Restless heart

I was watching TV and Fulton Sheen (an imminent Catholic priest) was on. He talked about how man resolved conflicts within through the ages. A couple of poetic quotes I'd like to share:

"Passions made me live; passions made me die." This was said by Jean-Jacques Rousseau of the Romantic movement, who is a primary philosophical foundation of the modern self-based conscience. It has such deep appeal to me as does for many, I am sure...though like wine only dulls the despair.

Before that Sheen also quoted the following by St. Augustine: "Our hearts are made for Thee O LORD, and restless until they rest in Thee." I am so moved by the resonance in my heart that the restlessness is not filled by worldly passions, but by the loving hands of the eternal father it is made by and tenderly held in.

Still...I stand at the edge and passion will not die.

James

God is the promise of a rainbow

The monthly meetings of brothers provide a chance for deep and spirited discussion on our relationship with God. The current theme by Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" certainly does not lack for interesting topics. A question asked by brother Victor that first appeared to be a little odd by a believing Christian was "what is God?" Why would a Christian question the familiarity with the foundation of our faith, and seemingly not to know it -- at least not well enough?

It is an aspect of our belief that is often overlooked, and even taken for granted...at least in my case until the simple question was raised. The world has many definitions for the term "god," but our LORD is far beyond the generic description of an all-powerful and supreme creator. Yes, He is truth, spirit, life, justice and love; and the source of healing, provision and protection. But it all seems pointless unless we are somehow intimately connected to those attributes -- that we are part of God's essence and not set apart from an academic distance. Only then does He come alive in our minds and sets fire to our hearts.

And upon further reflection, it dawned on me that, although God is ultimately unknowable in our current capacity, still we must continually and daily search out His many manifestations meaningful to us. We may not comprehend him fully in our minds, but when our hearts are moved to love Him so dearly, "what God is" then is everything we need and desire.

Yesterday, I heard my daughter, Ariel, humming the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It quickly brought me back to the summer of 2007 when music filled the air with Eva Cassidy singing this song, then repeated with an rendition by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, the Hawaiian singer as the dove released from my mother's hands soared to heaven with the spirit of Grace (my youngest sister).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccCnL8hArW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGuuru7Q

Not knowing then the meaning of the dove and rainbow as I do today a reborn child of God, He was there with us, comforting the grieving hearts. When the dove came back in the evening time with a newly plucked olive branch, it symbolized the deliverance of salvation from the wrath of God by the death of Jesus Christ, and He painted a rainbow across the sky with the covenant that, no matter the gathering storms in our midst, destruction shall not befall us -- so long as a rainbow is seen. Today I take comfort in Christ, the beautiful, multi-colored rainbow, which renews the promise of God each time a little raindrop dampens my spirit, that the nights will be followed by sunny days...and shall never cease.

For this precious moment, my god is the promise of a rainbow...

James

Dove's tear

I am sure Gxxxx will notice the time this email is written. ;-) It does seem that I am up in the middle of night a lot given some of the previous writings and last night's testimony for the LORD. For those who have no clue what I am talking about, I apologize; I tried to filter the email to those who were present but gave up.

I want to thank Rxxx for the invitation and encouragement, and also Pxxxx and Sxxxx for helping out with the song and slide presentation. More than a mere account of the LORD's transformational work in my heart and my life, I am surprised at how the cathartic impact from sharing aloud moments of my life -- especially the loss of loved ones -- lingers on my mind. I remember Tammy's emotional description of her father's passing, and saw Cxxxx with us back from Taiwan, along with surely many more of the brothers and sisters who experienced similar losses, it is a pain cruelly etched in our hearts that never quite completely heals...doesn't need to and really don't want to. The cuts on our hearts are not subject to time's passing but bring sweet remembrance each time tears flow.

Such is this moment in the quiet of the night I replay the times with my father and sister, accompanied by the angelic singing of "Pie Jesu" from her farewell, I am comforted in the embrace and beauty of my Lord. Like the white dove released from our mother's trembling hands, Gxxxx is no longer imprisoned but soars above the clouds, carrying away her tears and hurts to rest in the arms of the One who heals.

I thank you Father, Abba, your love is complete; in you is sufficient. Have compassion on your children. Heal the afflicted and in pain; comfort the lonely and broken hearted. Embrace us as a hen gathers her chicks; carry us on your strong shoulders. You will answer us when we call upon you, and rescues us because we love you. Show us your salvation. We pray and offer our praise in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Forgiveness

This is a dilemma Christians (and good people in general) often face --  how to forgive, yet still preserving justice? To forgive one's trespasser is to walk in Christ for that offense; but it gets morally less clear if in one's forgiveness it leads to further offenses against others. In this respect, it seems easier to be God than to be man. All offenses we commit against one another we commit against God, but He allows our free will to hurt one another without apparent consequence or interference. Although God's forgiveness is the ultimate gift of love, it mostly does not prevent our suffering at the hands of others. He left it up to us to devise an earthly justice system based on the moral conscience we were given, therefore it is our godly responsibility to recognize and stop evil whenever possible.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, it is the crucible where God's justice (horizontal beam) and love (vertical beam) perfectly integrated and gloriously manifested. How is it justice without punishment, and where is the love if there is no forgiveness? He answered both and sanctified us with the sacrifice of His body, justification in his suffering, and love in his willing...yet all the power to grant us eternal life cannot be for an unbeliever. In that regard, He sets a principle we can follow.

Forgiveness only has redeeming value if sought and answered; although a forgiving heart is liberating and glorifies God, it becomes complete and even transformational when given in love and received in gratitude. In that, just as God sees our sins no more, neither should we see our trespasser's. Only then is he deserving of no punishment, and a chance to repent of his old ways. Short of that, it remains our moral duty to protect innocent sheep from wolves.

Unaccountable forgiveness, like free money, only leads to moral decay and more sin. The die-hard pacifists against all wars and capital punishment misinterpret and misrepresent the concept of moral forgiveness. Culturally, they undermine ethical standards; socially, they take away personal responsibility; politically, their idea of forgiveness and tolerance often lead to untold death and suffering by unrepentant evil.

You are too hard on yourself, Carol. I talk a good talk, but fall short just as much as the next person. If Christ's death on the cross was to keep us from sinning, then He had failed miserably. Jesus died to wash away our sin yesterday, today and tomorrow that we will commit as surely as the day is long. But as His love is the hand that gives mercy, it is the palms of our faith that receive, reaching out only when there is repentance, which if of the mind will need to be repeated, but if of the heart once is sufficient for all times.

Lastly, He loves not just everyone...He loves YOU especially and faithfully!

God bless!

James

花了一個 多小時寫兩行字

剛剛裝上打中文的功能。非常謝謝 Pxxxx and Gxxxx 有力的帶領與教導，感覺得了好多的收穫！

每一個弟兄姊妹都有很美好的見解。對不起就我一個人打攪了兩次！神的言就是這麼的深澳與動人，每一句都有一層又一層的意義何教訓，只要細想，每每受益。真恨不得有更多倍的時間來討論！

我看到Mxxxx準備了好多頁的筆記，真想要知道他的靈感與奧解，XX以一句點破了耶穌對約翰懷疑的啟示，讓我頓時誤開，再一次領受到神奧妙的精神。我感覺到神的智慧與愛心充份的流露在每一位兄弟姊妹，以牠為中心，感謝主！

我花了一個 多小時寫上面兩行字，不知道有沒有打破什麼慢速計錄！中文不好，只會用注音符號一個一個字拼起來，有些時候拼了半天也拼布起來！我想一定也有用錯的字，請不要笑。


許佩仁
James