New Year’s Grace

The past year has has been quite eventful in global events as well as in most of our personal journeys. It has been an unsettled year to say the least.

As America tries to find a path out of crushing debt, the Euro looses it's footing with one nation after another teetering on financial abyss. We watched as the Arab spring drew into a long summer and autumn, with Mubarik resigning from a 30 year reign and Gadafi defiant till his death. Dictators have been toppled in many parts of the world, or pompously laid to rest as this past week in North Korea. Yet each of these countries still hold an uncertain future, some have already plunged into civil war. Russia’s upcoming 'free’ elections are being challenged, and even the most secure leaders are standing on shaky ground. The ground actually shook wiping out Japan with a devastating tsunami, while peace loving Norway was shaken by a senseless massacre. And we've already forgotten that Bin Laden, a man hunted for 10 years was finally killed and buried at sea. The global changes of 2011 far eclipse the historic events of 20 years ago when the Soviet Union crumbled from within.

Our personal lives have not been without turmoil either, and our individual future may seem as unsettling or unstable as the world is today. We've lost jobs, businesses, friends and loved ones. We’ve lost savings and investments trusted to ruthless financial managers. We've lost trust in government, banks, and entire financial systems, driving many to the streets in protest and occupy institutions around the world starting with Wall Street.

Peace today is as elusive as it’s ever been. The global economy is more challenged today than it was during The Great Depression. And people are as ruthless and greedy as ever.

Greed is contagious, envy a poison. We all want more, we all want to live as well as our neighbor, and better than we did yesterday. We have a propensity to expend most of our energy pursuing happiness through material gain. Yet the happiness we find is fleeting and temporal at best. And so the cycle goes on, as we continue to expend our resources to fill a hollow hole, a bottomless pit. 

As we look ahead into 2012, i don't want to make any doomsday predictions. The cost of our greed is great and there’s no question that we will all pay for it. Not only on a personal level, but on a global level as has become so evident in recent revelations. The world indeed is crumbling due to man’s greed. Is there anything we can still do to soften the effects of what lies ahead?

Perhaps each of us can do a small part to make this world gentler kinder place. Perhaps be a little less anxious while waiting for the teller at the bank, or show a bit of grace to those who cut us off in traffic. Perhaps we can smile a little bit more to our clients and to those who serve us. Or share some of our bread with those in need rather than looking at our own shrinking pocketbook. And maybe, just for a moment, put aside what we feel are our rights and consider others more important than ourselves...

This coming year will undoubtedly be more challenging than the last, and we’ll need much more Grace to get through it all. Grace is something that we can’t buy or earn, but grace is something that’s freely given and we can freely give. It is something we all need, especially in times of turmoil. More than anything else, Grace can help bring peace and joy to our lives, regardless of how difficult the road may be.

My prayer, regardless of what the year 2012 may bring, that it would be the greatest Grace giving year for all of us.

Wishing you a Happy and Grace filled New Year!


- Robert

Seasons

A couple of days ago i received news from a close friend that her mom had passed away on Christmas Day. We knew she was terminally ill, but no one thought it would all come to an end on such a day. This fact took me back for a moment, and at first i didn’t know how to respond.

This has been a difficult week for many. Last night another friend sent a text message asking prayer for a co-worker who’s in a coma after a warehouse accident. A life left hanging by a thread. Just days ago he had celebrated Christmas completely oblivious to what the next days would bring. 

A day that should be full of joy suddenly became a day of grief, a day that many celebrated others mourned, and the day a person died another was born.

Joy and grief, life and death, the beginning and end are things we can’t escape. At that moment i thought it strange that life (as we know it) doesn’t last forever. Neither does joy, celebration or laughter. There comes a time to shed a tear, a time for the heart to ache, even as the world around us celebrates.

Seasons of our life can change suddenly. A bright sky becomes dark, a peaceful day becomes a storm, yet all these seasons will pass. The sky will clear and the storm will subside. And for those enjoying the bright sky and peaceful day, this too will pass. Ecclesiastics echos so well the seasons of our lives...

There is a time for everything, 
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot, 

a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance, 

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.
                                                                             Ecclesiastics 3:1-8

Tomorrow’s New Years Eve. For some it is a time of celebration, for many it will be a time for reflection. A time to reflect on the pain, the loss, the difficulties and struggles they have endured this year. It’s also a time for hope, a time to look forward to a new season, a time to trust each of our seasons to The Child who’s birthday we celebrated just a few days ago.

I pray This Child, The Prince of Peace would guard our hearts and paths though all the seasons we encounter in the coming year.
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What am I here for?

It’s almost an existential question. Most of us ask this at some point along our journey: What is my calling in life? What was i created for? What is God’s grand purpose for me? As we wrestle to find the the reason for our existence, we often overlook the purpose of the moment, the purpose of this hour or this minute of our lives.

What is my purpose for walking down this street, or waiting in the bus station. What is the purpose of this traffic jam or missing my flight? Perhaps meeting a specific person at a place or time? Each moment can have a purpose, a divine calling to help someone in need, to give someone an encouraging word, to share a smile with a stranger. How often do we miss the needs of all the people that cross our paths while engrossed by our own needs, our own search for purpose and fulfillment.

Each moment we live presents an opportunity and purpose. It’s right there, right now, within grasp wherever you may be. We simply need to take a look around us and find an opportunity to bless others, which can be the  purpose for this moment of our life.
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Christmas candle

I don't want to be a grinch here, but for many reasons i've never really been a big fan of Christmas. Sure it’s supposed to be a time of giving and good cheer, much light, music and celebration, and that it seems to be...

Christmas, most of us know it's not really Jesus' birthday. Centuries ago Christians decided to take a pagan winter solstice celebration and christen it Christmas. There's many theories about the real date of Christ's birth, but i won't speculate on it here. The date itself is not of any real significance except perhaps symbolically, as it’s celebration of light at the darkest time of the year, just as we celebrate Christ bringing light into this dark world.

Yet i'm left wondering, how much the Christmas season and celebration itself brings true joy to people? I also wonder how much it might take away? We talk about peace, joy and goodwill, yet Christmas seems to become a time of increased busyness and stress. All the increased expectations, what to buy, what to give, what to wear, what to eat,.. so much preoccupies our minds. All this on top of our day to day burdens.

Myself, i prefer a simple Christmas. I don’t like to blinded by lights and tinsel decorations, or bombarded by flashy commercials that tell me what 'the perfect gift' is, or even glazed Christmas messages propagated by some churches as they fill their pews.

Sure, not all churches focus only on the sweet baby Jesus to please parishioners, some do remind us of the more sobering truths. The truth that we still live in a fallen and dark world, the truth that Christ wasn't born to start a revolution an make everything right, nor did He come to make our lives easy or eliminate pain. But He came to bear our pain, He came to feel the hurt and rejection, He came to suffer all that we suffer. He came to humble Himself, He came to have compassion and understanding, and to become acquainted with all our troubles.

I know a pastor in Colorado who keeps a nail in his pocket every Christmas season, to remind him that there's much more to the Christmas story. It's not only about a baby king that was and still is worshiped and adored. It’s also about Christ being crucified in agony and bleeding for our sins. It’s about Him taking our punishment, not as a martyr but as a substitute. It’s about giving His life to give us liberty. A sobering thought while we envision Him peacefully laying in a manger...

Yes, this world is still a dark place. For me Christ is the candle in the darkness, the candle that can bring light to the darkest part of my soul, the candle that could also light another soul, which in turn could light another soul or even a thousand souls. It is this flame that brings hope. It’s something no flashing lights, ringing bells, blinding billboards, or extravagant Christmas gifts and celebrations could ever bring..

So as i celebrate Christ this dark winter season, one candle has all the light i need.

Have a blessed CHRISTmas!

Cold muffin greeting

It was a two day journey, four flights hoping over both large and larger ponds. Rain in Chicago, drizzle in Amsterdam, wet in Copenhagen, it all made me feel like a frog puddle jumping. As i approached my former homeland, i sensed the dreary dark city that loomed in the distance.

I was on the last leg of my re-routed flight, quite a transition from the KLM flight, unreliable as it was. But the KLM flight was friendly. People smiled, i struck up a conversation with a gal waiting at the Chicago gate which we continued after arriving in Amsterdam. Quite a transition when i sat down on the Estonian air flight, and greeted the gal sitting beside me saying ‘Tere’, to which she responded with a short 'Tere' and then stared out the window. No eye contact at all, hardly any more response than i got from the cold muffin served for dinner.

Five hours late, I finally arrive in Tallinn but my luggage didn't. Personnel at the airport was a matter of fact, no smiles or apologies, just the minimum amount of words to assess the situation. It would eventually take another 22 hours for my luggage to be recovered, though they initially stated it should arrive on the last flight the same evening. The same was true of the person who delivered the suitcase the following evening, all done with cold blooded professionalism.

Met up with some old friends on the following days, which always warms the heart. But dealing with supermarket cashiers, bank tellers, mobile phone company personnel left me somewhat chilled, and i'm quite certain it wasn't from the winter air.

Saturday i travelled to Tartu with my friend Mike to look at a car. We arrived at the dealer, found the sales staff were about as friendly as a frozen muffin. They gave Mike the keys and pointed to the car he was interested in. Again, only the minimum amount of words necessary were exchanged. No motivation, no sales pressure, as if this dealer had discovered the fountain of apathy.

Since they offered no suitable vehicle, we took a walk in the Town Square were we were pleasantly surprised to discover much music and dancing, plus an entertaining log cutting and firewood stacking competition. Positive spirits, clearly these people weren't drinking the same fountain as the car dealer... It all gave me flashbacks to the summer song and dance festival http://footprintblues.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-land-is-this.html. People smiling, singing and dancing together for a couple of days. Seems Estonians reserve their smiles only for special occasions..

So i'm here for the next few weeks. Being Christmastime we should remember what to be cheerful for. And as much as i'm turned off by the over commercialized and somewhat fabricated Christmas cheer in North America, i certainly miss those friendly smiles here. Yet people on both sides of the pond seem to miss the main point of it all. The Christmas message should a place of transformation, a message of good news and true joy, not some fabricated entertainment whatever form it may take.  

Things are not as they seem

This week has been a whirlwind of memories, reflecting on events of the past years and how they have influenced my journey in life. Choices made, free choices some may say, have all been molded by others who have raised, taught and coached me along the way.

We all portray an image, pictures others see based on actions or words, sometimes even the words of others. These images reveal little of who we are, and often are quite a distortion of the truth.

True, some traits can be revealed in a short period of time, but to really know someone, time is needed, and ears are needed. A long journey of listening can give a glimpse of a person’s true being, though a lifetime would still not be enough to know someone thoroughly.

So why is it we create an picture, and opinion, a judgement of another without walking a listening mile with him? We quickly draw conclusions, give wise advice that often does not apply. And then we wonder why there’s no change, progress or development in the relationship. We look for the fast fix, the quick return on our invested energy and time.

There are no quick returns or conclusions on this journey. Only the privilege and pleasure of discovering another life. There's no discovery in judging the surface, but by looking much deeper to find the beauty of this intricate tapestry of life.