Legislative Freedom


The freedom of a child turns first to love.  Innocence demands inclusion for all.  In a child’s heart, there is no separation between us but the surface of our skin.  The child’s heart does not see colors of skin or deviant actions (The blackening of Souls).  The child’s heart does not understand violence born of selfish greed.  And the child’s heart is innocent before God.

But soon comes rules and regulation.  “You shall do this, you should not do that.”  The lack of self discipline demands law.  Innocence, or ignorance, is not a license for deviant behavior.  The love of a child quickly turns to obedience in lieu of punitive action.  And isn’t it tragically necessary.

As it is with the little child, so it is for every man.  Law stands as a wall around everyone.  Law is for the deviant.  Freedom is for those who love.

I spent the night in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan.  I learned about the Chippewa who held this land before the Whites came.  I was curious about the state of the Chippewa Nation in today’s economy.  So I looked up their law.  I was surprised to find a lengthy and comprehensive code of law.  For whatever reason, I did not expect to find the law of the Greeks.  I think I expected to find something more akin to the law of natural order.

But my heart is bruised to find such a free people compelled to recognize the laws of the Greeks.

Gone is innocence.  Hello, the literary form of love. 

“You will do this and you will not do that.  You will accept mechanization and technological order.  You will live in houses.  You will drive cars.  You are compelled to receive the education of the Greeks for your children.  You are compelled to bury your people according to the ordinance of the Modern Age. You are no longer a Free People.”

Yes my heart is bruised for the sake of their loss.  It is the same bruising that comes when I look at the transformation of love to a written code. 

Codes of law are for the deviant.  They are not for those who love without restraint.  Beyond the loss of their Natural Freedom,  they have become like the rest of the world; permanently labeled deviant.  And this by a forceful compulsion beyond the dreams of their ancestors who lived long before the law of the Greeks appeared among them.

There is so much to write about this.  So many understandings flood my mind.  From the fact that law is given to man by the wisdom of God, through the indelible stamp of “Guilty” that lays upon all men, and into the regulation of God to restrain the greed that is the nature of man.

The bruise in my heart is to see the loss of freedom.  Perhaps the bruise in my heart is a longing for the place of promise while I live in this place of disrepair.  Perhaps the bruise in my heart is the same engine the prompts fairy tales for children.  Those beautiful stories that remind the child, “Love is still real”.

Love does not need law.  But if you want to see how deviant man has become, look up the code of law for the Greeks.  Visit a library for lawyers.  Every possible infraction against society, and even ourselves, has been written down with its appropriate boundaries and punishments. 

What then shall we say about those who call themselves “The Free World”?  The love of God in Christ is the only freedom that has no boundaries.  The love of God in Christ is the only freedom against which there is no law.  The love of God in Christ is the Light that shows me the bruise on my heart.  It is, indeed, a longing for a land from which I did not come.

If you want to see what shook my soul to write these words, here is the link.  http://www.narf.org/nill/codes/sault_ste_marie/

Beginning of the End


Think hard about the following.

Right now I don’t care what the theologian says.  Right now I perceive far beyond my perception.  I write this for my sake (whatever the years may bring).  If it is at all useful to others may the Lord bless as his wisdom dictates.
__________________

It began as a joke; a singular break with eternal love.  A demeaning of another’s position; that which was given to every creature according to the wisdom of God for the fullness of life.  Laughter filled the air in a certain place.  Perhaps, even the one that was demeaned saw the humor for a moment.  But division was born.

A small distortion of truth began the dissension of unity.  A lie gave birth to death.  And didn’t death give birth to laughter?

Who did this?  Didn’t Jesus tell us?  “. . .He is the father of lies.”  Eventually 1/3 followed him.

Do you want to see his handiwork?  Take a good look at humanity.  See how prejudice rules with an iron fist.  See how ridicule is so dearly beloved.  Sarcasm is a breastplate of shining jewels, and how proud is the one who weilds it with a deft mind. [Don Rickles the king of demeaning]

Color, culture, history, ability, social position, economic status, political affiliation, nationality, and doesn’t the list seems endless.  Love does not do these things.

We laugh at one another’s faults because every man is full to overflowing with them.  But how quickly the laughter turns to murder.

BEGINNING OF ETERNITY

See how “the ones” go back to the things of a baby.

See how the colors of red and blue are new.

See how innocence begins to develop.

Because they heard the whisper from You.

Discord dissipates.

Acceptance is embraced.

And how the faithful hateful lie,

Is by Love replaced.

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4)

By His grace;
By His grace,
By His grace!

? Which of these don’t fit together


What attribute of Christ do I see people needing most?

Godly patience to replace their lethal greed.

Desire for Cleansing


I have noticed that the more familiar I am with the righteousness of God, the more blatant the wickedness of this world appears.

And the more aware of God’s mercy I become, the easier it is to look past the profane.  It’s not as if I don’t see it any longer, but it’s more like I can more easily ignore it.  Like the man who constantly lives with a barrage of flies, you kinda get used to the irritation.

People can say what they want about Lot.  They can ridicule his choice of dwelling.  But I understand what was written about him; how his righteous soul was tormented, day and night, by the wickedness he saw all about him.

How I wish the American church would put away the soft soap gospel, and bring out the bar of lye.

Seasons of the Moment


The body says,
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The peace of God in my soul says,
“Ah.”

And the winter of life turns into a week on a Caribbean island.

Talk About My Dog


People ask me what kind of dog I have in the truck.  I tell them it’s a hairy dog that sheds.  But how I would love to tell them what I’m really thinking.

“Why do you ask me what kind of dog it is?  I think it’s visually obvious.  It’s a dog with a hairy body.  That’s what kind of dog it is.”

What they want to do is strike up a conversation with the owner of the dog.  Got it.  But why can’t we talk about things that really matter?

I’m not into social competition.  BECAUSE: No matter what I say, someone’s bound to judge me.  If I do drugs, the druggies love me, but the straight folks despise me.  If I’m a straight dude the druggies hate me.

If I say something vile, the vile will love me.  If I keep my mouth separate for pure words, the vile despise me.  And often times before I open my mouth I am hated simply because I exist.

The question about the dog has to do with competition.  If the dog is of “special” breed then the conversation is noteworthy and admirable.  But if its just a hairy dog that sheds, there is no value to the conversation at all.  The speaker goes away empty-handed and disillusioned.  The people aren’t interested in me.  They’re searching for noteworthy information.

This is true with everything that man has or doesn’t have.  This is why I am not into social competition, and I sincerely prefer to speak of heaven and the Holy Son of the Living God.  But no one asks me, “What kind of God do you worship”.

The funny thing is, apparently no one but me even thinks about this.  Really, is it funny?