Dissed!

He was a leading attorney of his state. Yet, he was young and desired to be a leader among attorneys in the nation.

George Harding was just such a lawyer. His firm was hired to provide legal counsel in one of the country’s most famous patent cases.

Harding decided to engage the services of a lawyer, who lived near to the client and, who “understood the judge and had his confidence.” He found one—the good, young, up-and-coming lawyer. Harding paid him a retainer and arranged a substantial fee for when the work was completed.

The young lawyer was ecstatic. This was an opportunity for him to test himself. He had great ambitions and felt this was a long-awaited opportunity.

The lead attorney lived in a city some distance from the ambitious lawyer, and he failed to provide much communication during the months of preparation. Arriving at the location of the trial in Cincinnati Ohio, the young, hopeful lawyer spotted Harding, accompanied by an additional attorney.

Seeing the two of them together came as a surprise. Nevertheless, the young attorney suggested they walk together to the courthouse. Somewhat irritated, the superfluous attorney drew Harding aside and asked in a loud whisper “why did you bring that ______ long armed ape here… he does not know anything and can do you no good.”

With that, the two lawyers abandoned the young attorney and proceeded on their way into the courthouse. The additional attorney became Harding’s second-in-command.

The young attorney took the hint and removed himself from the case. Even though he had prepared a detailed manuscript for Harding, Harding, as lead attorney, never gave the work so much as a glance.

Neither Harding nor his second-in-command ever asked the young lawyer to join them for meal or any other endeavor. When the presiding judge hosted a meal for lawyers on both sides of the case, the young attorney was completely ignored and never received an invitation.

As one might imagine, this experience was devastating for the young attorney. He had been ignored and disrespected. The young attorney and the second-in-command would not see each other for another six years–when the young attorney would offer the second-in-command “the most powerful civilian post within his gift.” That office was Secretary of War.

Doris Kearns Goodwin tells the story of Abraham Lincoln and Edwin Stanton in her book TEAM OF RIVALS. In offering the government position to Edwin Stanton, Abraham Lincoln showed magnanimity uncommon for most human beings. Ultimately, this act and many others would be appreciated by Stanton. Goodwin writes that he would “come to respect and love [Lincoln] more than any other person outside his immediate family.”

I have personally seen the spot, where Stanton stood over Lincoln’s assassinated body, when he issued the proclamation, “Now he belongs to the ages.”

Many of us know that Abraham Lincoln offers example after example of living Jesus’ command, “love your enemies…” how transformative would it be for each one of us to truly implement this command of Jesus within our churches?

Happy, 80th Birthday, Daddy

            This morning I had my blog post ready to go when it occurred to me, today was my dad’s birthday. He would have turned 80.  This is poignant to me because he was about my age when he died. A lot has happened since then.

            I would post his photo but he died long before we knew digital photos. (Maybe I need to consider scanning some.)

            Daddy did not see email. Six months after he died, I received a hand-written letter he had sent me, when I was in New Guinea. It had been mistakenly placed on a ship, instead of an airplane. It arrived long after I had left for home; the missionaries kindly mailed it back to me—by air.

            He missed the fall of the Iron Curtain and 9/11. He missed the firing of Tom Landry and wins under Jimmy Johnson.

            When daddy died, we didn’t know who George W. Bush was. Heck, Ronald Reagan was only two and a half years in to his presidency.

            He never knew my wife. He, obviously, did not know his grandchildren. He never saw the adult my sister grew up to be, nor her husband and children.

           

            He never saw the human being that my mother became. Indeed, I think the crises of his illness and death helped make her the woman she became.

            Daddy never saw any of this.

            Yet, because of the work of Jesus, considering Daddy’s place in eternity, maybe he did. 

Dateline: Middlesex County Landfill, East Brunswick, New Jersey

When residents near this garbage dump, which will collect 1,000,000,000 pounds of garbage this year, began to complain about the smell, local authorities decided to do something about it. They prepared special trucks to be able to spray perfume around the landfill.

They are hoping this will provide the dump with a “pleasant, showery smell.” Neighbors expect this to be an improvement. Of course, they know it will not be the ultimate cure.

It was this approach, Jesus was addressing in Matthew 15. Throughout human history, people have attempted to deal with the garbage within their human hearts with moral perfume, hoping it would cover the smell. Possibly in some cases it improves the smell, but it ultimately does not solve the problem.

The problem is the landfill of garbage within the human heart. This must be radically treated. Jesus says that unless he comes in and removes the garbage, rotting and decay will continue.

Mt. 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20aThese are what make a man 'unclean’…

Accountability

Almost ten years ago, FOCUS ON THE FAMILY’S H. B. LONDON commented on the calls his organization received on its toll-free Pastoral Care Line.  (FOCUS was making these lines available to church leaders all over the country.) During the course of a one-month period, FOCUS received over 400 calls. Out of those 400 calls, 20 % dealt with sexual issues. This prompted London to write:

“I'm repeating what I have been saying across the country for nearly a decade. If you do not have someone to whom you are accountable, you are vulnerable. If you do not give your spouse permission to ask you big questions regarding Internet use, you are vulnerable. If you do not have someone outside your door or the door ajar when you counsel a member of the opposite sex, you are vulnerable. But most of all, if you do not have a quiet, intimate time each day with the Lord -- to speak and listen and contemplate -- you are vulnerable. The proof is in the calls we receive....”

Accountability is a tremendous deterrent when it comes to sin.

That’s Not Fair!

Quick! What name is most often associated with the Great Depression? When it comes to blame for the Great Depression, I would say it is the name of Herbert Hoover. After all, even one of the great Broadway musicals of all time, ANNIE, has a song that is derisive of the ex-president.

(In case you are fuzzy on your U.S. history, Herbert Hoover became president in 1929 at the supposed height of US economic strength. In October of that same year, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began.)

One of the reasons Herbert Hoover was elected president was because he was known as one of the great humanitarians in world history. It was Herbert Hoover, who led the organized effort to feed the orphans in Europe after World War I. There, he practically achieved the status of sainthood. How many of us remember this fact?

It seems patently unfair that Herbert Hoover, if he is remembered at all, is remembered as a terrible president because of the Great Depression. But guess what? That's life.

It was patently unfair that the Son of God, the only perfect man who ever lived, was executed by the most painful means devised by Man in the course of human history—crucifixion. Yet, the Heavenly Father was able to use Jesus’ life in a pretty effective way.

From our perspective, the problem is that fairness and reputation were not of supreme importance to God, when it came it came to the life of Christ. It may not be the priority, when it comes to us either.

I want to die with a good reputation. I want to be remembered for only good things. Yet, what if God can use my life in an even greater way were I to surrender all, including a legacy of competence and dignity?

The Jewelry Box

Tony Blair is the dynamic ex-Prime Minister of Great Britain. He recently wrote his memoir, in which he speaks quite a bit on the relationship between Great Britain and the United States. He holds a great affection for America. He ended his excerpt in TIME magazine with a touching story:

A friend of mine, whose parents were immigrants, Jews from Europe, who came to America in search of safety, told me this story. His parents lived and worked in New York. They were not well off. His father died when he was young. His mother loved him, and in time, my friend succeeded and became wealthy. He often offered his mother the chance to travel outside America. She never did. When eventually she died, they went back to recover the safety box where she kept her jewelry. They found there was another box. There was no key. So they had to drill it open. They wondered what precious jewel must be in it. They lifted the lid. There was wrapping and more wrapping and finally an envelope. Intrigued, they opened it. In the envelope were her U.S. citizenship papers. Nothing more. That was the jewel, more precious to her than any other possession. That was what she treasured most....

This is a great example of what Jesus observed over two millennia ago—“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21.)

Who Was That?

An old story goes like this:

            After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into her old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair.

            As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin.  At last she threw a towel around her neck and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings.

            As she left the room, she heard the 3-year old say with a trembling voice, “Who was that?”

            Some people imagine God speaking in the same tone as that grandmother, when he talks with Adam and Eve in Genesis three, after the Fall. I envision a God who is clearly in charge, yes, but also very merciful. Nothing more awful could have occurred than Adam and Eve remaining alive forever in their fallen state. God’s consequences, if you check, also bring ultimate redemption.