Christmas Relic Returned

Fourteen hundred years after it was sent to Rome, a relic from the manger of baby Jesus was returned to Bethlehem last week. Sheathed in an ornate case, cheerful crowds greeted the thumb-sized wooden relic with much fanfare before it entered the Franciscan Church of St Catherine, next to the Church of the Nativity.

The custodian of the Franciscan order in the Holy Land, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had asked Pope Francis to borrow the entire manger, but the pope decided to send a tiny portion of it to stay permanently in Bethlehem.

One journalist believes that the return of the relic by the Vatican was a spirit-lifting moment for the Palestinians. Actually, young Palestinian scouts played bagpipes and the crowd snapped pictures as a clergyman held the silver reliquary (container for relics) and marched toward the church.

Personally, I would not be so naive to believe that the interest of President Abbas and the Palestinians in the alleged wooden relic from the manger of Bethlehem is a display of any personal interest in Jesus Christ. This is nothing but a business opportunity. Christmas is big business in Palestine.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims from around the world are expected to visit Bethlehem this Christmas. What is hoped, is that the large number of pilgrims that visited Rome to see the relic on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, would now visit Bethlehem.

Last year, more than 10,000 tourists visited Bethlehem around the Christmas season. Hotels were fully booked, and business thrived, the best many had seen in years. With the return of the relic from Rome, it is believed that business will be much brighter this Christmas.

The City of Bethlehem was once dominated by Christians. Today however, there are fewer than 10% of Christians in the Muslim dominated city of approximately 225,000 residents. Violence and economic hardships have contributed to this major demographic shift.

With that backdrop, one can now understand the sentiments of Amira Hanania, a member of Palestine’s Higher Committee of Churches Affairs:

"To celebrate Christmas with the presence of part of the manger in which Jesus Christ was born will be a magnificent and huge event." 

If an alleged relic of the manger could make such a difference to one nation, try to imagine what a difference the person of Jesus Christ could make. Actually, the relic is deemed important, only because of the importance of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, the relic would have no value.

The process of finding relics or artifacts in the Middle East has piqued much interest in the last century. Much of this curiosity is because of Jesus Christ. Archaeologists continue to study where he was born, where he grew-up and every place where he allegedly preached.

In 1986, after a drought depleted water levels in the Sea of Galilee, two brothers walking along the shore found a submerged first-century fishing vessel. The wooden boat made headlines around the world as an example of the type Jesus and his disciples would have used to cross the lake. The Jesus Boat is on display at a Kibbutz on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and is viewed by tens of thousands of pilgrims each year. Like with the manger relic, people want to identify with Jesus.

Agreed, Jesus encouraged people to identify with Him, but did he encourage the use of relics to accomplish this? Jesus instructed his disciples to baptize believers. In addition, he encouraged the practice of communion. Both ordinances relate directly to Jesus.

However, some historians contend, because of the rapid spread of Christianity among semi-literate people groups, relics and icons were used to aid communication. Relics were the basic and often complex artistic forms and gestures used as a kind of key to convey religious concepts and the visual, auditory, and kinetic representations of religious ideas and events.

As in so many cases though, we run the risk of studying and adoring the relics and ignoring the Person who the relics represent. There are branches of Christianity that defend the adoration of relics. Such Christians believe relics aid worship. Other Christians believe relics undermine the exercise of faith. These Christians believe relics are among the images forbidden in the Ten Commandments.

Miraculous Babies?

Christianity is not unique in claiming that its founder was born miraculously. Actually, similar claims were made long before Jesus was born.
For instance, a Buddhist legend claims that Buddha’s mother, Maya, dreamt that a white elephant entered her side and that the Buddha was born miraculously from her side.
Egyptian mythology contends that the goddess Isis was a virgin when she gave birth to the god Horus. In Tibet, it is believed that goddess Indra’s mother was a virgin. Some allege the same can be said of the Greek god Adonis or of Krishna, a Hindu god.
Honestly though, in light of this backdrop, is it possible that the story of the birth of Jesus could be mythical or even legendary? Here are four responses to this question:

1) BIRTH OF JESUS WAS NOT MYTHOLOGICAL

Myths are cultural and religious tales of a specific community. These tales or stories reflect the beliefs of the community.
For instance Greek myths included fantastic creatures such as Centaurs – half-human, half-horse creatures. Greek mythology and later Roman mythology also entertained ideas of Cyclopes, giant one-eyed creatures. Then there were the sphinxes carrying the head of a woman, the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird.
In the first place, the birth of Jesus does not include fictional characters. Specific persons were named, specific locations were identified, and specific roles were performed. Those are literary features, not associated with mythological or apocalyptic literature. 
As mentioned earlier, mythology reflects the beliefs of a community. Interestingly, Jews communities in the Bible never practiced observing birthdays. Hence, a mythological belief of the birth of Jesus would not have been possible. Before an angelic appearance, the father of Jesus was appalled by the idea that Mary could be impregnated by a deity. Such beliefs were not a part of their culture.

2) BIRTH OF JESUS WAS NOT LEGENDARY
A legend is a story from within a community that evolved over a long period of time. Legends require decades and sometimes centuries to be accepted as stories or tales of a community. Like with myths, these beliefs are not rooted in facts. The primary criterion is that they reflect the beliefs of the community.
For instance, there are communities that believe that spirits live in trees. Trees display life, in that they grow, send seasonal messages, provide fruits for sustenance. In other words, trees are alive and benevolent. Therefore, spirits live in trees. Such views evolve from within communities and are considered believable with time – that is consistent with the birthing of a legend.

So unlike the birth of Jesus. The story began to emerge from eyewitnesses. In his letter to Theophilus, Luke was careful to mention that he interviewed eyewitnesses and “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” (Luke 1:1-4). Luke was contending that his report was verifiable. That presentation of evidence is never characteristic of mythology or legend.

3. BIRTH OF JESUS WAS AN HISTORICAL EVENT
History is descriptive of a past event that could be verified. It is based on information of events that actually happened. Hence, history is interested in artifacts, records and circumstantial evidence that can be verified.
In reporting the story of the birth of Jesus, both Matthew and Luke relied on ancestral support or genealogies. This historical catalog confirms family identity and connects events to reality.
Furthermore, in reporting the story of the birth of Jesus, Luke talked about the political leadership at the time and decrees that were ordered. These details placed the birth within an historical setting and not within the vagueness of mythology or legend.Also, unlike any other claim of miraculous birth, the birth of Jesus was predicted.

4. BIRTH OF JESUS WAS A PREDICTED EVENT
Other claims of miraculous births always followed the birth. The birth of Jesus was predicted and recorded before his birth. King Herod depended on these records when he wanted to know where Jesus would be born.
Matthew quoted the prophet Isaiah as referring to Jesus, more than 700 years before His birth. He had no doubt that the birth of Jesus signaled the arrival of the promised Messiah.
Unlike any other claim, the miraculous birth of Jesus was consistent with the miraculous life of Jesus. Unlike any other claimant, the greatness of Jesus preceded His birth. His birth was unique. It was not an accident; His arrival was planned. The same can be said of His pending return.

She’s Still Sleeping...

Christine went to sleep on Monday, May 07, 2018 – she has not awakened yet. However, the following day she was pronounced dead. Some four years earlier, my sister-in-law Christine Baugh was diagnosed with colon cancer. She fought the curse with a variety of treatments, but eventually succumbed. Between my wife and I, she was the last sibling, but her youth was not enough to stave off the monster called death.

Although Christine will not be attending any more of our family gatherings, I will refer to her passing as sleep. Not because I do not want to accept the fact that she has gone, but rather, because the New Testament refers to her passing as sleep. Years earlier, Christine committed her life to Jesus Christ and was described as a Christian. Her faith informed her life.

Long before the New Testament writers were using sleep as a metaphor to describe death, Old Testament writers were doing the same. Death was associated with lying down to rest. From ancient history we learn that sleep was also used as a metaphor for death in Greek mythology.

Both Jesus and Paul would have been familiar with the ancient use of sleep as a metaphor for death. Jesus illustrates this in the story of Lazarus. Hear the gist of the story: ‘After Jesus had said this, He went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but His disciples thought He meant natural sleep. So then He told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead …’ (John 11:11-14 NIV).

In using the metaphor of sleep, Jesus was teaching His disciples that there are similarities between sleep and the physical death of people of faith. As alluded to earlier, sleep implies rest. There is a discontinuation of the routine. Sleep is a naturally recurring physical and mental state of rest during which a person becomes inactive and unaware of the environment.

There is no doubt that sleep is good for you. Even the Bible teaches about the blessing of sleep (Psalm 127:2). After four years of fighting cancer and watching my sister-in-law change beyond recognition, it was good for her to experience a long sleep. The same could be said of the five other close friends who passed away in the last month. Eternal rest meant freedom from the pain and discomfort that ravaged their bodies.

Sleep is essential to our emotional and physical wellbeing. It is a time during which the body can rest, and the mind can sort things out. Each stage of sleep provides different benefits to our physiological and emotional health. Some stages of sleep help us to feel rested, whereas others help us learn or make memories. Some describe sleep as an opportunity for the brain to perform “housekeeping” tasks, such as organizing long-term memory, integrating new information, and repairing and renewing cells and tissues.

In essence, sleep prepares us for the next phase - it is a preparatory period. The period the Apostle Paul called the hope of the believer. Without this hope, Paul contends that the Christian life is futile (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Because of this hope we do not grieve like those who have no hope.

New believers in Thessalonica were quite concerned when they saw their loved ones dying. The grieving ones thought that the deceased were lost. Paul responded to that concern in one of his letters when he wrote: “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

While attempting to inform and encourage believers, Paul was identifying a category of persons “who have no hope”. They do not share a worldview that believes there is a reality beyond passing away. They consistently refer to passing away as death, not sleep. For them, death does not only mean the cessation of life, but the cessation of opportunity and hope.

Paul further contends that the Christian worldview is not a mere philosophy of life. It is a reality rooted in the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is how Paul describes it – “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

That belief is what has enabled us to cope with the passing of our darling Christine. Agreed, there is a sense of loss in that she no longer shares our space. However, like Paul, we believe she is asleep and will rise again. How do I know she will rise again? Well, it happened to Jesus. According to Paul, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

A Birthday Worth Celebrating

Unlike Christmas, the birthday of the church gets little visibility in most churches. That is so unfortunate, considering that the church was birthed on a celebrative day. An occasion that brought together thousands of Jews for the Feast of Weeks.

The Feast of Weeks is the second of the three “solemn feasts” that all Jewish males were required to travel to Jerusalem to attend. To the Jews, this time of celebration is known as Shavuot, which is the Hebrew word meaning “weeks.” Shavuot marked the beginning of the new agricultural season.

Shavuot was a joyous time of giving thanks and presenting offerings for the new grain of summer wheat harvest. At times Shavuot was called the Feast of Harvest and the Feast of First Fruit. Whereas these titles reflect the agricultural nature of the celebration, the Feast of Weeks addressed the timing of the festive celebration.

The celebration started seven full weeks, or exactly fifty days, after Passover. In the Old Testament, we read where God commanded the Jews to count seven full weeks (49 days), beginning on the second day of Passover (Leviticus 23:15-16). For this reason, some refer to this festival as the Feast of the Fiftieth Day - from the Greek word pentecostes, meaning fiftieth. This is the same day referred to as the Day of Pentecost in the New Testament.

According to the New Testament, it was on the Day of Pentecost that the church was launched (Acts 2). Thousands of Jews were in Jerusalem to celebrate the start of another agricultural season. They approached that festival with thoughts of a new harvest, new beginnings and new hope. No one expected that that year’s festival would be unique. That festival, fifty days following the death of Jesus, coincided with the promise of Jesus – “do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised...”.

Acts 2:1 begins with the words, “when the day of Pentecost came...”. That simple statement is loaded with history and expectation. That was to be an occasion of thanksgiving and acknowledging God’s provision. An occasion when non-Jews could celebrate with Jews.

That was the context in which the church was launched. On that day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit empowered simple fishermen from Galilee to speak in languages they did not know. On that day more than 3,000 persons were converted to a new faith, affirming that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah. On that day the prophecy of Joel was partially fulfilled – “I will pour out my Spirit on all people...”

This weekend marks the anniversary of that festival. While Jews are celebrating Shavuot, some Christians are celebrating Pentecost. Sunday, May 20 is referred to as Pentecost Sunday. Some churches in Europe talk about Whit Sunday, from an old English idea of wearing white on that day. Both Jews and Christians celebrate the day, fifty days after Passover.

According to the Jewish Talmud, it was on that day, the Law was given to Moses. So, as Jews celebrate Shavuot this weekend, they will read portions from the Book of Ruth. They will be reminded of the Law that provides for the non-Jew, as in the case of Ruth. Some will gather at late-night study sessions to commemorate the giving of the Torah.

Christians on the other hand, will remember the birthday of the Church. Christians will remember the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. More liturgical churches observe this day annually on the seventh Sunday after Easter. Pentecostal churches within evangelical traditions also celebrate Pentecost Sunday.

Although my local church does not traditionally observe Pentecost Sunday, I intend to use the time to reflect on the rich harvest of converts at the launching of the church. I hope to reflect on the promise of the prophet Joel concerning God’s desire “to pour out His Spirit” on all ethnic communities. Pentecost Sunday is a great time to revisit our attitude to immigration – wouldn’t this be a wonderful opportunity to reach out to persons who are ethnically different from us?

More than anything else, this would be a great opportunity to experience the control of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Try to imagine a world with Spirit-controlled persons, infiltrating our communities with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

A Tribute To Women of Courage!

Sandra Green, a Florida mother turned-in her 18-year-old son to the police. She recognized him on surveillance video in connection with a home burglary.

Clearwater police released footage showing three teenagers breaking into a home. They were stealing headphones, sports memorabilia and a pair of Michael Jordan-brand sneakers. Days later, Sandra Green saw the video and said she was “heartbroken” to see that her son was one of the three people wanted.

“I was heartbroken because I know I didn’t raise him like that,” she told a television station. “I told him, ‘Come home, take your shower, get something to eat, I am about to take you over there to Clearwater, and turn you in." Clearwater police arrested the young man and charged him with burglary and grand theft.

The mother told a judge she wanted her son to be put on probation with the requirement that he get back on the path to graduate from high school. “He is not hardcore. I feel like he will break tonight. But I want to make sure that it sinks in.”

Throughout the life of a mother, she is confronted with difficult decisions. The difficulty often increases as children grow. For career women, many abandon career ambitions and accept the new challenges of motherhood. Others surrender economic stability and opt for developing character and value in their children. Simply put, mothers make huge personal sacrifices in attempting to nurture their offspring. Sometimes that passion to produce excellence in their children forces them to make tough decisions, all in the interest of their children.

That passion for character development prompted another mother to also turn her son in to the police. Lakesha Robinson was at her son’s school for a parent-teacher conference. She noticed his attention was on a cell phone that she didn’t recognize. She said, “what are you doing with this phone? Whose phone is this?”

He told his mother that the cell phone was given to him by a friend, but she wasn’t buying his story; therefore, she conducted her own investigation and uncovered the real owner of the phone.

The owner told the mother-of-three that his car was broken into and his cellphone, wallet, and credit cards had been stolen. He went on to say that his credit cards had been used at McDonald’s and Walmart. “Since my son had the phone, it’s obvious that he knows something about this theft.” But, when she asked her son about the burglary, he denied it – that’s when she continued her investigation. A McDonald’s bag, a Walmart bag, and a receipt were found inside her home and she called the cell phone owner to see if the amounts matched his statements.

The mother arranged a meeting with the owner and returned his property. Afterward, the Florida mother didn’t hesitate to turn her son in for burglary because of her own criminal background. She did not want her son to make the same mistakes she did before changing her life. Her son was arrested and taken to a juvenile detention center for 12 hours and charged with four counts of burglary.

As I reflect on Mother’s Day 2018, I am forced to recall experiences with the mothers I know best – my own mother, my wife who mothered three, and our daughter who is mothering four. These three women, representing three different generations have taught me much. Each of these women displayed toughness in their parenting. They sacrificed much, displayed tenderness, but never surrendered toughness. Thankfully, none of these women have had to report their children to the police.

At this time of year, I salute them – I salute each of them because, in their mothering, they cared more for the character than the image of their children. I salute these women because their passion for Jesus is greater than their passion for religion. The words of the Proverbs 31 woman ably describe each of them – “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all” (Proverbs 31:29). Happy Mother’s Day!

Laugh Out Loud!

When last have you had a good laugh? Did you know that laughter is good for you? When we laugh we stretch muscles throughout our face and body. As a matter of fact, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues.

Some psychologists believe, laughing is one way in which we express our true selves. We may learn how to walk, stand, sit, and eat properly, but when we genuinely laugh, we lay all pretense aside as our carefully polished image goes right out the window.

A researcher from Vanderbilt University, conducted a study in which he measured the amount of calories expended in laughing. It turned out that 10 to 15 minutes of laughter burned 50 calories. William Fry, a pioneer in laughter research, claimed “it took 10 minutes on a rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of hearty laughter.”

The focus on the benefits of laughter really began with Norman Cousin's memoir, Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins, who was diagnosed with a painful spine condition, found that a diet of comedies helped him feel better. He said that 10 minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep. The bottom line, laughter is good for you.

However, in affirming the value of laughter, I am not attempting to justify frivolity, vulgarity or even jokes at another’s expense. The biblical counsel must still be our guide – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).

In his book, Laughter: A Scientific Investigation (Penguin Books, 2001), Robert Provine, contends, “laughter has a social function. In the absence of stimulating media (television, radio or books), people are about 30 times more likely to laugh when they are in a social situation than when they are alone.” Indeed, people are more likely to smile or talk to themselves than they are to laugh when they are alone. Aside from the obvious implication that sociality can enhance laughter and perhaps one's mood, these observations strongly suggest that laughter is a social signal.

Laughter binds people together. It synchronizes the brains of speaker and listener, so that they are emotionally attuned. Provine believes that laughter establishes or restores a positive emotional climate and a sense of connection between two people, who literally take pleasure in the company of each other. There is a sense in which levity can defuse anger and anxiety, and in so doing strengthen relationships.

I would tend to agree that laughter is a tool. It is the tool that is often used to build relationships. Professor Provine contends that "laughter is social, so any health benefits might really come from being close with friends and family, and not necessarily from laughter itself."

The Bible encourages laughter, when viewed as a physical expression of joy or cheerfulness. In the book of Proverbs we read, “a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

There is a healing effect when we are joyful, cheerful people. The word used for "joyful" here is the Hebrew word "sameah" which means, 'to be glad, happy, or joyful.' The idea behind this word is that someone is choosing to rejoice - to consider the good that God has done, rather than the misery and the opportunity to be sad and depressed.

Apart from the joy that the cheerful heart brings, the Proverbs text mentions “a crushed spirit as drying-up the bones”. This powerful contrasting imagery has been confirmed in research done by the American Medical Association - if you forcefully restrain a normally active rat, deadly frustration results. The emotional stress produces lethal results.

So, if laughter is a social signal of personal and communal joy, then the question needs to be answered – when last have you had a good laugh? In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that “there is a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). If you have not laughed for a long time, you might need to check-out a therapist – you need help!

Why Bother to Pray?

It is clear in every version of the Bible you read – God knows everything. Jesus went as far as to say to His disciples, “... for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” As Jesus continued teaching, He contended that prayer was not an attempt to inform God. Since that is so, then why bother to pray if God knows everything?

The question strongly implies that prayers are addressed to Someone who has the ability to hear and has the foresight to know the desires of the person praying. In other words, prayer is not simply a mere speech or soliloquy, an exercise in therapeutic self-analysis, or a religious recitation. Prayer would seem to be an attempt to communicate with an intelligent deity – not an inanimate object.

Elijah illustrated that very well in the Old Testament. He challenged the worshippers of Baal to call on their gods to provide fire. There is no evidence that those gods even heard the passionate prayers. For hours the prayer warriors met all the conditions of sincere prayer. What a contrast – when Elijah prayed, he used only sixty Hebrew words and his God responded.

Although Elijah knew that His God knew every detail of what was happening, it was still necessary for him to pray. It would then seem obvious, that when one prays, it is more than merely requesting something from God.

There are at least five reasons why Christians bother to pray. Firstly, because prayer is the channel God chose, for requests to be made to Him. My children can reach me using different means of contact. Prayer is different. Paul reinforces this point in his letter to the Philippians, “... but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Secondly, prayer is a response to God’s invitation. I pray because God invites me to do so. I find it much easier to respond to an invitation from someone who loves me. “Seek the Lord,” says Isaiah, “while He may be found; call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Like Isaiah, Jeremiah quotes the Lord as saying, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). When I pray, I am responding to an invitation from the Lord, to whom I am praying.

Prayer is a statement of dependence on God. It is an acknowledgement that I cannot handle this one by myself. When authentic, such statements call on us to maintain a posture of brokenness. As King David reflected on his arrogance and pride, and the ruin it brought to himself and others, he concluded, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Authentic prayer is always bathed in a spirit of brokenness.

In the fourth place, prayer provides me with an opportunity to be in contact with God. Jesus knew the value of this contact. Agreed, He was able to calm the storms, forgive sins and heal the blind, yet He needed to maintain contact with His Father. It was Mark who said of Him, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

Even as a leader in a theological environment, with Bibles all around, I need to create a solitary place. Such places provide renewal and tenderizes our tough dispositions.

And now for my final reason why Christians bother to pray – because prayer is the avenue that allows our passion to be expressed – our passion for the prayer-item. To whom do I go when overwhelmed with concern? Prayer is the most meaningful outlet for such passion.

Counseling centers would be overflowing with clients, were it not for prayer. Prayer provides an outlet for the overwhelmed. As he aged and became less impetus, Peter wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Agreed, God knows everything, including the answers to my concerns. Agreed, God could intervene and eliminate the need for my prayers. Most times, He chooses not to intervene in this way and leaves me with the opportunity to pray. That is why I bother to pray.