Friday, August 31, 2012

The Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Violence

DISCLAIMER:

I realize that some readers will probably disagree with the reasoning in this post. Maybe most readers will disagree, perhaps vehemently, and accuse me of all kinds of weird stuff. I'm not weird or whacked out, Just trying to come to terms with the very-real "good vs. evil" in this world we occupy, and come to terms with these things from a "whole of Scripture"-perspective. I still love Jesus, and I still like puppies, small children and bacon. And ice cream... too much so. But I digress... on to the post.

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"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"  — Jesus (Matthew 10:16)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."  — Jesus (Matthew 11:12)

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils."  — Jesus (Luke 11:21-22)


Violence is a very difficult subject for anyone to discuss, let alone Christ-followers.  Lately, I've been really wrestling with this subject.  When I was a child (ca 1978), the only time I had to consider the subject was when I was "plinking" in the desert with the men-folk kin-folk (Dad, brother, Uncle, cousins, etc).  I was educated on the fact that the rifle or revolver I held in my hands (no more than a .22, then) had the power to end a loved one's life, if not handled properly.  But the thought of ever having to use violence to defend a life — except for the occasional playground pugilism — never really camped out in my mind.  I mean, back then, there weren't random and sudden shootings in theatres or churches or schools or playgrounds or restaurants or...  you get the idea.

Then I joined the Army (1986), and was taught — nay, drilled — to live out the following oath:

"I, Richard J. Calvi, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."


So I became personally acquainted with this idea of antithesis; that there were good guys (us soldiers) and there were bad guys (in this case, enemies of the Constitution), and that there was a big, solid line between the two.  To quote Jack Ryan in "Clear and Present Danger": "Not 'black and white'... right and wrong".  At that juncture, my theology was such that the world was becoming an increasingly dark-hearted place (and this was back in the 80's/90's!), but that when the LORD came back to "rapture His people", He would rescue us from all of this.  Until then, we had to just try to be a good example to — and evangelize — the world.

Before too long, I started growing a bit leary of "Left Behind" eschatology, and started paying more attention to things Jesus said, like "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."  I started really scrutinizing and "chewing on" issues like, what should be the Christ-follower's response when the authorities mentioned in Romans 13 have become decidedly wicked?  What should I do, for example, when I'm in a public place and some worthless man walks in and starts shooting bystanders?  I was recently involved in a Facebook dialogue recently with someone I've never met, who asserted that if he were in a scenario like the Aurora theatre that tragic eveing, he would pray, and be ready to die.

Really?  Just acquiesce to a psychopath, just like that?  What about the "women and children" he could/should have rescued, if he was willing to "interfere" with the danger at hand, in Christ's name?  (John 15:13)

I believe I would pray in that situation, too, but the prayer woud more resemble King David's:

"Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight..." (Psalm 144:1), or that of Benjamin Martin
Yes, I would pray for about as much time as it took Nehemiah to pray before replying to king Artaxerxes...

And then I would take aim and shoot back, bringing my training to bear on the evil in our midst.  It's a risk, I know, but in my mind it's better than watching the defenseless die unnecessarily.

There.  I said it.  So help me, Lord.

"DIY" (or rather, "Family Autonomy"*)

Today, I took another "baby step" toward what I will call "family autonomy"*.  I fixed a digital thermometer that was given to me by my Uncle at his garage sale:



*"Family Autonomy" refers both to the freedom we have in Christ to experience the Kingdom of God, which He is living out thorough us daily, AND the responsibility we bear to rely less and less on other "systems" to accomplish what we ought to be able to do for ourselves. You'll be seeing this term more often in these posts. It stands in contrast to terms like "self-reliance" or "self-sufficiency", which imply humanistic thought, and fall short of what we're aiming for: bearing our own burdens and helping the body of Christ to bear theirs, while relying solely on Christ for all provision and sustenance.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Armed Bystander Report

Today's heroic incident took place in San Antonio, TX

Armed bystander stops stabbing outside school|WOAI: San Antonio News

"Semper Paratus"

Giving where there's a NEED

How many of us give from our income, only to those organizations that give us a benefit in some way?  We hear a pastor on the radio who preaches a message that we find meaningful, so we give to his ministry in order to perpetuate it.  We give to our local church because we like the children's programs and worship music.  We give to charitable organizations because they give us a tax benefit at the end of each year.

But when was the last time you gave to someone because THEY needed to be given TO?  When did you last give to someone with no thought for yourself?  When was the last time your "left hand did not know what your right hand was doing"?  Jesus said that's the only way we get rewarded from our Father in heaven.  And He said those are the only kind of rewards would never, ever fade away, never get "spent up".

Do it today.  Ask the Lord "To whom would you have me give today?" -- then, do it immediately and anonymously.  You'll be blessed in ways you never imagined.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Why I'm leaving Facebook

I've been weighing the decision to leave Facebook for quite some time now.  At first, it seemed to be a great way to connect with friends and family, and to get better acquainted with people I've yet to call "friend".  Over time, however, FB gradually became a source of (unnecessary) frustration for me, such that it began to outweigh the supposed "benefits".  I've lost count of the times I've banged my head against the proverbial wall of conversation with people who don't know how to have a civil discourse (or disagreement) about subjects we may not agree on... so why would I "argue" with a "face-person" in a virtual world?  Why would I frustrate myself like that?

Basically, FB pales when compared to the joy of my real (i.e. face-to-face) relationships.  I could give lots more pithy reasons, but it's not really necessary.  I'm done.

You can reach me at riccalvi-at-gmail-dot-com (you know what I mean), or at 406-2-seven-two-2584.

Of course, I'll still be blogging here... it's just that now, I'll have more time to do so!  :-)

Comments, anyone?