Donald Miller’s post yesterday entitled, “Learning to Turn the Other Cheek (Even Though I HATE Critics)” got me thinking, “How would I respond to attacks?” I assumed I would respond defensively and with self-pity.

Jesus

“Blessed are the peacemakers…Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.“1

Last night as I read Philip Yancey’s book The Jesus I Never Knew about those verses this account challenged my thinking.

“This truth came to me in a roundabout way. The great novelist Leo Tolstoy tried to follow it, but his irascible temper kept getting in the way of peacemaking. Tolstoy did write eloquently about the Sermon on the Mount, however, and half a century later a Hindu ascetic named Mohandas Gandhi read The Kingdom of God Is Within You by Tolstoy and decided to live by the literal principles of the Sermon on the Mount.”

Gandhi

“The movie Gandhi contains a fine scene in which Gandhi tries to explain his philosophy to the Presbyterian missionary Charlie Andrews. Walking together in a South African city, the two suddenly find their way blocked by young thugs. The Reverend Andrews takes one look at the menacing gangsters and decides to run for it. Gandhi stops him. “Doesn’t the New Testament say if an enemy strikes you on the right cheek you should offer him the left?” Andrews mumbles that he thought the phrase was used metaphorically. “I’m not so sure,” Gandhi replies. “I suspect he meant you must show courage—be willing to take a blow, several blows, to show you will not strike back nor will you be turned aside. And when you do that it calls on something in human nature, something that makes his hatred decrease and his respect increase. I think Christ grasped that and I have seen it work.”

Martin Luther King Jr

“Years later an American minister, Martin Luther King Jr., studied Gandhi’s tactics and decided to put them into practice in the United States. Many blacks abandoned King over the issue of nonviolence and drifted toward “black power” rhetoric. After you’ve been hit on the head with a policeman’s nightstick for the dozenth time and received yet another jolt from a jailer’s cattle prod, you begin to question the effectiveness of nonviolence. But King himself never wavered.

As riots broke out in places like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Harlem, King traveled from city to city trying to cool tempers, forcefully reminding demonstrators that moral change is not accomplished through immoral means. He had learned that principle from the Sermon on the Mount and from Gandhi, and almost all his speeches reiterated the message. “Christianity,” he said, “has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear. To be a Christian one must take up his cross, with all its difficulties and agonizing and tension-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its mark upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way which comes only through suffering.

Martin Luther King Jr. had some weaknesses, but one thing he got right. Against all odds, against all instincts of self-preservation, he stayed true to the principle of peacemaking. He did not strike back. Where others called for revenge, he called for love…”

1 – Matthew 5:9-10, NIV

I’m a baseball fan, and a Chicago Cubs fan. I’ve been a fan since I was in first grade. I explained my feelings about the Cubs in my (very-first) silent scream.

Though I’m a Cubs fan, I’ve lived in Minnesota for more than twenty years. The local Minnesota Twins have grown on me. My favorite Twins have been Jim Thome and Torii Hunter.

Torii Hunter

Yesterday I read an inspirational essay entitled, “Torii Hunter is a Father First, Ballplayer Second” by Steve Kornacki.

It sounds like an essay about a noble father, and it is, but when Torii was a young man he was captivated by lustful relationships with women. “Hunter fathered three sons with three different women in a span of nine months in 1994 and 1995.”

Against the odds it’s an inspirational story explaining how Hunter chose to follow biblical principles and a wise mentor as he sought to make the best of his youthful mistakes.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” 1

We may not begin our relationship with God faithfully, but “The more we cultivate the practice of seeking to please God in all things, the more light we will have for our path…If our motive is right, our vision will be clear.” 2

“It will give acute perception enabling us to see God…we shall begin to taste and hear and inwardly feel the God who is our life…More and more, as our faculties grow sharper and more sure, God will become to us the great All, and His Presence the glory and wonder of our lives.” 3

Author Philip Yancey found that in his pursuit of being pure of heart lust got in his way. Yancey explained, “God…requires that our faculties be cleansed and purified before we can receive a higher love,” there is no other way to make room. “That is the motive to stay pure. By harboring lust, I limit my own intimacy with God. The pure in heart are truly blessed, for they will see God. It is as simple, and as difficult, as that.” 4

As Simple, And As Difficult, As That

Sin, John Piper explained, “defiles and corrupts our lives (so) that we cannot see or savor what is best…Paul says that sex and food are ‘to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.’ In other words, sex and food are designed for believers, the pure in heart…the impurity of sin so distorts our perception that we cannot see God as desirable. Therefore sin makes the greatest joys impossible…Therefore, the corruption of sin is a great joy-killer.” 5

The Apostle Paul wrote that God created sex and food “to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth;” the pure in heart. 6

Mysilentscream comes from A.W. Tozer: “Make heaven more real to me than any earthly thing has ever been. Amen.” 7

1 – Matthew 5:8, NIV
2 – From The Nature of God by Arthur W. Pink
3 – From A.W. Tozer’s book the Pursuit of God
4 – From Philip Yancey’s book Jesus I Never Knew
5 – From John Piper’s When I Don’t Desire God
6 – See Titus 1:15 and 2 Timothy 4:3, NIV
7 – From A.W. Tozer’s book the Pursuit of God

Note: The photo of Torii Hunter came from MLB.com

My wife and millions of other people read Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling or Jesus Calling Devotional Bible every day. While doing so their faiths have been strengthened and their lives transformed.

Jesus Calling was written as if Jesus Christ was calling you for a chat. Today’s essay contains wise and thoughtful advice for each of us to consider this Father’s Day.

STAY ON THE HIGH ROAD WITH ME. 1

“Many voices clamor for your attention, trying to divert you to another path. But I have called you to walk ever so closely with Me, soaking in My Presence, living in My Peace. This is My unique design for you, planned before the world began.

I have called each of My children to a different path, distinctly designed for that one. Do not let anyone convince you that his path is the only right way. And be careful not to extol your path as superior to another’s way. What I require of you is to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Me — wherever I lead.”

Whether you’re a father, a son, a mother or a daughter each of us have voices trying to distract us from choosing wisely. I have found that asking God for strength has helped me to take my focus off my selfish demands and helped me to focus on justice, mercy and humility.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 2

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love. And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously. 3

1 – From Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling June 16 essay
2 – Ephesians 2:10, NLT (Sarah Young quoted the NIV; read both side by side here)
3 – Micah 6:8, MSG (Sarah Young quoted the NIV; read both side by side here)

You know that I’m hungry and feeling sorry for myself when I post about food twice in the same week.

I love Thai food; and my dairy-free and gluten-free wife and I can both enjoy Thai food.

Amy and I may disagree on which Thai restaurant has the best Thai food, but we don’t often complain if one or the other suggests we get take-out, especially after a long day of gardening.

Mercy

One evening after a long day of conquering weeds I called Reuan Thai in Osseo, MN and placed our order.

In my fatigued enthusiasm I drove off.

When I arrived I was greeted by Paula our favorite server. She brought our bag of yumminess and calmly said, “Do you want to pay your other bill today?”

Gut-check!

I had totally forgotten my wallet one day when I took a friend out for lunch. I whimpered, whined and apologized to Paula and said that I would pay it back promptly; that was two months ago.

Paula was gracious. I was apologetic. I paid for both checks. And, then I tipped her generously.

Jesus told his listeners, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” 1

I don’t know how Paula will receive God’s mercy, but I believe that she will.

Mercy?

“The worldly wise will, of course, say, ‘Woe to the merciful, for they shall be taken advantage of.’ And outside heaven’s rule there is nothing more true…The merciful are always despised by those who know how to “take care of business.” Yet outside the human order, under the great profusion of heaven’s goodness, they themselves find mercy to meet their needs, far beyond any ‘claim’ they might have on God.” 2

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy,” is not a human perspective. It’s a divine one. Fortunately, people like Paula are gracious enough to practice mercy and I am fortunately enough to be the recipient of God’s mercy expressed through her.

“Mercy can be freely received and freely shared, let’s do so generously” is mysilentscream.

1 – Matthew 5:6, NIV

2 – From Dallas Willard’s book Divine Conspiracy

On June 13th, 1987 I married the girl of my dreams.

My dreams have not always been my reality.

For instance, we didn’t always agree. In fact, she once called me “wishy-washy” because I didn’t 100% agree with her political statement. I responded with a self-defensive snarky-pout, “I’m just open-minded!” We didn’t always agree the, nor do we always agree now.

And yet, my wife Amy continues to be someone I admire. She hungers for God, and hungers and thirsts for righteousness. Amy does so with grace and humility, in fact, if she reads this post she’ll be annoyed that I bragged about her and she’ll hate that she might not live up to someone’s expectations.

Dallas Willard explained Amy and other hunger for righteousness people this way: “We all know that there are people who please God and have his blessing without being poor, hungry, grief-stricken, or persecuted. They trust Jesus with all their heart, and they love and serve their neighbors and others in his name. Their hearts are full of peace and joy in believing, and they ‘do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God.’” 1

Jesus told his listeners, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” 2

Yup, that’s my wife and I’m a better person for it.

Happy 26th Anniversary to us!

1 – Dallas Willard’s book Divine Conspiracy influenced me throughout this series

2 – Matthew 5:6, NIV

Hunger?

I have been on a carb-limiting diet for the past two weeks. I am quite aware of the self-pity, whiny attitude that I can have when i don’t get to have what I want, when I want it and as much as I want.

Jesus told his listeners, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” 1

I wish that I cared as much about my spiritual well-being as I do filling my belly.

1 – Matthew 5:6, NIV

Note image from Wikipedia

And, blessed be Gloria C. Mackenzie, lottery winner.

Blessed

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 2

Blessed are the meek – the humble, gentle and lowly – for the whole earth will belong to them. 3

Strangely enough, the “blesseds” given by Jesus in Matthew 5 and Luke 6 have not uniformly been a blessing. For many they have proved to be nothing less than toxic. 4

Jesus tells the radical “good Samaritan” story. In the story, the enemy becomes the hero; it’s a radical world-upside-down tale. 5

In the United States, Dallas Willard explained, Jesus “would tell us about the ‘good Iraqi,’ ‘good Communist,’ ‘good Muslim,’ and so on. In some quarters it would have to be the good feminist or good homosexual.”

“Then there are the meek. These are the shy ones, the intimidated, the mild, the unassertive. They step off the sidewalk to let others pass as if it were only right, and if something goes wrong around them, they automatically feel it must have something to do with them. When others step forward and speak up, they shrink back, their vocal chords perhaps moving but producing no sound. They do not assert their legitimate claims unless driven into a corner and then usually with ineffectual rage.”

The meek, gentle and lowly may be missing out on the esteem of the world’s power players, but in a radical world-upside-down way, “the kingdom of the heavens enfolds them, the whole earth is their Father’s — and theirs as they need it. The Lord is their shepherd, they shall not want.”

That peace – they shall not want – is profound, transformational, and the envy of all the world’s most powerful. In their own way, the meek, humble, gentle and lowly are the real winners. “Blessed be” is mysilentscream.

1 – From Forbes list of the World’s Most Powerful People
2 – Matthew 5:5, NIV
3 – Matthew 5:5
4 – Dallas Willard’s book Divine Conspiracy influenced me throughout this series
5 – Luke 10:25-37, NLT

Blessed by Gloria, and against all odds, blessed be the poor, hungry, grief-stricken and terrorized. Those were the people surrounding Jesus.

Throughout history the poor, hungry and grieving have been esteemed as noble; that because of their circumstances they are blessed from God. 2

Oddly, there are also many who – like in the book of Job – look on the poor, hungry and grieving and assume their circumstances are because of their own misdeeds. “They have sinned and deserve it.”

In 2009 I heard Peter Haas of Substance Church teach about this. He said, God’s very name is Comfort. God’s the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” wrote Paul of Tarsus. 3

Peter Haas continued, “Everybody say ‘ALL.’ God comforts us in…ALL our troubles. Not just some, ALL. God comforts us in ALL. Even the ones we deserve!” 4

Despite our foolishness and rebellion, against the odds, God’s comforts those willing to receive God’s comfort.

It’s not wishful thinking, God really does want to comfort us.

God will comfort the desperate and all who will address their need for God’s divine comfort.

God extends mercy to the deserving and the undeserving. That’s why it’s called mercy, not merit.

1 – According to a Huffington Post report by Ryan Grenoble
2 – Dallas Willard’s book Divine Conspiracy influenced me throughout this series
3 – 2 Corinthians 1:3, NKJV
4 – Substance Church, October 4, 2009

One

A feared gang leader sauntered into the room.
He looked nervous, but none of the teens in the room saw it.
They saw “him.”
They froze.

TreeHouse is an incredibly safe place.
Suddenly, for them, it felt unsafe.

I knew the reaction.
I didn’t know him.

He was required to be there.
He stayed ten minutes and left.
I followed, hoping we could have a conversation another day.
He didn’t stop.
He didn’t speak.
I never saw him again.
Sadly, he was killed in a gang-related incident within a year.

Two

The biggest bully at school.
Visited TreeHouse.

He didn’t run.
He didn’t hide.

He didn’t say much, at first.

Then…
He’d talk about girls and conquests.
He’d make superficial comments.
He’d offer violence-based advice.

One day he opened up.
He spoke about protecting his reputation.
He spoke about his loneliness.
He spoke about his demanding mom.
He spoke about his mom who used to “beat the $+!^” out of him.
He spoke about being scared.

Then…
He crumpled onto the floor.
He wept.
He sobbed.

Then AGAINST THE ODDS the bully got…
supported
hugs
loved
blessed

He wasn’t just a bully, he was a blessed and broken teen.
Just like the rest.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted. 1

1 – Matthew 5:4, NIV

Of course we could be sincere, earnest, dependable and determined. but…
… if the address is wrong it won’t reach the intended readers
… if the print is illegible the readers can’t read it
… if the folds are in the wrong places the letters won’t fit
… if the letters are stuffed in a haphazard way they won’t seal
… if the “seal” on the envelope doesn’t seal the letter may fall out
… if the stamp is not affixed the letter will not be delivered

If our letters do not arrive at their destination we could complain all we want, but if we don’t accept responsibility for our part in the problem we’re only fooling ourselves and misplacing the blame.

Address It

Our lives are the same way. Regardless of what we want to have happened, but didn’t, or wish would happen, but won’t, we need to deal with the truth. “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1

It’s Finals Week

While almost all teens wish school was over, most are dreading their final projects and exams. Far too many blame others during these stressful days.

“Your teacher needs to prepare and present materials so you can learn the subject, but it’s…not the teacher who’s suffering when you don’t choose to study.”

“Your parent needs to provide an environment conducive to doing homework and studying, but it’s…not your parent’s fault you chose not to turn in your homework.”

It’s You!

Face to face with people, it’s hard to know how to lovingly express, “You’re lying to yourself!” It’s important for all of us to stop lying to ourselves about the pain we’re causing ourselves and others.

God wants to set us free. Not free from fun, but free from the traps that so easily entangle us.

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” 2

Death can be slow like a crumbling relationship or an addiction which is burying it’s first roots. Death can be catastrophic like a car accident caused by a drunk driver, someone impatiently running a “very yellow light”, or a teen texting.

Jesus reminded us of the importance of embracing reality when he said, “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” 3

Please God help us is mysilentscream.

1 – 1 John 1:8-9, NLT
2 – 2 Corinthians 7:10, NLT
3 – Matthew 5:3, NLT