God's Hegelian Dialect Part I: The Problem

The Problem

Our relationship with God began with Provision, the stuff of life. You know, the things and stuff that we cannot live without. Stuff like our bodies made of atoms arranged in molecules. None of those bonded atoms forming molecules have ever been alive, but all of them are you, and you are alive. That's not a chemical accident, and neither are you. That is the miracle of Provision, along with food, clothing, cute waitresses, hot tubs, Lamborghinis, and all the other necessities of life.

Okay, I don't really need the Lamborghini. I just want it. Hot tubs, too. The remainder is non-negotiable, and so is Provision. Without Provision, we are and have nothing. Provision is absolutely necessary and all Provision comes from God, even the most negotiable. From the unnecessary and the frivolous to the substance of you, all Provided by the Undivided.

Consider how many atoms you have created from a formless void. None. Everything you and I have, or ever will have is, was, and will be an act of God’s Provision. But why would He do such a thing? What's His angle? What do we owe Him in return? Where is the quid pro quo? That's our human nature at work. Always doubting, always on the defense, always fearing the coup de grace, the killing blow that concludes the negotiation. That is what the human form of grace looks like. We're looking for the price tag, the hook, and eventually the sting. It is God's  Nature to Create each of us as both provided (for others) and provided for (others for us),  the sum of which is our human Provision. The human family which crosses all races, all genders, all ethnicity, all borders, and every other superficial difference which separates thee from me. The whole being greater than the sum of its parts. That is a trademark of God.

Our relationship with God has one more element, another trademark of God. Our Father's desire for our happiness. That desire is called, Lovingkindness. Yes, Lovingkindness is a real word, but unfortunately we find very few applications for it in our modern world. We might feel something similar to Lovingkindness for our children, but our kids are also a point of personal pride for a parent. 


Lovingkindness embodies perfect selfless love, but we are not fully capable of true selflessness. It's not that we don't try or don't desire the experience, but we lack the ability to dispense perfect selfless love. Lovingkindness is not something that we possess in our rather limited collection of “gazoftiks”. Yes, gazoftiks is a real word, too. A real word that my father made up. It means “improvised tools”.  There is an old saying, “If the only tool you have is a hammer suddenly all your problems look like nails.” You don't accomplish much but you're destructive as can be. The Romans and the Temple apparatchik thought their problem could be solved by nails. Three of them to be specific. That's a human trademark.

If we searched for the human face of Lovingkindness, Mother Theresa and Gandhi come close to filling the order, at least our idealized versions of these saints. In my understanding, my worldview, only Jesus Christ makes the grade. In my picture book dictionary the entry for Lovingkindness has a picture of Jesus on the Cross in the moment He said,

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

I neglected to mention that my picture book dictionary has audio. Pretty cool, huh?

Lovingkindness holds forgiveness, as well. It isn't the type of forgiveness which we are familiar with in our legalistic system, our increasingly legalistic families, or our increasingly disparent churches. The Lovingkindness form of forgiveness is preemptive. God has Provided the solution for the problem before the problem existed. That Solution is named Jesus Christ.


So, there is The Solution. Yes, I know I didn't write much about The Problem, but that's how God works. He's pre-emtive. He provides The Solution before The Problem exists. That's another trademark of God.

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES

Okay Addictions???

How much are you earning now? How much do you need to be making five years from now? Have you been working with your banker, accountant, or financial advisor towards a plan. Are you investment ratios right for this stage of your financial planning life? Is your insurance coverage adequate? How many years before the kids are going away to college? How long before you have to retire? What will the nursing home cost? Are you happy?

I bet your feeling a bit queasy, aren't you? It's alright, go ahead and take a few minutes to unclench that sphincter muscle and normalize your respiration. Think blue water, green rolling hills, and warm summer nights. Better now?

Money is an obsession. An approved obsession, but an obsession none the less. If you think about it a great deal and are fairly good at handling the green stuff, it's even considered a laudable preoccupation. Should you be one of those rare gems that eat, sleep, and dream cold hard cash but can multiply it like a magic act, you are practically worshipped.

Money or any other material wealth is an okay addiction, because we love it, we need it, and we cannot live without it. It's just that simple, isn't it?

Ever looked at your brother-in-laws mansion, boat, and BMW, and feel envy? Ever considered how your sister was so lucky to marry the plastic surgeon when you got the plumber, and felt that twinge of jealousy that visits occasionally?  Sure, we almost all have, that's called "covetousness".

What? Yes, it is the sin of coveting. It isn't the money that committed the sin, just your love of it. We live in a time and culture when coveting is called "inspiration", "motivation ", and "visualization". Keeping up with the Joneses, Browns, Bakers, and don't forget those real housewives and the Kardashians is a litmus test by which we judge how (and who) we are in the hierarchy of society. It's just a tool, that's all, isn't it?

Nope, but it's still an acceptable, excusable, and reasonable sin today, so that makes it okay. It's for a good cause, the ends justify the means, and it really can't hurt anything. Covetousness would be illegal if it were bad, so what's the difference?

How could you prove it in court? That would be a hell of a prosecution to convince even one juror that the accused coveted, maybe it was simple lifestyle enhancement. Perhaps a coincidence that two neighbors also bought increasingly flashy and expensive custom ski-racks for their identical, consecutive model year Mercedes Benz. It's possible.

Sure it is, but that doesn't change what it is, it's coveting and that's a sin. Oh, it is a socially acceptable sin because we live in a consumption based world and we also have a mortgage to pay.

Is it really that important?

God put it in the Top Ten, so tame your addiction or if you have figured it out, let God do the taming and be receptive to His Work. You may discover your ski-racks don't need Kevlar jacketed GPS and Forwards Looking Infrared Radar.

You may even find a little time to be happy.

On Islam

Terrorism and Islamic extremists have become a staple in the nightly news, White House sound bites, and newspaper headlines. We always seem to be just about there with putting these handful of nutty Jihadis out of business permanently. Just about there. Any time now. Almost done, and then the lull.

Massive explosions shook downtown Someplace, Somewhere. The Allah Al-Akbar Waka-Muslim game starts all over again. New strategies, new weapons deals, and a new "moderate" Muslim ally we can count on to quell the oddly Al-Queda like junior varsity extremists cadre. It's Groundhog Day in or around the Fertile Crescent, the birthplace of misguided preoccupation.

America took up the banner of being the Arsenal of Democracy after World War II. In truth, we manufactured the banner, staff, and the occupation on our own. However, we did not live up to our lofty job title. We jumped between the sheets with every two-bit thug with a national check book at his disposal. If there wasn't one, we'd depose the elected government and install one we found to be more "democratic and freedom oriented" whatever covered our covert intentions.

We pay for the sins of our ancestors, sometimes immediate ancestors, or elected office predecessors. We don't always live up to our own expectations.

Moderate Islam is portrayed as a religion of peace, tolerance, and is accredited with giving us numerals we can easily multiply. Oprah gave it a thumbs up and so does every politician and U.S. Government, Corp. compensated public relations speaker. Yea Allah!

But don't you draw Muhammad or these peaceful, tolerant, numerate devotees will #%$&ing kill you en mass at the market and car bomb you at the disco. Yea Allah!

The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

Does this Right cover any and all actions of Religion? No! For instance, some religions may call for human sacrifice and such an exercise is not covered under the "free exercise thereof" clause. Yet, the faithful of Islam are called by their prophet, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, to do precisely this kind of exercise in the practice of Islam (Arabic for "submission").

Does this Right cover political action, sedition, and economic subversion? Obviously not. However, these things are part and parcel within the practice of Islam. The Islamic republic is the model of what Islam seeks to achieve world wide. It is called Dar al-Islam, and that is the intended goal of Muslims. Individuals may disagree on how to implement and achieve Dar al-Islam, but make no mistake this is their goal.

Painting Islam as just another religion of peace is a disservice to understanding the threat that our Constitution, our nation, and our beliefs face. It's like fighting Communism while claiming Communism is great.

There is apparently no shortage of "Islamic extremists" because Islam is inherently extreme. While one hand calls for tolerance and peace the other supports Jihad as we seek to support the "moderates" in this desert of the extreme.

Islam in both theory and practice calls for the subjugation of all non-Muslim believers. This constitutes a call to arms among Muslims who practice what their prophet preached and their illah (god) commands. There is no middle ground for the moderates we hear so much about to occupy. The Koranic landscape allows for only dominance or submission.

The all-encompassing nature of Sharia law reveals the true nature of Islam as a political, judicial, and economic ideology wrapped in a viel (perhaps "burka, is a more appropriate analogy) of religion.

Are Muslims evil? No! Again NO! They are the children of God who are being misled in believing that Allah is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ishmael. They are kept ignorant of the caustic nature of Islam, and we should be reaching out to them. This is a difficult task since as a part of the Islamic ideology the adherent is warned never to question or examine their faith and conversion (apostasy) is punishable by death.

Remember what gentle Jesus said,

 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." -Matthew 7:15-20