Love that Waits

Song of Solomon 3:1-3

Upon my bed at night
I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him, but found him not;
I called him, but he gave no answer.

“I will rise now and go about the city,
in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.”
I sought him, but found him not.

The sentinels found me,
as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”

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But if you loved me
Why'd you leave me?
Take my body
Take my body
All I want is,
And all I need is
To find somebody.
I'll find somebody like you.

"All I Want" written by James Oliver, Richard Flannigan, Mark Daniel Prendergast, Stephen Joseph Garrigan, Vincent Thomas May, recorded by Kodaline from "In a Perfect World"

The lament of missing love. If you loved me why'd you leave me? Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves.

We seek our lost love in the city streets. We seek our lost love in our memories. While on the streets, we even seek our lost love lost in our own thoughts. This passage from the Song of Solomon and from Kodaline's "All I Want" are both about romantic love. Lovers wander the streets. Praying for deliverance. The woman from the Song finds the King's sentinel's, but not her King. Kodaline can't find the object of their desire either. In the end they sing "All I need is to find somebody. I'll find somebody like you."

Have you ever noticed that "somebody like you" is never as good as "you?" Substitutes never substitute for the real thing.

I'm not saying you can never find true love again, I am saying finding a "substitute" is no substitute for the real thing. Hold out for the real thing.

This is love. This is the love God has for us. God wants us. God seeks us. God desires us. God knows our second best, our substitute selves aren't good enough for love.

Love is patient. How's that for the good news of the gospel in Jesus Christ, the love of God is patient. The love of God is unconditional. The love of God never leaves.
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Broken Hearted

Exodus 32:7-14

The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

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Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over

"Stop in the Name of Love" by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr. recorded by Diana Ross and the Supremes

Here's an interesting story, the story of the changing of God's mind.

Moses is on the mountain with the Lord his God. Moses is learning. Moses is receiving the Torah, the law. He's getting the "Heavy Ten," the Ten Commandments. But more importantly, he is experiencing the most intensely personal relationship with God since Genesis. Moses is allowed to see the shadow of God, and for a human, that's all we can bear. And Moses is knee deep in the love and glory of God. He's getting God's wisdom, but above all else he is spending time getting to know the Lord. One more time-He's getting to know the Lord.

So Moses can just barely begin to imagine the Lord's disappointment when the Golden Calf is open for business. Weren't the people told to wait? Weren't the people told to be patient. Well, never mind, all that's out the door and the people have built an idol.

God is so upset that it's time to wipe the whole slate clean and try again. Moses can be the new Adam, first in line. Moses has already fallen, so nobody has to go through that again, but the Lord God can start over with someone who is discovering what it means to be faithful.

Moses says, "Stop in the name of love, think it over!" Moses asks God to, well, remember the Good times with the Nation of Israel. Moses asks God to consider "what the Egyptians will think." Moses asks God to remember the covenant with Noah not to wipe the nation out again.

God's mind was changed. God chose not to take a course of action because one good man interceded on behalf of a stiff-necked people. Or did he? It could be that the Lord never intended to wipe out the people. It could be this threat was made see how Moses would respond, and if this is so Moses passed with flying colors. God's heart, broken by the nation is salved by Moses.

We're still a stiff-necked people, but we also still have good men and women interceding on behalf of the world, and God responds. Thanks to those, like Moses, who pray; and thanks to the Lord God who listens.

Cutting Away What Doesn't Belong

Hebrews 11:4-5

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.”

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I'm lookin' for another kind of love
Oh Lordy, how I need it.
The kind that likes to leap without a shove
Oh, honey, best believe it.
To save a lot of time and foolish pride I'll say what's on my mind, girl
You loved me, you hate me, you cut me down to size.
You blinded me with love and yeah it opened up my eyes

"The Other Side" recorded by Aerosmith, written by Steven Tyler and Jim Vallance from "Pump"

Here's a question that I have never really had answered: What was so almighty acceptable about Abel's sacrifice? Is this how the Lord says, "Cauliflower? Shoot, I'll have more brisket!"  If it was, it would explain a lot about my diet and Texas dietary practices in general.

There are some theories. One is that this is just the first example that the Lord prefers the younger brothers. You see a lot of this in Genesis, but it doesn't say so. One is that while Cain just brought some fruit of the vine, Abel brought the best of the meat--the good stuff with the fat. Even the Lord likes good marbling. Well, again while this points to the Lord having an affection for good Kansas City BBQ, scripture doesn't say that Cain didn't bring first fruit.

Others say that this is just scripture introducing sibling rivalry which is truly one of the recurring themes of Genesis. Hebrews then reminds us that while he died, through his faith he still speaks. Able pleased God even though he was murdered.

The Book of Hebrews also reminds us that Enoch who never tasted death is in the Lord's presence. He is in the Lord's presence just as Able is even though he didn't die. Enoch was taken away because he pleased God, as did Abel.

Both of them were looking for a different kind of love, and as Steven Tyler sings, O Lordy how they need it! It is God's love that leaps without shoving, and it is our love that is to leap without being shoved too. We are called to go and to follow. We are to seize our foolish pride and declare what is true. We are to share our hope, God's love for us with the world.

It is this way that God prunes us to become what we are called to be. It is how God makes us what we are and cuts away what doesn't belong. In killing his brother, Cain cut away what God still loved and Cain found harsh discipline. Still, God doesn't hate as we are disciplined, as the imperfect is cut away, as we are cut down to size, but what is left is perfect.

It is said that when asked how he could carve such marvelous things from marble, Michelangelo would say that he would simply cut away the excess revealing what the stone contained all along. God cuts us to reveal what is there all along. In Enoch, in Able, in us, and yes, maybe even in Cain too.

This is our hope, That in our sinful imperfection the Lord sees what belongs to God.

The Blessed Call

Romans 8:15b-16
When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

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If life gets hard to understand
And your whole life is way out of hand
Come to Poppa
Come see your poppa

"Come to Poppa" by Earl Randle and Willie Mitchell recorded by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullit Band on "Night Moves"

The days are tough, they're absolutely crazy, and they have been since the first cavemen wondered if they would get enough game to last the winter. The only difference between then and now is that we don't have to hunt and everything's a lot faster. But here's the promise, no matter how tough things are, God is there. We are used to the phrasing of "God the Father," but there's a difference between that and "Abba," a wonderful difference.

"Abba" is the ancient Aramaic equivalent of the American English word "Daddy." In Ireland they would say "Da." "Poppa" is another way this could be said. The difference is an innocent lack of formality. It's a word that is not formal, it's not "father" it's "daddy."

When we cry out "Abba" we put ourselves before the Lord like children, dependent for all things. Yet we aren't coming as beggars, we come as sons and daughters. We come not out of honor or because the father is the patriarch. We come to "Daddy" out of love and joy.

We jump into the outstretched arms of the Lord.

Abba is our blessed call to God. This is how we come to the Lord when life gets way out of hand, coming with love and joy and confidence. Thankfully, that's just how God wants us to come.

Divine Love

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

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I need love, love's divine
Please forgive me now
I see that I've been blind
Give me love, love is what I need
To help me know my name

"Love's Divine" by Seal

Most of the time, this devotional uses the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible as the scripture source against the song lyrics. I generally prefer its translations, it's my preference. Author's choice.

Nearly every translation renders John 3:16 this way. There is a little deviation, but not much. The New Living Translation does something a little different that is worth sharing.

The NLT begins John 3:16 saying, "For God loved the world so much..." That "so much" means the world to me. For those of us who are sophisticated in the use of the English language and reading of Holy Writ, we know that when most translations say "so loved" they mean "loved so much." But some times, it's worth putting in the extra word.

When you look at your spouse or your child, you will say "I love you so much." It's a way of saying "I love you beyond words" and "I love you more than I ever thought I could love."

The love of God is steadfast. It is the love that was given to humanity before we could appreciate it. In truth, we still can't appreciate the depth and breadth of God's love. We just can't. It's partially because of who we are, but more than that it's because of who God is. That's how much God loves us. God loves us so much that he sent his one and only Son, so that every one who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

This is the divine love of God. Seal's chorus now seems like a prayer, "Please forgive me now I see that I've been blind. Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name." God loves us so much that in God's divine love, our name is now "Children of Christ."

A Better Society through Homogeneity!

Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

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We've taken care of everything
The words you hear, the songs you sing
The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes
It's one for all, all for one
We work together, common sons
Never need to wonder how or why

We are the priests
Of the Temples of Syrinx
Our great computers
Fill the hollowed halls
We are the priests
Of the Temples of Syrinx
All the gifts of life
Are held within our walls

"The Temples of Syrinx" Lyrics by Neil Peart, recorded by Rush from the "2112" album.

In 1976, the Canadian rock band Rush created the signature record of the first part of their career, 2112. It's the story of a dystopian (dystopian is the opposite of Utopian) society that is the product of a galaxy-wide war that resulted in the union of all planets under the rule of the "Red Star of the Solar Federation." By 2112, the world is ruled by the "Priests of the Temples of Syrinx" who control "the words you hear, the songs you sing, the pictures that give pleasure to your eyes," and so on.

So what's the fundemental difference between the Lord our God and the Computers of Syrinx? It's easy, Rush's dystopian society is based on an externally conceived and controlled society built to bring the masses into line for maximum benefit to the people in control. It's forced on the people, and when the one man, the Star Man, tries to do something different he's rebuked and eventually commits suicide.

Our relationship with God is different. We were created through God's overflowing love to share creation with the Lord. God's love is so great that we are asked to consider if the Lord will take care of the birds of the air in grand fashion, imagine what he will do for us. This has always been God's intention, that we share creation with God. Yes, sin gets in the way so we do not live as God intended, but that's not God's fault is it?

The Lord God has been with us since the beginning. Can't say the same for these priests.

The gifts of the Temples of Syrinx are "held within our walls." God's good gifts are for available to us here and now. It's up to us to seek them and accept them with God's love and blessing.

February 1, 2012 (that would be 2-1-12) was "Rush Day." A day when fans of the band celebrated their music. Today I invite us to contemplate a vision of what life can be when we live controlled "for the benefit of the people" instead of the life of freedom, peace, and love God has created us to live. It's the difference between control and love. It's a view where everybody is the same, homogeneous, a view that ends in death--at least for one Starman. Our God creates life in many colors, it is to our shame and harm when we try to make it all black and white.

Let's live the better vision.

Love and Fear Don't Mix

1John 4:18

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.

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I smell the fear that rains inside
The thought of children who must oblige
To tainted dreams and polluted seas
The missing moon and melting trees
A mist of doom and clouds of pain
Toxic waste and acid rain
The passing of our ignorance
A lifetime spent in abstinence

"Fear" written and recorded by Lennny Kravitz from "Let Love Rule"

Fear. Nothing paralyzes better than fear. Spinal injury? Brain injury? Absolutely, those are traumatic. Fear, that's subtle like a thousand paper cuts, subtle like a jackhammer.

Fear allows us to think thoughts that we would never ordinarily allow within the same area code. Fear makes us build fences. Fear makes us shy away from our neighbors because they are strangers. Fear keeps us from listening to anything that doesn't keep with what we already believe. Fear keeps us from new experiences. Fear keeps us from love. Fear keeps us from Love.

In a 1977 sermon, the Rev. William Sloane Coffin said "While love seeks the truth, fear seeks safety." American political discourse is filled with men and women showing where there are holes in security, places where we will be harmed. Not can be, will be harmed. This comes with the promise "Only I can fill the hole with safety and my opponent will allow these (insert enemy du jour here) take our way of life from us.

The comic Christopher Titus defines a terrorist as someone who causes us to adjust our daily way of life. His favorite terrorists are news anchors on Fox News and CNN.

Fear: tainted dreams, polluted seas, melting trees, toxic seas, acid rain, and my favorite of Lenny's images, the mist of doom and clouds of pain. We're living in fear. I blame Fox News and CNN too.

Perfect love casts out fear. Now that's a blessing that none of us can shy from. Perfect love casts out fear. Where all love exists there cannot be the mist of doom nor the clouds of pain. Where there is perfect love, there is no terror. Maybe, maybe where there is perfect love there isn't even CNN or Fox News.

Perfect love is found in God. Perfect love is found in Christ.

All Your Love

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Exodus 34:11-14

Observe what I command you today. See, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Take care not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going, or it will become a snare among you. You shall tear down their altars, break their pillars, and cut down their sacred poles (for you shall worship no other god, because the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God).

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Gimme all your lovin'
All your hugs and kisses too.
Gimme all your lovin'
Don't let up until we're through.

"Gimme All Your Lovin'" written and recorded by ZZ Top from "Eliminator"

Here's something we don't talk much about anymore, a jealous God. It's scriptural and fashionable to say "God is Love." Shoot, it's so true you will find those very words in this devotional more than once. But it doesn't stop this very ancient truth. The Lord is a jealous God.

We ought to break this down with a touch of history. In the ancient of days, there were many Gods who ran a variety of enterprises. In fact, the word "polytheistic" means "many gods." This is what we generally associate with the ancients. In truth, we should be using the word "pantheistic" instead. This means "all gods." The ancients believed in Gods as a way to look at creation.

Different peoples had different Gods. Each had its own stable of Gods who took care of sun, rain, wind, planting, harvest, love, lust, and on and on. But the Hebrews established something different. One single God, a God Christians know in three persons, who is supreme over all.

This is the Lord who is jealous. This is the Lord who knows that creation prays to gods that are worthless and is jealous. This is the Lord who is sick and tired of others getting the love that the Lord alone deserves.

More than this, this is the Lord is the God who wants these things from us and all creation.

God wants all our love and all of our hugs and kisses too. The Lord who created all things seeks a relationship with all creation. God seeks relationship... with us. So when we run off with idols, it is no wonder the Lord is jealous.

Caution here though, we no longer worship Baal or Zeus or any of the other ancient gods, but there are still other Gods we seek. These include fame and power and wealth. So beware, while our gods may shifted, the Lord is still the only god who deserves our love.

Refusing to Let Go

Genesis 32:10a

I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant.

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I know you wanna leave me,
But I refuse to let you go,
If I have to beg, plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me.

"Ain't too Proud to Beg" written and performed by The Temptations

When we think about the matters of faith, we think of them from our point of view. This is more than business as usual, it's the best perspective we have. Today, thinking of "The Temptations," I want to consider this from the other side of the coin.

God knows that we are a sin-soaked people. That's the way of life. We will do everything in our power to harm ourselves in sometimes the laziest and in other times the most creative ways imaginable. Television shows and entire television networks have been built around programming around people being stupid in imaginative ways. Johnny Knoxville and MTV created a cottage industry around the aptly named "Jackass" collection.

In our sin sick ways, we try to leave God everyday, that's just a plain and simple truth. It's God who refuses to let us go. God has begged and pleaded for our return, our reconciliation. He even sent his Son to take us from our own demise.

We have problems living into the redemption. This is true. We have trouble even conceiving what it cost God to pay for our disobedience. The least we can be is thankful. The least we can be is humble. Jacob showed this humility.

Jacob could at least acknowledge that he was not worth of God's steadfast love and faithfulness. Jacob could at least acknowledge that he was the servant of God. He realized that what God had done in his life and for the life of his people was now and would in the future be great.

Now, imagine how much love comes in the words "I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me." It is up to us to show even a shimmer of that love in return to God and to one another.

Follow, I Will Follow

John 1:35-39

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

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If you walkaway, walkaway
I walkaway, walkaway
I will follow

"I Will Follow" by U2 lyrics by Bono, music by U2, from "Boy"

According to U2 legend, Bono wrote these lyrics about his mother who died when he was a teen. The song is about a mother's unconditional love. In Rock and Roll Devotional this could be the obvious choice, but some choices are not always so obvious.

John the Baptist was a Teacher, a Rabbi. By the people in the temple he was considered a weirdo-in-the-wilderness, but he had followers. One day, Jesus was walking along a ridge and John cries out, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” John had been preaching about the coming of the Lamb and what he would do. The work of the Lamb was so impressive, so important, that two of John's disciples left to follow Jesus. One of these was Andrew and the other was unnamed in scripture.

They must have followed at some distance. Jesus noticed them, of course and asked the big question, "What are you looking for?" They asked their question, "Where are you staying?" I can only imagine a coy smile and maybe a cock of the eyebrow as the Lord said "Come... and see." There they stayed. They stayed together until the crucifixion and until the ascension.

Jesus walked. They followed.

When they followed their world opened up. They lived the greatest story ever told, and went on to tell it themselves. Andrew is known as the great evangelist, and the first person he brought to the Lord is his brother Simon, the man who would become Peter, the Rock upon whom Christ would build the church.

Jesus walked. They followed.

On that first day and on every day until that last fateful day before Pilate, Andrew, his brother Simon, and all of the rest except for Judas followed. They traveled over all of Judea. They went throughout the nation of Israel. They didn't have a home base much less a home. They stayed with friends. They stayed with family. They stayed where someone longed to hear the word. And after the ascension, the kept following.

Jesus ascended. They kept following... they followed where the Spirit led.

Bono wrote "I Will Follow" as an expression of a mother's unconditional love. No matter how far a child strays, the mother follows. That's the difference between a mother's love and the love of God. No matter where we stray, there is no where the love of God is not already there to meet us and meet us with unconditionally.

Babel/Babble

Genesis 11:1-10

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

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Like the city that nurtured my greed and my pride,
I stretched my arms into the sky
I cry Babel! Babel! Look at me now
Then the walls of my town, they come crumbling down

"Babel" written and performed by Mumford & Sons from the CD "Babel"

The walls come crumbling down. The walls come crumbling down. It's the ultimate sign of urban chaos, the walls come crumbling down. The earliest example of the walls crumbling down is Babel.

So why did it come crumbling down? According to Genesis it's because the Lord is afraid of the people He created. How's that, the Lord's afraid of creation. One city, one tower, one language, and that's all it takes for the Lord to see what's coming down the road. What's the easiest way to stop people from doing what they're doing, confuse them so badly they can't continue.

Confuse the language and confuse the people. Suddenly we have different languages and even when our native tongues are close they aren't close enough. People who speak the same language can't even agree on what words mean. We even had a president who asked an adversary what the "definition of 'is' is." If we can't agree on being we won't be able to agree on anything.

So stretch my arms to the sky, "Babel! Babel! Look at me now!" We are filled with despair at what we have become, and is it because the Lord fears us? Well, maybe in Genesis but not anymore. Now, seemingly, the Lord no longer fears us.

Our Lord came to Earth, Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Our God faced the worst in us. God was killed by us. God, in the words of the Apostles' Creed, descended to hell before ascending to heaven. There is no place we can go that our Lord has not been. This is the wonder and glory of the incarnation.

The walls of my town come tumbling down. And when it came, my hope is that the Lord is ever present. God stands beside us one and all. This is our hope. This is the love of God.

Salvation and the Preacher Man

Ephesians 2:4-7

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

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Can't no preacher man save my soul

"Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars from the album "Barton Hollow" written Joy Williams and John Paul White

Here's a fact for people who don't understand Christianity and preachers who are too full of themselves: Can't no preacher man save any soul. I mean any soul. That's all there is to it, it's as easy as that.

The preacher man does no saving. Jesus is the source of salvation. It is by God's grace alone, shown on the cross, that we are saved. Salvation means nothing without faith. Without faith, salvation still means everything to God, but nothing to those without faith.

People expect some sort of magic or some such nonsense, preacher man gonna save (or try) to save a soul. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Sometimes it's the preacher man who thinks something the preacher does is gonna save (or try) to save a soul. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Foolishness or ignorance or arrogance are the only things that give this lyric any sort of traction. There is nothing, nothing, that can separate us from God. But that's not because of our doing, it's because God won't allow it.

So go ahead, enjoy the old expression "God doesn't want me and the devil's scared of me" but know that's a lie and the only person who is fooled by it is the person who says it. No preacher man can talk you into your own salvation, but that's fine. God is still there and God with Christ raises us up and seats us in the heavenly realm, the eternal home of the Triune God. This is God's immeasurable loving kindness, it has nothing to do with us.

The Touch of God

Luke 18:15-17

People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”

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Come on, come on, come on, come on
Now touch me, baby
Can't you see that I am not afraid?
What was that promise that you made?
Why won't you tell me what she said?
What was that promise that you made?

I'm gonna love you
Till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky for you and I
I'm gonna love you
Till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky for you and I

"Touch Me" by The Doors

I can't tell you when it started, it was probably longer ago than anyone would care to imagine, but touching is getting a bad rap. I read recently that some consider "hugging" to be a "gateway contact" to sex. Some even advocate what is known as the "Christian Side Hug," a shoulder-to-shoulder hug where the only embrace is hand to upper arm. A brief squeeze is permitted with the Christian Side Hug, but one day someone is going to hug too hard or too long and the whole thing will need to be reevaluated.

In Christ is the manifested grip of God on our lives. God's hold on us is embodied in Jesus' touch. There is something pure in God's touch, something that is often missing in our time. There is an innocence that is shared between the arms of God and these children that is sorely lacking in our time.

Jesus says that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” So we are all supposed to receive the kingdom with the innocence of the infants handed to the Lord by their mothers. We are called to come in a purity and innocence that our lives betray. But we are still supposed to come. We may never come in such purity, but it is still how we are called to come.

Jim Morrison sings of how he's going to love you. He sings that he is going to love till the heavens stop the rain and till the stars fall from the sky. He loves and holds, it is another way to envision a holy touch.

Morrison exuded sexuality, this is true. But when we examine God's love in touch, we can see what that means to us in Jim's words. We must remember though, Jim's words are meant for grown-ups who want to act like grown-ups. Jesus' words are meant for people who want to be children of God. For that, we need to be like children first.

The Emperor's New Clothes

Matthew 6:28-30

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?

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Top coat, Top hat,
And I don't worry cause my wallets fat.
Black shades, white gloves,
lookin' sharp, lookin' for love.
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
cause every girl is crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

"Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top

Ah, the story of "Dressed for Success" is one that we can all appreciate. I have heard that you should never dress for your current joy, you should dress for your next job. I have heard that there's nothing like a fifty dollar shine on a ten dollar pair of boots. I have heard it said that pastors should always dress well to project an air of professionalism because successful professionals only want to associate with other successful professionals. I have heard that you should always wear a belt, carry a handkerchief, and have a dime on you so you can make a call if you need to.

Then again, that last bit came from the late 70's when there were pay phones and calls were just a dime. Sometimes the best advice falls out of favor, it just doesn't matter any more.

I have also been told that the Lord our God was crucified atop a garbage heap wearing only a covering for his loins. What does our God consider "dressing for success?"

Jesus tells us that God loves all creation. It can be seen in a field of wildflowers. Such tableau of color, such a variety of texture, such a glorious aroma comes from the love the Creator has for creation. If this is what God does with dirt and sun and water, imagine how God dresses us?

What we wear everyday? That's the emperor's new clothes; God dresses us in love. We are created to be in a loving relationship with God. God's love overflowed so bountifully and so graciously that we were created to share that love.

Yes, there are times when we feel like we have been strapped to the tree of woe wearing nothing but a loin cloth and three nails. We feel like we have been forsaken by God. Yet, even in all of this, our promise is in redemption. Our promise is that there are people who are sent to shine the light of Christ. Our promise is that it is there. Our promise is that even in our faithlessness God has faith in us.

Even in the darkness, that's worth having faith in. Believe me, I know.