That’s Not Fair!

Posted on September 8, 2009 by Robert Franklin

fairness

One of the most difficult lessons we have attempted to teach in our household, is the truth, “Life is not fair and we don’t really want it to be.” All three of my children have looked at me with unbelief, disdain and indeed incredulity. Our deliverace of the “fairness” speech almost always accompanies some perceived injustice, some apparent inequity that should immediately be “righted.” The thought that “fairness” is not desirable is all together repugnant in such instances.

Let’s consider fairness for just a moment. “Fairness” would ensure that all things would be equal. If one person received a gift, everyone would receive a gift. If one person were to become ill, everyone would become ill. If one person were rewarded for personal industry all persons would be rewarded for personal industry, regardless of whether or not the industry was worthwhile or of particular value. Poverty would be the rule for all, for as soon as someone gathered more than need demanded either everyone would be likewise provisioned or that which was gain would be taken away for the sake of fairness. Fairness remands individuality and demands that uniqueness be discouraged.

God is not fair. He favored Noah (Genesis 6.8); he set apart Abram (Genesis 12.1-3); he made an exclusive covenant with Israel (Exodus 19.5-6); his call of love is to everyone but few are rescued (Matthew 7.13-14; 2 Peter 1.9-11). If God were fair my present rebellious acts would meet the same end as those involved in the rebellion of Korah (Numbers 16.31-35), and I would be a pile of ashes.
I am glad that I live in a world that is not fair. I am glad I serve a God whose mercy towards me is renewed every morning and whose first response to my wretchedness is grace.

This is a reality worth living and the message I have the privilege of bringing this upcoming Sunday.

It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! (Titus 3:3-7, The Message)

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Book Review: Tuck

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Robert Franklin

 

tuck

Time for a little levity! My favorite author, by far, is Stephen R. Lawhead. I have been following him for many years and have purchased as many of his books as I can lay hands on. For the past ten years or so, he has focused his writing on historical fiction. I can’t get enough of this genre. I love history and I love a good story, so what could be better? I was in the bookstore picking up some more “weighty” material last week and by chance saw this newest addition to Lawhead’s publishing shelf.

Tuck is the third in the King Raven Trilogy and is a retelling (or perhaps a first telling) of the Robin Hood story. For those who think that nothing more of substance could be added to the legend of the “wee band of merry men” think again. Lawhead sets the story in mid/late Medieval Wales and masterfully weaves the practical and political struggles of the Welsh of the day into what he presents as the original story from which the later Robin Hood tales arise.

The whole trilogy is well-written (although I have noticed that editorial errors are becoming more and more common in contemporary literature and each of the three books suffers from at least one or two minor editorial oversights). The gospel of Jesus is masterfully made part of the realities of the story in all three books. None of the books are “religious” and are written for the common market and not just the religious booksellers. All three books serve as testimony to the opportunity followers of Christ have to make great art.

I highly recommend the whole trilogy to any who enjoy a fast-paced, historically-based, God-honoring piece of literature.

“I think Bloody William wants to talk,” replied Llewelyn.

“I say we give an arrow in the eye and let that do our talking for us,” declared Gruffydd. He nudged Llewelyn beside him. “Your aim is true, Cousin; let fly and we’ll see that rascal off right smart.”

“No!” said Tuck, pressing forward. “Begging your pardon, my lords, I do believe he wants to beg terms of peace.”…

When King William and his knights rode into the fortress yard at midday, Bran and his people were ready to receive them. Bran, with Merian on one hand and Tuck on the other, was flanked by Iwan and Siarles on the right , and Will Scarlet and Alan a’Dale on the left. Behind him were other members of the Grellon—

Lawhead, Stephen R. Tuck. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers © 2009. ISBN 9781595540874. Quotations from pp. 415, 419

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A Grand Offense

Posted on September 3, 2009 by Robert Franklin
House on Parkside Drive

House on Parkside Drive

Many are aware that my family sold our home and moved to much smaller quarters. I wrote briefly about the move in “Moved.” A recent development has taken me by surprise. A little more than two weeks ago people began coming to me and asking if I had seen “what they did you your house.” At first I was alarmed because I was unaware of anything bad happening to the “condominimum” where we now reside. After a brief second of panic, I realized that my concerned friends were speaking about the house we sold.

It seems that, in spite of the buyer’s numerous pre-sale declarations otherwise, that the landscaping we left in place was not to taste. So the owner had it removed…all of it. The fifteen foot Bartlett pear tree, gone; the eight foot purple lilac, gone; seven foot crab apple, gone. Tulips, lambs ear, daffodils…you guessed it all gone and much more besides. I ran into my longtime next door neighbor by chance and he expressed how scandalized he was as he expected me to bear a grand offense to his new neighbor’s public repudiation of Michelle’s and my eight years of hard work and creativity and monetary investment.

I first honored my neighbor for his fine yard and repeated to him yet again that my family’s great objective was to not embarrass him since his yard was far superior in every way. I then told my former neighbor that the house and the yard was no longer mine. I don’t own it and have no control over it and am not even in a position to proffer an opinion as to what the new owner decides to do; the house on Parkside Drive is not my home.

It put me in mind of the reality in which I live every day. All around me folk are upset about this and the other thing, some get really exercised about how things “look.” After nearly thirty-five years of following Jesus, I finally am getting around to understanding that this world is not my home. I live here, but here is not my destination, nor is here where my treasure lies. My temporary home is on Lynn Lane where my family gathers to eat, sleep and shower. My permanent home is currently under construction and I will enjoy the fragrance of the flowering lilac, the beauty of the blooming crab apple and the shade of the Bartlett pear forever and ever. I look forward to home more and more every day and thus become less and less offended every day about things not being left the way I put them, my plans and efforts falling shy of perfection or my labors falling prey to someone else’s vision.

It is a good thing to have the assurance of hope-in-truth.

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” (Hebrews 13:14, NLT)

By the way, I am convinced that the new owners investment in new landscaping will, in time, supersede my own and people will look at the house once again and say, “What a pretty place.”

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Video from 5/09 Uganda Trip

Posted on September 2, 2009 by Robert Franklin

My friend and coworker, Tyler Andrew, edited and compiled this first of several videos we hope to make available.  We were really impressed by his work and hope all who see it feel the same!

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Getting Personal

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Robert Franklin

contradictionSometimes I wonder at myself. I am a walking contradiction. I need to be around and interact with people and yet I am an extremely private person who enjoys time alone. I get wrapped up in the pages of well written fiction, but I am also fiercely pragmatic about almost everything in my life. My core is built around the truth of God’s existence and the reality of relationship with the Divine through Jesus Christ and yet often I trudge through my day without doing anything of substance to deepen intimacy with my Lord and Savior.

I see my reflection and shake my head.

I am responsible to encourage people to pursue God. My vocation requires me to help others deal with the daily triumphs and trials of life from an eternal perspective. I am both keeper and gateway of truths passed down from generation to generation. It is my charge to communicate God’s words in a relevant and clear manner. I find myself often pointing over my shoulder in the general direction of truth rather than walking with a friend to converse with Jesus.

I am convinced and convicted this may not continue.

I have already shared with my friends at Main Street that God was brutally clear in revealing that my inclination to speak in pointed generalities was not helpful. My aversion to being direct so that I could protect myself from the hurt of rejection was disobedience. My refusal to be unelaborated has robbed genuine seekers of the tools they need to join in what Jesus promises is the abundant life.

As much as I still feel it unsafe to say, it is time to get personal. This upcoming Sunday I will be introducing Main Street to a “trip ’round town square.” We will use four simple “errand stops” to illustrate how every person can begin a relationship with God through Jesus and then to consistently grow in and deepen that relationship. I believe with all my being that God is calling out those who belong to him to come and follow now and I want to all I can to help my friends to understand exactly how to respond to that call.

Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11, NLT)

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I Disabled My Firewall—Life is Great!

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Robert Franklin

pcmag_firewalls_portsLike most members of the educated cyber world, I am deathly afraid of either being hacked or contracting some nasty computer bug. I went for nearly twenty years without a binary-based infection before finally inadvertently letting a computer Trojan loose on my machine this past year. The cure cost $100 and it took an entire day to rid myself of some evil person’s warped software creation. I don’t want to repeat the experience any time in the next twenty years.

I have always been computer cautious and my computer was protected with everything but bubble wrap just a few days ago. My OS platform, however, was continually slowing down and increasingly getting unstable. I did research and attempted to do all the correct updates to no avail. I even experienced the “blue screen of death” several times in the past month. It is never a good thing when a computer apologizes and then tells you it is doing a dump (I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP!). To add to my injury Pandora stopped working and my computer resident media player stuttered continually. No tunes at work was simply too much to bear.

Out of desperation, I started turning my protection suite off. Each program that I shut down resulted in much better computer performance and then I found the mother lode! I turned off my firewall and now my internet browser screams, my music no longer stutters, my stations on Pandora are working. LIFE IS GREAT!

I am very happy but my computer is at some level of yet unknown risk.

As a human, I am compelled to protect myself as much as possible from pain and hurt. Since people are proficient at conveying both pain and hurt I have installed barriers and obstacles to restrict access to my heart. The system I keep in place slows my compassion response time considerably and makes me suffer under the unstable system of skepticism.

Hiding behind my “firewall” is not the way to follow Jesus. Instead of remaining in the heavens and speaking from the sky God spoke in person to Jacob, Jeremiah and John. Instead of doing his work by command from the safety of his throne, God walked with Adam, Abram and Andrew.

God set the standard for love without protective measure. That love lives inside me, and so down comes my firewall and I now live happy and my heart is at some level of yet unknown risk.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:9-10, NLT)

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