WCF Blog
Two Ways, Revisited
Where I live, restrictions resulting from the pandemic are being lifted, much to nearly everyone’s relief. The severity of the pandemic varies from place to place, and with it the restrictions, but in many places the trend is definitely toward reopening.
Love One Another
John’s first letter is filled with instruction, exhortation, encouragement. It has been mined again and again for inspired and inspirational lessons—and should be! Of all the teachings we find there, there is one that seems to me to be the standout beyond all the others. He says it over and over. Here’s how he puts it in chapter 4 verse 7: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
Fellow Feeling
I’ve been looking at the origins and meanings of the words sympathy, empathy and compassion. Turns out there are differences of opinion about the shades of meaning conveyed. (Is there anything that doesn’t produce controversy in our culture? But that’s another topic.) If exploring words isn’t exactly your thing, I hope you’ll stick with me anyway; there is a point to it.
Right Thing
We know this one by heart: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17) The principle James states rings absolutely true. There is nothing hard to grasp about the principle. Except, what actually is the “right thing”?
The Golden Altar
I’m pretty sure we would have figured it out anyway, but the writer to the Hebrews leaves us in no doubt whatever: the tabernacle and temple detailed in the Old Testament are symbolic. In Hebrews 9:8-9 the writer says, “By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age).” The outer portion represents the current setup, the inner portion representing the presence of God Himself, which only the High Priest may enter. You might want to stop right here and reread all of chapter 9, particularly verses 23-24. And while you’re there, look at 6:19-20 and 10:19-22. Very clearly, it’s all symbolic.
Mindful
In the address we know as the “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus counsels us to have no worries about what we will eat or wear, because “your heavenly Father knows that you need them all”. He knows it, He will take care of it. (Matthew 6:25-34) Jesus says this just moments after teaching us to pray, “Give us today our bread for tomorrow” (verse 11). God already knows we need it, promises He’s got it taken care of. So why are we to ask for it?
Name Change
Why did Saul of Tarsus change his name? We can’t know for sure of course, but here’s a thought.
Stories
Good stories tend to work like this: The hero(ine) is described, building sympathy for her/him. Trouble in some form enters, almost always in the person of a villain. The villain has greater power, and inflicts hardship or worse on the hero(ine) and his/her allies. By a combination of character, resourcefulness and maybe some luck, the hero(ine) is able to prevail.
Crucified
“I have been crucified with Christ,” Paul writes to the Galatians. He touches on the same idea in Romans 6, where he says of all who have been baptized into Christ, that “our old self was crucified with him.” Jesus himself originated the idea, telling us that anyone who would follow him must take up their own cross and follow him—clearly meaning to follow him to death, on that cross.