Leap of Faith

Is air travel now a leap of faith?

 

That was a headline I read this morning in the aftermath of recent catastrophic air disasters. For me, the answer would be yes, as it always has been.  Every time I sit on a plane and its engines are powered up for takeoff, I wonder, "how does this thing get off the ground?"  I'm sure a physicist or aeronautical engineer could explain the balance of thrust, speed, and lift necessary to get that plane in the air, but for me, it is always a leap of faith to trust into the hands of God what I do not always understand. (I doubt that I am the only one praying as the plane rumbles down the runway.)

 

We live in a very dangerous world...a world where human life is not always valued...a world where tragedy and heartache seem to be familiar companions.  Technology brings the news of these terrible events to our laptops, smartphones, and tablets with an immediacy that makes the loss and the threat more familiar and more personal.  One can be tempted to live in fear of all that goes on and therefore be captured by the tools of terror our enemies wield.  

 

Air travel will always have an element of danger associated with it, even under the best of circumstances.  So too will automobile travel, even pedestrian journeys.  Knowing the dangers, yet trusting the Lord in any circumstance, is taking that leap of faith.  Perhaps we would do well to embrace the Psalmist's words; "Lord, I give myself to you; my God, I trust you. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. I trust you all day long." (Psalm 25:1,5 NCV)  Every day, in every circumstance...Lord, I trust you all day long.

 

I had the privilege of meeting Jeri Sager this afternoon.  She is a delightful person who is graciously giving of her time and talent to return to Westwood and help us celebrate our 50th anniversary year.  Her concert tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. will feature some of the music of Broadway that has brought her critical acclaim.  This concert is a gift we offer our community so take a moment if you have not done so already, and invite a friend to join you for this very special time.  It's going to be a great night!

 

As you step our your door today, wherever you are going, take that leap of faith, and trust the Lord, all day long.

 

Jim Abernathy  

The Wonder of the Creator

Humans have been fascinated with the heavens since the first time they looked up into the night sky.  On July 20, 1969, at 10:56 EDT, that fascination reached a new high when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed and then walked on the moon.  "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Armstrong said as he set foot where no human had ever been before.  Others followed Aldrin and Armstrong to the moon and to many space shuttle flights in the years to come.  Political and financial challenges have slowed our space travel of late, but not our fascination.  There is still something about the moon and stars, space travel, even commercial airline travel that gives rise to our wonder about the heavens.

 

Yesterday, we were reminded of the dangers of that fascination, as 298 people died in the crash of Malaysian Air flight 17.  There have been many aviation crashes through the years, from small private planes to jumbo jets, even space shuttles.  Technology and human advancement have helped us better understand the causes of these tragic events, and though satellite data and other intelligence are painting a clearer picture of what happened yesterday, one still wonders how something like this could happen...how could human beings so callously bring down a passenger plane by firing a missile.  We are still sorting the details from this tragic event, and given the current political climate and armed conflict in the region, we may not know for some time, if ever, the true story of what happened.  But whether a calculated move or misidentification of a passenger jet for a military target, we have once again been captured by the jarring reality of the dangerous world in which we live.  From the skies to the warring terrains in Gaza, Iraq, and Afghanistan, there is continuing evidence of the destruction of human conflict.  To look up or to look around us, it seems, as one respected national journalist said this morning, "These are very dangerous times in our world."   

 

Given the twenty-four hour news cycles that amplify these dangers and at times, fan the flames of our anxieties and our disagreements, one can be captured by the scenes of destruction and the continuing dialogue from so-called experts about what it all means.  I would not advocate an ostrich, head-in-the-sand, approach that simply ignores this seemingly unending stream of information and misinformation, but to filter what comes through scripture, inspired by the One who set the stars in place, created the varied landscapes of the world about us, and gave us the ability to think and make decisions.  "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear..."  We need to hear these opening words from Psalm 46 today, and any day when the threats of the world shake and rattle us.  Faith does not promise exclusion from the uncertainties and dangers of this world, but faith does promise a presence that empowers the courage to face such uncertainty.  "The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress," the Psalmist concludes.

 

When the Creator wanted to remind Abram of His faithfulness, then and in the future, He invited Abram to gaze upon the night sky, likening the number of Abram's descendants to the unnumbered stars in the heavens.  Tragedy in the skies over The Ukraine and the continuing conflicts in numerous places around the world make us wonder about what tomorrow holds for our world, and for us.  Perhaps, if you can find a place with little artificial light this evening, it might be a needed exercise in faith to step out into the darkness, look up, and begin to count the stars in the sky.  After a few moments, maybe you, like Abram, can be reminded of the wonder of the Creator whose promises can overcome our fears and whose presence can bring peace to our troubled minds.

 

Jim Abernathy  

The Role of Expectation

There is a little sign hanging on the wall in our kitchen that says, "Help me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am."  The sentiment of the sign speaks to the trusting nature of man's best friend.  As I said in an article a few weeks ago, our miniature schnauzer, Max, always sees the best in everyone, for he never meets a stranger nor seems to remember a harsh word that has been spoken to him.  In his eyes, I am one of those wonderful people who feed, walk, and take care of him and that seems to be enough for him. 

 

The sign also got me thinking about the role of expectation in human relationship.  We tend to spend a great deal of our time trying to live up to the expectations of others.  There is a fair amount of pressure associated with the statement I mentioned above in the context of human relationship.  Help me be the kind of person ____ thinks I am. (You could fill in the blank with the name of any person important to you)  At its best, that kind of statement challenges me to be at my best in a way that encourages others.  At its worst, such a statement makes me a slave to the expectations of others, which quite frankly, aren't always realistic nor achievable. 

 

We are blessed to live in a free nation that celebrates its 238th birthday this July 4th.  This nation continues to be a place of great opportunity and possibility.  It is also a place of wildly varying perspectives and expectations.  We are encouraged subtly and not so subtly through advertising campaigns, changing fashion trends, and political, ideological, and theological expectations to conform to the values of others.  The blessing of freedom is not be held captive, however, to the expectations of others.  Yes, there is a responsibility we have to our nation to be good citizens who take seriously this blessing of citizenship, but there must always be an allowance for different ideas, genuine dialogue, and respect for the perspectives of others, even if it differs from our own. 

 

The late, South African president, Nelson Mandela, once wrote, "To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."  Jesus continually challenged his followers to love, forgive, pray for, and serve others, not as a means of controlling their actions, but exemplifying the best of what God calls each of us to be as children made in God's image. 

 

It's fairly easy to live up to the expectations of my canine friend, Max...not so easy to do so in the world around me.  Perhaps the apostle Paul offers sound advice about expectation when he writes in Romans 12:2,  "Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect." (NCV)  In the grand scheme of things, to work toward honoring God's expectations is indeed the best use of the freedom God has given.

 

Have a safe and blessed 4th of July.

 

Jim Abernathy