Category: Wildman Journey (Page 50 of 85)

In a major grammatical move, The Washington Post, The New York Times and a host of other mainstream media outlets are now instructing writers and editors that since deities don’t actually exist, they don’t deserve the deference of capitalization. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who purchased the Post in 2013, spearheaded the change.  “America will finally drop the whole “god” thing in this century and we wanted to be ahead of the curve.”  Bezos is very candid in his motives, “I take the militant advancement of liberalism under the guise of objective journalism very seriously.”  “To be clear about where we stand” states Mr. Bezos emphatically, ” anything vaguely religious will now be put in quotes to display our suspicion.” In an almost arrogant tone he promises, “While “christ” and “prophet” are out, the real people who historians agree actually existed, like Jesus and Muhammad, will continue to reap the rewards of capital letters. For the time being.”

So there you have it men –  the promise of the mainstream media to oppose the historic Christian tradition as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed, confessing God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  I thought immediately of Ps 2.  “The One enthroned in heaven laughs, the Lord scoff at them.  He rebukes them in his anger, and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my king on Zion, on my holy mountain” (4-6). My advice to followers of Jesus, who face such open opposition is to memorize the Apostles’ Creed.  In many church it is confessed every Sunday, as a reminder of the faith we profess.  Mr. Bezos and his cohorts are only the latest to want to silence the story of salvation.  But they like others before them will not succeed.

I have spent a lot of time in the prophets, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, attempting to apply their message to our cultural context.  What follows is a prophetic response from passages in The Message to Mr. Bezos based on the prophets.

God sees the presumption. “But they were a proud and arrogant bunch.  They dismissed the message, saying, ‘Things aren’t that bad. We can handle anything that comes.  If our buildings are knocked down, we’ll rebuild them bigger and finer.  If our forests are cut down, we’ll replant them with finer trees” ( Isaiah 9:9-10)).

God sees the  pride.  “You were so confident and comfortable in your evil life, saying , ‘No one sees me.’  You thought you know so much, had everything figured out.  What delusion!  Smugly telling yourself, ‘I’m Number One.  There’s nobody but me'” (Isaiah 47:10).

God sees the arrogance.  “And yet you have the gall to say, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.  God doesn’t mind. He hasn’t punished me, has he?’  Don’t look now, but judgment ‘s on the way, aimed at you who say, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong'” ( Jeremiah 2:35).

God sees the Band-Aids.  “Prophets and priests and everyone in between twist words and doctor truth.  My people are broken – shattered – and they put on Band-Aids, saying, ‘It’s not so bad.  You’ll be just fine.”  But things are not ‘just fine'”  (Jeremiah 6:14-15).

God sees false religion. “They’ve spread lies about God.  They’ve said, ‘There’s nothing to him.  Nothing bad will happen to us, neither famine nor war will come our way.  The prophets are all windbags.  They speak nothing but nonsense”  ( Jeremiah 5:14).

But God promises to be our guide. “I’ll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country.  I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don’t fall into the ditch.  These are the things I’ll be doing for them – sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute” (Isaiah 42:15-16).

During Starbucks 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, chairman and ceo Howard Schulz said he had “struggled for weeks to find the right words to express the pain I  feel in my heart about where America is headed and the cloud hanging over the American people. ” Viewing the American Dream as a “reservoir” that is replenished with the values, work ethic and integrity of the American people, Schultz said, “Sadly, our reservoir is running dry, depleted by cynicism, despair, division, exclusion, fear and indifference.”

He suggested citizens fill the reservoir of the American Dream back up, “not with cynicism, but with optimism. Not with despair, but with possibility.  Not with division, but with unity.  Not with exclusion, but with inclusion.  Not with fear, but with compassion.  Not with indifference, but with love.”  “It’s not about the choice we make every four years,” Schultz said, “This is about choices we are making every day.”  Based on this theme, Starbucks sponsored a two-page advertisement in the WSJ and NY Times,  sharing a message of optimism for the future through the choices individuals make every day.

I agree with Mr. Schultz’s angst regarding our lose of  civility.  To be civil is to be courteous and respectful.  Men, while we will be severely tested in expressing the virtues suggested by Mr. Schultz, we will have a significant opportunity to be a positive exemplar as Christian men in an increasing hostile environment. Titus 3:1-2 gives us our marching orders, “Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding always ready to lend a helping hand.  No insults, no fights, God’s people should be bighearted and courteous” ( Titus 3:1-2 – Message).  Hebrews reminds us, “Work at getting along with each other and with God.  Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God” (12:14 – Message).

While attempting to fill our  reservoir with these  commendable virtues is determined by our daily choices, we will fail.  Why?  We are already filled with  a self-referencing  false self, greatly handicapped in being virtuous.  This false self will needs to be surrendered through repentance and confession so that we can be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.  We cry out for God to be merciful to us as sinner living in the midst of a fallen society.  We then  invite the Holy Spirit to come and fill us with what is needed to navigate the entanglements of contemporary culture.  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:23).  The fruit manifested through our true self in Christ gives us the capacity to be  other-centered, that is, civil.

Our  motivation in being civil is not the American dream, but seeing other persons as created in the image of God, even if they deeply oppose our viewpoint.  “I’m telling you to love your enemies,” Jesus tells us.  “Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves” (Matt 5:43 – Message).  The incarnation is a model for the practice of civility.  God did not wait for us to cry out  or act.  No, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

Remember God’s dealing with us is a matter of long-suffering (Rom 2:4).  We live “in the time of God’s patience.”  God has not chosen to rush to judgment, but rather allows us to make basic life choices, for good or evil.  God will do the final accounting.  In the meantime, we are to practice humility and long-suffering, which is the foundation of Christian civility.

While on a retreat not long ago, I was deeply convicted.  We all listened to a song entitled, “I hope you dance,” sung by LeaAnn Womack.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  I wept, to the point of embarrassment, as I listened.  The song reflected on the choices in the journey of life.  “And when you get the choice to sit out or dance, I hope you dance. Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along.  Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where  those years have gone.”  I was convicted of my resistance in entering  a deeper spiritual dance with  my dear wife.

For Valentine’s day she gave me a card with a husband and a wife flying in a hot air balloon. I felt my resistance to the metaphor. She wrote, “This hot air balloon is the Spirit carrying us to new places we’ve never been before – new vistas!  New communication!  New ways of seeing things!  New ways of responding!  It will be good as we hang on to each other and let the wind of the Spirit carry us.  There is no one else I want to be with in the hot air balloon.”  I am still struggling with her invitation.  I am afraid of going into the unknown with my wife, knowing it requires a surrender at a deeper level.

We read that King David danced “with all his might,” unashamed in the midst of the people and  before the Lord. “David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.  So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet” (II Sam. 6:14-15).  Dancing in the Bible symbolizes praise, freedom and yielding to God.  In Ps 150: 4 we are encouraged to “praise him [God] with timbrel and dancing.”  The Psalmist exclaims that God, “turned my wailing into dancing” (Ps 30:11).

I am thankful that my wife is giving me  space to get into “the swing” of the Spirit.  The Lord has freed her for the next phase of our journey together.  While I still resist, I can sense I am getting to the place of “entering into” the dance.  While on that retreat, here are some of the issues I identified in my struggle.  I wonder if some of the men reading this blog don’t face some of same issues.

First, evidence of my selfishness.  My focus is on me rather than my bride.   I want to protect my “spiritual turf” as I have come to understand it.  I talk a good talk about being response to my wife, but I want things to be on my terms. This is hard to admit after 50 years of a marriage in which I thought I was a pretty sensitive guy.  Lord, help me to open my heart to my wife.

Secondly, while being known as an outgoing, friendly guy, I still lack spontaneity in my spirit.  I have a hard time being childlike; being free in the present moment.  My wife is waiting for me to “let go” and enjoy the next part of our journey.  As the song reminds me, “who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.” Lord, help me to live without regret.

Thirdly, I am hurting my wife with my self-centeredness.  She has to pull back and wait for me to join her.  I know she is right, but I resist.  Lord, help me to “let go and enter into.”

We are in the midst of March Madness.  I was hoping that Tom Izzo’s Michigan State team would be playing Kansas in the championship game.  But MSU lost in dramatic fashion to 15th seed Middle Tennessee.  It was a crushing loss for Izzo and his heavily favored Spartans.  But what  impressive many was how coach Izzo conducted himself in the post game interview.  His concern was for his players, especially the three seniors.  He was not focused on the future.  His wanted to embrace his team in their defeat..  He praised them for taking defeat “like men.”  Two take-aways for men.  First, coach minimized his pain, while bearing  the pain of his players. It takes a strong heart to willingly bear the pain of others.  Second, taking defeat like men. Think of the lessons learned for life through this crushing defeat, especially for Denzel Valentine. It helped shape young men.

“March Madness” could be a metaphor for the race we are in following Jesus to the finish line.  Everyone makes prediction, but it is the players  we watch.  Part of the “madness” are the young men playing their hearts out, having no idea if they will advance.  Wisconsin moved on the sweet 16, when their guard shot a three pointer with two seconds left on the clock, while falling into the arms of his teammates on the bench.  Unbelievable!  We watch, while these young men compete with such passion and determination.  How about our journey?  Are we more a spectator or are we in the race?

There will certainly be “madness” as we run the race.   But like those young men, we need  a passion to compete. If we drop out and are disqualified, we forfeit the privilege of tell others about what we are learning as we race.  We become simply spectators with opinions, but no real  life experience. Paul like a good coach wants to motivate us. “You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race.  Everyone runs; one wins.  Run to win.  All good athletes train hard.  They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.  I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line.  I’m giving it everything I’ve got.  No sloppy living for me!  I’m staying alert and in top condition.  I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself” (I Cor. 9:24-27 – Message).

Paul encourages us to train hard.  No slopping living, but being in top condition.  The journey is a race that is worth the effort.  Just as an athlete goes through physical training that can be uncomfortable in order to cross the finish line, so Paul endures physical and emotional hardship   “I’m not going to nap” say Paul.  The spectator can talk about the race, but never experience the joy of the competition. How sad to get to the finish line, having spend life in the stands.  Men, the challenge is this – finish strong, especially in our day.

Eugene Peterson makes the point that we are in a race with others.  “You don’t have to understand or like or affirm the other runners to run with them.  It’s the goal that defines the race, and your act of running defines you as a runner.”  The church is not a group of spectators, but rather believers who are in a race.  In this race we don’t have time to talk things over and make plans.  We have little time.  So Peterson says Paul’s point to the Corinthians is this – “Quit complaining and start running.”  What a great insight.

“Brotailer” is the name for a new menswear retailer, appealing to a different breed of young men.  “He’s the id-driven, post-collegiate twentysomething bro….who hates shopping and would happily wear the same pair of sweatpants every day if society didn’t frown upon it.” The focus is on laid-back men’s clothing.  In the last five years, menswear has been the fastest-growing product category sold online.  53% is “basic bro” style vs. “practical,” professional,” or “rugged.”  “The brotailers have raided Dad’s and Granddad’s closets and jettisoned the pretense older brands relied on.”  I love this comment.  As a senior monk in the woods I could care less about fashion.

It is what Heidi Hackemer, founder of marketing agency Wolf &Wilhelmine, said about this retail phenomena that got my attention.  She observes, “It’s almost like these brands are creating safe spaces where dudes can be dudes….We’re in this really weird phase of masculinity, where all the rules are shifting.  Everyone is talking about women, and Beyoncé is, like, ‘Go kill it, ladies,’ and Sheryl Sandberg is leaning in, and guys don’t really know how to move forward.  You almost see this regression into a safe place, which is the bro cave.  I don’t think anyone has told the guys what they’re supposed to do now.”  This unflattering view of young men is certainly reflected in the TV ads that often portray young men as immature, irresponsible, pleasure-seeking and impulsive.

Remember men, the Ad business is about manipulating reality, enticing us to buy a product or even a particular lifestyle .  A key audience right now are all the men (including me) watching basketball during March Madness. All those ads help create an alternate reality to the one that we actually experience.   Ms. Hackemer’s observation reflects how successful women in our society view men – fragile, insecure, drifting, lacking in incentive and without mentors. I want to comment briefly on her observations..  This blog site, “The Wildman Journey” is an attempt to address these issues.

First,  the creating of and regression into a safe place called a “bro cave.”  Is there a safe place for men?  Is there a perception of  men looking for a “bro cave.”  My comment – Estranged men can come home to Jesus.  He is our “hiding place” (Ps 32:7) in the cultural storms.  A bro cave is an illusion.

Second, “this weird phase of masculinity.”  This bright lady sees men in a weird phase.  What does this mean?  Is this an expression of how men are viewed by competent women in culture.  My comment – The affirmation of our masculinity  comes from a transforming relationship in Jesus Christ, giving men a strong sense of identity.

Third, “all the rules are shifting.”  Is she referring to roles and responsibility, as reflected in the gender wars.  My comment – A man secure in his masculinity will know how to navigate the gender wars, taking the initiative, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Fourth, “everybody is talking about women,” while men don’t know how to move forward.  Is this how business women view men? My comment – Men find your strength and courage in the Lord Jesus and move forth in truth.  Don’t give in to the moral and spiritual passivity  of many “church” guys.

Fifth, no one has told men, “what they’re supposed to do now.”   Is this an expression of sympathy or sarcasm?     My comment – God has been forming godly older men, who are humble, loving followers of Jesus.  They are not found  in the limelight, but rather in the ordinariness of every day life.  They are male mentors. This blog is an example of such mentoring.

Finally, remember Jesus words, “I am the way, and the truth and the life” (John 14:6)

In the Near East, centuries ago successive cultures built new cities on top of earlier ones rather then spreading out.  After burning down what was there they built on the ruins of the old.  These ruins of ancient cities, which were built on top of another were  called  “tells.”  Archaeological digs take place on these tells.  Thomas Keating compares our spiritual journey to that of an archeological dig through the various stages of our lives, such as midlife crisis, adult life, adolescence, puberty, early childhood and infancy.

The digs are like “a series of humiliations of the false self” (Keating), giving us the opportunity to let  go of our attachments to the false self.  It creates space in our soul for the Holy Spirit to come in and bring healing.  Psychological junk that has been warehoused in our soul is evacuated by the  Spirit.  As God invites us to greater self-knowledge, he often withdraws blessings and plunges us into darkness, spiritual dryness, and confusion.  For many believers this is disconcerting. They see themselves failing. But Keating tells us, “instead of going away, God simply moves downstairs….waits for us to come and join him.”  In this way we move closer to the Lord’s presence at the center.

Lately I have been struggling  with a new awareness of darkness in my own soul.  I don’t like the evacuating process.  However,  at this stage in my spiritual journey, I know that God is beyond this personal darkness at the center, calling me home.   This allows me to endure the dry, dark times, even though it is unpleasant.  If I am to grow I need to face what is really there.  I have created an illusionary false self over many years, the result of all my spiritual improvement projects,  to look spiritual.  But it doesn’t match reality, the way life actually happens.  Like Paul, I can say, “What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise…..I decide to do good, but I don’t have what it takes” (Rom 7:15 & 17 – Message).

A quote from Thomas Merton has been helpful.  “There is no greater disaster in the spiritual life than to be immersed in unreality, for life is maintained and nourished in our vital relation with realities outside and above us.  When our life feeds on unreality, it must starve.  It must therefore die…..The death by which we enter into life is not an escape from reality but a complete gift of ourselves  which involves a total commitment to reality.”

There you have it, men.  I have to go through the death process, that is, “a series of  humiliations to my false self”.  Again I identify with Paul.  Listen to  the Message. See if you can identify with him.   “Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good…..I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it.  I identified myself completely with him.  Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ.  My ego in no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion of me. The life you see me living is not ‘mine,’ but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I am not going to go back on that” ( Gal. 2:16, 19-21). I simply say amen.

Jonathan Haidt in a post identifies a dynamic he believes is tearing America apart.  He references an article entitled, “Fear and loathing across party lines: New Evidence on group polarization.”  The article reported on four studies in which Americans were given various ways to reveal both cross-partisan and cross-racial prejudice, and in all cases cross-partisan prejudice was larger.  “This rising cross-partisan hostility means that Americans increasingly see the other side not just wrong, but as evil.  Americans can expect rising polarization, nastiness, paralysis, and governmental dysfunction for a long time to come.”

This observation by Haidt comes as a “soul alert.” In the  present political and moral climate  a committed follower of Jesus will seem like a sheep going out among wolves.  When Jesus sent out the 72, two by two, he warned them, “On your way!  But be careful – this is hazardous work.  You’re like lambs in a wolf pack” (Luke 10:3 – Message).  When He sent out the 12 he warned them “Stay alert!  This is hazardous work I’m assigning you.  You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves.  Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove” (Matt 10:16- Message).  Then Jesus added, “Don’t be naïve. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation – just because you believe in me” (Matt 10:17 – Message).

Men learn to see yourself as  lambs and sheep.  Jesus advice to us  – don’t be naïve, you will be targets of character assassination.  So be cunning like a snake and as inoffensive as a dove.  In other words, learn to spiritual navigate your way in an unfriendly environment and don’t make a scene.  Become a  subversive ( Eugene Peterson).  This is valuable advice in the highly charged partisan political season we have entered.  I have always identified myself as a “committed evangelical,” but I agree with Russell Moore when he stopped describing himself as an “evangelical.”  Instead I simple say I am a humble follower of Jesus, since I find myself being violated, manipulated and deeply misunderstood, by  politicians, cultural elites and the media. The church could be entering an exile existence  within a post-Christian culture.  How do we respond?  Here are five suggestions.

First,  simply share your story as a humble follower of Jesus.  Avoid partisan rhetoric.  The partisan landscape is all shifting sand.  It is a matter of opinions and perspective. But Jesus give you a firm place to stand.  He is a rock and a fortress in the time of trouble.

Secondly, be intentional about  practicing the presence of Jesus.  A godly presence can be more effective then words and opinions.  Some times, like  Jesus,  silence is the best witness.  Do not get caught “whining” about how bad our culture has become.  Learn to live within culture, while not being a part of the culture.

Thirdly,  purpose to maintain a thankful, optimistic attitude about being part of  the kingdom of God.  Pray as Jesus taught us to pray. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).  We know the end of the story.

Fourthly,  cry out for God to be merciful to us as a nation.  We are not deserving of mercy, but  pray that He would have mercy on us. Bonhoeffer reminded us that, “Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies.”

Fifthly, it could be that the church is in exile within our culture. As God told the Hebrews to pray for the Babylonians during their exile, we likewise need to pray for our nation. “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile” (Jer. 29:7).

Kenny Luck  at “Every Man Ministries” sees a “third wave masculinity” rising in our nation. Traditional masculinity is out.  Reactive femininity is out.  “The ‘third wave’ of masculinity and femininity,” suggests Luck, “[is] not a reaction.  It’s a solution because it doesn’t seek to garner power and control or create distance to accomplish the important goals of life and living. It is a breath of fresh air.  It eliminates competition and creates cooperation.  It heals wounds and brings unity. It’s a different dimension that traditionalism and feminism cannot touch.”

The message of reactive femininity to “be the man and be a better man than men themselves can be” has only caused confusion, frustration and disappointment in gender relationships. Culturally, the gender wars are going to be with us for the foreseeable future, with little prospect of reconciliation between the genders.  I have great empathy for a spiritually-motivated man, who desires to be God’s man in our present day of gender confusion.  And I personally identify with Luck’s sentiments regarding gender relationships.  Reactive femininity has gained a strong voice in our culture because women have rightly reacted to the injustices of traditional male roles and behavior.  Men have often reacted in defensive ways, not willing to examine their motives and behavior.

I identify with Luck’s “third wave masculinity.”  From my vantage place as an older male who has always had a heart for men, I am motivated to articulate a third way, since I have lived through the first two waves and some of its ramifications. In the  70’s and early  80’s, I was riding the wave of the “male headship” movement.  While I accepted my role and responsibility as the head of my family, I admit to being more concerned about position than relationship.  Then, in the late 80’s and 90’s, there was a shift in the evangelical camp.  A more egalitarian approach replaced that of the complementarian.  This brought about a balance.  Men since then have had to learn how to live more as a “tender warrior.”  The New Man is one who has inner strength but also has a tenderness of heart.  While being secure in their masculinity, men are learning to be “gender sensitive.”

Surprisingly, many men in the third wave have a prophetic posture in their walk with God.  They sense a call on their lives. They are breaking new ground for the men who will follow.  They identify with “the spirit of Elijah,” embracing the call given to John the Baptist, “He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare for the coming of the Lord.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly  (Luke 1:17 NLT).  These men know the importance of being fathered by their heavenly Father.  They have been nurtured and fed by the rich contemplative tradition of the church.

I call these men “AA  guys.” They are all out for Jesus, admitting their great need for God’s grace in their lives.  AA guys live with a sense of desperation.  Being helpless to change themselves, they are willing to deal with their pain and wounds to find healing.  They live their lives as “wounded healers.”  They are soulful men who go deep.  They model transformation, knowing that change starts from within.   They are men who express their hunger for God and a desire to know His love.  They are not ashamed to be called “lovers of God.” They are forerunners of a new type of overcomer. Saint Bernard called them “knights for Christ.”

Ron Rolheiser shares a story about soul fatigue in a recent blog.  “A number of men who made their living as porters were hired one day to carry a huge load of supplies for a group on safari.  Their loads were unusually heavy and the trek through the jungle was on a rough path.  Several days into the journey they stopped, unshouldered their loads, and refused to go on.  No plans, bribes, or threats, worked in terms of persuading them to go on.  Asked why they couldn’t continue, they answered: ‘We can’t go on; we have to wait for our souls to catch up with us.'”  They became aware of soul fatigue.

“Waiting for our souls to catch up” is an insightful way of describing the need to pay attention to our soul life; to be a soulful man.  Jesus tells us that in him we can  find rest for our souls (Matt 11).  Many men are unaware of the danger of soul fatigue, content to live on the surface.  While we may be aware of the need for physical rest, along with paying attention to the signs of  mental fatigue and emotional stress, little  attention is given to the neediness of our souls.   Psychologist Roy Baumeister describes the kind of fatigue that goes beyond mere physical tiredness as “ego depletion.”  People living in this depleted condition report more tiredness and negative emotions. Soul fatigue can do harm in our relationships with others.

Our souls need rest.  John Ortberg observes, “Our wills sometimes rejoice in striving; our bodies were made to know the exhilaration of tremendous challenge; our minds get stretched when they must focus even when tired.  But the soul craves  rest.  The soul knows only borrowed strength.  The soul was made to rest in God the way a tree rests in soil.”  The soul can not run on empty.  Eventually we will begin to experience the effects of running on an empty tank.  If the soul does not  get rest, it will become fatigued.

So men, be  aware of soul fatigue.  Knowing your soul to be shy, do not allow your hurried life to neglect your soul.  Though hidden, the soul is the personal operating system of our lives ( Dallas Willard).  It is something like a program that runs a computer.  You will not notice it unless it messes up.  The  soul seeks to integrate our will, mind and body into a whole person.  An unhealthy, neglected soul is one that is disintegrating.  When Jesus said we could forfeit our souls (Matt 16:26) he was referring not to a destination but a diagnosis.  A ruined soul is a soul where the will, mind and body are disintegrating, causing fragmentation, and disconnect from God.  In losing our soul we no longer have a healthy center that organizes and guides our life.

Learn to slow down, listen and pay attention to your soul.  The Palmist reminds himself, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone” (Ps. 62:5).   While we may be busy outwardly, being hurried in our soul  indicating that we are preoccupied with ourselves.  We are not able to be present to the Lord. “‘Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). The word for “still” in Hebrew is “raphe.”  It can mean, “to sink away,” to relax,” to let drop” or “to let go.”  I have personally found that the idea of “sinking” helps me to be more centered in my soul.  I sink into my soul with my mind  by relaxing and letting go. I rest in the Lord by letting drop what preoccupies me.

Not long ago, Christianity Today published an article by covenant pastor, Jeff Long on Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1.  He noted that the word schizomeneous is used twice in Mark. The word means “to tear or cleave open.”  The Greek root schizo implies a violent, forceful act. The first is at the baptism of Jesus, when he, “saw heaven being torn open.”   The other occurrence is at the time of the crucifixion, when “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38).

I appreciate Pastor Long’s insight: “Two tearings: the first so that Jesus’ mission to reconcile the world to God would be founded on the Father’s love; the second so that we have access to God and know his extravagant love for us.  In both instances, God disrupted reality to reveal his personal, loving nature.”  Long goes on to say, “I’m learning to live in the light of the truth that I have a Father who fights for me, who would tear open the heavens for me if necessary…”

The event of Jesus’ baptism reveals God as a Father who acts on our behalf, not only with loving kindness, but also with a forceful initiative.  God spoke in such a way that the heavens were torn open.  The people of God had been waiting for 400 years for  God to speak.  The decisive voice from heaven gave John confirmation, as he took up the mantle as the prophetic forerunner of Jesus, saying of himself. “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.'” (John 1:23).  The voice of the Father also gave Jesus assurance of his father’s love, becoming the very foundation of his ministry.  “The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing.  What the Father does, the Son does.  The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing” (John 5:19-20 – Message).

Men, our heavenly Father breaks through our clouded, distorted present reality to convey to us the assurance of his love.   He declares, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).  Ultimately for each man, we need to still and quiet our souls so that we can hear for ourselves the certainty of his love for us.  Remember God is able to break through our present reality, which include  illusions we have come to believe regarding our unworthiness.  Words about God’s love can be heard repeatedly, but until we receive this truth in our souls, we live with nagging doubt.  Only God’s love can break through your false reality confirming our worthiness to be “the beloved of the Father.”  Men let yourself be loved by your Father.

The second tear happened when the curtain was torn in the temple, symbolizing our way back to the Father.   Men, please receive this truth.  Jesus died a violent, shameful death for you, so that you can now come directly and freely right into the presence of the Father.  Hear me – there is no condemnation in his presence.  “The truth is that no condemnation now hangs over the head of those who are ‘in’ Christ Jesus. For the new spiritual principle of life ‘in’ Christ Jesus lifts me out of the old vicious circle of sin and death” (Rom 8:1 – Phillips).  We can come with absolute confidence.  “So, friends, we can now – without hesitation – walk right up to God, into ‘the Holy Place.’  Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God.  The ‘certain’ into God’s presence is his body” (Heb 10:19-21 – Message).