It was quiet here today. How to spend the day?

After completing the yardwork (a usual summer activity on Saturday mornings) I wondered what would unfold.

I stopped by a hamburger stand and bought a couple of a hamburgers and some fries. I took them to my friend who lives in a nursing home. (I told you about 'Joe' a few weeks ago - some of us went to the nursing home and celebrated his 51st Birthday.) We shared this simple meal. Watched a college football game on TV. Laughed as we shared jokes and stories. I listened to Joe explain his frustration about his care at the facility. Yesterday he pulled the string to put on his light. This light which is mounted outside of his room is to alert the staff that he is in need of some attention. Joe was experiencing some pain and was hoping to get some relief. After waiting for four hours, Joe got himself out of his bed and into his wheelchair and rolled himself to the nursing station. He got his meds. About an hour later a nurse noted his light was on, came to his room and asked how she could help him. So after 5 hours he finally got some attention. When I left Joe expressed appreciation for me coming to see him.

Later today, I went downtown Phoenix to spend some time with 'Gary', a single man. We met at a bar at a hotel and sat and drank diet sodas. I met many of Gary's friends - the bar tenders, the head chef, the manager of the restaurant/bar, the waitresses. This haunt is one of Gary's favorite places to sit and watch sports and visit with his friends. Gary taught me how to play 5's with Dominos. I won all the games but the last one (I lost by 5 points). Beginner's luck! We talked about his new job - which he enjoys even with its challenges. We talked about his family and his friends (some who are a blessing and some who are an annoyance.) We met some people from Los Angeles who were attending a Romanian Pentacostal conference in Phoenix. One of these was a student at University of Southern California. She stopped by for some eats and to see how her Trojans were doing against Arkansas (Trojans won). Gary is a follower of Jesus, however, he finds it hard to find fellowship with believers. Even though I would have been glad to help with the tab, Gary picked it up.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God."

This is a tough habit especially in the American culture.

I think this one is tough because our country was born out of revolution. U.S. history books call it the 'War of Independence". Histories of the U.S. written and published outside of the U.S. call it the 'Revolutionary War". (I grew up in Canada and I didn't notice the difference until I moved to the U.S.) Whatever take you put on the war which lead to the establishment of the United States, it is clear that liberty was established at the end of a rifle. The consequent fervent defense of the gun as a legitimate means of peacemaking is deep in the American psyche (and embedded in the Second Amendment).

So living as a follower of Jesus in the United States of America represents a special challenge. (This may also be true of other parts of the world where guns have played important roles in establishing liberty.) The challenge is this: the civic culture constantly reminds people that their confidence should be in the power and might of weaponary and military strength. But followers of Jesus are challenged to 'be peacemakers'. How do we square these two different worldviews?

Several different attempts have been made to deal with dilemma. The most common way to deal with these two opposing perspectives is to simply separate the civic side of life from the private life. That is, what governments do is their business and what I do in my private life is my business. I have nothing to say to governments which in the Bible are called 'principalities and powers'. Many people are comfortable with this bifurcation.

There is another perspective that talks to making my faith public and actually confronting the 'principalities and powers' in a peaceful manner. The three most recognized examples of this perspective are Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

Consider this story about the power of peacemaking without using guns:

"In South Africa, prior to the abolition of apartheid, people used to light a candle and place it in their windows as a sign of hope, a sign that one day this evil would be overcome. At one point, this was declared illegal, just as illegal as carrying a gun. The children used to joke about this, saying, "Our government is scared of lit candles!" Eventually, as we know, apartheid was overcome. Reflecting upon what ultimately brought its demise, it is fair to suggest that "lit candles" (which the government so wisely feared) were considerably more powerful than guns. In our struggle for justice and peace our true weapons, as Christians, are not ideology and guns, but lite candles, hope, personal integrity, charity and prayer." Ronald Rolheiser in The Holy Longing.

Those who who actively light candles as a means of peacemaking are called "the sons of God." What is a son? A son is child who inherits the DNA of his father. People who actively practice the habit of peacemaking show the world that their DNA is an inheritance of their Heavenly Father.

Today we are called to light candles - to practice this habit of the Church - this habit of peacemaking to declare to the world that we are children of the Father of Heaven not children of the father of this world.

(c) 2006 Ronald Friesen

It is Labor Day weekend in Canada and the United States of America.

Labor unions will have picnics and a parade or two to celebrate the contribution of the Labor movement to modern society.

Most people use this weekend as the last three day weekend for a trip out of town. Go to the mountains. Catch some trout. Throw a steak on the barbecue.

I like to use labor day to think about the role of labor in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

On of the teachings of the Jewish faith is that God rested from His labors after He created the world. It is from this example that we are instructed to rest from our labor. Also the Jewish people count their day from sunset to sunset. Furthermore, the Jewish people generally saw labor as the pain of life. The Preacher, who wrote Ecclesiastes clearly understands work to be a real pain, while fruitful, it is ultimately emptiness. Even if you are successful, at the end you die, and your children and other relatives fight over your estate!

The Christian faith did a little modification of this understanding of work and rest.

First, Christians began by counting their day from sunrise to sunrise. The day begins when the sun rises instead of when the sun sets. So you arise from your rest to work. In the Christian understanding of labor and rest, you rest for your labor - you don't rest from your labor.

Second, our work is seen as an extension of God's work. We are co-creators with God. In our labor, we are continuing the work of God in the world. This gives our labor dignity and honor.

Third, in the Christian tradition, work is viewed much more positively. In fact, labor is seen as an act of worship. The word that we use to describe our worship 'liturgy' is from the Greek word for 'work'. Work is seen as a way to praise God! The quality and kind of work you and I do is to be an expression of our love and honor of God.

This weekend, I hope you get a chance to rest 'from' your labor. Also I hope you get a chance to rest 'for' your labor.

Happy Labor Day!

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Spirituality is the hot topic of the day. Everywhere you look you see people who are working on their 'spirituality'. At the heart of this quest is a desire to see God.

To really see something is to 'satisfy the eye with seeing.' (Alexander McClaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, n.d.) Have you ever satisfied your eyes with seeing? Was it an exquisite sunset splashing the skies with reds, yellows and purples? Or was it a field of desert poppies - red, yellow, white, orange? Or was it when your eyes first were laid on your firstborn child? It is a beautiful, mind-filling experience to have one's eyes satisfied with seeing.

In the search for spiritual reality and meaning, people are searching to satisfy their eyes with seeing the Divine. The wonderful promise of the Judeo-Christian faith is that the Divine says that those who seek God will satisfy their eyes with seeing.

There is a catch, however. Not just anyone can see the Divine. There is a certain quality those who will see the Divine must cultivate. It is the quality of purity. They must cultivate a purity of heart.

How is this quality developed and matured? Well, this quality is built on the first five habits of the church. In order to have a purity of the heart, one needs to recognize a poverty of spirit, a sadness over the human condition, a humility which bows to authority, a hunger and thirst for reconciliation with the perfect Divine being. and one needs to extend to others the mercy he or she have experienced from the Divine. The pure in heart are those who have experienced a profound transformation of their character which gives them a heart that is capable of having their eyes satisfied by seeing the divine.

Those who have the capacity of satisfying their eyes by seeing the divine are those who practice the habit of having a pure heart.

Last evening the agency for which I work said 'farewell' to its Executive Director, Maureen Webster. There were many tributes to her. She was remembered as a visionary, a leader, a friend and a hero.

In 1996, a deranged client appeared at the office. He was carrying a rifle. He was upset with his case worker who he believed had done him an injustice. He was quickly spotted and police were summoned. However, before the police arrived he was able to get into the building. He shot out the window where the receptionist was sitting. Then he entered the main part of the building. People cowered in their offices fearing for their lives. Maureen walked out of her office, walked up to the man and said, "What do you want?" Those who heard her say those words, report that she said this with calm and compassion. The man turned, went up the stairs to the upstairs offices. The police arrived shortly thereafter, confronted the man, and took his life.

I don't know about you. I think I would have been with those hiding in their offices.

Maureen, a follower of Jesus, stood up to terror - face to face. She was willing to practice this habit of the church - laying down her life for others.