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Being in community with others means you share in their joys and their sorrows. Sometimes the sorrows come in tsunami waves and all you can do is care, pray and be present. Good and decent people deal with financial, emotional and physical suffering all around us and it is easy to lose heart. The news seems to be only tragedy and heartbreaking sadness. What can be redeemed of all of this suffering?

A song called “The Hurt and the Healer” by MercyMe resonated when I first heard it but now that same song ministers much deeper in my soul recently.

Why?
The question that is never far away
The healing doesn’t come from the explained
Jesus please don’t let this go in vain

I can’t explain why things happen. Sometimes it is sin. Sometimes it is simply life. I have learned in my years of following Jesus that He does not let suffering go in vain. I have seen over and over how God redeems sadness and tragedy. He does bring beauty out of ashes. When I cannot see how any good can come out of a trial I trust my Abba Father in faith. Believe me I don’t “feel” that but I can move forward in faith. God has never let me down. And I believe He never will.

Breathe
Sometimes I feel it’s all that I can do
Pain so deep that I can hardly move
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You
Lord take hold and pull me through

Most of us have been there at some point. If not, you will be someday. Peter talked about the inevitability of suffering in this life in a passage that we usually leave out of the brochure when we tell others about our faith. All of us who follow Jesus are going to suffer.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. (1 Peter 4, NLT)

Count me among the brethren who tried to dance around this truth for as long as I could. Be very glad? Seriously? But when you have nowhere else to turn but to Christ you find out that you should have turned to Him first all along.

So here I am
What’s left of me
Where glory meets my suffering

I’m alive
Even though a part of me has died
You take my heart and breathe it back to life
I’ve fallen into your arms open wide
When the hurt and the healer collide

Jesus meets you there and not in theory. He suffered. He agonized with God the Father. He knows the human condition. He has already been where you are. When the hurt and the Healer collide something amazing happens. The pain may not immediately go away but peace and hope begin to slowly heal the pain. Peter did not end his writing on suffering with the buzz kill of Chapter 4. He wrapped it in a bow of incredible hope in the next chapter.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. (1 Peter 5, NLT)

That is a promise that we can hold on to in times of sorrow and suffering. I am trusting that promise this week for myself and my friends who are hurting.

Another sad Monday in our country and the world. I don’t want to just sit in paralyzed sorrow. I want to be a part of the solution.

I am amazed at the power of music and lyric to move my heart and soul. Today a tune from Casting Crowns touched my heart. One or two lyrical thoughts can have more impact than a beautifully written article or book. The song “Jesus, Friend of Sinners” has a number of those powerful lyrics.

Jesus Friend of sinners we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing

Ouch. How much damage has been done in the name of Christ by well-meaning or by just mean churchgoers? The toll is heartbreaking. Truly that sword was never ours to wield. The next few lines are just as powerful.

Jesus friend of sinners the truth’s become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they’re tripping over me

Nothing breaks my heart more than the thought that seekers of truth are tripping over me. I fear that my need to look good and righteous will disguise my desperate need for grace and the Gospel.

Jackie DeShannon sang that what the world needs most is love sweet, love. That is true with an addendum. What the worlds needs most is love sweet love…and the grace of God. I can never live a life that is so perfectly good that people will see Jesus. But I can live a life that is honest, full of grace, love and kindness and from that life they might see Him.

As Jesus faced the horror of the Cross He offered this command to His disciples.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (John 14, NLT)

I ask myself as I write these words. Does my love prove that I am a follower of Jesus? Does my heart reveal that I comprehend the magnitude of His grace? What the world needs now is the love of Jesus demonstrated selflessly and without agenda by the community of believers. Collectively we can make a difference. Or we can contribute to the pain.

In a earlier article I outlined my prayer for my life.

• To try and see everyone through the eyes of Jesus because my eyes are prejudiced and prideful.
• To try and love them like Jesus because my love is selfish.
• To try and see that no one misses out on the message of grace, identity, acceptance and one-way love that is offered as a free gift of grace by the finished work of Jesus on the Cross.
• To let them others know that my relationship with Jesus and His grace has changed my life, given my life purpose, given me strength to endure tragedy, and real hope for the future.
• To be gentle in relating the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in every situation and mired in any sin. My goal is to introduce them to Jesus and let them work it out together while walking with them in grace and love.
• To exhibit grace and forgiveness to those who attack me for not sharing their views.
• To freely dispense the grace of the living Christ to everyone I come in contact so that I can be salt and light to my little circle of influence.
• To try to never be surprised or repulsed by the actions of those who do not have a relationship with Jesus. The Lord Himself was always gentle with sinners and always tough on religious hypocrites. We have reversed his example far too often. We are too tough on sinners and too gentle with the hypocrites.
• To try and give generously of my time and treasure to those who have not been as materially blessed in my neighborhood, my country, and around the world.
• To let people know that I love Jesus and I am not at all ashamed of that fact.

None of those are possible without leaning fully on the grace of Jesus everyday.

The world is hurting today. Millions of people are confused and scared. I believe that God can heal, give hope and calm fears. My assignment is love others. Not just those like me. Everyone who needs the grace of God. And that, I believe, is everyone.

The events in my adopted home state of Texas have been heartbreaking. But I have never been more proud to be an adopted Texan. The response of our police officers and those who were peacefully expressing their views were both extraordinary. The response of the community did not surprise me. Contrary to some national stereotypes, Dallas is a truly good place with all of the flaws of a major city but with something in her heart that gives me hope for healing.

Pastor TD Jakes voiced a powerful prayer at Thanksgiving Square near the site of the horror.

“We are being tested down to the core. Not just to see – can we survive the atrocities that have confronted us last night, but to see if we will rebound and reinvigorate ourselves in such a way that we come up a better city than we were before. What we faced in Dallas did not start in Dallas. It is a reflection of our country, of our times, of cities around the world and around our country…are in peril. I’ve been asked to pray for the nation, but before I do I just want to tell you that like many of you, I have been up most of the night. I found it very difficult to rest in my own bed, almost impossible to sleep on my own pillow. About 2:30 in the morning I text a friend of mine and I said: I am sleepless in Dallas. But then I realized that they were sleepless in Ferguson, that they were sleepless in Baltimore, that they are sleepless in Louisiana, that they are sleepless in Milwaukee. Then I had to confess to the fact that many of us do not recognize pain until it’s on our front porch. As we come together today we cannot be oblivious to the plight of this nation. We cannot turn our head the other way when tragedy strikes someone who votes differently, or dresses differently, or speaks differently or even believes differently. For the tragedy that we ignore today will be on our doorstep tomorrow. We must pray for our nation.”

We must change our dialogue and I am challenging myself and followers of Jesus to lead the way. We can no longer be indifferent to the racial wounds in this nation. The indifference of the church and Christians is a hole in the fence that allows evil to crawl through unencumbered.

I do not understand the pain that my black brothers and sisters live with every day. But I want to listen. I am no longer interested in rationalizing my own “non-racist” resume. It doesn’t matter. The fact that men and women of color are hurting and feeling marginalized in this great nation makes my heart hurt. Can we finally begin to sit down, talk, and actually listen?

I recalled how Jesus looked over the beloved city of Jerusalem and wept at what He saw.

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. (Luke 19:41-42)

Today I pray that all people would understand the way to peace. I am begging God that it not be too late and that we, as the community of believers, will open our eyes. I am praying that believers of all colors in this community will lead the way.

Today I am asking God for the courage to take a different path. I am asking Him to help me be a light in a sad and dark moment. I am sick of the divisive rhetoric and I am not going to be a part of it. Enough!

Jesus told His followers that we are to be a light to those around us.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Sometimes I don’t feel much like a light to the world. I feel more like the dimmest bulb in the Church Light Store. A quote from one of my favorite authors gave me hope.

“Imperfection is the only prerequisite for grace. Light only gets in through the cracks.”~ Philip Yancey

For years I tried to patch the cracks with new disciplines and phony masks. Now I own each and every flaw and crack that allows the light of the Gospel into the darkness of my soul. And when I am vulnerable to others they see that light shining right back through those same cracks of imperfection. And suddenly the command of Jesus is not so daunting because it has NOTHING to do with me. It is all about letting the light of the Gospel into my heart and sharing that light with others. Then good deeds flow out of gratitude and not begrudging obligation.

Love one another. Listen. Talk without having to prove yourself right. Tell a police officer that you are grateful for their sacrifice. Love people different from you. Pray for them. Give grace to those you encounter. Pray for those that openly oppose you. Jesus had some words on that topic.

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:43-44, NLT)

Ouch.

That is impossible unless I remember where my light comes from today. When I do remember I can love in a way that reflects the love of Jesus back to a world that could use some light right now.

 Dave Burchett is the Author of Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. A portion of every sale goes to train service dogs for wounded veterans through Patriot Paws.

I love the Fourth of July. My beloved and I had our first unofficial “date” on an Independence Day celebration in Fort Collins, Colorado many, many years ago. A song from Five for Fighting  called “Freedom Never Cries” is timely for this holiday. Writer/singer John Ondrasik has become one of my favorites. Ondrasik writes personal and powerful songs that resonate with me. “Freedom Never Cries” is a song about how we take freedom for granted. Ondrasik talked about the song in an interview posted at liveDaily.

It was definitely a statement song that has a point of view. I think it kind of speaks to the fact that, I know at least for myself, we tend to only appreciate things when we need them. The chorus of that song says “I never loved the soldier until there was a war / Or thought about tomorrow ’til my baby hit the floor.” I know I never started thinking about my future until I had my children. I never talked to God until somebody was about to die. My grandmother passed away last year–she was 93. She had a great life. It’s funny that I tend to find religion when I need it. Or when somebody’s sick. My dad had heart surgery this year, and it’s amazing how religious I was that week. Freedom’s similar. Growing up here in the bubble of the United States, we are statistically lucky to be born into this country where freedom, to us, seems natural. We couldn’t imagine anything else. I think sometimes we don’t recognize that. Freedom never cries. Freedom doesn’t sit in the corner and whine and make us recognize it, per se. I think if you look at the world in general today, many countries don’t experience the same freedom of expression, freedom of religion, women’s rights, freedom of the press that we have. Obviously, that leads to a majority of the world’s conflicts today. I wanted to recognize that, “Hey, freedom has a price, it’s not a gift.” It’s a little reminder to ourselves, we’re some of the lucky ones here.

The song is powerful. And the timing is sobering as we head into the celebration of the struggle to gain the incredible freedoms we have been granted. The freedom to vote. Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech. In a few months we face the awesome responsibility of voting.

Freedom is like your health. You don’t appreciate either one until they are gone.

H.L.Mencen once said, “We must be willing to pay a price for freedom, for no price that is ever asked for it is half the cost of doing without it.” Think about that.

And think about the lyrics of this song.

I never loved the soldier until there was a war
Or thought about tomorrow
’til my baby hit the floor
I Only talk to God when somebody’s about to die
I Never cherished Freedom

Freedom never cries…

Thank God today for the blessing of freedom. Thank God for the men and women who will not be home this holiday as they serve to keep our freedoms intact. I cherish the freedom in America.

I also cherish another kind of freedom.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.  (Galatians 5:1, NASB)

I am tired of waking up determined through grit and discipline to be righteous. Jesus says I already am. I am redeemed. A saint. So I am learning to believe who Jesus says I am and live out of that truth. The good news? It is freedom. Paul gave some great insight into how to live out this freedom that is ours.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Galatians 5:13, NLT)

Cherish both freedoms as a citizen of the United States and as a citizen of heaven. And take neither for granted.

Dave Burchett is the Author of Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. A portion of every sale goes to train service dogs for wounded veterans through Patriot Paws.

Singer Dan Fogelberg was also one of my favorite songwriters. The song that I remember most is a song written about his dad called “Leader of the Band”. His father was a musician and he passed that talent down to Dan. Parts of the lyric made me think of my Dad in his final years..

The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul

I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
And, papa, I don’t think I said ‘I love you’ near enough

My Dad knew how much I loved him. Still I wish I had told him more. But this is the portion of the song that continues to impact me as a son.

My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band

My Dad was a wonderful, kind, loving and flawed man. I have the flawed part down. I hope I am following his legacy of joy, kindness and love that he modeled so well. I realize with each passing year how much the leader of the pack impacted me. Every dad impacts the lives of their children. Children listen only sometimes but they are always watching. My Dad probably never realized how closely I was watching.

The last time I saw my father he left me with a memory that will stay with me till I join him in eternity. His condition had worsened considerably. When I walked into the hospital room Dad’s eyes came alive and he grabbed my hand with an intensity that clearly communicated that he knew me. He stared at me and would often flash that special smile.

Our family had encountered one difficult employee at the hospital. She had done nothing helpful and she had done nothing with a bad attitude. I looked at (my sister) Sherry as I held my Father’s hand and said, “We don’t have to take that crap!” To my surprise out of that shell that was my Dad came a very clear and loud response…”I taught you that!”

Those were his final words that he spoke to me. And yes…you did teach me that Dad. And you taught me a whole lot more. You taught me that all of God’s children are to be valued. That everyone is important and deserves to be treated with dignity.

You taught me the concept of grace. When I was in junior high I somehow manage to establish “credit” at a hobby store. I ran up a debt that was monumental in those days. When you found out I was terrified. But you taught me that grace means unmerited forgiveness for obvious guilt. You taught me there is a difference between mistakes of ignorance and willful wrongdoing. You taught me what forgiveness looks like and what it means for someone to pay for your mistakes when it is undeserved. I got a little foretaste of how Jesus would pay a debt for me that I could not pay later on in my life.

You taught me that humor is a gift from God. That laughing at life and especially at your self makes it a whole lot easier to deal with daily frustrations.

You taught me a lot Dad. And I will be forever grateful. Perhaps most importantly, you taught me what it looks like to be ready to die. You taught me how to put your family at ease by clearly and consistently letting us know that you were ready to meet Jesus.

God’s Word consistently paints an image of God as our Father. Many people struggle with that picture because they can only relate to an angry, dominating or selfish father. I thank God that I was blessed with a father who gave me a clear image of how I can relate to God as my Heavenly Father.

My friend Bart Millard of MercyMe sings a powerful song about seeing his dad when he makes it home to Heaven some day.

I’m gonna wrap my arms around my daddy’s neck, and tell him that I’ve missed him. And tell him
All about the man that I became, and hope that it pleased him. There’s so much I want to say,
There’s so much I want you to know.

When I finally make it home. When I finally make it home.

I am so grateful that I had a dad that helped me to understand the real love of a father and what that means when God says I am His child.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!  –1 John 3:1

That is what we are! A child of God. That is a pretty good thing to meditate on to start another week.

 

Father’s Day is here again and that day is always bittersweet. I am so grateful to be the father of three wonderful sons. I am grateful as I watch my sons being great dads to our grandchildren. But the day also reminds me how much I miss my Dad.

I thought of him as I watched the news today. The current climate in Washington and the selfish agendas of our “representatives” would have driven him nuts. I could almost hear him ranting about the politicians and how we just need someone with common sense in our Nation’s Capital. He earned the right to rant. He was one of the incredible men and women who served our country during World War II. The flag from his military funeral is one of my proudest possessions.

I find myself becoming more like my Dad every day. I dialed up a couple of his favorite songs that I have on iTunes as a musical version of comfort food. The first song was particularly appropriate in the context of today’s news. The world seems to be in a deadly free fall and in previous years I would have been beside myself with frustration and concern. But today I listened to one of my Dad’s favorite songs and felt comfort wash over my soul. The song is called “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” and it was written in 1950 by a traveling preacher named Ara Stanphill. This is a song of trust written during a time of agony and doubt in his life. Stanphill’s wife battled addiction and left him for other men. You could imagine the gossip that flew in that era when a preacher’s wife left to live a life of sin. Yet Stanphill forgave her, tried to reconcile and remained true to his vows. But he was human and he suffered depression and grief. He wondered why God would allow such a fate for a man dedicated to His service. One day he was feeling sorry for himself as he drove. In the book Turn Your Radio On author Ace Collins relates the struggle that Stanphill faced. In the depths of his sadness he began to hum a tune and the next thing he knew he was singing a song. He sang about not knowing what was in the future but knowing that God was with him every step of the way. He rushed to his piano when he arrived at his office and jotted down the words.  I remember hearing Faron Young sing these lyrics on a scratchy vinyl record with my Dad.

I don’t know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don’t borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to grey.
I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

I believe those words. I don’t know why some things happen. I am often angry, frustrated and deeply concerned about what is going on in Washington and around the world. But at the end of the day I put my hope not in politics but in Jesus. I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand. And then I listened to what I would guess was my Dad’s favorite song. He would sing along loudly and I remember that I also inherited my Dad’s lack of singing talent. But his heart believed the words that Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys sang.

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow, my Lord,
no trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me

My Dad is experiencing that today. No more sadness, no sorrow, no troubles. So in the midst of craziness and confusion I hold on to the hope that my Dad believed. I know who holds tomorrow. I know there will be peace in the valley for me some day and that I will see him again. More and more I understand the words that C.S.Lewis wrote.

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

That is what Jesus was saying as He comforted His followers with these words recorded in the Gospel of John.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

So today I choose to trust God for today and sing this little chorus.

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

When I saw my dad for the last time I did not say goodbye. Instead I said “see you later” because I know who holds today, tomorrow and forever.

I remember reading this headline at Yahoo News.

Swearing at work boosts ‘team spirit, morale’

Wouldn’t it be interesting to be at that corporate pep rally?

The story outlined the study.

Regular swearing at work can help boost team spirit among staff, allowing them to express better their feelings as well as develop social relationships, according to a study by researchers. Yehuda Baruch, a professor of management at the University of East Anglia, and graduate Stuart Jenkins studied the use of profanity in the workplace and assessed its implications for managers.

They assessed that swearing would become more common as traditional taboos are broken down, but the key appeared to be knowing when such language was appropriate and when to turn to blind eye.

The pair said swearing in front of senior staff or customers should be seriously discouraged or banned, but in other circumstances it helped foster solidarity among employees and express frustration, stress or other feelings.

I live in an obscenity laced profession. In my regular job of sports television production the “f”-bombs fly in a way that would constitute “shock and awe” for most Christians. I do not use any of the seven words that formerly were never said on TV. My reason is largely unrelated to my faith although I am always reminded of Paul’s incredibly annoying challenge in Ephesians.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4)

But on a professional level I think that language is an issue of civility and intelligence. Using words that are offensive to some demonstrates bad manners and a worse vocabulary. I dislike “second hand cursing” as much as second hand smoke. You know what I am talking about.

You are stuck in public with really loud cell phone guy who is “boosting the office team spirit” with a very loud and profanity laced tirade. I am not interested in his “team building” and I don’t want to hear his five word vocabulary punctuated by one word in particular. Or you find yourself seated by “we really know sports guys” as they do a blue play by play for the entire game. When obscenity becomes your speech habit it is hard to limit such words to “appropriate” times.

Some say that any words other than taking the Lord’s name in vain are merely words. There is some truth to that. Jesus made it clear that what is in our heart is really the issue. So if you have profanity in your heart you might as well let’er rip. Right? Paul again moves from meditation to meddling with some more words to the church at Ephesus.

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephesians 5)

Ouch! I’ll bet the Ephesians were looking for some steel-toed sandals and hoping the next letter from Paul would be delayed in transit. But that makes it pretty clear for a Christian. Words do matter. And I need to get better at this. Perhaps the biggest issue is how do Christians, who clearly are called to a higher standard, react to an increasingly coarse culture? And how do Christians respond to those who oppose them? It is easy to respond in kind.

But here is what Jesus said.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. (Luke 6:35-36, The Message)

For my fellow followers of Jesus I suggest the following. Set a higher standard but don’t be self-righteous about it. Just live it. Never be surprised when sinners sin. Pray for the heart of those who offend.

Concentrate instead on the “g” word.

Grace.

And love them like Jesus. You’ll never—I promise—regret it.