Category Archives: Trogo 1: Something To Chew On

The Truth About Vampires – Part 2

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Previously we looked at four issues regarding vampires: “Violence and Gore,” “Evil Imaginations,” “Occult Deception,” and “Satanic Seduction.” These four issues should cause enough concern for any Christian to question the wisdom of watching movies about vampires or reading vampire books. But just in case someone needs more reasons, here are four more problems with vampires:

The Sexual Motif

At the end of the movie Eclipse you see Edward and Bella together in a field full of flowers. They are discussing their wedding and Bella’s future. A sweet, romantic scene. But the same scene in the book is very different, depicting Edward growling to Bella, “I love you. I want you. Right now.” This is interesting, considering the fact that one of the supposedly positive elements of the Twilight series is that Bella and Edward do not have sex until they are married. Which is true. But not because of any desire for chastity on their part. Throughout most of the first three books Bella continually tries to seduce Edward. Edward refuses, not to be virtuous, but because he is afraid that as a vampire he will lose himself in passion and hurt her. Then, at the end of Eclipse it is Edward who tries to induce Bella to have sex, but she is the one who refuses.

Of course, they do have sex once married. And there is a honeymoon scene in Breaking Dawn. While not overtly erotic, it is a little more than just suggestive. I have not yet seen the film, but reviewers say that during the movie’s honeymoon sequences there are scenes of partial nudity, and the newlywed couple is shown engaged in sex while covered with sheets. Edward is even shown lying on top of Bella engaged in intercourse, and breaking the bed’s headboard in two in his passion. (These are images not conducive to purity of mind and heart.) I will also mention that in the fourth book we discover the superior sensual experience of vampire sex, with vampire couples dominated by sensual cravings that last for months, even years. This is pretty tempting stuff for anyone, but especially adolescents.

I mention these specific items to illustrate a point. If there is one consistent unifying theme to Twilight, in addition to the vampire motif itself, it is probably sex. There is a constant undercurrent of subtle sexuality running throughout the series. No wonder the Twilight saga is so attractive to young people.

What is a proper response to this? The Bible is clear about sexual matters: “Flee youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh” (Galatians 5:13). “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14). “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

Truly the mind is battleground for our souls. That is why we must guard it carefully. Does reading or watching Twilight aid in keeping our minds pure?

The Idolatry of Things

In his book on intercessory prayer called The Last of the Giants George Otis identifies two preeminent sources of idolatrous worship in America: Humanism and materialism. We live for ourselves, and we live for things. We are a money-mad, covetous, consumer-focused culture.

Unfortunately, living this shallow type of lifestyle is another of the many things wrong with the vampires in Twilight. The Cullens are materialistic to the extreme. They drive expensive sports cars. They live in a mansion. They own large tracts of property, including an island. They seem to have an inexhaustible source of revenue. It is noted they wear expensive shoes. They sport new clothes, often on a daily basis. Indeed, it is Edward who says of one member of the Cullen coven, “Alice rarely allows us to wear the same thing twice” (Breaking Dawn, p. 273). Edward loans Jacob his Astin Martin to drive. The Cullens give Bella a house for her birthday. Alice arranges for Bella to have a new wardrobe, with row after of row of clothes that fill an entire room. These examples illustrate that these “good” vampires lead a luxurious, self-indulgent lifestyle.

And they give nothing back. But allow me to qualify this. Carlisle is a doctor, and he is dedicated to saving lives. But other than this one example, we see no evidence of this vampire “family” doing anything but heaping things on themselves. There is no humanitarian effort, no charitable work on their part. They do not do anything to help relieve the suffering of the world around them. They only live for themselves. Presented with such a picture of decadent, selfish consumerism, no wonder so many young people are attracted to the Cullens. They are living the worse stereotype of the American dream.

But this is not God’s dream for human existence. Life, and purpose in life, does not consist in the amount of things we own. God has higher expectations, and higher pleasures for His children. Remember, Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.” (1 John 2:15-17, The Message)

Good Guy Vampires?

Over the past couple of decades there has been an interesting new image created for vampires. Some now are presented as “good guy” vampires. These are the nice ones. The ones who are more like victims than anything else. The kind of vampire you would want to bring home to Mom. And the Cullens are often held up as outstanding examples of good guy vampires.

But is this the case? Consider the hero of the Twilight saga, Edward Cullen. He admits that before becoming a vegetarian vampire he had already killed five people. He is quoted as saying to Bella, “You know that I’ve stolen, I’ve lied, I’ve coveted…” (Eclipse, p. 454). He steals a car in the first book. He encourages Bella to disobey her Dad. He violates her father’s instruction to stay away from Bella. He uses profanity. He tries to seduce Bella. He tries to get Bella to have an abortion. He also suggests that she commit adultery with Jacob. No wonder he declares, “Right and wrong have ceased to mean much to me” (New Moon, p. 514). Is this a good guy? I hardly think so. And the rest of the Cullen coven are no better.

Some would suggest that there are positive elements in the Twilight series, redeeming factors. I will not deny that this is so. But I think you can probably find positive elements in almost any situation, or any person. Hitler was well-liked by children and dogs. The Nazis brought Germany out of a severe economic depression, and made the trains run on time to boot! The Hitler Youth encouraged a back to nature philosophy and physical training. All these positive elements are to be seen in Nazism. But it does not make Nazism good.

Our standard for what is good, moral and right must be the Word of God. And when you hold the Cullens up to the moral standards of Jesus, and the ethical principles of the Bible, they don’t measure up very well. These are not good guys, nor are they worthy of admiration and esteem. They certainly should not be idolized and treated as heroes.

The Bottom Line

There is one fundamental reason that I am so concerned about people’s fascination with Twilight. It is a matter of the paradigm or spiritual perspective on reality that is being offered to us. The bottom line issue is the point of focus, the vantage point from which the story is being presented. All of the specific issues that I have mentioned in this series of writings is contingent on this one matter: Worldview. What is the worldview, the moral and spiritual frame of reference, that is being presented in Twilight?

First of all understand that Stephenie Meyer comes from a Mormon background. Thus her own personal worldview is rooted in the heretical and cultic teachings of the Latter-day Saints. There are numerous passages in the Twilight books that demonstrate her Mormon viewpoint.

Further, it is obvious that there were spiritual forces at work in the writing process of Twilight. On her website Stephenie Meyer tells of having a dream in which she saw a vampire and a young woman in a field. (This dream later became chapter 13 in the original Twilight novel.) When she awoke, she was haunted by this dream. She began to research vampires and write out a story. She talks about how she became obsessed with vampires. She dropped out of her church activities. She neglected her family. Vampires became almost her entire focus. Within six short months she had written the book (her first) and it had been accepted by a major publisher. An amazing publication feat. As she says, “To be honest, I feel like I was guided through that process.” Guided? By whom?

Her research on vampires and the occult informed her story. One example is worth mentioning. Meyer talks about discovering the subject of the incubus. “In the novel [Twilight], I only mentioned a few of the many legends I read through. One that I didn’t mention at this point was the entry on the Incubus. The unique feature about that legend was that the incubus could father children. Hmmm, I said, and I filed that kernel of an idea away for later.” What is an incubus? In occult lore it is a demon who sexually assaults women. This idea became the conceptual basis for how an undead creature like Edward could father a child.

Mormonism. Dreams. Occult Lore. Supernatural guidance. These are the roots of the Twilight story, and the Twilight phenomenon. Is it any wonder that worldview presented to us in Twilight is so antithetical to the Christian faith?

Remember: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7) and “Do not be conformed to the pattern of the world’s thinking, but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Conclusion:

Should any Christian seek to be entertained by vampire stories? Is there any danger here? Yes! Think about it. The genre is full of death, murder, violence and gore. We are enticed to fantasize about ungodly and wicked beings, and behavior. There is a subtle demonic, deceptive and seductive influence present here. Vampires are often portrayed as sexually active creatures, with powerful a powerful sensual attraction. The immorality of vampires is evident. They kill, steal, commit fornication and adultery, entice to sinful rebellion and anti-social behavior, and a host of other sins. And finally, the world of the vampire is totally antithetical to the Christian worldview. They are of another world, the realm of darkness, evil and demonic forces. There are, indeed, multiple reason Christians should avoid vampires completely.

The Truth About Vampires – Part 1

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Breaking News: Breaking Dawn is now available on DVD! Once again film viewers worldwide are being subjected to an occult worldview, including vampires, werewolves, magic and paranormal powers. The popularity of the Twilight series, and vampires in general, is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. What are we to make of all this? Are vampires stories just innocent entertainment? Or is this current trend a reason for concern for the Christian. I believe it is the latter. Let me tell you why.

Violence and Gore

We live in an increasingly violent society. This is not only evident from the evening news, but also from the graphic and pervasive violence seen in our popular entertainment. According to Dr. James Dobson there are over 1000 studies that demonstrate that watching violence on TV and in movies has disastrous consequences: Children are more prone to violent and aggressive behavior, and people become desensitized to the serious nature of violence itself.

The Twilight series itself is culpable in this regard. From vicious battles between werewolves and vampires, to vampires being systematically dismembered and burned, to blood-thirsty gangs of marauding vampires descending plague-like on human populations the Twilight saga has more than its fair share of violence. But perhaps no episode in this series is more gory, and more horrific, than the pregnancy and birth of Edward’s and Bella’s half-vampire, half-human baby. In Breaking Dawn the newly wed Bella becomes pregnant and comes to full term in a matter of weeks instead of months. During this time she subsists by continually drinking blood. When it comes time for the baby to be born, a C-section is required. However, there is a problem—the amniotic sac is made of a vampire-like skin, which is impenetrable. To save the baby, Edward uses his vampire fangs to rip through Bella’s flesh and in a ghastly, bloody scene tears open her womb and delivers the baby. If this were not already enough of a blood-fest, we then see the dying Bella being turned into a vampire by her husband. This is accomplished by Edward injecting vampire venom (i.e., blood) directly into her heart, and then repeatedly biting her all over her body with his fangs—an action described as “the lush tearing of her skin.” Meanwhile, the newborn vampire-human child immediately begins to feed on blood.

And what we see in Twilight is only symptomatic of the entire vampire subculture. Think about it: The very concept of a vampire is a creature that exists by sucking blood from living creatures, and doing so in a most violent manner. Violence, gore and horror are an integral factors in the vampire world.

How are moral and decent people to respond to this? The Bible is clear: God “hates” those who love violence (Psalm 11:5) and the Lord “abhors” the bloodthirsty (Psalm 5:6). The Scripture also declares that it is the wicked who “devise violence” (Proverbs 24:1-2). The kind of bloody violence portrayed in Twilight is something that should be shunned, not enjoyed.

Evil Imaginations

I have been doing presentations about our society’s current fascination with vampires for several years now. One of the most common objections to my criticism of people’s interest in vampires, Twilight included, is something like this: “What’s the big deal? These are only fictional stories, and vampires are only creatures of our imagination. What’s the harm in being entertained by imaginary creatures?”

This begs an even more fundamental question: Is our imagination morally and spiritually of consequence? And does God care about our fantasies, our imaginative life? The simple answer is yes. The Bible is full of examples and admonitions about this very issue. It was largely because of people’s evil thinking that God destroyed the world with the great Flood of Noah’s day (Genesis 6:5). Romans 8:7 says that it is the carnal mind that is at variance with God. God judged Israel in Isaiah 65:2 because they pursued their own imaginations (cf. Jeremiah 7:24 and 11:8). Zechariah 8:7 says that God hates those who imagine evil against their fellow man. Romans 1:21 speaks of those in the world who became “vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” And lastly, 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to “cast down imaginations” and all those things contrary to the will of God.

What does this have to do with vampires? Consider this: Vampires are by definition undead, supernatural creatures. They are of the realm of darkness. They are occultic creatures with paranormal powers contrary to the will and purposes of God (cf. Deuteronomy 18:9-14). Based on the foregoing Scriptures, even such imaginary creatures as “vegetarian vampires” (i.e., vampires who usually only consume animal blood) should not be the focus of our thoughts and interests. Further, besides their occult nature you have to recognize the violence, the sexual allure, the disregard for biblical morals, the complete ignoring of Christ and His glory, and… well, the list could go on and on. Bottom line: Vampires, including Twilights’s Cullen coven, should not occupy our imaginations if we are serious about being morally responsible and mature Christians.

Still not convinced? Read Philippians 4:8 and see if this verse can be applied to your interest in The Twilight Saga, The Vampire Diaries, The Vampire Chronicles, etc.

Occult Deception

Vampires are the undead. Think about it. They are creatures that have died and been raised to a supernatural life that depends on blood-drinking to survive. They have paranormal powers, powers traditionally ascribed to witchcraft. An interesting fact, since in traditional myths about vampires (and werewolves), there is a strong connection with witchcraft. Indeed, in many languages the same word that is used for witch is also used for vampire: lamia, strix, strigoi, strega, bruja, bruxa, loogaroo, etc. Simply put, vampires are magical, occultic, “witchy” creatures. As chief vampire Aro states in the novel Breaking Dawn when speaking of werewolves: “They are creatures of our supernatural world” (p. 705, emphasis added).

One of the great dangers facing American culture today, the church included, is our increasing fascination with the occult. We are being taken on a supernatural, “magical mystery tour” and we don’t even realize it. What does God say about the occult? There many biblical passages that deal with this issue. Paul says that witchcraft is a “sin of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-20). John says that sorcerers will be eternally damned (Revelation 21:8). In Leviticus 20:6 God says he is against those who seek after occult practitioners. Numerous other passages could be cited. However, the classic passage is Deuteronomy 18:9-14. Here the Lord enumerates a variety of occult practices, and in no uncertain terms labels them as “an abomination to the Lord.” In other words, God hates witchcraft, sorcery, magic, the demonically supernatural.

Think about it—should we find entertaining what God hates?

Satanic Seduction

We have made the point that vampires are occultic, demonic creatures by definition. There is a further point to be made here. There is inherently an alluring, devilishly (literally) attractive quality to the occult. Think about it. The Serpent deceived Eve with his seductive ways. The Bible speaks of “seducing spirits” (1 Timothy 4:1). The Devil even manifests as an “angel of light,” appearing beautiful, reasonable and attractive (see 2 Corinthians 11:14). Yes, Satan is a deceiver and a seducer.

No wonder Twilight holds such fascination for so many. It is amazing (and disturbing) to see the hold this series has on people. Stephanie Meyers admits that in the months she was writing the first book she was so obsessed that she neglected almost everything else, including her family, to study and write about vampires. I know a Christian woman who became so engrossed with the books that she had to ask a friend to take the books away from her and not return them, no matter how much she asked for them back. In 2010 Dakota Fanning, who plays the vampire known as Jane in the Twilight films, was on a late night talk show. She told how she first became acquainted with the Twilight series. She saw a girl at her school whose arms were completely covered in quotes from the books. I have read of middle-aged women who decorate their bedrooms with Twilight sheets, pillow cases, lamps, posters, dolls, etc. There is something weirdly obsessive about Twilight.

Weird. But understandable. People who play around with the occult, Twilight and vampires included, need to be aware of the dangers here. There is a spiritual force in operation that they may not recognize, but it is there nonetheless. Remember the admonition of Paul in Ephesians 4:27—“Don’t give the Devil a foothold in your life.”

To be continued in the next post…

To Trogo or Not To Trogo

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Enough! You have out waited me. I tried waiting patiently to see how many of you would be curious enough to ask the meaning of “trogo.” (“Trogo? Wasn’t he the Japanese warlord during WWII?”) But few have seemed interested. So today I cry “Uncle!” I guess I’ll just have to break down and explain the word.

I picked Trogo for several reasons. (By the way, the word has a hard “g”—like goose or Gandalf, not soft like giant or gerrymander.) Primarily the definition drew me—which we will get to in a moment. But I also like the sound of it. It sounds cavemanesque. You know, troglodytes and all that. Primal. Primitive. Also, it’s sorta rhythmic—like a chant. Imagine a slave-powered Roman galley. “Tro-go! Tro-go! Tro-go!” You can almost see those poor blighters heaving those massive oars to the beat of the drum. Plus, it sounds just a tad weird. Not Stephen King weird, just scratching your head and wondering weird.

The word trogo is Greek—a Greek verb, to be more specific. It means to chew, to gnaw, to eat, especially to eat slowly. In classical Greek it was used of a cow chewing its cud. (Moooooo! “Down, Bossie!”) The main purpose of the Trogo writings is, simply put, my own enjoyment. It is a creative release for me. However, I also do hope that at times I will give my readers something to think about, something to chew on. Hence, Trogo. (Two-Four-Six-Eight-What do we ruminate? Trogo! Trogo! Trogo!)

Yet, there is still another reason I chose this word—because of the way that Jesus Himself used it in the Gospels. This is especially true in the Gospel of John. Here the Master states:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

This is one of those verses, and contexts, that has many interpretations—a diversity of meanings. It is certainly an atonement passage. It also has Eucharistic overtones. It portrays to us the cost of salvation, as well as the desire of the Savior. But there is also something else…

The phrase “if anyone eats” intrigues me. For the word used here, in the original Koine Greek, is trogo. Let’s analyze this for a moment.

Why didn’t Jesus use a different word? There are several other Greek words meaning “to eat.” You would think that the Lord would use a word that connotes a one time eating, an act, an event of eating. This could carry the idea of commitment, a decision to “ingest” Jesus in our lives, to accept Him. But He did not do that. Instead, he used a word that literally means “to chew, to gnaw.” You get the idea of the process of eating—not an event, but a sequence of events.

From this I gather that the Lord is calling us to is a life lived in process. A progression. Life is to be a course, a journey…not a stop sign. Not even an intersection—although it begins that way. You see, inherent in that one word, trogo, is a picture of a believer in Jesus assimilating the Savior into his or her life, slowly, thoughtfully, over time, through a continuing process. Indeed, through a lifelong process.

Jim Elliot, that great missionary and martyr, knew this. He once said, “One does not surrender a life in an instant—that which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.”

How important this concept is! How much we need to hear this truth! We are so impatient and hurried and rushed in our lives. Our attitudes cry out… “God, I want maturity—and I want it NOW!” If our behavior and our lifestyles reveal anything, then what we say in our hearts is far different from what we way with our lips. With our mouths we may say we want to serve God, but our hearts really say:

Lord, don’t teach me patience; it takes too long to master it.
Lord, don’t teach me how to love; it’s too time consuming, and hurtful.
Lord, don’t teach me kindness; it takes too much time to stop and care.
Lord, don’t teach me gentleness; I’d have to work too many hours at taming myself.
Lord, don’t teach me how to forgive; too much baggage to carry, it’ll only slow me down.
Lord, don’t teach me compassion; it’s too messy and too often dirty.

If we would be honest, brutally and bluntly honest, what we say to God is (maybe not in words, but in our attitudes and actions) …

“Lord, don’t make me like Jesus. I don’t have time for it!”

You see, it takes a long time—journeying through many valleys, pains, hurts, sorrows, much drudgery and hard labor to become like Jesus. Think not? (What planet are you living on?) Consider this then: It was the road Jesus Himself trod. “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience through the things He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). This is what He did! Are the servants any better than their Master?

You see, this road, the Calvary road, the Golgotha path, is not an expressway. It is a road that we walk one step at a time, trek one foot at a time. There is no instant maturity while traveling this way. We learn the terrain one day at a time, one hurt at a time, one victory at a time. We feel our way, check out the map, follow those who have gone ahead, and tread in the footsteps of the Master.

Then little by little we find that we are slowly climbing higher, and growing stronger, and getting better at the traveling itself. For as we travel, we are developing character. But character comes gradually, if it is genuine. What is character? True character is nothing less than the image of our Lord formed in us.

So we must purpose, as did Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, to journey to the Celestial City. And as we journey, we only grow, and we only receive sustenance for the trip, as we “eat the flesh of the Son of Man”—as we take Him into our lives. We chew on His words, and (I say this with utmost reverence) we “chew” on Him who is the Word. Little by little we assimilate the nature, the character, the very Person of the Son of Man into our lives, becoming ever more and ever more like Him. Thus, we go from “glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18).

Good journey, and safe home!

Trees of Life

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I have been doing a lot of thinking about trees lately. My ruminations go back to when I read a book called America’s Famous and Historic Trees. This book chronicles the story of trees that are associated with famous historical figures or events, such as the tulip poplar that George Washington planted at Mount Vernon, or the Honey Locust where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. I even found out there are places where you buy seeds from these historic trees. Imagine, you can plant a tree in your yard that is an offspring of the actual magnolia Andrew Jackson planted in front of the White House, or have a pin oak that comes from Graceland, or sit under the shade of a red maple from Walden Woods where Thoreau lived and wrote.

I have seriously considered purchasing one of these famous trees. It is the Stonewall Jackson Prayer Oak. The seedlings are grown from a tree in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It was here, during the Valley Campaign, that Stonewall Jackson would retire early in the morning to begin his day in prayer. (In case you didn’t know, Jackson was a devout Christian man. He actually would not go into battle on Sunday because he did not want to dishonor the Sabbath!)

There is something comforting about trees. They evoke feelings of confidence, strength, stability. When all of life is insecure and chaotic, trees stand as steady reminders of realities that are permanent and sure. There is integrity in a tree; character in its limbs and virtue in its branches. No wonder the Scriptures use trees as emblems of the security found in righteous living.

I remember the trees I knew as child. I grew up in the suburbs of Richmond. We lived on a fair-sized piece of property—actually three lots that totaled about an acre of land. Our yard was filled with plants of all kinds. My mother had a green thumb extraordinaire. She was one of those people who seemed to be able to revive a nearly dead plant just by touching it. I fondly remember the flourishing beds of irises, jonquils, hyacinths and tiger lilies. And the roses! My… the wondrous sight and smell of those roses. My mother loved roses, and they appeared to love her in return. They thrived under her care. And then there were the trees. Lots of trees.

Some of the trees in our yard my father planted… apple and plum and cedar. But most of the trees were already there when we moved in. In fact, it was the attractiveness of the yard, with all its flowers and plants that first attracted my mother to this place. Including the trees. It was like they had grown there in anticipation of being loved by her, by all our family.

The first of these trees that I remember was a stately pecan tree. It grew very close to our back door. It was very tall, towering over our two-story home. Its limbs sort of embraced the back of our house. Its shade cooled the exterior, and provided a wonderful place for social gatherings. In my mind I can still see family reunions, neighborhood parties, special celebrations, yard sales and picnics—all being enjoyed under the shade of that noble old pecan. I don’t know its age, but it must have been ancient to be as large as it was. In addition to its shade, it annually provided us with a rich harvest of nuts, tons of leaves to rake in the fall, and hours of rest under its shade. My bedroom was at the rear of the house, so I grew up looking out at the world through its boughs. You might say that much of my early view of life was seen through the branches of this pecan tree. My perspectives and attitudes were colored by the greens and yellows of its leaves, framed by the wintry bareness of its branches. I loved, and still love, that old tree.

We had other nut trees. Not too far from one corner of the house was an English walnut. I can still see its yellow foliage in autumn. I can still recall the pungent odor of its leaves when crushed in my curious hands. And I remember when it fell, toppled by a high wind. In a valiant effort at life, the trunk produced small branches with gigantic leaves the next summer. But it was a futile attempt, and sadly the trunk had to be cut down. Stretching out from the trunk of the English walnut was a grape vine that produced a deliciously sour grape. It made excellent juice and jelly. This vine ran from the English walnut straight back through the yard until it almost touched the trunk of another walnut tree, a black walnut tree this time. No child should grow up without playing with the grimy, messy, slimy husks of a black walnut. What loads of dirty fun! I think that black walnuts may be a good symbol of life. You have to get through all the junk and crud to get at the meat, the yummy kernels of joy in life.

In our front yard there was a handsome old cedar. It was ancient enough that there were no branches anywhere near the ground. They were all very high up. This tree also suffered damage from a wind storm. We had the remnants of a hurricane come through. However, by the time the system reached Richmond, its worse winds were mostly spent and, oddly enough, only blowing at tree top level. We felt nothing at ground level, but up in the trees there was whistling and wailing as the winds rocked the tops of the trees back and forth. This old cedar fought the winds with resolve. But it was a losing battle. The very top of the tree broke off, its future now determined forever. It would not grow to any greater heights. But there was different fate in store for this patrician plant. For years we watched as a wisteria vine climbed its way up the height of this cedar until it reached the very top. And then when the wisteria would bloom! My! What an incredible sight. A lavender sheet of floral flame from ground to treetop glory. You may think I exaggerate, but I do not. We actually used to have people stop, pull their cars over, and get out just to gaze on this botanical wonder. It was truly awesome.

It occurs to me that this cedar also has a life lesson for us. Sometimes the hurricane forces of life seem to cut us off, block our growth, and kill our potential to reach the high places of life. But God in His great wisdom always has a better plan. Our stifled potential may only be an opportunity for great beauty to be produced in our lives. How awesome is our God!

I must hasten on if I am to even briefly mention some of the other trees in this child’s garden of Eden. There was the damson tree with its sweet fruit. (If you don’t know what a damson is, just imagine a small plum-like fruit.) There was a gorgeous apple tree, with the most delicious apples I have ever eaten. What dear memories I have of throwing apples in juvenile mock wars, mouth-watering fried pies, and soothing hugs amidst tearful wails given to lessen the pain of yellow jacket stings—all gifts of this kindly tree. There was the red bud tree with its heart-shaped leaves, exotic seed pods, and purplish blossoms. This must have been a very old red bud, for its trunk was thick and its branches sturdy. It was the perfect climbing tree for a young child. It stood in a comely row, between a majestic holly and a gorgeous crepe myrtle. What a charming tree that crepe myrtle was. And how I miss those hot-pink blossoms that announced the midpoint of summer, a cheerful sight on muggy days that were otherwise miserable. (I know I shouldn’t say this—I should be thankful for all seasons—but I do hate the heat of summer. I often say, I know I don’t want to go to hell. I can’t even tolerate July!)

Perhaps that book on historic trees is not the only reason trees are prominent in my mind right now. Lately, life has been somewhat chaotic. The past few months have been very busy… seminars, classes, preaching, traveling. I have done quite a bit of counseling. There have been people struggling with discouragement, depression and emotional trauma. And I often have felt very stressed. But then I remember, the words of the Psalmist, speaking of the man who walks a righteous spiritual path….

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which brings forth fruit in season, his leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.”

And then I remember, that despite all the winds and storms of life, there is a sureness and steadfastness to be found in trusting in our great God… the Lord of life who created trees. It gives me hope and confidence. The One who made the oak also made me. And He will carry me through this time of stress and busyness. I can rely on Him.

And so…

I think I will go out into the woods, far from all people and traffic and human noise, and find a tree. I will sit in its shade, lean against it solid trunk, and learn of strength from its steadfast stand. I will let its leafy arms shield me from the blowing worries of life. I will revel in the beauty of its branches. And I will worship the God who wisely made trees.

It’s The Right Thing To Do

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Do you recall the Quaker Oats commercial from a few years back? Wilford Brumley, mustachioed and rugged looking in his jeans and cowboy hat, lauds the virtues of oatmeal. Listening to him, you’d think oatmeal was a panacea for all ills, an ambrosia sent down from Olympus to cure mankind. And he’d always finish his spiel by saying, “It’s the right thing to do.” I like that slogan. It’s like Nike’s “Just do it.” I wish some Christian group had come up with it first.

I guess I like “It’s the right thing to do” so much because in very succinct terms it captures the essence of so much spiritual truth. Much of the Christian life could be summed up in this phrase. There are commands and instructions and obligations that God gives us in His word and expects us to do. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. We should obey and do these things not because they make sense to us, not because they are easy, not because we enjoy doing them, and most certainly not because everyone else is doing them. (In fact, most of time others are not doing them.) We should do them because God says so… and Father really does know best! However, I have observed that there is a tendency among Christian believers to willfully disobey God’s clear instructions, and then justify their disobedience with excuses that seem reasonable, at least to them. Allow me to illustrate with a few real life situations.

A good while back, several years in fact, we had someone come by our church in Pennsylvania seeking a handout. If you were to hang around any church for a time you would become accustomed to this experience. Needy people (or sometimes people pretending to be needy) are commonplace. And churches are a ready source of help. However, this particular fellow was not a model example of someone you would want to help. He seemed to think we owed him something. He was a tad surly, and not very pleasant. Yet, despite his demeanor, in Christian charity we still tried to help him. One of things he asked for was food. We prepared several sandwiches for him. He requested a soda (or “pop” in Pennsylvanese). The only thing we had available were some cans of Sprite, but we got together what we had. However, when we gave him the sandwiches and the soft drinks, you could tell by the expression on his face he was not happy with our offerings. He left huffily, grumbling as he went. Then as he went around the corner of the building, we saw him throw the sandwiches in the bushes and drop the bag of pop in the dirt.

You can imagine our irritation. We were right in the middle of busy project for the church. Time was pressing. But we sacrificed our time and energy (and food) to help this man in need. And that sacrifice, given in compassion, was spurned and disdained. It was enough to make you want to ignore the next charity case that would come along. In such a situation, your own flesh rises up and says forget this charity stuff. It’s not worth it.

Another illustration comes from a conversation I had with someone a few years back. I remember we were talking about the Decalogue’s injunction to “Honor your father and your mother.” The person I was talking with is a knowledgeable and sound Bible teacher. But he was curious about some of the material he was using as a reference source. This material, although stating the plain sense of the command, spent quite a bit of time emphasizing the need for parents to be honorable. The author of this material focused much of his teaching on parental responsibility towards their children. He stressed how important it was for parents to have such integrity and character that their children will want to honor them. Considering America’s many instances of child abuse, the huge number of dysfunctional families we have, and the explosive statistics showing that our families are in real crisis, it seems that this author has a valid point. Perhaps we should reread the Ten Commandments, especially number 5, with a view to the current social and domestic realities. Can children really be expected to honor their parents when their parents are not in the least honorable?

The third situation comes out of another conversation with a Christian businessman. This occurred many years ago, but it is still fresh in my mind. I remember this man discussing the side jobs he did in addition to his regular work. He bragged about the fact he was paid for these jobs in cash, and never reported them on his income tax. His justification seemed reasonable. After all, isn’t our government corrupt, run by immoral politicians who only abuse their office? And doesn’t the government spend our taxes on things that we object to as Christian believers? Doesn’t the state fund abortion? And immoral sex education programs? And welfare programs that only foster laziness? And trade with godless regimes, such as Red China? In view of such gross abuse of public funds, it would appear that to withhold tax revenue from Washington is really a righteous act. Isn’t it?

Three situations. Three suggested solutions. Forget helping the needy, the church is only exploited by ungrateful people. Honor your parents, but only when they are honorable. Forget paying your taxes, the government doesn’t deserve them.

Sound godly? Seem righteous?

It’s not. It is the height of hypocritical, disobedient rebellion. It is sin.

God did not say, give to those are sophisticated, noble and polished. He did not even say give to those who are grateful and appreciative. He did say, “Do not forget the poor!”

God did not say for us to honor our parents when they seem to us to be deserving of honor. Instead he said something very simple and straightforward: “Honor your parents.”

God did not say to pay taxes when the government is pure and holy. He did say, “Provide things honest in the sight of all men,” and “Give taxes to whom taxes are due.”

That is His word. These are His commands. They are not conditional expectations, they are the forthright, plain mandates of God to His children. He doesn’t expect us to engage in sanctimonious casuistry, or seek philosophical justifications for why we should or should not heed certain commands. He just expects us to obey.

Why should we obey? Mainly because God has commanded these things. He is God, the Almighty, the Lord, and what He says goes. ’Nuff said. That’s it.

Also, I should obey because THE FATHER really does know best. When He straightforwardly mandates an action for me to do, a behavior He expects from me, I can count on it not only fulfilling His righteous commands but that it is the best possible course of action for me personally. I always benefit when I obey Him. What He expects of me is always for my good, as well as doing right by and for others. You can’t go wrong doing what God asks you to do.

But yet, there is a further reason. I should obey because I am His child. If I am truly born again, truly regenerated, and truly changed by a personal encounter with the living Jesus Christ, then I am to live and act accordingly. I do what is right because of who I now am in Jesus. I obey because I am His. And since I belong to Him, He expects me to do His will.

Let’s apply this concept to our three situations. The ungrateful man who trashed the food we gave him: Should I refuse to give to others because they also might be ungrateful? No. I don’t give to them because they are appreciative of my compassion. I give to them because I am an obedient child of God. Should parents be people of integrity and worthy of honor? Certainly. But I don’t honor my parents because they are worthy of honor. I honor them because I am told to do so, and to obey this command is to make me an honorable person. Is the government too often corrupt and evil? Yes, indeed. But the character of the government is not at issue when it comes to paying taxes. God tells His children to yield to civil authority and to show honor to authorities, specifically in the matter of finances (see Romans 13:1-7). I pay taxes not because politicians are men of character, but because I am a person of character.

I must treat my neighbor, my parents, my leaders in a certain way because God says so. And I do so not because of who they are, but because of who I am. I do this, I obey His commands, because it is the right thing to do!