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Posts Tagged ‘Frank King spirituality blog’

THE CARROT OF HEAVEN, THE STICK OF HELL

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 2, 2013| 5 Comments »

HeavenAndHellReady to take the world’s briefest psychology test? Okay, here goes: which would persuade you to become a person of faith – the promise of Heaven or the threat of Hell?

According to the results of a 32-country study by researchers at universities in Spain and Israel, it’s no contest.

“When heaven and hell are considered valid final destinations, researchers find the notion of eternal bliss is three times more powerful than that of eternal damnation in shaping church attendance and frequency of prayer.” This is from a story in the Windsor Star, a Canadian newspaper.

Is this surprising? When I read the article, I was taken back to the beginnings of my own faith journey. I’ve always believed in a creator, but I decided to follow Jesus in 1990, mostly because I started listening to spiritual rock and pop music and, through that, discovered a positive, loving, closer-than-close God.

Since then, the trip has had rocky moments, primarily because I had faith issues which I didn’t think I could bring to anyone without them wondering about my “salvation”.

In other words, I thought someone was going to tell me if I kept asking hard questions, I could end up in Hell. So I went from embracing the ‘carrot’ (the attraction of a loving God) to running from the ‘stick’ (the threat of God’s damnation).

The story didn’t end there, of course. (If it did, I wouldn’t be writing this essay.) After a long time and many discussions with intelligent, compassionate, non-judgmental followers of Jesus of Nazareth – there are more of them around than you might think – I came back to Jesus.

If I had returned to the faith because those discussions centered around the ‘stick’ – avoiding Hell – I would likely be the poster boy for judgmental, unpleasant religion. I’d be following Jesus only to appease an angry God who doesn’t love me – or anyone else, for that matter – and doesn’t have my best interests at heart.

But he does. One of Jesus’ earliest followers wrote “God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death [to pay for all the bad things we did and still do] while we were of no use whatever to him.”

It’s this love, plus the promise of a life-long, day-by-day relationship with Jesus, and a future in Heaven, that brought me to this place of faith.

I’m not about to deny the truth and suggest there isn’t a Hell and that it doesn’t influence people’s faith journeys. But more importantly, there is a God who wants every single person on this planet – including YOU – with Him in Heaven.

Does that suggest it might be time to rethink your priorities?

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AN ‘IMAGINARY’ RELATIONSHIP?

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 26, 2013| 13 Comments »

ReligionThe other day, I encountered a blog by someone named David Foster who disputed the claim I and many others have made: that Christianity is about a relationship with God through Jesus of Nazareth, rather than an ‘organized religion’.

“Even if this ‘being’, which you claim to have a relationship with, does exist, your worshipping of him or her still constitutes a religion,” David writes. “I would say the same about people whose praise of their boyfriend or girlfriend crosses the line into worship.”

An interesting point. But just because many people worship God and his son, Jesus, doesn’t make it a religion. Many people believe God made this entire universe, including the air you are breathing as you read this essay. You and I would not be alive without some sort of creator, so why shouldn’t He be worshipped? And that’s the precise reason why worshipping God is nothing like worshipping your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend.

Another point from the David Foster blog:  “To me, it seems that Christians are simply believing in something they were indoctrinated to believe in, usually since childhood.”

Okay, then, David. How do you explain me? My entire biological family bought into the ridicule our culture has for Jesus and abandoned Him decades ago. Until 2002, I was with them 100 per cent. Yet, I changed – and it wasn’t because of an awful crisis, either.

So my question remains, David: how do you explain me and so many others who were NOT ‘indoctrinated’ into following Jesus, yet they still made a life-changing commitment to Him?

Finally, David Foster makes this assertion: “To me, the relationship Christians have with Jesus is in no way distinguishable from the relationship children have with their imaginary friends. I’ll change my mind in the event a Christian demonstrates that Jesus can do something tangible that an imaginary friend cannot.”

There are all kinds of examples of Jesus doing what most of us would consider nearly impossible. Off the top of my head, I think of Michael ‘Bull’ Roberts, a man who graduated from a horrific childhood to become a gang leader who ran most of the drug trade in the Canadian province of Alberta.

Michael’s ‘friends’ in the drug world eventually turned on him, beating him savagely and leaving him for dead. In the aftermath, he turned to Jesus.

Today? No more gang activity. No more drug dealing. No more violence. In fact, Michael now spends his time helping street kids, society’s outcasts and people in prisons.

I suppose if David Foster and other skeptics want to credit Michael’s new life to an ‘imaginary friend’, they will find a way. But wouldn’t that position smack of the very desperation that David attributes to Jesus followers?

So what about you? Where do you stand on the notion of Christianity being a relationship rather than a religion? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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THE MYTH OF SUCCESS

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 19, 2013| 11 Comments »

PatrickSwayzeI was reading a revealing and intimate Rolling Stone magazine interview with TV star Don Johnson (Miami Vice, Nash Bridges) when one quote struck me hugely.

“I remember a seminal moment, standing on the back deck of my ranch in Aspen. I’m a big star, I’ve got all this s..t, airplanes, cars, boats, a stream running down by my house and I’m going ‘Wow, this is really f…ing amazing. Why am I so miserable?’ ”

Then I recalled something from The Time of my Life, the biography written by movie star Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing, Ghost) and his wife, Lisa, before his 2009 death from pancreatic cancer.

Looking back at the life-transforming success of 1987’s Dirty Dancing, Swazye wrote, “When the thing you’ve been fighting for is suddenly in your grasp, it’s all too easy to look around and say – is that all there is?”

What fascinates me about these quotes is both men achieved exactly what our world says is the pinnacle of success. International fame, good looks, adoring fans and endless financial riches were theirs. As if that was somehow inadequate, Johnson had all the women he ever needed and Swayze had a rich, life-long marriage.

DonJohnsonSo what’s the deal with these puzzling quotes? How could these men be thinking such crazy things when our culture insists they couldn’t possibly need anything more?

Let me venture to write that our culture is dead wrong. No matter who we are are or where life has taken us, we DO need more – even more than the love of a spouse and family.

Where am I going with this? Consider these words, written more than 300 years ago by Blaise Pascal:

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Think that’s just crazy talk from some dead guy who didn’t know much? Um, Pascal was a mathematician, a physicist, a philosopher, an inventor and a writer. According to Wikipedia, he invented the mechanical calculator, the hydraulic press and the syringe. So it might be time to revise that opinion.

Beyond Pascal’s resume, consider how, all these centuries later, people like Patrick Swayze and Don Johnson are continuing to prove him right.

So what about you…Do you figure more money, a promotion at work, a new house or a ‘significant other’ upgrade will make everything good? Maybe it’s time to seriously ponder what Pascal said. Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 5, 2013| 5 Comments »

Do we judge a book by its cover? Check out these unbelievably different ways of living in this world and decide for yourself.

The first is illustrated by a short and horrible 2009 news story about a 38-year-old former Miss Argentina who left her twin children without a mother. Why? Because she died from complications after undergoing cosmetic surgery to improve her behind. Yes, she gave up everything in this life to get a tighter butt.

What’s just as sad is this article was classified on the website as ‘weird news’. I wouldn’t call it weird and I doubt her children would. How about you?

Then I read an email about aging that was forwarded to me by my dad. A very telling paragraph says this: “I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.”

Which philosophy do you think dominates North American life?
Which point of view keeps the wheels of commerce moving?
Which approach is celebrated by clothing designers, fashion magazines and entertainment TV programs?
Which segment of the population is on the receiving end of barbs from many comedians and talk show hosts?

I’m as guilty as the next person of giving a thumbs-up to butt-tucks, botox treatments, breast implants and teeth-whitening procedures. Oh, I may not consciously support this kind of shallow-as-a-mud puddle thinking which declares whoever makes the most attractive corpse wins (wins what??). But I’ve grown up in middle-class society and often can’t detect how I’ve been guided down this path.

Then I recall something from an ancient writer: “You [God] know me inside and out, You hold me together, You never fail to stand me tall in Your presence so I can look You in the eye.”

This tells me God doesn’t look at me the way this world does. God sees me primarily from the inside: my personality, attitudes, prejudices, motivations, decisions, likes and dislikes, etc. And unlike our culture, He’s not fooled by cosmetic surgery.

Better still, wherever I stand with God’s ‘assessment system’, I can be forgiven, strengthened and turned in the right direction so I can look Him in the eye. All I need to do is follow His Son Jesus of Nazareth, whose sacrificial death and resurrection made up for all the wrong things I’ve done and the right things I haven’t done. And it won’t matter if my butt is big or my teeth are stained or my face is wrinkled.

I call this good news. Do you?

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THE BEAUTIFUL, HORRIBLE PROOF OF FREEWILL

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 15, 2012| 74 Comments »

Memorial candleAnother act of sickening horror. It seems like every six months or so, many of us are shaken to our cores as yet another crazed lunatic carries out an act of utter depravity.

The 2012 massacre in Connecticut (20 children and six adults shot to death at an elementary school) was all over TV, radio, newspapers and social media. We couldn’t escape it, even if we wanted to.

Indeed, one blogger, struggling to deal with the tsunami of emotions brought on by this slaughter, went so far as to ask “Is this what the end of the world feels like?”

Such questions were asked beyond U.S. borders, since mass shootings happen even in countries not known for violence. People in Norway are still haunted by the indiscriminate killing of more than 70 people in July 2011. And Canadians haven’t forgotten the 1989 murder of 14 women at a college in Montreal.

With each of these events, every news report brings with it the nagging question asked by everyone from angry atheists and normally indifferent agnostics to serious people of faith: where was God??

I would be a sheer idiot to attempt to provide an easy answer because it doesn’t exist.

But as a follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the divine Son of God), I feel confident in writing two things:

1. Every deadly attack is just one more piece of proof that God’s gift of freewill is permanent and rock solid.

When humans betray each other, we often get angry and withdraw our trust or love or commitment. Connecticut, Montreal and Norway are glow-in-the-dark proof that God is different. No matter what we do (or don’t do) to spit on the gift of freewill, God simply WILL NOT take it back.

Indeed, an ancient prophet states it this plainly: “I [God] don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” And as we all struggle with the deaths in Connecticut, I’m profoundly grateful for this truth.

2. God was ALL OVER this event.

For example, church pastors across North America dropped their planned sermons and turned all their skills and time to addressing the massacre, even if it was only to ask the same questions and pray for the families of the victims. That may not sound like much, but it can still bring comfort to suffering people.

In addition, faith organizations like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association sent crisis-trained chaplains to Connecticut to help survivors, emergency responders and others deal with their emotional agony. As a serious Jesus follower, I see these amazing people as the hands and feet of Jesus, in action where and when it matters most.

So what do you think….do these two points make any sense? Do you believe in God any more or less as a result of tragedies in Connecticut, Montreal, Norway and so many other places? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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ROLLING THE DICE

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 8, 2012| 2 Comments »

Are you holding out on considering a life of faith because you figure you have plenty of time for that down the road?

A study out of the U.K. says yes.

According to a 2011 National Post article, the study suggests the decline of spirituality in developed nations can be linked, at least in part, to our ever-increasing life expectancy. It causes people to postpone any sort of faith life because they don’t sense any urgency to, as the National Post termed it, “secure a place in heaven”.

I can understand this because our culture insists that pursuing fame, saving money for a Caribbean cruise, advancing your career and buying the biggest possible flat-screen TV are more important than living a life of faith.

The way I see it – and this is backed up by conversations with family members and friends – most people don’t see any benefit in considering spirituality because they have no concept that it’s about so, SO much more than the afterlife.

The media will never tell you this, but following Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) isn’t about religion. It’s about a here-and-now relationship with God, through Jesus.

Yes, what happens to us when we die is of infinite importance, but to ignore the benefits of knowing God and following Jesus NOW is like buying a cottage and never using it until you retire.

This leads me to the thoughts of Ross Carkner, a pastor friend who read the same National Post article: “What about retirement planning? Do people put off saving for retirement until they retire? What is it that you and I need to have ‘in the bank’ with God before we expire, let alone retire?”

I get what Ross is saying. If you have no relationship with God, if you don’t know who He is or have even a vague understanding what Jesus has done for everyone who follows Him, then will you get much comfort from a last-minute deathbed “conversion”?

In the meantime, what happens if you lose your job or your house burns down or a loved one is hurt in a car accident? Challenges like these happen to everyone, but I’ve found that having a here-and-now relationship with God, through Jesus, makes them easier to bear.

That relationship has the best chance at growing when it includes attending church services. That’s part of my faith life; it means I’m included in a supportive community that’s based on something so much more important than a shared interest in extreme sports or wine tasting.

Here’s something else to ponder: Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney infamously spoke about “rolling the dice” during the early 1990s on constitutional negotiations with the country’s 10 provinces. His gamble failed and Canada’s constitution remains unsigned by Quebec.

Are you as brave – or as foolish – as Mr. Mulroney? Are you willing to risk “rolling the dice” that nothing will prevent you from sitting in a rocking chair, enjoying retirement and leisurely doing what it takes to  “secure a place in heaven”? Post an answer below and let’s have a conversation.

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WHAT IS YOUR ‘CRUTCH’?

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 24, 2012| 7 Comments »

Crutch  [noun]: 1.  a long staff of wood or metal having a rest for the armpit, for supporting the weight of the body  2.  something that supports or sustains: ‘a crutch to the economy’

It’s a common charge laid against God and those who follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is God’s Son): “They’re just a psychological crutch for weak, needy types.”

There are two implications here. The obvious one is strong, independent people don’t need a “crutch”. They can – and supposedly do – make it on their own.

However, it seems to me we all have psychological crutches – the need to be loved, for example, and the need for companionship. Neither of these do a thing to provide our daily physical needs – food, water and shelter. In most cases, neither of them even supply an income. Yet very few people have ever declared love and companionship to be useless wastes of time. Why not?

Frank Harber, writing in a popular spiritual magazine, goes a step further: “Atheism – the belief that there is no God – can become a crutch for those addicted to a lifestyle contrary to God’s standards of morality.”

Author and former pastor Bob Prall has connected with this thought, noting, “If Christianity is a psychological crutch, then Jesus Christ came because there was an epidemic of broken legs.”

Harber goes on to declare, “Everyone needs assistance. The question is, what will you lean on? [Jesus of Nazareth] provides what atheism or other religions never can: spiritual fulfillment, peace, and forgiveness.”

The second, subtle implication is there is no God to rely on, so believers are just tricking themselves through their weakness of believing. The most famous proponent of this view is still Sigmund Freud.

“For Freud, God is made in humanity’s own image, the ‘ultimate wish-fulfillment,’ the end product of human desire for a loving father,” wrote Amy Orr-Ewing in Pulse magazine.

Orr-Ewing then makes this point: “The argument about projection cuts both ways.  After all, isn’t it equally possible to say that Freud and other atheists deny the existence of God out of a need to escape from a father figure, or to argue that the non-existence of God springs from a deep-seated desire for no father figure to exist?”

Leaving this important argument aside for a moment, I consider this “psychological crutch” question from a personal perspective. Before I became a Jesus follower, I:

  • lived on my own, quite happily, for almost 20 years;
  • had friendships and hobbies;
  • enjoyed spending time with my parents and brothers;
  • had romantic relationships; and
  • developed a satisfying, award-winning journalism career.

Do I sound like a weak person in need of a psychological crutch? If the answer is no, then how do people making this charge explain folks like me? Weigh in with your answer below and let’s have a conversation.

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‘A PUPPY ROLLING AT OUR FEET’

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 17, 2012| 1 Comment »

Many folks know actor Neil Crone from his years playing the amusing radio host on the Canadian TV sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie. But I know him from his excellent weekly column published in newspapers near Toronto.

In one of his articles, Neil asked, “Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re fairly certain the universe is trying to teach you something?” He finished the column by writing “In retrospect, I believe the universe really was trying to tell me something that day.”

To my eyes and brain, Neil is suggesting the universe is (a) alive and (b) cares about humans. In a subsequent email exchange, Neil confirmed both conclusions, noting the universe is “desperately conspiring to bring joy to all of us and make our lives wonderful…it’s like a puppy rolling at our feet, just dying to please us…an immensely powerful puppy mind you, but it wants to give us our every dream if we will only get out of the way and let it do its thing.”

I suspect many people think this way. But doesn’t Neil’s description sound like God (or Neil’s version of Him)? “I use all of those terms interchangeably…God, Universe, Source Energy,” he answered. “They’re all efforts to put a name to the un-nameable, I suppose.”

But he goes on, “It’s always tricky when we use the appellation God, as it tends to conjure up the Christian God with flowing robes, beard and righteous indignation. I don’t think that’s anywhere near to the real case.”

Flowing robes and a beard? Sounds like the Hollywood God in ancient Cecile B. DeMille movies. Righteous indignation? I believe the God of this universe has plenty of that, considering all the reasons we provide (the Holocaust, terrorism, environmental problems, human trafficking, ‘honour’ killings…shall I go on?).

That said, I can easily understand how Neil thinks. It’s vague, positive, and lets everyone off the hook for their actions (or inactions). What’s not to like?

But where does this concept come from – Oprah-endorsed new age gurus?  Movies like Eat, Pray, Love? Flash-in-the-pan self-help bestsellers such as The Secret?

What do these sources say about people whose dreams are to enslave, rape and kill? Does the universe want to make that happen, too?

Setting aside those extremes, I’m willing to face the fact that some of my dreams are likely misguided, self-centred and best left unfulfilled.

I’m also willing to admit there’s someone who sees the big picture when I don’t, and who’s willing to forgive my wrong-headed dreams. Those who follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) believe that this someone created the universe and cares for everyone in it – so much so that He dealt with what Neil Crone calls His “righteous indignation” by sending Jesus to teach us a better way of living and to offer something we cannot achieve on our own: life after death.

That someone is God and I prefer His eternal truth over the next new-age bestseller. How about you; are you willing to trust your fate to the latest guru or movie? Post your answer below and let’s have a conversation.

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THE HALL OF INFAMY

Posted in In The News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 3, 2012| 26 Comments »

Bill Cosby. Lance Armstrong. Mel Gibson. Tiger Woods. What do these people have in common? All of them achieved fame in our culture. And all of them turned that fame into notoriety. Consider the facts:

  • Actor-comedian Bill Cosby has been a star since the 1960s. Thanks to the astounding eight-season, award-winning success of TV sitcom The Cosby Show, he became known as America’s favourite Dad.
    Then the accusations started – at least 20 women claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Cosby over a period of many years, sometimes after he drugged them. He was set to likely spend the rest of his life in prison, until being released on a technicality in 2021.
  • Mel Gibson was one of the most handsome, popular and successful actors on the planet (ever heard of the Lethal Weapon movies? Braveheart?) when allegations of racism and domestic violence, coupled with drunk driving arrests, destroyed his reputation.
    He was shunned in Hollywood for a decade, only making a comeback through directing 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge.
  • Tiger Woods is still trying to regain the form that made him far and away the best and most popular golfer on earth. It all went south in 2009 when his marriage to Elin Nordegren exploded in very public allegations of serial infidelity. Several high-profile sponsors dropped him.
  • Lance Armstrong gained worldwide fame and adoration for winning seven Tour de France cycling titles and creating the multi-million-dollar Lance Armstrong Foundation, which funds the fight against cancer.
    When allegations of long-term performance-enhancing drug use were proven in 2013, Mr. Armstrong was stripped of his titles and several major sponsors dropped him. He also resigned as chairman of his foundation.

All these men have their pictures in what might be called the Hall of Infamy. All were what the The Globe and Mail newspaper labelled “demigods” who fell flat on their faces and enraged their fans, who thought they could do no wrong.

What’s so interesting is the lesson we can learn from these men is as old as humanity. And it seems every generation has to learn it.

Consider what Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is God’s Son) told some of His followers: “Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better.”

I get what Jesus is saying because I’ve had the wool pulled over my eyes. Years ago, I trusted an author to have found the secret to living with grace and serenity – until I found out she was a bigamist juggling a lie-filled double life. I got rid of her books after that.

So who can you and I believe in who’s not going to leave us dangling off the cliff of crushing disappointment and betrayal? Who can we trust who really does have our best interest at heart, who understands everything we’re going through and won’t leave us, no matter how bad things get?

How about God, who offers the gift of Jesus to every person on this planet?

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THE LOGIC OF A LEAP OF FAITH

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2012| 11 Comments »

While on the Internet the other day, I found a website that discussed the problem of young people abandoning the Christian church.

Interesting stuff, but what really grabbed my attention was this comment made by an anonymous reader:

Christianity is based on a leap of faith, right? Islam is based on a leap of faith, right? All religions have no empirical proof and are based on a leap of faith. How then can one religion possibly claim that any other religion is wrong, since they are all based on the same leap of faith?

Perhaps you agree with these thoughts. I can write, quite easily, that I’ve never had a problem with the lack of “empirical proof” in Christianity or any other faith. Do you really think this is an accident? I don’t. Consider this: If we had empirical proof of God’s existence, wouldn’t that deny our freedom to be atheists?

If I know anything about God, it’s that He has a rock-hard commitment to free will. That means you and I can deny His existence or, even more dramatic (and sad….), we can commit unspeakable evil in His name. And, to the casual, superficial observer, we can do it without any sort of penalty. We can also do extraordinary good in His name and live lives of amazing influence and value. I think the late, great Mother Theresa tops that list.

What about one faith group claiming to be exclusively right? The faith I belong to certainly advances that point of view. But that’s not something conjured up on a whim; serious followers of Jesus of Nazareth trust in the words He tells his followers “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”

Am I supposed to ignore that? Was Jesus just a little full of himself that day? If I go down that path, then Jesus becomes nothing more than a cool dude with some good ideas. Maybe that works for some people, but it’s hardly the basis for a faith that’s going to help people like me deal with our faults and seriously consider what happens after this life ends.

Serious Jesus followers are not interested in occasionally checking in with a funky guru; we want a transformed life, now and after this existence is done. In our better moments, we want to leave behind the “it’s all about you” mentality of our culture; that’s a point of view that discourages thinking about serious issues and insists “whoever has the most toys (when he/she dies) wins”.

In your better moments, do you also see the emptiness of this kind of thinking? Post your comments and let’s have a conversation.

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