THE CALL

"Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. "
Mark 2:13-14

It is enlightening to see Levi's response to this call. Notice, when called, Levi didn't make a confession of faith in Jesus, instead Levi responded with immediate obedience--he followed.

Some commentaries I've skimmed over on this section suggest Levi had a prior knowledge of Jesus. The biblical text is silent on this important point as it is also silent on the psychological reasons for this man's or any man's decision to follow Christ. All I know from the text is there was a call by Jesus which was met by immediate obedience on the part of Levi. Whether, Levi had an understanding of who Jesus was prior to the call is simply not known. To this point, Bonhoeffer, with inspired wisdom, makes the statement; "the simple reason behind Levi's immediate following in obedience is Jesus Christ Himself. It is Jesus who called, and because it is Jesus Levi follows at once."

I noted also that Levi was not told where he was going, what he would be doing, or what to bring with him. There was no mention of how long he would be gone. Jesus did not offer how he should follow or in what manner to come after Him. He wasn't told to crawl, walk or run; he simply followed. There was no billboard or neon sign explaining what to do or how to do it. No instructions on the pattern of life he should live while he followed. He simply must follow Jesus.

What a model for us today! Instead of looking for our personal & specific miraculous message from God telling us what to do next, we with immediate obedience blindly follow our Risen Savior.

Growing up, I struggled with pulpit preachers and college professors making such statements without explaining the application. So, here is my "unlicensed" understanding of what it means to follow Christ. It means leaving everything behind you become contented in Christ alone to the point of absolute adherence to God's Son.

"There is an absolute, direct, and unaccountable authority of Jesus. No need of preliminaries and no other consequence but obedience to The Call."

-Dietrich Bonehoeffer "Cost of Discipleship"

(Painting by Casper David Friedrich)

She is 2ft High and I call her Bells

She has curly blond hair that is grouped in misshapen clusters. It is like dozens of tiny bells hanging from her head. I try pushing them up out of her eyes. However, I can't resist ruffling her mess of curls back and forth with the palm of my hand. I love the way her fine silk like hair feels between my fingers. Her pale skin augments her dirty blond hair and her brown eyes are set like jewels in a marble statue.

I see her standing with those tiny lips agape and I ask; "Little girl what wonder has caught you by the toes this time?"

It is her; simply being her.

She reminds me of a person on an expedition; fully equipped and fully funded. In one hand she drags her mother's pocket book to the door saying "bye...see you later....bye" In the other hand my car keys. It is remarkable that she makes it to the door, at all, wearing her mother's shoes and pearls draped over her head.

She loves to climb into small enclosed places in our home. I often find her under a bed, behind a couch, or inside a cabinet drawer. She has a daring and adventurous spirit. She attempts to stand in places a child shouldn't stand and walk were children aren't suppose to walk. She will grab "things" little children are not suppose to grab and run when running is unwarranted, dangerous, or forbidden. I simply love her for those traits. Through my relationship with her I will encourage her to develop her adventourous spirit. Like me, she leaps and then looks.

Sweetheart, if you do not live a dangerous life then why do you need a captain?
Become a person that blindly follows God.

You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful
Psa 16:11

Name that Historical Female

My daughter, Kit, loves to read about historical figures; especially female historical figures. At a loss for whom she should research next, she did a wise and profound thing. She asked me for some ideas.

“Dad, who would be a good historical female for me to study next?”

Of course she would ask me! I am full of such trivia; just wait and see.

“Kit, I’ve got it! I know the perfect person for you to study. I bet you’ve never heard of this historical female!”

(Rule one for Dads (Study of Historical Females):The study must be about a female who is brand new, and has never been studied before. It's even better if she has never been heard of .)

Kit with lots of anticipation replied “Great dad! Who?”

“Well, Kit how about Amelia Earhart”

I said this with an air of haughtiness thinking she wouldn’t have a clue.

Kit, rather anticlimatic, replied “Ok, dad isn’t she the first women to fly across the Atlantic and then

die in an airplane crash?”

(Rule Two for Dads (study of Historical Females): Have a back-up plan!)

“Oh, Ok so you’ve heard of her. Well how about the women who started the Red Cross? hmmm..... I can’t think of her name right now”

To this Kit replied

“Dad, don’t you mean Clara Barton?”

(Rule Number Three for Dads (study of Historical Females): Names are definitely important! Right up there with birthdays and anniversaries)

Wisdom Lost in Knowledge

Endless invention, endless experiment

Brings knowledge of motion, but not stillness;

Knowledge of speech, but not silence;

Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the word.

All our ignorance brings us nearer to death,

But nearness to death no nearer to GOD.

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

--T.S. Eliot (Chorus from the Rock)

Christ learned of people by being near them, close to them. It seems to me that Christ was un-interested in the cumulative whole of mankind. Instead he cared, to his core, about the individual. Jesus did not sweep away his time here on earth in solitude nor in discussing the problems of mankind in a church (synagogue). His was an individual ministry spent in personal contact with sinful people.

A counselor may spare no expense in effort attempting to determine the underlying problem with a person. Marriage counselors will try to look past what is initially submitted from the despondent couple and beg the underlying motif to present itself. He will do this in an attempt to discover the root, a person’s principals, and then attempt to transfer a body of knowledge to correct behavioral patterns. It is hoped, if this is done correctly, the marriage can be saved. At the very least you may be deemed fixable! It concerns me that Churches, much like counselors, have rules, often unspoken, for fixing or bringing our behavior within acceptable parameters. Moreover, Christianity is perceived as a transfer of bits of data aimed at fixing the software between our ears.

As I understand it, Jesus did not come to individuals attempting to establish principals for correcting behavior en masse. Instead, with a real heart of compassion, he was interested in the individual. Calling them to follow him not as a pattern for how to live a good life, but to follow him as the Christ. He wants nothing more than what is already presently in us as individuals. You see Jesus taught us that we broken folks have infinite value in the eyes of God.

Apart from Jesus' teaching it is scary to consider what is there; lurking in each of us. A dark and insidious self centered power that simply doesn’t die. Then a brilliant horizon breaks open when I realize that Christ knew this about individuals; about me. He knew it, knows it, and still the worst of humanity has unspeakable value.

A Daughter's Advise to a Nurse

A couple years ago my wife and I took Kit, 6 years old at the time, to our family doctor for a check-up. While there, she was attended by a young nurse. Kit asked the nurse how long would it take today—meaning how long would she be at the doctors office.

The nurse replied "This should only take about 30 minutes".

Kit at this time in her young life did not have a clear concept of time. She simply needed a point of reference which My wife provided,

She said; “Honey, you’ll be here about as long as Dora the Explorer lasts”

Kit immediately understood and relaxed.

The nurse, looking at Kit, said, “You are teaching me to talk to children”

Kit asked, “You don’t have children?”

“No, I would like to have children one day though”

“You could fly to China and adopt” said Kit

“Hmm, Yes, I guess adoption is an option” replied the nurse

Without blinking an eye Kit excitedly replied

“Or, you could pray and wait nine months!”