jewish people often betrays much about its character and where it will fall in the greater scheme of history. From Haman to Hitler the enemies of Israel, especially those bent on the eradication of the Jewish people, have generally proven themselves to be evil and doomed themselves to eventual destruction. Such intentions often portend darker designs by that nation and whether as the ends or the means, Israel seems to end up in the crossfire. I appreciate talk show host Dennis Prager’s opinion that the Jews are the world’s canary. Miners traditionally took canaries into mines with them because of the birds would die if the air became toxic, thus warning the miners of danger. So it has been with history. When you see a nation align itself against Israel or its people, especially if it involved their annihilation on any scale, you can bet that a greater evil is afoot. And I here take license to propose that such a nation will also turn out to be the enemy of God. That may be offensive to some people, but if so I challenge you to take a broad look at history and you will almost always find that the enemies of the Jewish people turn out to be the bad guys. Bear in mind that I am not Jewish. I am merely a student of history and current events. However, I actually don’t wish to belabor this point today as I have another agenda.

When we hear the dangerous rhetoric of a leader which cheapens the value of a certain cultural, religious or ethnic group, even blaming it for troubles in the world, we must be very attentive to their future actions. Such talk may be the litmus test for the aspirations or intentions of that regime. When a leader uses another nation or people for a scapegoat, it usually points to shortcomings in his own country from which he needs attention diverted. That culture of hatred also paves the way for future atrocities, providing justification for both oppression and murder. This has been historically cyclical so we must never let our guard down. We must not allow the darker chapters of human history to be forgotten, for that is always the first tragic step towards the perpetration of future atrocities. That is why such rhetoric must be addressed, and such nations must be confronted in the strongest possible manner. For the language of hatred today becomes the fuel for evil tomorrow and the dark episodes of history in the future. We cannot, we must not, allow any leader or nation to openly promote the annihilation of another nation or people. The world has become far too small for such language. It is, in point of fact, tantamount to treason against humanity and must be dealt with most severely because it openly promotes the justification of terrorism. In this modern world there can be no place for ethnic cleansing … nor anyone who promotes or encourages it. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has stepped over that line and it is time for a responsible world to act. There is no better way to circumvent future terrorism and atrocities. The lessons of history are all too clear and we can only look forward to a brighter future by understanding the darkest chapters of our past. To that end I offer the following poem as a warning about our human nature and how we must be proactive in circumventing the evil we have proven ourselves capable of.

Atrocities
The inhumanity of humans
has plagued us through our history
We mighty, moral Homo Sapiens
with such a knack for cruelty
No matter how we train or educate
some leader rises from the throng
To perpetrate new crimes of hate
while the masses follow along
Somehow, accepting what is evil
and so clearly unacceptable
We are wooed, once more, to hate
and do what is unthinkable
We, who have evolved so far
and churched ourselves so well
Cast civil rights aside and opt
to be the very instruments of hell
Just like diseases which were wiped out
by vaccines we have made
So atrocities are laid to rest
until our memory of them fades
But when we cease to use the vaccine
diseases torment us again
So it is with human hatred
and within the hearts of men
Just when we think we've snuffed out
what was evil and so wrong
It seems to rear its ugly head again
revitalized and just as strong
But it must not be swept beneath the rug
or white washed in any way
And our crimes committed in the past
must be revealed still today
We must remember, we must understand
the potential of our hate
If we're to overcome our tendencies
before it is too late
In this modern world, where we pride
ourselves on civil liberties
We still allow someone, somewhere
to perpetrate atrocities
By Frank Carpenter ©

Last Holiday

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend an advance screening of the movie, “Last Holiday,” which opens today nationwide. I enjoy a nice comedy, yet at first glance this particular movie seemed a little too frivolous to warrant a thoughtful review. However, as I read the story line it began to interest me because I appreciated the theme twist. “Last Holiday” is the story Georgia Byrd (played by Queen Latifah), a shy cookware salesperson who works in a large department store who keeps her dreams to herself while trudging through her rather mundane everyday life. When a medical diagnosis indicates she has only a short time to live she cashes in her savings and flies off to a grand hotel in Europe to get a taste of her dreams before it’s too late. Along the way, her new perspective on life frees her to try all manner of new experiences and she winds up having a profound influence on everyone sheet meets … from congressmen hotel servants. Adding to both the fun and sentiment are solid performances by LL Cool J as her would be beau and Gerard Depardieu as the snooty resort chef who becomes Georgia’s friend. This movie delivers all the comedy that the trailers promise, but I was also surprised at how thoughtful and touching it became. Somehow, the rather familiar plot was able to tug at my heart strings while I was still laughing out loud. In the end, while being thoroughly entertaining, it also causes the viewer to consider their own life and unrequited dreams as well. I strongly recommend this movie as both funny and meaningful. Parents also will be glad to know that there is very little inappropriate language and the sexual innuendo is kept to a reasonable minimum. So get out there and see “Last Holiday.” It’s lively enough to see with friends, romantic enough for a date night, and clean enough for the whole family.

In closing, I would also like to offer the following poem, with thoughts about how we might changes our own lives if we were to suddenly find them cut short. Enjoy.

As If It Were the Last
What if you had only one day to live?
Just twenty-four hours to spend
To say or accomplish what matters most
Before your life reached an end
Who would you spend it with, where would you go
What would you do or see
What words of wisdom would you bestow
Knowing they were your legacy
How would you spend your money, your time
The last ounce of strength you possessed
Would you reach for the stars or wallow in pity
In light of an imminent eternal rest
Would you eat, drink and be merry
Or fall on your knees just to pray
To prepare for meeting your Maker
On that brink of your reckoning day
Whatever has raced through your mind just now
While these few simple stanzas you’ve read
About what you thought you needed to do
Before you were suddenly dead
I would urge you to make a list of them
And start living that way, even now
For we never know when our last day might come
There are no guaranties anyhow
We never know when the Master may call
When all of our second chances have passed
Then we are stuck with the life we have lived
So why not live each day as the last
Nobody gets advance notice like this
But the cement of your life isn’t set
There is still time to change it before your last day
So live a life you will never regret
By Frank Carpenter ©