Cutting to the chase, we made it just fine to Ecuador, landing in Quito pretty much on time and no problems in flight. I'm typing this post at our Bed & Breakfast, Ecuatreasures under a new wifi connection and a new password.
Many thanks to Joe and Susan Pahle (and Claire) for the ground transportation to LAX. Turns out that SkyWest Terminal 8 is reached via Terminal 7. Joe also went to the United check in kiosk with us and offered his kind assistance with the computerized touch screen check in screen system. I had never used one before, and would have figured it out in due time, but the extra eyes and ears were reassuring as we began our journey to Ecuador.
After Carolyn Anne had taken care of herself at the restroom, we continued on to the PreCheck TSA screening. I'm sure the staff there saw us as the comedy act of the week as I forgot to place my metal items in the bowl, and had to go through the process again due to the beep going off. I did just fine the second time. Carolyn Anne didn't exactly say "I've had total knee replacement surgery" in the clearest terms, and this resulted in much discussion between the TSA female wand screener and her. Then Carolyn Anne gave me her ticket before being allowed to pass screening, a big no no! That resulted in me getting screened via wand thoroughly. Live and learn. . . we did better with the TSA screeners in Houston with no problems.
All three United flights were safe and uneventful. The seats were large enough for me, and comfortable as far as airline seating goes. We got to our gates on time, and United Airlines runs a very credible operation overall, running on time, professional, and helpful too.
Once we got to Phoenix and Sky Harbor International Airport, we slept (as best we could) in the airport seating in the terminal. Nice airport, and clean, as all the airports we saw are. Loved the warm brown carpeting in Terminal 6. After takeoff we got to see a sunrise from altitude. . . pretty sight. God is at work each day giving us His handiwork and desert scenery from up above. After landing in Houston, we took a hotel shuttle to the Wingate by Wyndham hotel in Houston, and got about four hours of deep sleep. That was a Godsend, as we were tired from being up all day Saturday and the catnap sleeping in PHX.
Houston's IAH George Bush Intercontinental Airport is large, with long concourses. There's electric carts and drivers to shuttle you around this Texas sized airport. Livin' life large as airports go. . . and there's an abundance of shops and restaurant food, too incuding some Panda Express for Carolyn Anne and some Italian calzone offerings for me. Bottled water, too. You need it on the flights to stay hydrated. We also had our granola bars from Costco with us for food while in flight. The flight attendants commended fliers who did so. . . smart move, indeed.
More on a couple of folks we met enroute in flight, Barbara and Luis, in our next post. We're getting ready for our first desayuno, or breakfast right about now at 9:00 AM.
Postscript: it was a typical Ecuadorian breakfast, with one scrambled egg, ham, and toast with a jam from fruit you can't get in the States. . . tastes like plum quite a bit. The big thing different though, was the orange juice. It wasn't really orange juice at all! Hernan, our host, came by after we started breakfast to tell us the drink, very orange in color and very fresh, was in fact a tomato tree fruit. Could have fooled me. . . and I'm a lover of fresh orange juice. The fruit looks like a kiwi on the outside. Learning new things every day, which keeps one humble.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
We're off. . . to Ecuador!
My bride and I have reached the place in our lives where we have to figure out how we are to live the rest of our lives on largely Social Security monthly payments.
* * *
She woke up one morning in 2012 with incredible pain in her knee, and literally unable to get out of bed. That resulted in a doctor's visit, and a long road of State Disability payments, and a Social Security Disability Income application, now twice denied by Social Security (we will appeal to the Administrative Law Judge, though). A journey to Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California for total knee replacement surgery, too. . . all provided at no cost due to our impoverished financial state and her not working. Thank the County of Los Angeles (prior to ObamaCare kicking in) for that, and great caring doctors and staff at Rancho. . . and Jesus the Great Physician healing my lovely wife.
In the process of planning for our end of life affairs and a revocable Living Trust getting set up, I came across some info I had never known before: the Social Security Administration won't give the surviving spouse both Social Security checks after one dies. They only give the greater amount check. That caused me, the husband and one who does his best to provide for the both of us, some real soul searching. The house thank God is paid for free and clear, and other expenses were pretty much current with few time payments. But our income was and is on the low side of things, especially with her not being able to work any longer. What to do when that time would come? How would the survivor of the two of us then live? Was the picture of what we could afford on one check one we could live with budgetwise?
It would be pretty difficult to do so at that point, we came to understand. Both alive, we could manage. But one of us alone. . . not so easy. A pretty bare bones existence. Must be something else we could do. . .
So I started praying and typing out on my favorite Internet search engine the term "least expensive places to retire." A number of possibilities came up, and some from outside the United States. A site called International Living was a first page result, as well as other sites, including Kiplinger and their 8 Great Places to Retire Abroad. It mentioned Salinas, Ecuador. Never heard of it, though I had heard of Salinas, California!
Once I figured out that a less costly existence was out there overseas, I quickly turned to the possibilities of living in Baja California. Advantages: south of the US/California border, easy access to medical facilities in the States for Medicare purposes, nice climate, lower costs in general while with a large expat population. However, on further research and talking/emailing with a few real estate agents down there in the Cabo San Lucas area, it became obvious that the climate was blazingly hot part of the year, land and rental prices for real estate had become higher than what we could reasonably afford, and purchasing a residence, however humble and native style was not financially doable. Looking at other parts of Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Lake Chapala, was a mixed bag. One of the problems was that Mexico has an income requirement that - depending on my wife's eventual Social Security payment (SSDI or regular Social Security) we might not meet. Afuera la puerta went Mexico, and any hopes of a literal Zihuatenejo.
Where to look? Panama is a welcoming country to US expats, and offers many advantages. The tropical heat is not what my wife wants, however. Belize speaks English, but it too is tropical, and getting there is expensive versus a place like Panama. Poor medical facilities, too (although I subsequently learned that many expats go across the border to Mexico for their medical needs). Malaysia in the Pacific is English speaking, and has a good expat incentive program called Malaysia My Second Home, but it is a Muslim country. . . my wife doesn't want that. Where to go that is cooler and with a culture we could adapt to and be able to volunteer our time and expertise in retirement?
* * *
Ecuador came back up on the list. I started looking in depth and found the Andes highland areas, or Sierra region, is amenable to our climatic desires. "Land of Eternal Spring" I read on an online US News & World Report site. Highs in the 60's and 70's F. and lows in the 50's F. with sun and some rain, too. . . no California drought here! Rainfall of around 30 to 40 inches a year in this part of Ecuador. Starts to sound appealing.
One consideration was the altitude. We both had been in Colorado for extended periods living there, and recently at that, so I checked with the cardiologist, who said I'd do just fine. If there's a problem with living at high altitude, we could go to a lower altitude smaller town in the banana plantation and sugar cane growing foothill area, or head to the Pacific coast and perhaps even Salinas, as well as Manta and other areas too. Having these options to look at made Ecuador more appealing right away.
I liken the search for our place to retire to a jigsaw puzzle. A long list of must haves and want to have, and a short list of "it would be really neat to have. . . ". After many weeks and several months of searching about, praying, emailing those we know in the mission field in Ecuador from our church, praying, surfing the 'Net, praying, and long discussions between my wife and I, we finally, after more praying, took the plunge and bought airline tickets to Ecuador. We think we will find a great fit in Cuenca, but are open to other possibilities depending on how we acclimate to the altitude, and where God leads us. Especially where God leads us. We need to hear His voice clearly, and see those open doors, and go through them in faith.
We hope - especially now that this blog is up and running again - to use this site to communicate to our ever growing list of friends we know both near and far what we are up to. Let's talk Ecuador, shall we? We're off!
* * *
She woke up one morning in 2012 with incredible pain in her knee, and literally unable to get out of bed. That resulted in a doctor's visit, and a long road of State Disability payments, and a Social Security Disability Income application, now twice denied by Social Security (we will appeal to the Administrative Law Judge, though). A journey to Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California for total knee replacement surgery, too. . . all provided at no cost due to our impoverished financial state and her not working. Thank the County of Los Angeles (prior to ObamaCare kicking in) for that, and great caring doctors and staff at Rancho. . . and Jesus the Great Physician healing my lovely wife.
In the process of planning for our end of life affairs and a revocable Living Trust getting set up, I came across some info I had never known before: the Social Security Administration won't give the surviving spouse both Social Security checks after one dies. They only give the greater amount check. That caused me, the husband and one who does his best to provide for the both of us, some real soul searching. The house thank God is paid for free and clear, and other expenses were pretty much current with few time payments. But our income was and is on the low side of things, especially with her not being able to work any longer. What to do when that time would come? How would the survivor of the two of us then live? Was the picture of what we could afford on one check one we could live with budgetwise?
It would be pretty difficult to do so at that point, we came to understand. Both alive, we could manage. But one of us alone. . . not so easy. A pretty bare bones existence. Must be something else we could do. . .
So I started praying and typing out on my favorite Internet search engine the term "least expensive places to retire." A number of possibilities came up, and some from outside the United States. A site called International Living was a first page result, as well as other sites, including Kiplinger and their 8 Great Places to Retire Abroad. It mentioned Salinas, Ecuador. Never heard of it, though I had heard of Salinas, California!
Once I figured out that a less costly existence was out there overseas, I quickly turned to the possibilities of living in Baja California. Advantages: south of the US/California border, easy access to medical facilities in the States for Medicare purposes, nice climate, lower costs in general while with a large expat population. However, on further research and talking/emailing with a few real estate agents down there in the Cabo San Lucas area, it became obvious that the climate was blazingly hot part of the year, land and rental prices for real estate had become higher than what we could reasonably afford, and purchasing a residence, however humble and native style was not financially doable. Looking at other parts of Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Lake Chapala, was a mixed bag. One of the problems was that Mexico has an income requirement that - depending on my wife's eventual Social Security payment (SSDI or regular Social Security) we might not meet. Afuera la puerta went Mexico, and any hopes of a literal Zihuatenejo.
Where to look? Panama is a welcoming country to US expats, and offers many advantages. The tropical heat is not what my wife wants, however. Belize speaks English, but it too is tropical, and getting there is expensive versus a place like Panama. Poor medical facilities, too (although I subsequently learned that many expats go across the border to Mexico for their medical needs). Malaysia in the Pacific is English speaking, and has a good expat incentive program called Malaysia My Second Home, but it is a Muslim country. . . my wife doesn't want that. Where to go that is cooler and with a culture we could adapt to and be able to volunteer our time and expertise in retirement?
* * *
Ecuador came back up on the list. I started looking in depth and found the Andes highland areas, or Sierra region, is amenable to our climatic desires. "Land of Eternal Spring" I read on an online US News & World Report site. Highs in the 60's and 70's F. and lows in the 50's F. with sun and some rain, too. . . no California drought here! Rainfall of around 30 to 40 inches a year in this part of Ecuador. Starts to sound appealing.
One consideration was the altitude. We both had been in Colorado for extended periods living there, and recently at that, so I checked with the cardiologist, who said I'd do just fine. If there's a problem with living at high altitude, we could go to a lower altitude smaller town in the banana plantation and sugar cane growing foothill area, or head to the Pacific coast and perhaps even Salinas, as well as Manta and other areas too. Having these options to look at made Ecuador more appealing right away.
I liken the search for our place to retire to a jigsaw puzzle. A long list of must haves and want to have, and a short list of "it would be really neat to have. . . ". After many weeks and several months of searching about, praying, emailing those we know in the mission field in Ecuador from our church, praying, surfing the 'Net, praying, and long discussions between my wife and I, we finally, after more praying, took the plunge and bought airline tickets to Ecuador. We think we will find a great fit in Cuenca, but are open to other possibilities depending on how we acclimate to the altitude, and where God leads us. Especially where God leads us. We need to hear His voice clearly, and see those open doors, and go through them in faith.
We hope - especially now that this blog is up and running again - to use this site to communicate to our ever growing list of friends we know both near and far what we are up to. Let's talk Ecuador, shall we? We're off!
I'm back!
I know this blog has been dormant for over a year now, but it's time to pick up the pieces and begin anew again. . . and "press on towards that goal for the prize of the upward call of God that is mine in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14 ESV)
The verse that strikes me in all of this is this one: "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7 NIV)
To be honest, somehow while being on the 'Net, a page came up and I knew it was a virus threat. You get these kind of pages when surfing the 'Net, even when one has a very good antivirus software installed on your computer, as I have had and still do. (I recommend AVG and have had no troubles with having to lose my data since I purchased this desktop computer some years ago.) After I had shut down the computer, and started it back up again, somehow the password was changed, and I had a devil of a time - literally - getting my password back. I tried for weeks on end to figure it out on my own. No success. So I stopped posting here.
Patience is a virtue in all these things, of course. In due time Google, the megacompany that provides the free software that runs this blog, came up with something called Google+. I got linked up with it somehow one day, and updated my account and password. Didn't think anything about it beyond that at that point as I had lost the habit of posting my thoughts to my blog here.
Actually, what I've been doing online in the interim period is become much more involved with Facebook. They actually have groups over there, and one in particular has a local current events page that took off in a huge way. . . though no one really knew it would do so at the time. An "experiment" with Social Media, it was claimed. Over 1600 plus as of this writing. When I joined in the Spring of 2013 it was just a few hundred people. Still growing at a high rate, too. The founder of that Facebook page asked me one day if I would like to admin that page, and I said yes. That has been a largely rewarding experience, writing a weekly post on local history here in California's Antelope Valley where I was born and raised. . . and still live in.
But it's time to press on, as the Apostle Paul said in those famous words of encouraging Scripture so long ago. My next post will discuss this in more detail. Stay tuned!
The verse that strikes me in all of this is this one: "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7 NIV)
To be honest, somehow while being on the 'Net, a page came up and I knew it was a virus threat. You get these kind of pages when surfing the 'Net, even when one has a very good antivirus software installed on your computer, as I have had and still do. (I recommend AVG and have had no troubles with having to lose my data since I purchased this desktop computer some years ago.) After I had shut down the computer, and started it back up again, somehow the password was changed, and I had a devil of a time - literally - getting my password back. I tried for weeks on end to figure it out on my own. No success. So I stopped posting here.
Patience is a virtue in all these things, of course. In due time Google, the megacompany that provides the free software that runs this blog, came up with something called Google+. I got linked up with it somehow one day, and updated my account and password. Didn't think anything about it beyond that at that point as I had lost the habit of posting my thoughts to my blog here.
Actually, what I've been doing online in the interim period is become much more involved with Facebook. They actually have groups over there, and one in particular has a local current events page that took off in a huge way. . . though no one really knew it would do so at the time. An "experiment" with Social Media, it was claimed. Over 1600 plus as of this writing. When I joined in the Spring of 2013 it was just a few hundred people. Still growing at a high rate, too. The founder of that Facebook page asked me one day if I would like to admin that page, and I said yes. That has been a largely rewarding experience, writing a weekly post on local history here in California's Antelope Valley where I was born and raised. . . and still live in.
But it's time to press on, as the Apostle Paul said in those famous words of encouraging Scripture so long ago. My next post will discuss this in more detail. Stay tuned!
Monday, September 3, 2012
And the Winner Is. . . Us!
Last evening, I heard a car hit another something or other as I was about to retire for bed. It seemed like it was close by, but not right in front of my residence. So I thought I'd check it out and see what's going on. Mobile cellular telephone in hand, of course, in order to contact the authorities.
Wouldn't you know. . . I and some of my neighbors found a car that had been sideswiped while it had been parked at the curb on the street. Not nice. Before I knew it, here came the driver of the car that hit the parked damaged car, with alcohol on his breath, confessing to hitting the parked car with his own car.
By now half the block was awake, and either there where I was with this man by the damaged parked car, or walking towards the spot. Lots of witnesses to his confession. He even said he had been drinking alcohol before he got in his car to drive it. To top it off, he's a three tour veteran of the Iraq peacekeeping operation. Not a good scene for him, but far better than to do a hit and run. Truth is always the way to go.
Saying he was sorry, he walked back to his car up the street. From there, he was met with a California Highway Patrol officer and directed back to the spot where he hit the parked car. Upon confession to the officer, he was put into the patrol car and taken away apparently to be booked on DUI/DWI and property damage to another vehicle charges.
The parked car's owner appeared, letting the assembled crowd know of his presence. Fire Department and tow truck assistance made their way to the scene, doing the mop up work that needed to be done to return the roadway to pre-accident condition. Good job by law enforcement, Fire and tow truck operations. Help came as quickly as possible, and was well underway a half hour after the accident.
The bad news here is there was a preventable accident that occurred. The good news is that no one was hurt, and the neighborhood was paying attention to what was going on. One of the factors in getting the neighborhood aware and involved is the recent (re)formation of the local Neighborhood Watch. It's next meeting is tomorrow, just coincidentally at the site where the arrested driver (allegedly) hit the curb with his tire, leaving tire markings on the curb from my residence location on southward.
This will be the fourth meeting of the Neighborhood Watch meetings where I live, and by now, the neighbors are used to getting notified of the meetings and being more aware and involved with fellow residents all along the street. It was easy to remind them of tomorrow's meeting while they were all there watching the aftermath of the accident. I could just say a few words, and they immediately remembered! I expect an excellent turnout tomorrow as a result of the unfortunate accident, and the regular communications given to let residents know of the Neighborhood Watch meetings.
This is how a Neighborhood Watch, and a neighborhood is supposed to function. When something happens, notify the authorites. Get license plate numbers and descriptions of the driver. Watch the scene until law enforcement arrives. All of this was done by not just one person, but by more than one. It's working, just the way the Community Relations Sheriff's Deputy said it would. And I rejoice in a working, functional, healthy, reponsive community. There's hope for this neighborhood after all! And we're just beginning. . . It will get better than it currently is over time.
Thanks be to God, who gives us more than we could ever imagine. . . more than we could ask or think. Is this place Heaven? Far from it. But is it better than a lot of other neighborhoods where I live in my region? By a long shot!
Wouldn't you know. . . I and some of my neighbors found a car that had been sideswiped while it had been parked at the curb on the street. Not nice. Before I knew it, here came the driver of the car that hit the parked damaged car, with alcohol on his breath, confessing to hitting the parked car with his own car.
By now half the block was awake, and either there where I was with this man by the damaged parked car, or walking towards the spot. Lots of witnesses to his confession. He even said he had been drinking alcohol before he got in his car to drive it. To top it off, he's a three tour veteran of the Iraq peacekeeping operation. Not a good scene for him, but far better than to do a hit and run. Truth is always the way to go.
Saying he was sorry, he walked back to his car up the street. From there, he was met with a California Highway Patrol officer and directed back to the spot where he hit the parked car. Upon confession to the officer, he was put into the patrol car and taken away apparently to be booked on DUI/DWI and property damage to another vehicle charges.
The parked car's owner appeared, letting the assembled crowd know of his presence. Fire Department and tow truck assistance made their way to the scene, doing the mop up work that needed to be done to return the roadway to pre-accident condition. Good job by law enforcement, Fire and tow truck operations. Help came as quickly as possible, and was well underway a half hour after the accident.
The bad news here is there was a preventable accident that occurred. The good news is that no one was hurt, and the neighborhood was paying attention to what was going on. One of the factors in getting the neighborhood aware and involved is the recent (re)formation of the local Neighborhood Watch. It's next meeting is tomorrow, just coincidentally at the site where the arrested driver (allegedly) hit the curb with his tire, leaving tire markings on the curb from my residence location on southward.
This will be the fourth meeting of the Neighborhood Watch meetings where I live, and by now, the neighbors are used to getting notified of the meetings and being more aware and involved with fellow residents all along the street. It was easy to remind them of tomorrow's meeting while they were all there watching the aftermath of the accident. I could just say a few words, and they immediately remembered! I expect an excellent turnout tomorrow as a result of the unfortunate accident, and the regular communications given to let residents know of the Neighborhood Watch meetings.
This is how a Neighborhood Watch, and a neighborhood is supposed to function. When something happens, notify the authorites. Get license plate numbers and descriptions of the driver. Watch the scene until law enforcement arrives. All of this was done by not just one person, but by more than one. It's working, just the way the Community Relations Sheriff's Deputy said it would. And I rejoice in a working, functional, healthy, reponsive community. There's hope for this neighborhood after all! And we're just beginning. . . It will get better than it currently is over time.
Thanks be to God, who gives us more than we could ever imagine. . . more than we could ask or think. Is this place Heaven? Far from it. But is it better than a lot of other neighborhoods where I live in my region? By a long shot!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
The Blind Side
And now for something different. . . just in time for football season, for the football fans out there!
What do you do when you find someone out in the cold, walking down the road in the rain and it looks like they don't know where they're going? The easy thing to do is to keep on going. The harder thing to do is to stop, turn back, inquire of the person, and let him in. That's essentially how this story begins. What happens is simply golden.
The Blind Side is an incredibly true story of Leigh Ann Tuohy and her "son" Micheal Oher. Distributed by Warner Brothers and released in theaters in 2009, it's the story of what one family (with the will and means to do it) can do to help another. Michael is in essence Leigh Ann's "starfish." You've perhaps heard the saying about the dying starfish washing up onto the shore, and about the one person who threw one back so it could live. Did it affect the other starfish? No. But did it affect the one starfish that was thrown back into the sea? Absolutely! You now know the premise of the film. Here's the preview:
What do you do when you find someone out in the cold, walking down the road in the rain and it looks like they don't know where they're going? The easy thing to do is to keep on going. The harder thing to do is to stop, turn back, inquire of the person, and let him in. That's essentially how this story begins. What happens is simply golden.
The Blind Side is an incredibly true story of Leigh Ann Tuohy and her "son" Micheal Oher. Distributed by Warner Brothers and released in theaters in 2009, it's the story of what one family (with the will and means to do it) can do to help another. Michael is in essence Leigh Ann's "starfish." You've perhaps heard the saying about the dying starfish washing up onto the shore, and about the one person who threw one back so it could live. Did it affect the other starfish? No. But did it affect the one starfish that was thrown back into the sea? Absolutely! You now know the premise of the film. Here's the preview:
Now that you've seen the preview, go out and rent or buy the film. Great inspirational true story with an all too rare - from an entertainment industry standpoint - wonderful ending. Not a fairy tale, but the real thing.
Here's the real life protagonist in this true story, Leigh Ann Tuohy, on YouTube to tell her story (in two parts for video) on how the film was made and about Michael. She's our guest video blogger. Yes, she's speaking as she is receiving an award, but the award isn't the focus. Someone else is. May her remarks inspire you as they have inspired me. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Don't Miss Out!
If you could do something to provide life, or keep yourself living, would you do it? Sure you would. That's pretty much an easy answer to give. But is it really? What if there was a cost to your decision. . . a consequence to kick in, or someone to whom you were held to account with? What then?
I give you two examples of this kind of decision. One is a video in the positive (providing life) and one is in the negative (taking life away). On to the videotape. . .
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus[d] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.
Give the bread, give the bread. . . that's all they are thinking about. Bread. Physical mortal life. Jesus' bread is far different from what they are used to: the bread of life. No hunger, no thirst - ever! But that's not good enough for the people. They don't pisteuo Jesus, and so go on nonbelieving. That's called eternal death - eternal separation from God and heaven. A sobering thought it should be.
So this Jewish crowd grumble about Jesus saying he is the Bread of Life. They know him only as a carpenter's son, son of Joseph, and not as anyone else (which he is. . . eternal lifegiver and judge of all). Jesus then states "51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
That flesh part is one that confounds the Jews. They reply with " “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” It's one I probably would have asked not knowing anything more about Jesus than they did at that time before his crucifiction and resurrection.
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Have you ever heard of initiation ceremonies? Now, I'm not an expert on every world religion out there, but I imagine there's one where you drink someone's blood and/or eat their flesh. There's cannibalism out there in human society, both in history and at the present time, as well as those who drink human blood. We all know from the HIV/AIDS situation how it's important not to share infected blood from those infected with HIV in blood transfusions, for example. The deal here is folks, if you share in another's flesh and/or blood, you partake wholly and completely of them, without reservation. You aren't just a pal or casual acquaintance. You're a true blue friend. A friend for life!
This is what Jesus is driving at. Going all the way. Not having artificial boundaries from a human intellectual point of view on Jesus. Not having simply intellectual assent. No more knowing about Jesus, but knowing Jesus. Through and through. No reservations, no regrets. A friend for life.
Red left his abode and job at the grocery store to follow his friend Andy in Zihuatenejo. He hoped to find a better life there, and did, recognizing that if he did go back, he would be found in violation of his parole. So he didn't go back. He came.
You can too, friend. You can too. I did. So can you.
Selah.
I give you two examples of this kind of decision. One is a video in the positive (providing life) and one is in the negative (taking life away). On to the videotape. . .
As you can see from the above clip from The Shawshank Redemption, Red left his place and gave up his life to follow Andy in Zihuatenejo, Mexico. I love that last line from Morgan Freeman, who played Red: "I hope." That's what it's all about, friends.
Our next video is in the negative: what do you abstain from or avoid to keep your life? Watch!
Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich gives the warning at 1:13 in the clip: "By the way, we had that water come in special for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley." The response from the Ms. Sanchez character is mostly nonverbal as she refrains from drinking the now recognized deadly water, lowers the glass, and declares the meeting over. Visibly shook up, and put on the spot by Erin and her law partner Ed Masry, Ms. Sanchez backs down in the presence of her law partners, as well as the opposing side in the legal case. Telling scene. . .
* * *
The Gospel of John, chapter 6 contains the "Bread of Life" discourse of Jesus, which is below in its entirety.
I Am the Bread of Life
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.The Words of Eternal Life
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
* * *
Let's set the scene here. Jesus has just fed 5000 people with fish and bread on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum, on a hillside. The people sought him not to find out how he got to the other side of the Sea of Galilee so quickly, but when. The "when" aspect of their question reveals the spiritual condition of their hearts - the when shows Jesus they are looking to be fed the fish and bread again, and are not concerned with how Jesus got to where he now was (a story in itself, as Jesus walked on the water and approached the disciples' boat, and once in, the boat immediately came to land where they were headed - see verses 19 and 20).
Jesus calls them out on this. From our passage: 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
There's a limit to this physical world. Food only lasts so long. The human body lives on this earth physically only so many years. One can intellectually assent to someone being right or true, and not be changed physically beyond that. Faith begins when you go beyond the physical world, and trust in "things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). This is what Jesus is driving at in this conversation. Hoping in what is unseen that is beyond this mortal life. Eternal Life.
The next question from the people is "what must we do? Jesus replies with "believe in him (Jesus) who he (the Father) has sent." Now the word believe here in verse 29 is pisteuo in the Greek (Strong's Concordance word #4100) which has to do with being persuaded, and placing confidence in another, even saving faith. The Apostle John uses the word 85 times in his Gospel, and 7 times in 1 John. A rather important word to him, and to us.
The people asked Jesus for a sign again. This was so soon after the feeding of the five thousand, and a further indication of them not believing (pisteuo) in Jesus, placing their trust in him for eternal life. They talk of the manna given to Israel in the wilderness by Moses. Jesus lets them on a little secret: physically it looked like Moses fed them the manna from heaven, but it was really the Father who did it. The spirit world, heaven (and hell), and God are not seen, but are nevertheless real.
Jesus then said this:
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.Give the bread, give the bread. . . that's all they are thinking about. Bread. Physical mortal life. Jesus' bread is far different from what they are used to: the bread of life. No hunger, no thirst - ever! But that's not good enough for the people. They don't pisteuo Jesus, and so go on nonbelieving. That's called eternal death - eternal separation from God and heaven. A sobering thought it should be.
So this Jewish crowd grumble about Jesus saying he is the Bread of Life. They know him only as a carpenter's son, son of Joseph, and not as anyone else (which he is. . . eternal lifegiver and judge of all). Jesus then states "51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
That flesh part is one that confounds the Jews. They reply with " “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” It's one I probably would have asked not knowing anything more about Jesus than they did at that time before his crucifiction and resurrection.
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Have you ever heard of initiation ceremonies? Now, I'm not an expert on every world religion out there, but I imagine there's one where you drink someone's blood and/or eat their flesh. There's cannibalism out there in human society, both in history and at the present time, as well as those who drink human blood. We all know from the HIV/AIDS situation how it's important not to share infected blood from those infected with HIV in blood transfusions, for example. The deal here is folks, if you share in another's flesh and/or blood, you partake wholly and completely of them, without reservation. You aren't just a pal or casual acquaintance. You're a true blue friend. A friend for life!
This is what Jesus is driving at. Going all the way. Not having artificial boundaries from a human intellectual point of view on Jesus. Not having simply intellectual assent. No more knowing about Jesus, but knowing Jesus. Through and through. No reservations, no regrets. A friend for life.
Red left his abode and job at the grocery store to follow his friend Andy in Zihuatenejo. He hoped to find a better life there, and did, recognizing that if he did go back, he would be found in violation of his parole. So he didn't go back. He came.
You can too, friend. You can too. I did. So can you.
Selah.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Life Together. . . Bonhoeffer Style
As I've been saying in a few posts now, I'm reading the most excellent book Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson, 2010) which has made the New York Times Bestseller list. Previously, I've given quotations from the book. Now I'd like to reflect on the nature of how Bonhoeffer lived, and why the way he lived was and is attractive, moreso to those who choose to follow Jesus Christ.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer grew up with some advantages. He had a father - and what a father! - and a mother - with familial lineage to some of Germany's past and present theologians and learned men - and his siblings. His extended family of aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins simply added to the pastel of relationships Bonhoeffer enjoyed and benefited from.
His father, Karl Bonhoeffer, had a way of conducting family business. He was a believer in gathering the family around the table at mealtimes for discussion. From there, discussions about anything and everything would ensue. But the structure had the indelible imprint of Bonhoeffer's father, for his way of conducting a conversation around the table was this:
"Karl Bonhoeffer taught his children to speak only when they had something to say. He did not tolerate sloppiness of expression any more than he tolerated self-pity or selfishness or boastful pride. His children loved and respected him in a way that made them eager to gain his approval; he hardly had to say anything to communicate his feelings on a subject. Often a cocked eyebrow was all it took." (Metaxas, Page 15)
His children were taught to be in firm control of their emotions, according to Metaxas. While a certain part of this was cultural and familial practice, some of it is not, imho. The drive from Karl Bonhoeffer to his children was to know what you believe and what you think before you say it. . . so as to not be embarrassed when others find fault in your reasoning and logic. Fair enough, and actually, quite a gift . The art of speaking and debating around a table at mealtime - and learning how to speak - is quite the lost art in the current culture.
Structure, whether it be from the direction of conversation conducted by father Karl, or the ministrations of activities and learning from mother Paula, was a given that gave root and order. . . and a way to explore the world and find meaning in it.
From this foundation, Bonhoeffer was allowed to bloom in his own time. Bloom he did!
He would invite his students to his parent's house, where his father would engage, with his son, Bonhoeffer's young charges in discussion and lively debate. Of course there was food to eat, the centerpiece of any good conversation. Once established in a cabin in the woods, he would invite his students to come visit him there, away from Berlin and the big city, to talk and reflect. At one point, he told his landlady to allow some hooligan type students from the government run and funded state school (similar to a public high school in a way in the United States) to come in to his quarters. She complied, but wondered in amazement at the amount of trust he gave such young, undisciplined, potentially troublesome youth. And he would feed them there. His kitchen and icebox (or refrigerator, not sure without further research) weren't off limits to their hungry appetites. Such a draw, eh? (wink)
Now, I've got to confess. . . as a public school educator, if I allowed my students, once outside back in society, to do that, my wife for one would wonder if I had gone nuts or if I was losing it. That kind of act of hospitality is truly a mark of a believing follower of Christ. And that he did, but not from his childhood. The moment of trusting Jesus Christ to save him from his sins took place when Bonhoeffer was a young man, while still learning and preparing for his life's work. And he would revisit his faith and beliefs from time to time, deepening his relationship with Jesus and with those who are of the ekklesia - the called out ones of God - who knew and walked with Jesus. This is not the same group of people known in that day as the government state supported Lutheran Church (to be German was to be Lutheran). Not at all! It was the voluntary group of people who confessed Christ as Lord.
Other ways of showing people care were visiting the sick in the hospital, showing up at home after class to inquire as to the health of a student (and to give him classwork and/or tutoring), and visiting relatives regularly and often. Letter writing, the thing back then instead of texting or emailing, was de rigueur for Bonheoffer and his family. In this way, through letter writing and visits, he got to know a good deal of his extended family in person in his abbreviated days on this earth.
These kind of actions are familiar to me. They were not always demonstrated or instilled from my childhood, but as young believer in Jesus Christ, I saw them demonstrated over the years in his people, the church. I particularly remember my Young Adult Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, M. Craig Barnes, delivering his message - actually sermon quality stuff - to our assembled class in the Cathedral Room in Hansen Hall, then ending it with this invitation: "I invite you all to come - well, not all you, but as many as Ann and I can fit into our living room - to our house. I'm going to leave the address and directions on the board so you may copy them down. Phone number is on the board should you get lost. . . there's a hill or two out east on our street for those who don't get out that way much. Hope to see many of you there tonight where we'll continue our conversation. . . this time by you asking the questions, instead of me posing them for you." Golden words by a gifted pastor, then as now. Who could resist such an invitation to come and spend time in great conversation. . . and ice cream to boot? I learned much from my time spent with Craig at his house.
Ice cream. . . makes me think of another gifted pastor, Todd Dubord, and his wife Tracy. Back in the days when he served as Pastoral Assistant at First Presbyterian Church of Palmdale, Todd would invite the church to come out to a local restaurant for "Pie a la mode," as he termed it. This was in reality his "dry run" for his sermons he gave on Sunday mornings at the church. . . but not everyone caught on to that. Todd would pose the provocative question for the day, and we would discuss and debate the thing. . . sometimes for hours. I never stayed past Midnight, though, if I recall correctly. Fun times, and a great time to get to know others who were passionate and willing servants of Jesus.
Life together. . . Eating together, conversing together, doing tasks together, helping one another together. . . this is how Bonhoeffer realized how Christians should live - in community. To learn from one another. . . together. Of course, one of Bonhoeffer's written works is titled Life Together. This isn't a review of that book, however. . . but nonetheless you get a flavor of where he was coming from in this reflection here from Metaxas' excellent biography of the man.
My adult Sunday School class at Grace Chapel had in attendance this past Sunday two young missionaries to the Middle East. I asked the question: "So how do these folks who know the Muslim faith quite well hear you out. . . how do you reach them and communicate with them the Good News of Jesus Christ?" Words to that effect. The answer is disarming: "I simply say God's Word to them from the Bible. The Holy Spirit will illumine their hearts and help them to turn to Jesus Christ, if they will but let him." See! Our battle is not against flesh and blood. . . for these Muslim folks are just the same spiritually speaking as anyone else in the world who is without Christ. . . lost and in spiritual darkness.
This is what Bonhoeffer eventually realized. Without God's Word, we are all lost and in spiritual darkness, being apart from Christ and his blessings of Heaven. So, as I always strive to do, I'll leave you with an applicable Bible passage that speaks to the topic at hand. From 1 Corinthians 6 (New Living Translation):
11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!
Open our hearts to us! The call the Apostle Paul had for the Corinthian church, and the call Dietrich Bonhoeffer had for the students and community he served. Don't withold. . . don't keep back. . . but open wide your heart, not only to us, but to Jesus Christ, the Living One, the Firstborn of the Dead, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What a charge to keep this is. . . and may God help me to do it day by day, in his power, not my own.
Selah.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer grew up with some advantages. He had a father - and what a father! - and a mother - with familial lineage to some of Germany's past and present theologians and learned men - and his siblings. His extended family of aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins simply added to the pastel of relationships Bonhoeffer enjoyed and benefited from.
His father, Karl Bonhoeffer, had a way of conducting family business. He was a believer in gathering the family around the table at mealtimes for discussion. From there, discussions about anything and everything would ensue. But the structure had the indelible imprint of Bonhoeffer's father, for his way of conducting a conversation around the table was this:
"Karl Bonhoeffer taught his children to speak only when they had something to say. He did not tolerate sloppiness of expression any more than he tolerated self-pity or selfishness or boastful pride. His children loved and respected him in a way that made them eager to gain his approval; he hardly had to say anything to communicate his feelings on a subject. Often a cocked eyebrow was all it took." (Metaxas, Page 15)
His children were taught to be in firm control of their emotions, according to Metaxas. While a certain part of this was cultural and familial practice, some of it is not, imho. The drive from Karl Bonhoeffer to his children was to know what you believe and what you think before you say it. . . so as to not be embarrassed when others find fault in your reasoning and logic. Fair enough, and actually, quite a gift . The art of speaking and debating around a table at mealtime - and learning how to speak - is quite the lost art in the current culture.
Structure, whether it be from the direction of conversation conducted by father Karl, or the ministrations of activities and learning from mother Paula, was a given that gave root and order. . . and a way to explore the world and find meaning in it.
From this foundation, Bonhoeffer was allowed to bloom in his own time. Bloom he did!
He would invite his students to his parent's house, where his father would engage, with his son, Bonhoeffer's young charges in discussion and lively debate. Of course there was food to eat, the centerpiece of any good conversation. Once established in a cabin in the woods, he would invite his students to come visit him there, away from Berlin and the big city, to talk and reflect. At one point, he told his landlady to allow some hooligan type students from the government run and funded state school (similar to a public high school in a way in the United States) to come in to his quarters. She complied, but wondered in amazement at the amount of trust he gave such young, undisciplined, potentially troublesome youth. And he would feed them there. His kitchen and icebox (or refrigerator, not sure without further research) weren't off limits to their hungry appetites. Such a draw, eh? (wink)
Now, I've got to confess. . . as a public school educator, if I allowed my students, once outside back in society, to do that, my wife for one would wonder if I had gone nuts or if I was losing it. That kind of act of hospitality is truly a mark of a believing follower of Christ. And that he did, but not from his childhood. The moment of trusting Jesus Christ to save him from his sins took place when Bonhoeffer was a young man, while still learning and preparing for his life's work. And he would revisit his faith and beliefs from time to time, deepening his relationship with Jesus and with those who are of the ekklesia - the called out ones of God - who knew and walked with Jesus. This is not the same group of people known in that day as the government state supported Lutheran Church (to be German was to be Lutheran). Not at all! It was the voluntary group of people who confessed Christ as Lord.
Other ways of showing people care were visiting the sick in the hospital, showing up at home after class to inquire as to the health of a student (and to give him classwork and/or tutoring), and visiting relatives regularly and often. Letter writing, the thing back then instead of texting or emailing, was de rigueur for Bonheoffer and his family. In this way, through letter writing and visits, he got to know a good deal of his extended family in person in his abbreviated days on this earth.
These kind of actions are familiar to me. They were not always demonstrated or instilled from my childhood, but as young believer in Jesus Christ, I saw them demonstrated over the years in his people, the church. I particularly remember my Young Adult Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, M. Craig Barnes, delivering his message - actually sermon quality stuff - to our assembled class in the Cathedral Room in Hansen Hall, then ending it with this invitation: "I invite you all to come - well, not all you, but as many as Ann and I can fit into our living room - to our house. I'm going to leave the address and directions on the board so you may copy them down. Phone number is on the board should you get lost. . . there's a hill or two out east on our street for those who don't get out that way much. Hope to see many of you there tonight where we'll continue our conversation. . . this time by you asking the questions, instead of me posing them for you." Golden words by a gifted pastor, then as now. Who could resist such an invitation to come and spend time in great conversation. . . and ice cream to boot? I learned much from my time spent with Craig at his house.
Ice cream. . . makes me think of another gifted pastor, Todd Dubord, and his wife Tracy. Back in the days when he served as Pastoral Assistant at First Presbyterian Church of Palmdale, Todd would invite the church to come out to a local restaurant for "Pie a la mode," as he termed it. This was in reality his "dry run" for his sermons he gave on Sunday mornings at the church. . . but not everyone caught on to that. Todd would pose the provocative question for the day, and we would discuss and debate the thing. . . sometimes for hours. I never stayed past Midnight, though, if I recall correctly. Fun times, and a great time to get to know others who were passionate and willing servants of Jesus.
Life together. . . Eating together, conversing together, doing tasks together, helping one another together. . . this is how Bonhoeffer realized how Christians should live - in community. To learn from one another. . . together. Of course, one of Bonhoeffer's written works is titled Life Together. This isn't a review of that book, however. . . but nonetheless you get a flavor of where he was coming from in this reflection here from Metaxas' excellent biography of the man.
My adult Sunday School class at Grace Chapel had in attendance this past Sunday two young missionaries to the Middle East. I asked the question: "So how do these folks who know the Muslim faith quite well hear you out. . . how do you reach them and communicate with them the Good News of Jesus Christ?" Words to that effect. The answer is disarming: "I simply say God's Word to them from the Bible. The Holy Spirit will illumine their hearts and help them to turn to Jesus Christ, if they will but let him." See! Our battle is not against flesh and blood. . . for these Muslim folks are just the same spiritually speaking as anyone else in the world who is without Christ. . . lost and in spiritual darkness.
This is what Bonhoeffer eventually realized. Without God's Word, we are all lost and in spiritual darkness, being apart from Christ and his blessings of Heaven. So, as I always strive to do, I'll leave you with an applicable Bible passage that speaks to the topic at hand. From 1 Corinthians 6 (New Living Translation):
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[c] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!
Open our hearts to us! The call the Apostle Paul had for the Corinthian church, and the call Dietrich Bonhoeffer had for the students and community he served. Don't withold. . . don't keep back. . . but open wide your heart, not only to us, but to Jesus Christ, the Living One, the Firstborn of the Dead, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What a charge to keep this is. . . and may God help me to do it day by day, in his power, not my own.
Selah.
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