Karen and Clair’s Excellent Travel Adventure Chapter Two

 Day One: Muskegon, Michigan to Norwalk, Ohio (October 1, 2020)

We had to finish packing up what we were leaving and loading what we were taking. It was 2:15 before we finally called it quits and hit the road. I am not proud of the way we left the house for Lucas and Michael. Things were in major disarray and I realized after we were on the road that I forgot to pack up a few things. Karen and I had reached the end of our collective rope, physically and emotionally. Had we worked one minute longer I fear we would have fallen into the pit of despair. So we left.

It had been raining off and on all day. God was good and gave me a short dry period to load the truck and hook the trailer; then it poured again. Our only major traffic slowdown was on US 31 right in Muskegon. Once we hit I-96 we sailed at top speed (trailer puller top speed: 65) all the way to our first stop in Lansing for fuel and potty break. Then we motored to Ottawa Lake, Michigan without even slowing for Ann Arbor (at 5:00!) and took on fuel and grabbed snacks from the trailer.

Ohio slid by with no trouble and we were blessed to arrive at the Sandy Ridge Winery and Mercantile just before they stopped serving in their restaurant. We started with a glass of wine; they had a passable Chablis and a good cabernet each with their own label. No vines were visible, so we assume they ship juice in from elsewhere and do their vintner magic. We shared a delicious plate of pork tenderloin slices bronzed in a mango barbeque served with fried plantains. There was a corn and bean slaw on the plate as well, but we found it too peppery to enjoy. We topped it off with a sea-salt crusted sugar cookie. Num!

We slept soundly through a quiet night on the edge of Sandy Ridge’s parking lot alongside a field of ready-to-pick soybeans. Our over-packed trailer and truck weathered the first day well. Nothing terrible happened in the stacks of stuff in the trailer, and I was pleasantly surprised to get 9.7 mpg in spite of all the extra weight. I think we had a tailwind most of the way; in any case, it was a good first day once we abandoned the drudgery of packing up the house. As I type this, my muscles ache from the last-minute race to finish the storage job, but all-in-all I am happy and looking forward to day two.

Day Two: Norwalk, Ohio to Cumberland, Maryland

We had a quiet night’s sleep next to the soybeans. We pulled out around 9:00 and started south, looking for a place to eat breakfast. Karen spotted a local eatery called Cattleman’s in Savannah, Ohio which turned out to be perfect. Delicious omlette and good coffee (and no mask required). It’s always fun to try the Mom and Pop places along the way. After breakfast we wandered down US 250 to the Interstate system. 70 to 79 to 68 and we were in Cumberland by 5:15.

Our spot on the Harvest Host list for this night was 1812 Brewery out in the hills by Cumberland. Apparently it is quite popular as a music venue. They had a blue grass band for Friday and a Nashville country-western singer and dobro player for Saturday.  They bring in a food truck for the concerts, so we had a plate of “crabby fries” that turned out to be a meal. The crab sauce and cheese was delightful, but unfortunately they peppered the fries too heavily for our tastes.

There were two of us camping and a large crowd showed up for the music. Luckily the band only played until 10, because we could hear it quite well in the trailer even though we were down the hill a ways. I had a great night and I am ready to head to Virginia. There are lots of mountains ahead, but we have already tested the little Dodge somewhat. We had some pretty substantial climbs yesterday in West Virginia and Maryland, but I was able to keep it up to no less than 50 mph. Our best tank yet was the one going across Ohio at 9.7 mpg. God has been blessing us with a tailwind so far. Couldn’t be happier.

Day Three: Cumberland, Maryland to Toano, Virginia

If I thought yesterday’s hills were a tough climb, today woke me up. Ms. Google directed us cross-country through the backside of Maryland and West Virginia. A couple of the hills were so steep that we were at 10 mph and about 3,000 rpm. We were on roads that were so narrow, I had to sweat every time someone approached from the other way. After a couple hours of climb and turn, climb and turn we reached a state highway that even had painted center lines. It took us smoothly into Winchester, Virginia where we finally found an IHOP for breakfast.

After breakfast we travelled about four hours of Interstate and we arrived at the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center, our “home” for the next three weeks or so. We were fortunate to get a campsite as there was a large group from Beth Messiah mostly in tents nearly filling the small RV area. Saturday afternoon and evening was NOISY with young campers running and screaming all over the place. By evening, we were blessed to hear the shofar announce a Sabbath end service (didn’t know there was such a thing) which they held in the pavilion near our campsite. What a joy to hear Yeshua in place of the name Jesus in our favorite worship songs. The “rabbi” preached a short message about how Yeshua tabernacled (tented) with us – fitting in a setting where they were tenting for the weekend.

Day Four: Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center

Today was a day of rest – much needed rest. We were treated to another short devotional and singing by the Jewish Christian group in the morning before they packed up and went home. The rest of the day was filled with silence and getting more settled in the camper. We left the house in Muskegon with so much extra stuff that it is a challenge to find a place for everything. Karen assures me that once we eat away at the extra foodstuffs, we will be back to a more reasonable load.

Our extra clothing isn’t going to go away though. Although we are in balmy 70’s here and look forward to more of the same for most of the winter, we will be visiting Salt Lake City a few times to see our daughter and her family. It can be snowy and cold there as we learned two years ago when we wintered there. That means we have to have at least a small wardrobe of cold weather clothes. The bed of the pickup is going to be our storage shed for most of this trip I think. I’m so glad I purchased the Softopper truck capper; it doubles the usable square footage of the small bed.

Tomorrow we begin our work-camp experience here at the Center. I’m not sure yet what all we will be doing, but they have assured us we will be kept as busy as we want to be. The understanding is that we will work about twenty hours per week for which we are given the campsite and our utilities for the week. Last time we were here I did everything from logging to pool maintenance to utility vehicle repair while Karen helped out in the kitchen as they prepared meals for the program participants. COVID may reduce the number of people who will use the facility, but as yesterday proved, it won’t be vacant. Whatever they have for us, I know we won’t be bored.

Day Five: WCRC

Met with Bob Briscoe this morning and set up a meeting with the maintenance head, Andrew. When we met in the afternoon, we decided I could work six hours a day for four days and earn my keep. Lots to do: trees to cut down, firewood to split, the pool needs to be cleaned for winter (they leave it full as it seldom freezes hard).

After the meeting, Karen and I went into Williamsburg to my old favorite, Home Depot, for some things I needed to complete a few projects. We are gradually finishing the transformation from a summer vacation trailer to a live-aboard home. By the time we finish, there won’t be a wall, a cupboard, a shelf or anyplace that is not re-purposed as storage of some sort. I am reminded of the pictures I have seen of hoarders’ dwellings: stuff everywhere. Oh well; if it gets too bad, we may just buy a bigger rig.

Day Six: WCRC

Began the “work” part of work-camp today. The Center goes through lots of firewood, so splitting and hauling the wood to the various distribution points throughout the grounds is a big job. I worked with another volunteer for several hours today, and between us we hauled seven wagon loads of firewood. Here I am lumberjacking again. Whew! Karen will have kitchen duty Saturday, so I am only going to work three days. The plan is to give the Center four days of five to six hours to earn our keep. If I end up hauling wood all three days, I will be ready for a long weekend!

The campground itself is a beautiful, quiet forest setting. Quiet except for the other campers’ dogs. We have one on either side of us that gets left in the camper alone for hours each day, barking and whining almost constantly. I don’t understand people who say they love their dogs yet abandon them in a tiny space to loneliness and fear all day. The absent owners don’t have to listen to their pets’ desperate cries for help hour after hour.

Supper by a campfire and a movie tonight (there goes some of that firewood I split). After my hard day’s work, I was off to bed at 9:30; 7:00 wake-up comes soon enough. Tomorrow will mark our first week in this adventure. I can’t access the Internet with my computer here at the campground, so I will find a place to connect and post the weekly journal as soon as I can.

Day Seven: WCRC (10/7/20)

We have been on the road for one week. I can’t tell whether that is a surprise because it seems longer than that or shorter. One moment it feels like we have been living in the trailer for weeks, and the next moment it feels like we left Muskegon yesterday. Either way, I think we are settling in well. There’s still too much stuff everywhere, so we have to continue to pare down. There aren’t many more options for adding shelving or hangers for the detritus that clutters every horizontal surface. We are already using the bed of the truck as a “closet” for our winter clothes and a cupboard for food we brought from home that won’t fit in the trailer. I think we need to rediscover the freedom of knowing how much we can live without that we had on the fifth-wheel.

Today I played fireman, or rather fire watchman. We started burning a pile of brush which I monitored while splitting another wagonload of firewood. Once it burned down to a smolder, I deposited the wood and spent an hour helping a fellow-camper with a project. Then after lunch I was off to another burn pile and spent a couple smoky hours watching that before heading back to the trailer. Let’s just say I wasn’t keen for a campfire at home.

Week Two in Review (10/8-15/20)

Nothing too dramatic to report unless you count three days of almost continuous rain. On Sunday afternoon we visited a winery that has totally embraced the tasting-as-tourism idea. While the winery is only about 35 years old, it was built to resemble the 1619 era when the area was first settled. At the entrance to the tasting area, a sign proclaimed, “When it rains, we pour,” so the gray skies didn’t faze us. Wine tasting is served in a two-story, covered “picnic” shelter that overlooks some of the 300 acres of vineyard. Comfortable chairs, couches and coffee tables are arranged in a social distance manner around the two floors. The servers bring a flight of wine to taste or you can order a glass and a charcutier board to enjoy.

During the rain days I polished off an entire Robin Cook novel. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent prepping and painting two shower rooms in one of the cottages. We did have some unwanted excitement on Wednesday when I got a splinter of something in my eye and it caused a subconjunctival hemorrhage. I checked my eye late in the afternoon and was horrified to see the wide streak of red in my eye. We went to the Williamsburg Regional Medical Center emergency room where a promised 20-30-minute wait became 90. After waiting in the examining room again, in about five minutes with the medic I was pronounced safe and sound. I was finally discharged 3 hours after we arrived.

The rain was ushered in by a cold front which made it necessary to run the furnace at night to fend off the temperatures in the 40’s. Daytime highs are back in the high 60’s, so it’s not bad. We finally have the sun back too. We are hoping to do some sightseeing this weekend – maybe Jamestown and a couple museums that look interesting. More on that in next week’s recap.

Week Three (10/16-22)

For our Friday night date we went to Kephi’s Greek Kitchen and had one of the best Greek meals I have ever had. We discovered Greek cuisine back in Lansing years ago. Since then we try to sample it when we find it; it’s not as popular as some other ethnic offerings apparently. Kephi’s is a jewel. Beautifully decorated, well served and delicious.

We spent a day at the historic Jamestown settlement. It was interesting, but not as much as Yorktown. There was a school group that created some crowding, and we skipped the tour of the replica boats that brought the original Europeans due to a long line. The three boats looked very authentic and completely detailed from our vantage point on the shore. The visitor center and movie were very informative; they have a large display area with several rooms depicting the stages of Jamestown’s settlement by Europeans and, surprisingly, Africans.

My work this week was supposed to be cleaning the pool, but there were electrical problems, so the pump won’t run consistently. The maintenance super, Andrew, and I repainted the lines on one of the tennis courts and I split some more wood from a tree we took down. Before we knew it, Friday came and we packed up to leave Williamsburg.

Week Four (10/23-30)

Friday and Saturday nights were spent at Whippoorwill Farms, a small organic farming operation that is part of the Harvest Host outfit. We spent $20/night for water and electricity. I wanted to run the air because it was in the 80’s in the daytime and only in the high 60’s at night. The hosts were gracious and helpful when we arrived, but the accommodations were very rustic. We tried arrived late Friday and did little more than hook up and eat supper before we hit the sack. On Saturday we went into Savannah for a tour. What an interesting place! We rode a hop-on-hop-off trolley with an entertaining and informative driver who gave us a full picture of the history of the city. They have the largest historical district anywhere in the US, according to our driver. It is extensive; our tour lasted over 90 minutes after which we walked the riverfront and ate lunch on a second-floor patio overlooking the street and river traffic. Fabulous people-watching and some delicious scallops.

On Sunday we left the farm and travelled to Theodore, Alabama and our next stop at All About Relaxing RV Park. Cute name and wonderful park and people. We stayed a couple days here last spring and knew we wanted to come back. Unfortunately, hurricane Zeta is headed right for us, so we have to make a decision whether to stay the week as planned.

We decided to flee the hurricane because it promised three days of rain and up to 50+ mph winds… not exactly relaxing. We covered four states (AL, MS, LA, TX) and stopped at another Harvest Host location, Franscone Winery in Anahuac, Texas. We tasted some interesting local wines and had alligator egg rolls for our supper. It seems Anahuac is the gator capital of Texas; the creatures can be found along the side of the road or in your yard if you are “lucky.” The wife of the winery owner, Suong, is from Vietnam. She used to make pork and chicken eggrolls, but one time the organizers of the annual Gator Festival told her she couldn’t serve anything that didn’t have alligator in it – thus began the tradition of gator eggrolls; delicious.

Because from Alabama to Texas we probably bridged bayou, delta and river with a thousand alligators, it is only fitting that we ended the day with an alligator meal. This is not what Karen probably envisioned for her birthday dinner (10/27), but it certainly was unique. Even though we are on the edge of Galveston Bay, and a walk along the pier is tempting, we intend to move on because of high percentage chance of rain throughout the day tomorrow.

It took four days and three nights to cross Texas on I-10. Whew! The two major cities we went through were Houston and El Paso; both were smog covered and stinky. The hill country of West Texas was pretty, but with the added struggle of a strong headwind, fuel mileage was awful averaging around the low sevens. The highlight of the whole Texas trip (after Anahuac) was a detour off I-10 through New Braunfels to visit a place called Water 2 Wine. I know it would offend some people to think of a Christian winery, but if Jesus could make wine in Cana, why not believers in Texas?

The Travle Adventure Ends (10/30-31)

It is interesting to note how often the topography changes at a state border. Once we crossed the Rio Grande just inside New Mexico, the hills of West Texas became the flat desert of New Mexico. After two days of struggling with the hills and wind, our little rig sailed a across the flat land at top speed (my top is just over 65) and still got a record 10.2 mpg. The country started to roll again right at the Arizona border, but there were still plenty of long, flat downhills.

We stopped at a beautiful campground in Benson, Arizona called Butterfield RV resort. We considered spending an extra night to do some sightseeing, but the lure of our final destination only 357 miles away was too strong. The campground has a private observatory, and the dark sky makes for a great show on every clear night. One day we will have to come back for that and to check out the Chiracahua National Monument. Boulders stacked precariously on boulders the size of busses make for some interesting vistas. We had a sample of the amazing feature in Texas Canyon when we passed through on the way to Benson.

Saturday will find us at Tradewinds RV Park in Golden Valley, Arizona, our winter home (we think). They are holding a spot for us through April on a month-by-month basis. If we decide not to stay there through until spring, we have only to give them ten days’ notice that we are leaving. The park charges $235/month plus electric (probably $25-30 until A/C season), so I can’t imagine staying anywhere for less. It will be a long haul around the Grand Canyon and up I-15 to see Elissa and family in Salt Lake City, but there was nothing closer available that didn’t cost twice as much and still keep us from freezing.

If spring comes early, we may head north to Draper, Utah where we stayed two years ago. We could spend the month of April and do some weekend camping with Elissa, Nick and the kids. From there we can run the northern route home along the Canadian border into Michigan’s upper peninsula and then drop down below the bridge to our summer spot in Montague. If we do that, we will have driven a circle around most of the outer states of the lower forty-eight from fall ’20 to spring ’21.

It has been quite an adventure so far. Our 23-foot home is too small by almost any measure, but when we set up the 8x14 screen room under the awning, it is almost livable. After we circle back to Michigan next spring, we will have to decide whether to continue in tiny house mode or look for something bigger (again). Our spot in Montague at Trailways Campground won’t allow anything bigger, so our decision will either have to wait until fall, or else we will have to find another spot to park. Either way, unless something drastic changes between now and then, I think we will be living the nomad life for a while. It’s still too much fun!

To Be Content (on Sunday) in Whatever

With all the variety in worship styles and different levels of teaching quality in modern American churches, believers are often put in situations where they wonder if they should look for another place to go to church on Sunday. Worship style and/or music choice is probably one of the biggest differences between churches that are covering the biblical bases of what church should be. Larger churches have been able to schedule two different styles of worship music by having two worship times. Smaller churches have to compromise or settle on one type. In either case, a believer may feel unfulfilled on Sunday morning.

I am going to say something that may sound contradictory to what I have said in the past. I believe attendance at a local gathering of believers is very important. Admonitions like Hebrews 10:25 and the general nature of being a "body" necessitate corporate interaction of some kind. However, the "where" is not as important as the "what." By that I mean "what" does church mean in the believer's life? If church attendance is the only thing in a person’s life to indicate she is a Christian, I think she should heed Paul’s suggestion to “examine [herself] to see if [she] is in the faith.” You have doubtless heard someone say that going to church doesn’t make one a Christian any more than going into a garage makes one a car.

What a person does Monday through Saturday is the real measure of faith. If the Bible doesn’t get opened devotionally; and the knees don’t get bent in prayer; and the mind doesn’t travel to thoughts of grace, provision, protection, etc. almost every day, doubt arises as to the authenticity of one’s faith. True Christianity is a mindset, a world-view that colors everything the believer thinks, says and does. Sunday services are a time to celebrate with like-minded others and to join in corporate events of worship, prayer and teaching (Acts 2:42) But in reality, church attendance is not the sine qua non of Christianity; lifestyle is.

Most sincere believers know those things. When a believer is not feeling fulfilled by the corporate Christian part of her life (aka church), it is wise to consider her options. Because the perfect church doesn’t exist, it is fruitless to go off on a quest to find it. The church, universal and local, is made of humans – fallible beings who will fall short of perfection in everything they do, including doing church. The biggest question to ask in an unsatisfactory church situation is whether the local body in question is doing something the Bible prohibits or not doing something the Bible commands. If the former is the case, it may be time to look elsewhere for body life. If the latter is true, the sincere believer must decide if the lack is critical or not. The follow-up question is whether the dissatisfied attender can do anything to correct the issue.

The  question can become complicated if one parent/spouse is happy in a local body, and the other is not. If the husband is the satisfied one, as he is the head of the household, acquiescing to his preference is something a submissive wife might do. If he wanted to go Unitarian Universalist or Mormon, I think a wife would have grounds for discussion if not disobedience. Otherwise, if they are dealing with the “something missing” category with most of the other boxes of church being checked adequately, I don't know that a wife should protest too much. I know this is a thorny issue in the twenty-first century, but Paul’s direction in 1 Corinthians 7 still applies. Even though the situation may not involve an unbelieving spouse, the concept of being who she is in spite of who he is may be drawn from Paul’s comments. If it's the husband who is dissatisfied, he may be justified in moving, but he must consider what a move would mean to his wife. Deference sometimes means we get less that we might if we had complete independence. 

This raises the question of whether a dissatisfied believer can do anything to introduce the worship and teaching she craves into her life. Christian radio (Internet) is a wonderful twenty-first century ministry that can fill in what’s lacking in a local situation that is otherwise biblically sound. I have it on almost constantly when I am in the car and often in my ear buds around the house. At my church, we had what they called a “prayer furnace” every Wednesday morning. We gathered around a smart phone tuned to a worship channel on the Internet (YouTube mostly), and we sat silently or sang along and frequently spoke prayers aloud when so led. I was amazed (shouldn’t have been) to see how often the “random” songs that played wove their way into the nature of the prayers we were praying.

As an aside, I want to mention that this was not the typical prayer meeting where you pray for your neighbor’s cousin’s mother-in-law’s upcoming surgery for a bunion. Genuine needs regarding material things did come up, but we mostly prayed for wisdom and guidance for the church, effectiveness in ministry to the city, and other topics like improving the quality of worship in the Sunday service. Sometimes the silence was more edifying and satisfying than any spoken prayer. I even had visions a time or two. My point is that we had times of deep worship when the Holy Spirit was evidently in the room. It was a high-point of the week.

It is sad that sometimes people are not being fulfilled in the corporate part of their Christian life. The most important thing is knowing that your life before your spouse, the kids, your co-workers, your grocer, your neighbor – you get the idea – demonstrates that you belong to Christ and want to make His life yours. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me,” as Paul put it. Focus on that with all your heart and Sunday mornings may not be so much of a problem.

Romans 13 Applied

 I have written more than once that Black Lives Matter has communist and anarchist roots. ANTIFA, an openly anarchist organization, knowingly co-opts BLM “protests” and makes them violent and destructive. These things alone are enough to lead thinking conservatives to decline to support BLM. Some would say these are “political” reasons with no place in Christian dialogue. As it happens, there is good biblical ground for disagreeing with BLM as well.

The Apostle Paul begins Romans chapter 13 with these words: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God. So then, the one who resists authority resists the ordinance which is from God, and those who resist will receive condemnation on themselves.” Paul didn’t give us the opportunity to evaluate the quality of the governing authorities; he flatly said we are to be subject – to obey. Lest you think the Apostle had good government in mind, remember who his governing authorities were: the Romans.

Emperor Nero began his reign about the time Paul would have been writing Romans. Nero is the governing authority who is thought to have blamed the Christians for the disastrous fire that ravaged two thirds of Rome in 64 A.D. Whether he blamed them or not, there is no question that he began a vicious campaign to persecute the young sect of believers. For over one hundred years, Christians were marked out for persecution and death in an empire where emperor worship was required.

Paul surely understood that “be subject” did not include false worship, but he gave the command just the same. The verses that follow apply today as much as they did in the first century. “For rulers are not a cause of terror for a good deed, but for bad conduct. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it, for it is God’s servant to you for what is good. But if you do what is bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose.” A modern translation might sound like this: “There is no need to fear the police if you are doing what is right. However, if you are disobeying the authorities, watch out! They carry Tazers and pistols to maintain civil order.”

Paul continues in Romans 1: “Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.” In other words, we don’t obey the authorities simply because it might be uncomfortable if we get caught; we obey because it’s the right thing to do. No one with a healthy conscience could feel guiltless while burning down neighborhoods, looting stores, and throwing rocks and bullets at the police who are trying to maintain order.

Finally, Paul instructs us to give honor to whom honor is due. Surely this honor does not apply to a man charged with domestic abuse, rape and robbery who is detained by police in the act of violating a restraining order. I agree: it is unfortunate the situation in Milwaukee escalated to the point where an officer believed he was in danger and had to use his weapon. Note that the gun only came to be used after the man broke free from two Tazer shots and continued to his car where he appeared to be retrieving something – perhaps a weapon. For NFL players to honor this man with his name on their jerseys is not just irrational; it is offensive.

I want to be careful here. I suspect the loyal British subjects in proto-America in 1776 might have felt about the rebellious colonists the way I feel about ANTIFA and BLM. However, I do not think there is a moral equivalence. The revolutionary colonists and today’s social justice protesters share the feeling that they suffer injustice under the governing authorities. The main difference is that the colonists spent years writing to the authorities pleading for a redress of their grievances. They did not begin their protest with Molotov cocktails, torches and bullets. They did not burn down their neighbors’ barns and stores. True, there were acts of civil disobedience such as the Boston Tea Party, but large-scale violence did not break out until the authorities began to use it against the protesters. It was at that point that the Founding Fathers resorted to an appeal to what they called “natural law” which assured them the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – rights they saw as endowed by a gracious Creator God.

I am not convinced that people of color in America are being systematically denied their rights. I admit that there are bigoted people and even communities who make it harder for minorities to achieve success in a material sense. However, there is no system of government that works by design to deny anyone the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I admit that there used to be such laws, but no more. To violently overthrow the government because of perceived oppression is not patriotism; it is vandalism and anarchism. It is also in direct disobedience to the principles Paul outlined in Romans 13.

As believers we must pray for our leaders as Paul recommends to Timothy, “in order that we may live a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” There is nothing godly or dignified about BLM and ANTIFA. Let us pray that our leaders can find a way to resolve the horrible unrest in our country without having to resort to “bearing the sword with purpose.” There is one other thing we can do: show the love of Christ to everyone regardless of color, for truly, all lives matter.

The Definition of "Is"

I did not sit down this morning to write another political blog, but as I thought about my reading in Paul’s letter to the Romans, Bill Clinton came to mind when I realized how important the meaning of little words can be. In Romans 11:26, Paul said, “And so all Israel will be saved.” One can toy with the definition of the word “so” in much the same way Bill Clinton did with “is” back in 1998. The words “all” and “Israel” can also be treated to delicate parsing. The only way to define any word properly is to define it in context.

I will begin with Israel. This is not a little word, and its meaning in Scripture varies somewhat. The context of Paul’s letter to the Gentiles in Rome is crucial to defining “Israel” in Romans 11:26. Back in chapter 9, where the context of Paul’s discussion begins, he clearly defines Israel as something other than simply a person descended from Abraham. (See Romans 9:6-8) He proceeds to make the point that even among those directly descended from Abraham, God made distinctions as to who was a true heir of the promise. Paul goes further to prove that even among the chosen genetic line, only those who responded by faith were considered “Israel.” This follows logically from his discussion back in chapter 4 about Abraham being justified by faith alone.

Because “Israel” has a specific meaning that refers only to those found faithful to God, one must consider what the word “all” means as Paul used it. To insist that he was including everyone born in the line of Abraham would be to contradict the point he was making in chapters 4-11. Given Paul’s context, it is perfectly reasonable to think he meant all those who qualify as Israel by his definition, which does not have a genetic qualifier, but a spiritual one. All the faithful, Jew or Gentile, will be saved.

This brings us to the little word that started my thinking: so. According to the Greek dictionary, “so” is best translated as “in this manner.” We might say, “Like so” meaning “like this.” The “manner” to which Paul referred was the qualifier of faith. By faith, he asserts, all who are chosen by God will be saved whether born in Abraham’s line or not. Jews and Gentiles alike are saved in the same manner: by faith. “All Israel” will be saved by faith, but not by the Jewish law; this has been Paul’s theme for several chapters. To make Romans 11:26 mean that all ethnic Jews will be saved someday is preposterous.

So I say parodying Bill Clinton, it depends on your definition of “all.” I have heard people say, “All means all, and that’s all all means.” If language were simplistic, and words did not vary in meaning due to contextual usage, that would be true. But it’s not true. “All” has various shades of meaning that must be determined by the context in which it is used. I am not suggesting that some Bible interpreters are telling the truth with the intent to deceive; I am saying that it is imperative that Bible interpretation relies on exegesis rather than eisegesis; we must “read out” what is in Scripture rather than “read into” a passage what we want it to say to support a presupposition.

It is normal human behavior to want to fit things into a scheme we can understand. The problem comes when our attempt to make something fit ends up violating proper principles of interpretation. Michael Heiser makes this point dramatically in his book, Unseen Realm, and his other writings. While earning his M.A. and Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Semitic Studies, he interpreted the Old Testament using the popular paradigm until someone caused him to see the fault in the pattern he had been using. Correcting the fault brought new insight comparable to having new revelation from God.

The same thing can happen in the rest of our lives. People, political parties, or the police can be misunderstood when viewed through a faulty system of interpretation. You spend years thinking someone hates you only to discover that they are just introverted and can’t express themselves. Or you think Republicans are the party of rich people until you discover that conservative economic policies actually benefit those at every income level. Or you are scared of the police because you have been taught that they are evil, and then you realize that most of them are decent people trying their best to do an incredibly difficult, dangerous public service.

The key to understanding anything is not mental or emotional; it is spiritual. There is only one viewpoint that will flawlessly give us the correct perspective. We must try to see everything as God sees it. As believers, we have the great blessing of the indwelling Holy Spirit to aid us in getting God’s perspective. Obviously, we need the Spirit’s help to interpret Scripture, but it is equally important to seek His guidance in all of life. God knows the correct definition of every word ever written and the true motivation behind every action. Ask Him for understanding. James 1:5 says He will always come through with the correct answer. After all, He is the God Who Is.

Don’t be a Moron

 I experienced another confluence today that got me thinking. My Bible reading is in the first chapters of Romans where Paul harshly criticizes unbelievers for ignoring what can be known of God and living lives of unrighteousness and debauchery. He certainly pulls no punches. Then my devotional reading of Charles Spurgeon took off from the verse, “The sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon.” Spurgeon developed the idea that believers must rely totally on God to accomplish His work (the sword of the Lord), and at the same time do whatever is humanly possible to bring God’s will to pass (the sword of Gideon).

The problem came when Spurgeon said, “go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony.” I am mostly successful in living a life that is a worthy example of a believer, but the second half of the admonition gives me trouble. If Paul’s condemnation in Romans is an example of “earnest declaration,” I can’t see how that will win many friends or influence people to turn to Christ. I used to be quite bold in that regard, and I was told to go someplace hot and uncomfortable on several occasions. I even had fellow-believers tell me to tone it down.

The problem is that many people, perhaps most people are not aware that they are “lost in sin.” The entire concept of sin has been mostly washed from the consciousness of our modern society. “Values clarification” as taught in public schools has strengthened the natural inclination of humans to go their own way regarding moral structures. Unfortunately, sin and its consequences are not frequent topics of sermons even in evangelical churches. In our post-modern society where truth itself is scoffed, telling someone they are wrong is a sure way to lose an audience.

The situation has become even more difficult with the codification of politically correct speech standards and the criminalization of certain topics. There are places in America where a sermon on Romans 2 would be considered hate speech and place the preacher in jeopardy of criminal charges. It has already happened in Canada and the UK. I am not suggesting we go as far as Pastor Steven Anderson and call for stoning, but the simple message that God disapproves of homosexual behavior is no longer safe under First Amendment protection.

It is not only pushing legal boundaries to speak the truth (in love, of course), but the workplace is being gradually converted to a no-speak zone. I have spent the last two years working at an organization that would reprimand me, and should I not cease, fire me for proclaiming the Bible standard for sexual relationships. I was required to take annual harassment training that explicitly forbade any judgment of a person’s sexual preferences. The same type of training was required at the academic institution where I last taught. A similar prohibition exists for recommending the biblical roles of husband and wife, and biblical parental discipline has been criminalized as well. The list of things believers cannot talk about continues to grow.

It is ironic to the point of hypocrisy that the tolerance and inclusion demanded by political correctness specifically excludes Christian, biblical proclamation. We are being asked to tolerate everything except the beliefs that are based in biblical truth. I see the enemy’s hand in this situation so clearly that I am disappointed that Christians have not stood up and cried foul. Biblical standards of behavior and expressions of faith are being systematically removed and forbidden from Western society.

The situation I have been describing is built into the political platform of one of the major parties in this country. I have written previously that I am disturbed by the fact that thinking Christians can say there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats. I read a blog recently that called for Christians to be tolerant of fellow-believers’ differing political affiliations. The writer believes that any vote is a vote for the lesser of two evils. This may be true, but when one of the “evils” involves openly denying the right of Christians to express and live their faith while encouraging infanticide (aka abortion), homosexual lifestyles, deficit spending, disrespecting law enforcement and celebrating anarchy (calling it patriotism), this “evil” cannot be a legitimate choice for a believer. Each of the positions I mentioned plainly tramples a biblical principle.

My Christian friends are all over Facebook complaining about the flood of political ads we are being subjected to. I am there too; I mute them or change the channel, especially when they are so easily recognizable as distortions of the truth (aka lies) that anyone who cares to investigate can discern. But we must not tune out to the point of idiocy. It would be idiotic, moronic to use the biblical term, not to seek the truth and vote our convictions.

A biblical moron is one who does not make the attempt to follow God. I believe that there is a more godly choice in the upcoming election – note I did not say a more godly man; all the candidates are human and therefore fallible. But if a Christian votes for a platform rather than for a candidate, there can be only one choice. That is an intolerant statement. Paul was explicitly intolerant in his Roman letter. Jesus was quite intolerant of the hypocrites of His day. If I offend, I do not apologize; Jesus was called the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense. What I am offended by is morons – in the biblical sense.

Related articles: “Christians are Responsible to be Politically Engaged” “What Does it Mean to be an American” “How Could a Christian Vote for Hillary?” “Hooray! We Won. Now What?”

Bringing the Kingdom

Some truths presented in the Bible are easy to understand; others, not so much. On one level, we can comprehend that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son to save it. As humans created in God’s image, we can identify with God’s love and His desire to bring His creation back into fellowship. Because God’s image in humans also includes a sense of justice, it wouldn’t seem right to let everybody back in without a cost. We realize that because the fellowship was broken by human misbehavior, some kind of restitution had to be made. Jesus accomplished that by His substitutionary death on the cross.

If we step back from the simple concepts of love and justice, we can look deeper into why God brought humans and this universe into existence in the first place. The language in Genesis where God discusses His purpose in creation introduces the concept of a kingdom – rulership. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image and according to our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth.’” Adam was to have been the vice-regent of the creation of God.

Genesis 2 reveals that God placed Adam in a special place called the Garden of Eden. It was Adam’s responsibility to take care of the Garden and cause it to expand, eventually covering the whole earth. Sadly, Genesis 3 recounts the disobedience of Adam and Eve as they chose to make their own terms of regency instead of following God’s directions. Because they would not do things His way, God expelled them from the perfect conditions of the Garden and left them to live with the consequences of choosing to go their own way. The consequences they inherited from their rebellion continue on earth to this day. They were forced to exist in a world of blood, sweat and tears with only glimpses of the joy they had known in the Garden.

Even though God kicked His prince and princess out of the Garden, He did not abandon them. Immediately after their expulsion, they were given a glimmer of hope that all was not lost. The evil character who incited their rebellion was told that a day would come when he would pay for his indiscretion. The Seed of the woman would one day take back the rulership of the kingdom of Earth. In Matthew 4 the evil character from the Garden, the Devil, offers to give Jesus the kingdoms of Earth if He will worship him. Of course, Jesus refuses, but He did not correct the Devil’s assertion that the kingdom of Earth was his to give.

Now we are back to the cross I mentioned earlier. When Jesus willingly gave His life for all humans, the mistake of Adam was erased, and the rulership of the kingdom of Earth was returned to God’s chosen ruler. Except it wasn’t. Here is where it gets hard for earth-bound humans to understand. The kingdom of Earth was returned to its rightful ruler at the cross of Calvary, but the enemy of God did not slink away in defeat. He continues to fight a losing battle to maintain his rulership. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul confirms this by calling Satan the god of this age. The rule of Heaven was brought to Earth by Jesus, but the battle to establish that rule continues.

This is the “already/not yet” idea made popular by George Eldon Ladd. As explained in the Faithlife Study Bible notes, “God’s kingdom has a dual dimension. Jesus initiated the kingdom on earth, and wherever God’s will is carried out, the kingdom is a reality. The kingdom, however, had not been fully manifested in Jesus’ day—nor has it in ours. We do not yet live in a world where God’s will is a complete reality. We feel the tension of experiencing God’s kingdom in our lives and communities before it is fully realized. We still see unbelief, brokenness, and sin, telling us God’s will is not yet fully expressed.”

It is our responsibility as believers, as God’s chosen representatives in Christ to bring the kingdom of Heaven to Earth. Where we see unbelief, we must share faith. Where we see brokenness, we must bring healing. Where we see sin, we must call it sin. Where we see injustice, we must advocate for justice. In all these things, we must follow the principles of righteousness revealed to us in Scripture. We can’t right a wrong with a wrong. We cannot use kingdom of Earth methods to bring Kingdom of Heaven results.

Because our human flesh rises up in the face of evil, we tend to do evil in response. However, disrespecting authority (as ordained by God) and acting violently (as condemned by Scripture) will not bring the Kingdom. If we are going to maintain fellowship with God, we must walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7); to walk in darkness is to deny the One who brought us out of the kingdom of darkness into His wonderful light (1Peter 2:9). The flames burning in our communities today are fueled by darkness; they advance the kingdom of darkness. We have to bring the light.

Because the “not yet” dimension of the Kingdom of Heaven is spiritual, our best weapons are spiritual. As Paul told the Ephesians, “Our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” His directive was to always stand in the armor of light provided by Christ and pray – especially in times like these. The promise of God to His people long ago still stands: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and will pray and will seek my face and will turn from their evil ways, then I myself shall hear from the heavens and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

As Micah said, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does Yahweh ask from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” That’s how we bring the Kingdom.

Christ is the Crisis

 When Peter preached to Cornelius as recorded in Acts 10, he said something that caught my attention the last time I read it. Peter described Jesus as the one, “appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.” Two words in particular struck me: appointed and judge. The latter surprised me somewhat because I recall that John said Jesus was not sent to judge. Yet, Peter insists that God appointed or designated the Son for a particular purpose.

The word “appointed” immediately made me think of a rhyming word that is synonymous: anointed. Throughout the Old Testament we see the word used in a formal, symbolic sense as kings, priests and prophets were anointed. This ceremony involved pouring scented oil on the head of the subject, apparently in sufficient quantity to run down his body. In Psalm 133, David pictured the anointing oil, “running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!” It sounds messy, but it is in the character of the very visible religious rites of the Jewish faith.

Oil is frequently used in Scripture as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, perhaps stemming from the anointing ritual. It was assumed, after all, that the prophet, priest and king being anointed would be working with God’s Spirit. The picture of oil flowing from the head over the body speaks of the necessity of Holy Spirit control over all one does. It is also interesting to note that the oil used for the ceremony was sweetly scented with spices that smell like ginger and cinnamon. Just as the aroma would flow out from the anointed one, the Spirit would be present in the subject’s ministrations.

So it was with Jesus when He walked the earth as the ultimate Prophet, Priest and King. He fulfilled each of His designated roles perfectly because He was perfectly in tune with the Spirit of His Father. Throughout His final discourse in the Gospel of John, the Savior repeatedly links the ministry of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as one. He also prays that we, His followers, would be one in the same way.

In Acts 10 we have Peter saying that Jesus was appointed, may I say anointed, by God as judge. To understand the manner of Jesus’ judging we have to look at the Greek word Peter used. It is from the word commonly translated “judge” (κρίνω). What stood out to me this time through was the fact that one of the cognates of this word transliterates as krisis (κρίσις). Peter says, in effect, that Jesus is the crisis point for all people, living or dead. The root meaning of crisis speaks of a point of decision. Jesus is the point at which all humanity is separated, selected, approved (or not) as the word denotes.

This idea solves the apparent contradiction raised when Peter says Jesus is the judge while John says He was not sent to judge. Here’s how: John says that the judgement, the separation is already accomplished by the fact that a person either believes Jesus is the Savior or disbelieves. It is not as if Jesus sits behind a bench and decrees this one and that one; it is more like Jesus simply exists as the living stone that everyone must either stand on or stumble over.

I also like the idea that in every crisis in our lives, Jesus is the one point upon which our decision must always turn. We have the option to focus on the crisis and be troubled, or we can focus on Jesus and watch the crisis fade into insignificance. “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus said. “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Not only does the decision to trust Jesus bring peace, it also leads to the building of our faith. James says, “Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” Hang in there, even in the crisis; that’s where you’ll find Jesus.