Mystery

“The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all.”

                                                                       Soren Kierkegaard

 The only thing I had left to put on were my shoes. I had been putting off putting them on for 15 minutes. So, I sat there on the edge of the tub…thinking. I knew that once my shoes were on it was time to go. And I can tell you that I was absolutely dreading what I was about to step into.

Those were my feelings this past Monday morning as I was preparing to preside over a memorial service for a friend of mine who had taken his life ten days earlier. The day before his service I had taken 76 elementary aged kids and staff to our annual Summer Camp. All of us were excited to embark on 4 days of adventure in a beautiful setting in the Rocky Mountains. But early Monday morning I had to leave the camp and head towards the service. As the only car on the road for a good 30 minutes, I had plenty of time to think about what was awaiting me. Rist Canyon Rd. suspended me between two worlds. On the one hand was the joyful innocence of Summer Camp and on the other was the funeral for a guy who took his own life. Maybe this one was more difficult than the dozens of funerals that I had presided over before. I knew him. He worked closely with my wife for the last five years. I came to know him and his family through their working relationship. And we had grown to love him and his family. Maybe it was the manner of his death. All that I knew, driving on that road, was that I didn’t want to step into the pain.

There were 300 – 400 people at the service; some were close associates. Others hadn’t seen my friend in years. All were at different stages of the grieving process.

During the service there were two points that l felt were important to share that morning. The first point I shared is that the totality of a person’s life is not determined by their last act. I know that suicide is especially painful to those left behind. We don’t always understand what would drive a person to such a point of despair. I wanted to remind people present that morning that there were so many character traits and memories about our friend that help us to remember him more than the way in which he died. He was easy going, smart, witty, and was a guy that many people went to when they needed help. He was a devoted father who loved his boys tremendously. He was constantly taking care of others from his immediate family to his mom and his two sisters. He was passionate about sports and was deeply devoted to the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs. He was also a survivor of two types of cancer, heart failure, and lived in constant pain in his legs and feet. In spite of these challenges he always greeted people with a warm smile and friendly conversation.

The second point that I made that morning was that no one bore any responsibility in my friend’s death. For those of us left behind grappling with his loss the worst thing for us to do, as we move forward, is to take responsibility for his actions. I reminded everyone that is not a burden for us to bear. I understand that suicide is a mystery that doesn’t have a satisfying solution to it. There is never a neat bow to put on this thing because we are ultimately left with a lot of questions.

Why?

Why didn’t I see it?

What could I have done?

How could he have done this?

In pondering those questions, and countless others, we start to experience varying degrees of guilt. Guilt in cancelling the lunch meeting. Guilt in not scheduling the lunch meeting. Guilt in putting off that phone call. Guilt over not thanking him for being the guy there to help. Ultimately everyone is left with the thought that we should have done more; including myself. I held up a card, a thank you card from my oldest son Jack that he wrote to my friend. It was written in response to the graduation card that my friend had sent to Jack toward the end of May. I held it in my hands. Jack did his part. All I had to do was put the stamp on it and send it out. I mentioned the great deal of regret in knowing that my friend never got a chance to read Jack’s thoughtful words. I know that many people present that morning were carrying a similar burden. Although those things that we should have or could have done would have been nice and probably meaningful, the fact that we didn’t bears no responsibility in my friend’s actions.

In the end it was a very touching service. All of the speakers provided differing insights. Some were quite humorous, and others left us with tears. It was a service that captured the essence of who he was. He would have like it.

I know that many of you reading this have known someone who took their own life. I am sorry for your loss and the pain that you still suffer. As I encouraged everyone at the service, I want to encourage you to join a small group of people who are grieving as you are. And in community perhaps you can process your loss a little better.

RECOMMENDED READ:

Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One's Search for Comfort, Answers, and Hope by Albert Y. Hsu

A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser

Fathering

“After 25 years I just got sick of blaming my father”

Those words were shared in an intimate setting where me and forty other dads joined together to enjoy a weekend with our sons and learn how to become better fathers. The question asked of all of us was, “What brought you here?” Simple enough question that allowed for a plethora of answers. But this dads answer stuck out to me the most. As the guy shared about his dad, and growing up as a kid, he finally came to a place where he was being honest with himself and said, “After 25 years I just got sick of blaming my father.” I went up to him after our session together and thanked him for being vulnerable and honest. He said that he could only blame his father for so long until he finally has come to the realization that he needs to take responsibility for his own actions.

Two years ago, I enjoyed this experience with my then 10-year-old son Owen. This past weekend I brought along my 10-year-old son Wyatt. The weekend is meant to be a time of bonding between Fathers and Sons, but also to become a better father by understanding your own story with your father. Having gone on this weekend twice now I am reminded of the powerful influence that us dads have in the lives of our children. One important aspect of the weekend is hearing different dad’s share how they were hurt by the words their dads spoke to them when they were kids. It’s a powerful thing to listen to these grown men share while weeping and yearning to hear affirming words from their dads. Even Jesus was affirmed by his father in hearing the words, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.” All of us have a yearning in our hearts to be blessed by our earthly fathers; to hear words that encourage us and convey love to us. As Wyatt and I drove away from camp I was asking myself what kind of stories am I writing on the hearts of my children? What memories am I making with them? What investment am I making in future generations long after I’m gone?

I realized that I have so much yet to learn about being a dad and a Christ follower.

Visit www.restorationproject.net If you would like to hear more about this movement of intentional fathering.

It's ok you'll do better next time

It was 1990 and I was fresh off a four-year stint in the Army. I had entered the Army with the hope of getting some direction for my life. I came out with about as much direction as when I went in. Directionless, I found myself staying at my Grandmother’s house in Palm Desert, when one morning I noticed the pool man coming to clean the pool. I thought that would be a cool gig and I went out and spoke with him about what it would take to get into the business. He gave me the phone number of a guy named Dan Kenley and two weeks later I went to work for Dan. Dan was bald, had a Kris Kringle kind of beard and sparkle in his eye. He had been in education for many years prior to being talked into joining his brother in his fast-growing pool maintenance business. My first year of learning the business with Dan went by fast. I learned the in’s and out’s of running a successful business and along the way made numerous mistakes. Looking back, I can recount several times when I screwed up another piece of pool equipment. At the time I was furious; throwing tools and cursing like a sailor. But then Dan, with all the patience of a saint, would come alongside me and show me the correct way to install a filter, a motor, or how to properly clean a new pool for the first time. After every one of my mishaps Dan would always say the same thing, "It's ok, you'll do better next time.” Exactly the words I needed when I thought I couldn’t do anything right.

In today’s world it seems that so many people are quick to capitalize on one another’s mistakes. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of grace and forgiveness going around. As a Christ follower Dan modeled to me what it meant to be a person of grace. And in doing so he showed me who Jesus was…and is. Dan was a giver of grace because throughout his life he had received much grace from others. He knew what it meant to make costly mistakes because he had made a fair amount himself. Through Jesus Dan’s life was transformed. And through Dan my life became different also.

I love the saying, “Preach the Gospel always and when necessary use words.” Although Dan shared with me many words of wisdom he also showed me, through his actions, what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. I think what continues to draw me deeper into my faith is that Jesus was a guy who was always telling and showing those who had royally messed up essentially what Dan told me, “It’s ok, you’ll do better next time.” No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, remember the words of my friend Dan, good words to live by.

Influence

"Every life is a profession of faith, and

                        exercises an inevitable and silent influence" 

          Henri Frederic Amiel

Many years ago, in the TV series Cheers, in one particular episode there was a guest who showed up and this guy just started fixing everything. Over the course of the episode he was fixing things that had been neglected and by the end of the episode he had made the entire bar better. Probably his most important contribution was that he cleaned out the beer lines. Norm and Cliff were beside themselves at how well the beer tasted. I mean there was a noticeable difference. And then just as quickly as this guy showed up he left. But in the short time that he spent at the bar he made a huge difference. That’s how it is when people of influence show up in your life, they make a difference. They make a difference in the lives of people while they are there. And you can feel the effects of them long after they are gone.

As we look to in the Scriptures Esther is a great example of this; a young teenage girl thrust into a position that she didn’t ask for and given a responsibility that she wasn’t ready for. But as her people were on the verge of genocide, her cousin Mordecai petitioned her to save him, her, and the Jewish people.

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Esther had a choice to make; remain silent and her people perish? Or put her life on the line, approach the King and tell him about the sinister plot of the evil villain Haman. We know the end of the story. Esther used her influence to save the lives of her people. And to commemorate her heroic act Jews around the world remember her by observing Purim.

All of us have influence. The question for me and for you is how are we going to use our influence today? Are we going to use it to make people around us better? Are we going to use our influence today in such a way that when we are gone people will still feel the effects of our time with them?

An important reminder… people of influence make everyone better! 

Solitude

     Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and

               continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.

                                                                                                                         Henri Nouwen                              

I know…just mentioning the word solitude conjures up all sorts of feeling of dread and confusion. You’re not alone. A couple of days ago at a weekly mtg. that I attend, the topic of solitude came up for discussion. A couple of people said that they regularly get away for solitude. One person said that he couldn’t wait to get home after his time of solitude. Another admitted that solitude, to him, is about as attractive as a root canal. And someone candidly admitted that he wrestles with the walls of busyness. He wondered out loud if he puts up these walls to not be alone and confessed that he actually takes comfort in the bedlam of everyday life. He added that removing himself from the noise that surrounds him and going to a place of quiet solitude is the last thing that he wants to do.

 Spiritual disciplines are hard aren’t they. Although we know that we should practice discipline in our spiritual lives, I admit that this is an area where I often fall short. In fact, during our discussion I brought up my own fear of fasting and how, because of my maddening love affair with food, fasting is something that I tend to shy away from. As a Christ follower I know that I should do it, but my love of food and my fear of failure keep me from fasting. A definite area of growth for sure.

 The practice of solitude is different than being alone. Being alone means stepping away from the busyness of life and just having some time to yourself. Solitude takes that alone time but goes deeper by intentionally seeking after the heart of God. I admit that solitude can be difficult. Just the act of getting away for a day of quiet and reflection means this time takes precedence over other pressing matters…and there are always pressing matters, right? But if we are to follow the example of Christ in areas of baptism, prayer, and fasting. Shouldn’t we also follow him in solitude? As we read through the Scriptures we see several examples of Christ getting away for quiet reflection. In Matthew Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Matthew 4:1). In Luke he “went out to a desolate place” (Luke 4:42). And again, Matthew tells us that Jesus “went up on the mountain by himself to pray . . . alone” (Matthew 14:23). Jesus clearly believed that there was something important about solitude. I’m sure it prepared him to adequately minister to others and reminds us that when we get away from the distractions of life we put ourselves in a position to hear from God.

Faith

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25

It was 1:24 am on March 18th 1990. Richard Abath, a security guard went to investigate the knocking at the employee entrance door. On the other side of the door were two men who identified themselves as Boston Police Officers. They said they were there because they had heard there was a disturbance. Abath, going against security protocol, but feeling comfortable in their explanation, buzzed them in. Once inside they calmly asked Abath to come out from the counter he was standing behind because there was a warrant out for his arrest. Once Abath was away from the counter, the police officers calmly proclaimed to Abath and his night watch partner, “Gentlemen this is a robbery.” Being away from the “panic” button at the counter, Abath and his partner were now at the mercy of their captors.

They were led down to the basement where the “officers” promptly tied them up and then spent the next 81 minutes pulling off the largest art heist in modern history. By the time the thieves had exited the building at 2:45 am they had stolen thirteen works of rare art by Degas, Vermeer, and Rembrandt from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum located in Boston, Massachusetts. The total value for these stolen works of art was north of $500 million dollars. The thieves had an idea of what they were looking for and specifically targeted Rembrandt’s works that were located in the “Dutch Room”.

Of the hundreds of paintings, etchings, and drawings that Rembrandt created this one his “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” is his only known seascape, and one of the stolen works, making this heist all the more disheartening. It’s a painting that is still missing along with the other works to this day. This particular painting has always been one of my favorites. I love using art to learn about a passage of Scripture because for me it brings the passage to life in a very visual way.

There is frequently an aura of mystery surrounding great works of art.

And with most of these great works being hundreds of years old the modern-day viewer is often left with questions about the artist, the scene painted, and dozens of other questions that are often left unanswered. With the passage of time the intrigue only grows, especially when you throw in an art heist or two.

Even though Rembrandt uses much “artistic” license in portraying this particular biblical passage, it helps me to understand what this event may have looked like when it took place. Other than the written word, and long before movies and television, art was a primary means of bringing a story to life. Meditating on a piece of artwork is known as “Visio Divina”. This practice involves pondering art so that a person might see how God is working in the story the artwork is depicting.

Regarding this painting you can immediately see the obvious, that there are people in a boat facing a fierce storm. If you take a minute to really look at the scene, you can almost feel what the sailors are going through. You can sense their struggle.

You notice the five men at the top side of the boat are kind of battening down the hatches, taking down the sails, holding on for dear life. It shouldn’t be lost that they are the one’s furthest from Jesus but also working the hardest. On the bottom half of the scene are eight figures. They are closest to Jesus and the ones least involved with the storm, except for the sailor on the far right who is really struggling with the rudder. They are also the ones most engaged with Jesus.

The guy at the bottom of the painting his head is over the side of the boat…we all know what he’s doing. The guy right above him is praying. There are the two sailors close to Jesus, who I suspect are the angriest with him for sleeping and for allowing them to venture into this terrible storm. To the left of the old man whose back is turned to us is a faint, hardly distinguishable figure. Perhaps an Angel? The angelic figure stands right in the middle of the dark and light; possibly representing their ability to travel between the heaven’s and the earth?

The lighting is also interesting as Rembrandt cast the men at the top half of the boat in light; whereas those closest to Jesus on the bottom half are in a darker hue. I wonder why? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Jesus is the Light of the world, so why would Rembrandt cast Him in the dark?

In this scene you can feel the wind, the cold water, the sheer terror that this crew of seasoned seamen are facing. Center right is Jesus Himself. He is still semi-reclining and doesn’t seem to be particularly bothered by all that is going on around Him.

And then you notice another figure. It took me a while to notice this but if you count, you will count 14 figures in the boat. The passage says that Jesus and His Disciples went across the lake. A question for you? How many Disciples did Jesus have? He had 12. So, including Jesus there should have been a total of 13 people.

Standing next to the guy facing away from the viewer and in between the guy who I think is seasick, is a man holding his cap and a rope.  Art experts tell us that is Rembrandt himself. He decided to put himself into the scene as well.  He is the only guy in the scene who is looking toward the viewer. Everyone else is engaged with either the storm or with Jesus, but this guy is holding his hat and it looks like he is almost saying, “Can you believe this? I am in a boat in a storm with Jesus”? So, Rembrandt is the “14th Disciple”!

I love this painting and I love the story that it tells. And the passage; Luke 8, is a passage that I use a lot during funerals. Because like the Disciples in the boat, what people are dealing with during times of grief is a contrast between faith and fear.

Faith in wanting to believe in a God who still loves them in spite of their circumstances, and a fear of continuing on in life without the loved one who has passed on.

The Disciples in the boat certainly had fear. What they learned during their battle with the raging sea storm was that in the midst of their fears Jesus was right there with them. In fact, Jesus wakes from His slumber, turns to the storm and says, “Peace be still!” And then He turns to His friends and He asks them, “Where is your faith?” A hard question for all of us as we often lose sight and forget that Jesus is with us during our rough times. We know He is with us during the good times…isn’t that why we have good times? But how can Jesus be with us during the challenges we face in life? If you’re like me I tend to think that if Jesus is with me, if He is blessing me, if I am experiencing His favor, then I wouldn’t have tough times. It would be smooth sailing, wouldn’t it? My marriage would be great. My kids wouldn’t talk back. And I would have to deal with health problems as I get older.

We learn from this passage that it was the challenge of the storm that brought the Disciples to a closer relationship, and a better understanding of who Jesus was.

As the clouds parted, the rain stopped, the thunder and lightning ceased, and the water returned to a gentle calmness, the Disciples were amazed at what they had just witnessed. With water still dripping from their faces they asked the question, “What kind of man is this? That even the winds and the waves obey him!” A question asked even though they had witnessed Jesus heal the sick, relieve the possessed from their demons, and renewed the leper’s skin.

It wasn’t until they witnessed Jesus’ command over the very forces of nature, AND saving their own lives, did they ponder the idea that Jesus was God. This challenge on the sea was a turning point in how they viewed Jesus.

Over the course of my may years in ministry I have heard the same from countless people; although they hated going through a challenging season in their life, what it did was bring them to a deeper understanding of who God is. As Pastor Rick Warren says, “You don’t get faith by sitting in a Bible study group or just talking about it. Faith is like a muscle; it develops by being used.” Faith is a key ingredient in our ability to overcome our fear. And the exercise of faith is rarely easy.

But just like a muscle that must be tested in order to grow stronger, so is faith that part of our spiritual walk with God that must be tested in order to be developed over time. Although I don’t hope challenges on anyone. I do hope that your faith in Jesus will grow as you draw closer to Him.

RECOMMENDED READ:

"Faith in the Fog" by my friend and author, Jeff Lucas. 

Warnings

“Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.” 

-          Harry Potter: and the Sorcerer’s Stone

In the Harry Potter saga, the above warning appears outside of Gringott’s Bank, the only bank of the wizarding world. According to Harry’s oversized friend, Hagrid, Gringott’s is the safest place outside of Hogwart’s itself.

Warnings are a good thing as we encounter them every day. If you’re a parent this is the world that you live in. You’re constantly giving your kids warnings.

I have three kids ages 18, 12, 10 and the most recent warning that I have given to my two younger ones is regarding the “Tide Pod Challenge”. Kids have been posting video on social media of them eating these Tide Pods. I’m not the smartest guy in the world but I know that’s probably not a bright thing to do. So, I told my kids, “when you’re around your buddy’s and you guys start to dare one another to do different thing, if the Tide Pod Challenge comes up, don’t do it”. I gave them a warning.

The thing about warnings of any kind is that they are ultimately meant to help us. My friend Pastor Dick Foth says that, “Warnings are a call to remember and are given by people who care.” God, over a period of time, has given His chosen people warnings. The first warning that we read about in Scripture is found in Genesis:

“The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.’”                                                                                           Genesis 2:16

 That’s a pretty clear warning, right? If I eat of that tree I’ll be ok, but if I eat of that tree I will die…pretty clear, pretty simple warning. Warnings permeate the story of God. They are found all throughout the Scriptures. The reason for this we read about in the book of Lamentations:

“Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”

                                                                                                 Lamentations 3:22

Because of God’s great love for us He warns us as a way of helping us stay on the right track. The problem with warnings is that they can come across as such a negative thing, can’t they? As if they are keeping us from something. The truth is there is a sort of permissiveness to warnings. You and I can choose to disregard warnings and suffer the consequences.

The other thing about warnings is that it’s easy to associate them with rules. How many times have you heard someone say that the Bible and Christianity is full of rules? I once had a morning coffee with an atheist friend of mine and he told me that he didn’t want to follow the “rules” found in Scripture. I asked him if he had a dog? He answered yes. Does your dog have a fenced backyard? Again, he answered yes. I went on to ask him why do you have a fenced backyard for your dog? He said, “Because you know that there are dangers outside of my fenced backyard.” I went on to state the obvious; that he had a fence there to provide parameters for his dog.  He had that fence because he loved and cared for his dog. I know this is elementary, but I think sometimes we forget about this stuff.

So, what does all of this mean for us today? What do we do with the warnings of God today? The warnings that are found in this ancient Scriptures? Do we believe that they are still relevant today as they were 2,000, 3,000 years ago? If so, what warnings are you hearing in your life today? Is there something that you know you should be doing and you’re not? Is there something that you should stop doing and you’re not? Its good to pay attention to the warnings in our lives.

Remember, “Warnings are a call to remember and are given by people who care.”

Lament

la·ment

[ləˈment]

NOUN

1.     a passionate expression of grief or sorrow:

Jeremiah was an Old Testament prophet who witnessed the horrors of two invasions of Israel by external, marauding armies. Both the Assyrian and Babylonian armies were ruthless in their treatment of who they were going to conquer and ended up taking the Israelites into exile. Prior to the exile Jeremiah had been telling God’s people that they needed to turn from their wicked ways and turn to God. In short, he told them that they had to change their hearts. Needless to say, he wasn’t a very popular guy. Unfortunately, they didn’t heed the call to change and turn their hearts towards God.

Jeremiah knew that the human heart was at the center of what was transpiring in ancient Israel; pagan revelry, debauchery, idol worship. He also knew that if the people didn’t change their hearts, God would bring about discipline as a way of drawing His people back to Him.

Lamenting is a word that we typically don’t use in our Western language. Mainly we keep our grief and sorrow more subdued. And yet lamenting is something that our country has been collectively doing…yet again over the past week. How many conversations have you engaged in since last Wednesday’s horror in Parkland, Florida? Like me you have probably engaged in many. It’s important to remember that the cause for this type of tragedy always begins in the human heart. No matter how any type of violence is inflicted, it is simply a reflection of the heart of the wrongdoer.

Looking out over a wasted landscape, as the Israelites were being taken into exile, Jeremiah lamented what could have been. And so, do we.

Ordinary Time

This past Saturday my family and I finally put Christmas away. The outside lights are down and the tree by now has been turned to mulch. With the New Year I determined to cut back on my sugar intake for 2018. Like many of you I’m still doing pretty good holding true to this resolution. We’ll see how I’m doing come Feb. 1. Today also marks the first day back to school for my kids. And over the next week or two we will get back into the normal daily rhythms that are disrupted with a two-week Christmas break. With the excitement of Christmas and New Year’s now past we enter into what is called, in the Christian calendar, Ordinary Time. In Latin, tempus per annum, is typically the period between the Epiphany (Jan. 6) and Lent. Throughout history this has been a period that Christians around the world further engage in the “mysteries of Christ”. One of the best ways of engaging in these “mysteries” is to participate in the ancient spiritual practices of tithing, fasting, daily reading of the Scriptures, and prayer. And what better time of the year to begin these practices than at the beginning of a New Year. Fasting has always intimidated me because of my absolute love of food. That’s something that I need to work on this coming year. As I am challenged in the area of fasting will you be challenged and join me as, together, we engage in the spiritual practices of our ancient forefathers?

RECOMMENDED VIDEO TO WATCH:

This 18-minute video captures the thoughts of noted author and speaker Phyllis Tickle.

http://qideas.org/videos/recovering-the-ancient-practices-1/

Obedience

 It was March of 1974. The 52-year-old man in green fatigues had finally come out of hiding on the Philippine island of Lubang. He looked to be in good health. His rifle was even in good working order. There had been rumors and reported sightings of him for many years amongst people who lived in the surrounding villages. But it wasn’t until his former commander, Maj. Yoshimi Taniguchi, was flown to where the soldier was hiding out, that the mystery man finally emerged from the jungle. Major Taniguchi told Hiroo Onoda that it was ok, he could finally surrender. In 1944 Onoda was an Intelligence Officer in the Japanese Imperial Army. The last orders that he received just prior to America’s invasion of the island were from his commander who said,

“You are absolutely forbidden to die by your own hand. It may take three years, it may take five, but whatever happens, we’ll come back for you. Until then, so long as you have one soldier, you are to continue to lead him. You may have to live on coconuts. If that’s the case, live on coconuts! Under no circumstances are you [to] give up your life voluntarily.”

And so, he did. Being an obedient soldier, Onoda lived on the island for 29 years after the Japanese formally surrendered, signaling the end of the war. On that March day when Onoda came out of hiding, he had the distinction of being the last Japanese soldier to surrender from World War II.

Obedience has always been a bit of a prickly word for me. I don’t know about you, but I typically don’t like being told what to do. Something about it just sort of rubs me the wrong way. Obedience isn’t usually a word that one would associate with Christmas either. It lacks the warm fuzzies found in other words like “shepherds” or “baby” or “star.” But as I have been reading through various prophecies and events leading up to the birth of Christ, I am reminded that there was a great deal of obedience going on. In fact, one could argue that it is a constant theme throughout the Christmas story. Of course, it all started with an unwed teenage girl named Mary who, after being visited by the Angel Gabriel, was told that she was going to have a Son and she should name Him Jesus. Of course, all of this was news to Mary’s fiancée, Joseph. He decided that he didn’t want to stick around and made plans to leave. But he didn’t want to dishonor Mary, so, instead, he would break things off quietly. Not too long after, that pesky Angel paid Joseph a visit also and told him, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife.” In obedience Joseph did just that.

No one said that being obedient is easy. After Christ’s birth, guess who appeared to some Shepherds? Yep, an Angel. And although he didn’t explicitly tell the Shepherds to go find the child, he did leave some heavy clues as to what to look for (“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:13). Not long after Christ’s birth, Joseph was warned again by an Angel that Herod wanted to harm the baby and that they should flee to Egypt. So, in obedience, Joseph took his newly formed family to Egypt and, by doing so, saved Jesus’ life.

My groans this morning did little to deter the exuberance that my nine-year-old felt as he reminded me that there are only 14 more days until Christmas. 14 days…so soon, I thought to myself? But perhaps it’s 14 more days to help learn and practice a little more obedience, much like Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds and the Japanese officer, Hiroo Onoda.

RECOMMENDED READ:

Mikedashhistory.com. If you are a lover of history, this is a great site for you to check out.

Sources Cited:

Final straggler: the Japanese soldier who outlasted Hiroo Onoda, www.mikedashhistory.com. Accessed, December 7, 2017.