One Six Thousandth of a Second by Gordon Neave

Following the recent death of a dear friend, I became aware that nothing in this world ceases to exist as quickly as life. Whether due to a long illness or a tragic accident, in the blink of an eye a living, thinking, loving and loved person ceases to exist.

An e-mail address and phone number are removed from a contact list. Clothing is discarded. A car is sold. A garden is left untended. A voice is no longer heard. A hug no longer is felt, and a pillow lays cold on it’s bed.

Condense the 14 billion years of the history of our universe into a single 24-hour day, and a person’s life represents one six thousandth of a second. A veritable instant. Yet, even in the face of all of this, if we hold in our hearts the wonders of God’s creation, we can do nothing but rejoice.

We conduct our lives on a ball hanging in space, the very existence of which depends upon an uncanny combination of conditions the odds against which are immeasurable. The sun warms us. Water abounds. Trees create oxygen, thereby precluding suffocation. Creatures take on thousands of fascinating and beautiful forms.

Although His gift of perception makes us aware of these things, we are also blessed with an intellect that allows us to manipulate them to better our existence. WE THINK. How wondrous is that? We build and drive or fly amazing machines to and fro. We arrange sounds into complex patterns that please our ears. Wow! We can hear! We make contraptions that take us into space or allow us to view objects in the cosmos that are thousands of light years away.

The enemy blinds us with all of the negativities he creates in this world in order to have his way. Yes, life is a challenge. Yes, we will die. But YES, God has also provided us with wonderful blessings that are the very essence of our existence. We need to remain aware of them, love those around us, and praise Him for providing us with the opportunity to do so. What a great six thousandth of a second we can have if we remember to do this.

When it became evident that my friend may be dying, he said to me: “If I live, I walk in this world for Him. If I die, I walk in Heaven with Him. Either way, I win.” Now that is peace.

Praise God.

Gordon Neave
Florida Hospital Church Drummer, and Guest Blogger

The Christmas Story - a New Dad's Perspective by Chad Hess

On October 26, I saw my only son, Ethan, enter this world. This initiation into parenthood has given me a new perspective on how God may have felt when Jesus was born. Susan and I began planning for the birth immediately. We found the right doctor, we checked out the hospital, we read books, we registered for our baby shower, we painted and decorated the baby’s room, and we packed our bags. As the time approached, we made sure we had everything ready, and we waited in anticipation. When we went to the hospital, we made Facebook updates throughout the labor for our anxious family and friends. When Ethan was born, we called and celebrated with all our loved ones, and we posted pictures online to share.

I’m sure God made a lot of plans for Jesus’ birth as well. I’m sure he gave a lot of thought as to who Jesus’ mother and father should be. He considered where Jesus should be born and how everything should happen. And I’m sure when Jesus was born all of heaven was bursting at the seams with excitement. But no one on earth cared. No one noticed. I’m not sure even Joseph or Mary fully grasped what had happened. The angels finally found some shepherds, and they let out their joyful celebration!

My son was born in a great hospital, delivered by a very competent doctor and nursing staff, with more family present than could fit in the delivery room. My Savior was born in a small village, in a barn, with no one but Joseph and Mary to deliver and care for the baby. And no one to celebrate with. We had soft blankets and warm arms to welcome my son. My Savior had prickly hay and a feeding bin. We had a whole community of family and friends glued to Facebook in anticipation. My Savior had a whole world of apathy and disregard.

I don’t understand why God chose for Jesus to be born the way he was. As a Father, I’m sure He wanted so much more for His Son. But I have to wonder, how much has Jesus’ situation changed? Are we still apathetic towards Him, or are we exuberant? Do we excitedly share Him with our family and friends, or do we just sit there and wait. Do we offer Him our best, or are we content to give Him hay?

Chad Hess

It's a Wonderful Life by Tami Cinquemani

It’s a Christmas standard – watching Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of George Bailey in the 1946 holiday favorite “It’s a Wonderful Life.” There’s not another movie that gives you such a wonderful feeling of warmth, satisfaction, and the sense of what it means to be known and valued.

George thinks his life is worthless and, by a miracle from God (and a little help from Clarence the misfit angel), he is shown what life in his part of the world would have been like if he were given his wish of never being born. It doesn’t take long before he discovers that fame, wealth, and adventure can’t hold a candle to the richness of a life filled with family and friends whose life you’ve touched and who understand their time on this earth is the better for having known you.

To know and be known – what could be better? I think Frank Capra gave us a masterpiece of insight into the heart of God and His great desire to convince us how valuable we are. But God didn’t send a 2^nd class angel to do the job. He sent His Son – the Creator, the Word, the Alpha and the Omega, the Great I Am. Sent to a poor couple to be born in a dirty stable for the sole purpose of affirming our value in His sight.

I’d like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas. May you truly understand the personal interest God has in you and your inestimable value in His sight.

Tami Cinquemani

Defending the Faith by John Monday

I recently read an online Newsweek article by Jerry Adler. The article was an initial reaction to an upcoming book written by Dinesh D’Souza that claims to provide proof that there is an afterlife. I haven’t read the book, only the article. The writer of the article clearly did not hold a traditional Christian view and was fairly dismissive of the book. The article itself was OK, but nothing particularly great.

What interested me was the reaction to the article. It was posted as an MSN.com front page article and, as a result, got hundreds of comments within a few hours. I didn’t read them all, but I did sample a large portion. There were Christians and religious adherents of many varieties making comments, as well as a large number of people that either hold to no particular religion, or hold all religion in disdain. Sounds like a great venue for an interesting conversation, right? Wrong.

The comments were, by-in-large, harsh short attempts to compel someone else to adopt the commenter’s view. There was little logic, little reason, and little sensitivity. There were a number of anecdotal statements, but very little reasonable discourse. It appeared that few people were interested in hearing what someone else thinks, feels or believes but rather wanted to judge, belittle and correct everyone else. Sadly, many of the most judgmental, dogmatic, harsh and – yes - stupid comments came from those professing a Christian orientation.

I may be more critical of the Christians’ comments than others; I do expect a higher standard from my people, but there’s more to it than that. Many of the Christians seem to have little desire to speak kindly or intelligently. Simply saying to someone that I’m right and you’re wrong carries no weight. Saying, “well the bible says…” to someone who doesn’t believe in God will never move a heart or a mind. Telling someone that they’ll find out just how wrong they are sometime after death displays none of the love personified in Christ. More importantly, these methods do not honor the God of the Bible, the God who says, “Come let us reason together,” the God who says love your neighbor, and love your enemy, the God who from the foundations of the world arranged all the order we see in the universe, the God who hung on a cross and said, “Forgive them.”

I think I know where some of this comes from; it’s a war mentality. In war, every soldier knows that the outcome could be dependent on his actions. Whether it’s his personal heroic efforts or the combined effort of the platoon, company, or division (read denomination), my efforts matter, and if the enemy won’t surrender, then he must be destroyed. We have a deep-seeded sense that, if we fail in this battle, all might be lost. If we don’t defend God, who will?

We forget that the war is already decided, and God wins. We need never lob another grenade or ambush an unsuspecting atheist, Jew, Mormon, Buddhist, Baptist, Catholic, Secular Humanist, Adventist, Congregationalist, Episcopalian, Pagan or Presbyterian again. We have the best deal going, since the war is won and the matter is decided. Then all we need do is love people, listen to them, and tell them the reason for the hope within us. All of our success and failure is absorbed in Christ’s victory. We have total freedom to love without fear of loss, and drop our defenses without fear of defeat. If Christ is true, then we can’t lose; and if Christ isn’t true, then we can’t win.

C’mon guys, we can do better. If the God that we bear witness to actually exists, then He is the most reasonable and intellectual being in the universe. God is the author of reason and knowledge. We can listen to and love anyone with no fear that the truth will be lost. While we must stand ready to share our hope, we need never be defenders of the faith. To be a defender of the faith insinuates that the faith may be in peril if we do not adequately defend it; not so. Christ is our Defender, we are not His. Christ’s purpose will be carried out with or without our help. GOD WINS! He allows us to participate in victory and life with Him; He’s not quivering in his fortress hoping that we will prevail. We are free to listen, discuss, learn, teach, help, be helped, sympathize, empathize, comfort and love a world that desperately needs us. Let’s raise the bar and remember: God Wins.

John Monday