Christian Leader from Asia Critiques Our View of Suffering

Ajith Fernando, a Christian leader from Sri Lanka who ministers to the urban poor, writes:

The church in each culture has its own special challenges—theological blind spots that hinder Christians from growing to full maturity in Christ …. I think one of the most serious theological blind spots in the western church is a defective understanding of suffering. There seems to be a lot of reflection on how to avoid suffering and on what to do when we hurt. We have a lot of teaching about escape from suffering and therapy for suffering, but there is inadequate teaching about the theology of suffering ….

The "good life," comfort, convenience, and a painless life have become necessities that people view as basic rights. If they do not have these, they think something has gone wrong …. One of the results of this attitude is a severe restriction of spiritual growth, for God intends us to grow through trials.

Ajith Fernando, The Call to Joy and Pain (Crossway Books, 2007), pp. 51-52

61-year-old Sheep Herder Wins Australian Ultramarathon

In 1983, Australia hosted its ultramarathon, a 920 km foot race from Sydney to Melbourne. This is a race that takes days to run, and professionals from all over the world came to participate. Shortly before the race began, a 61-year-old farmer named Cliff Young, wearing overalls and goulashes over his boots, walked up to the registration table and requested a number to enter the race. The people at the registration table thought it was a joke—that somebody was setting them up—so they laughed. But Cliff Young said, "No, I'd really like to run." So they gave him a number and pinned it on his old overalls.

Cliff Young walked over to the start of the race. All the other professional runners, who were decked out in all their running regalia, looked at him like he was crazy. The crowd snickered. They laughed even more when the gun went off and the race began, because all those professional runners had sculpted bodies and beautiful strides, but not Cliff Young. He didn't even run like a runner. Cliff Young ran with an awkward, goofy-looking shuffle. All through the crowd people were laughing, and finally, someone called out, "Get that old fool off the track!"

Five days, 14 hours, and four minutes later, at 1:25 in the morning, Cliff Young shuffled across the finish line of the 920 km ultramarathon. He had won the race. And he didn't win by a matter of minutes or even an hour or two. The second place runner was nine hours and 56 minutes behind him. Cliff Young had set a new world record for the ultramarathon. The press mobbed him wondering what kind of special running shoes he must have had, and they rummaged through his backpack wondering what he'd survived on—he'd lived primarily on pumpkin seeds and water—and then they discovered the secret to his success: Cliff Young had shuffled his way to victory without ever sleeping. The other runners would run for 18 hours straight, and then stop and sleep for three or four hours. He endured running five days, 14 hours, and four minutes at the age of 61.

David Allen, from the sermon "Running with Endurance"

Test for College Students Shows We Make Jesus in Our Own Image

In his book With, Skye Jethani tells about a test that Scot McKnight gives every year to his incoming group of college students:

The test begins with a series of questions about what the students think Jesus is like. Is he moody? Does he get nervous? Is he the life of the party or an introvert? The twenty-four questions are then followed by a second set—with slightly altered language—in which the students answer questions about their own personalities.

McKnight is not the only one who has administered this exam; it has been field tested by other professionals as well. But the results are remarkably consistent—everyone thinks Jesus is just like them. McKnight added, "The test results also suggest that, even though we like to think we are becoming more like Jesus, the reverse is probably more the case: we try to make Jesus like ourselves."

McKnight's personality questionnaire confirms what the French philosopher Voltaire said three centuries ago: "If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favour."

Skye Jethani, With (Thomas Nelson, 2011), pp. 61-62

If You're Married, God Is Your Spiritual Father-in-Law

Gary Thomas reminds Christians that if you're married, God is your "spiritual Father-in-law." He writes:

When I realised that I was married to God's daughter, everything changed in the way I viewed marriage. It was no longer about just me and one other person; it was very much a relationship with a passionately interested third partner.

Most of us fail to grasp just how fully God loves the person to whom we are married. As the father of three children, I fervently pray that each one will marry a spouse who will love them generously, respect them, and enjoy them. I realise that each of my children has certain quirks or limitations that may test a future spouse's patience, but I pray that their spouses will be kind in these areas rather than use them to belittle my children. I hope with all my heart that each will find a partner who will encourage them with a gracious spirit…. I know my kids aren't perfect—but I want them to have spouses who will love them despite their weaknesses.

In the same way, God is fully aware of our spouse's limitations—and he is just as eager for us to be kind and generous with these faults as we are for our kids' future spouses to be kind to them. By looking at my spouse through God's eyes, I invite God into my marriage.

Gary Thomas, Holy Available (Zondervan, 2009), pp. 63-64

We Want Our Mechanic and Our Doctor to Speak the Truth

Imagine picking your car up from the shop after a routine tune-up, and the technician says, "This car is in great shape. Clearly you have an automotive genius to take great care of your car." Later that day, your brakes don't work. You find out you were out of brake fluid. You could have died.

You go back to the shop, and you say, "Why didn't you tell me?" The technician replies, "Well, I didn't want you to feel bad. Plus, to be honest, I was afraid you might get upset with me. I want this to be a safe place where you feel loved and accepted." You'd be furious! You'd say, "I didn't come here for a little fantasy-based ego boost! When it comes to my car, I want the truth."

Or imagine going to the doctor's office for a check-up. The doctor says to you, "You are a magnificent physical specimen. You have the body of an Olympian. You are to be congratulated." Later that day while climbing the stairs, your heart gives out. You find out later your arteries were so clogged that you were, like, one jelly doughnut away from the grim reaper.

You go back to the doctor and say, "Why didn't you tell me?" The doctor says, "Well, I knew your body is in worse shape than the Pillsbury doughboy, but if I tell people stuff like that, they get offended. It's bad for business. They don't come back. I want this to be a safe place where you feel loved and accepted." You'd be furious! You'd say to the doctor, "When it comes to my body, I want the truth!"

Obviously, when something matters to us, we do not want illusory comfort based on pain avoidance. We want truth.

John Ortberg, "Loving Enough to Speak the Truth," PreachingToday.com

Teens Look to Parents for Advice on Sexuality

A 2011 study revealed a surprising source for teenagers to learn about sexuality—their parents. Here are some of the results of the research:

45 percent of teenagers rely most heavily on their parents for information about sexuality.

32 percent of those surveyed relied on guidance from friends.

15 percent relied on what celebrities thought about sexuality.

The study also revealed another interesting statistic: 78 percent of parents assumed that their teenagers would turn to other sources (besides parents) for advice about sexual issues. Based on these statistics, the study's lead researcher concluded, "Parents are more important than they think. It's the role of the teen to be autonomous and turn away, but it is the role of the parent to remain a role model."

Bonnie Rochman, "Who Are Teens' Role Models? Turns Out, It's Their Parents," Time (July 18, 2011)

Stott Displays Servanthood by Washing Muddy Shoes

Latin American theologian Rene Padilla remembers vividly one of his early encounters with John Stott.

On the previous night we had arrived in Bariloche, Argentina, in the middle of heavy rain. The street was muddy and, as a result, by the time we got to the room that had been assigned to us our shoes were covered with mud. In the morning, as I woke up, I heard the sound of a brush—John was busy, brushing my shoes. "John!," I exclaimed full of surprise, "What are you doing?"

"My dear René," he responded, "Jesus taught us to wash each other's feet. You do not need me to wash your feet, but I can brush your shoes."

Tim Stafford, "John Stott Has Died," Christianity Today (July 27, 2011)

Pastafarians Unite!

Here's a quirky story from the BBC about a self-confessed atheist who was given permission to wear a pasta strainer for his Australian driver's license photo. Apparently, Mr. Niko Alm claims that it's a requirement for his religion—pastafarianism. Mr. Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. According to their website, the only dogma they allow is the rejection of dogma—which sounds like a very dogmatic statement. Amusing and creative, yes, but it also shows just how illogical we can be in seeking to avoid facing truth.

Fighting for a Troubled Veteran

Here's a positive story about a troubled veteran who was offered compassion and a taste of redemption. After returning from Iraq in 2006, Brad Eifert, a highly-decorated staff sergeant descended into emotional and personal turmoil—divorce, rage, and alcohol abuse. "I just felt totally hopeless in every situation in my life," he said. Eifert's personal disintegration led to a standoff with police, in which Eifert held a pistol to his head and threatened to kill himself and a police officer. Surprisingly, the people involved in his case (including a wise and compassionate judge), banded together to help Eifert rather than just lock him up. Although they did charge him with a lesser felony, they also assigned him a mentor, enforced treatment, and even put a monitor on his ankle that records alcohol consumption. It's a beautiful example of how a community can help change lives through forgiveness, compassion, tough love, mentoring, and accountability.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Last month marked 42 years since of one of the darkest and most controversial experiments in the history of American research—the Stanford Prison Experiment. This article provides an excellent short summary and this article gives a more detailed analysis. The heart of the experiment was a simple idea: for $15 a day male college students and a team of researchers acted as either prison guards or inmates. The experiment quickly descended into chaos as "guards" and "inmates" went well beyond mere role-playing. Decent young men suddenly turned into abusive guards who humiliated and assaulted the inmates. The prisoners started to break down under the stress and degradation. The lead researcher, who played the warden, also lost himself in the experiment. A colleague had to intervene and finally stop the experiment which had gotten completely out of control. It's a sober lesson right out of Jeremiah 17:9—"The heart is desperately wicked."

Enemies

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Divorce Builds Character, but Religion?

Here's an insightful blog post from Cardus regarding perceptions about religion. In the NHL draft last month, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins became the first overall pick. The sports commentators carefully noted that Ryan's character was forged for the better through his parents' divorce. In a completely unrelated story, Rocco Grimaldi, the 33rd overall pick and also a committed Christian, was interviewed and asked if his faith might lead to divisiveness among his teammates. Cardus writes: "Character shaped by having to deal with a family breakup is so routine that it is self-evident how it helps a kid mature. Character from [faith in Christ] is so out-of-the-ordinary, it needs to be questioned for its potential divisiveness." Apparently, we get family breakdown, but we don't get strong faith in Christ.

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What's Better—Great People or Great Teams?

Here's an utterly brilliant article about the power of teams and the need for community. Starting with Mark Zuckerberg's purchase of Friendfind, the article asks the question: "If you are building a company, would you prefer one standout person over one hundred pretty good people?" Many business models prefer the one great person route, but this article argues for the team approach. For example, the Boston Bruins (NHL champs), the Dallas Mavericks (NBA champs), and Barcelona (the world's best soccer team) all had one thing in common: exceptional teamwork. You can easily see the connection between the author's conclusion and the life of the church: we don't need "Free Agents" and "lone wolves"; instead, we need a "well-assembled team that may not dazzle with individual brilliance, but overwhelms with collective capability."

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