Faith like a Child

About a month ago my family went to a concert for a group called the Annie Moses Band (Check them out!) at a church here in town. It was a fun time, and Beth even danced in the aisles for a few of the songs. After the concert was over, they told us that rather than just buying a CD from them, they would be giving away their CDs to anyone who would sponsor a child through Holt International. Michelle and I discussed it and we decided to go look at their table. As I was holding Beth, she spied a picture of a little girl who was only a month younger than her and said, "That one's mine." So we signed up to sponsor little Rebecca from the Philippines. Her packet told us that she had been born to a 14 year old mother who couldn't take care of her and had been given up for adoption.
Fast forward to yesterday when we got a more detailed packet with some more pictures of Rebecca from Holt. One picture was big enough that we decided to hang it up in Beth's room. So I took Beth in and told her how this little girl's mama couldn't take care of her and so we were going to help her. Beth looked at the picture then turned to me and said, "I want help. I share my toys." I don't know where my daughter learned this, but I'm so glad she has. She has such a sweet heart and cares deeply for people. She reminds me what I'm supposed to be doing.
The reason I titled this post "Faith like a Child" is because I truly believe that what Beth showed me last night is part of what Christ was talking about. Matthew 18:1- 4 "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Now obviously He was also talking about the simple trust that children have of their parents, and the way a child rarely has boastful pride, but I think the care of children is a part of it too. My daughter has a strong sense of what's "right" in her world. She will tell you all about the toys that are hers, and sometimes will even get a little bossy when telling you not to play with them because she wants to do so. But hearing her be willing to share with this little girl, worlds away, whom she has never even met, just melted my heart. We're supposed to be teaching our children, but last night Beth reminded me that "God so loved the world," and that we should too. The episode also reminded Michelle and I of another little kid with a big heart, Beth's cousin Levi. When he wasn't much older than Beth is now, he wanted to give his piggy bank to Gospel for Asia to send them Bibles because they didn't have any. The heart these two have for people just floors me again and again. Lord give me that heart.

Real People have Real Destinies

So I feel like all I've been doing is book reviews, but this post will change it up. Well ... a bit anyways. It's still going to be about a book. A line from a book. Partly it won't be a book review because I haven't finished the book yet, but this line really struck me as deep and profound and made me stop to think about my doctrine. I hope it does the same for you.

The name of the book is Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up by Francis Chan. In the book Mr. Chan investigates what the Bible truly says about the doctrine of Hell. The line that struck me though was this:

"These words have real implications for real people with real destinies." (pg. 81)

Now Mr. Chan was speaking about the doctrine of hell, but it hit me because it has much wider application. How many of the doctrines that we hold to don't really account for people? Maybe I'm alone in this failing, but I have a tendency to hold "ivory tower" kind of doctrine. I'm not saying that what I've learned or been taught is necessarily untrue, just that I haven't thought through what the implications of the doctrine would be in the "real world." Take this doctrine of hell for example. I believe, quite strongly, that the Bible is clear that those who do not accept Christ as their Saviour will spend an eternity being punished for it. I believe that un-redeemed sinners who have sinned against an Eternal God will, deservedly, spend eternity suffering the consequences of their actions. However, what I hadn't thought through before was how many of those I see every day are on that road. How it makes my heart ache now, knowing, realizing, and understanding that the person I see in the grocery store, or walking down the road, or playing with their kid in the park will maybe be suffering that punishment. How urgent then does spreading the Gospel become? How do I find myself sitting comfortably in my salvation when there are those who die in their sin? 

It also amazes me how the doctrines are truly interconnected. I was sitting here trying to think of another doctrine that I could use for an example. So, as a graduate of Mr. Glock's Survey of Doctrine, I went down the big 10. Theology proper, Bibliology, Christology, Pneumatology, Angelology, Anthropology, Hamartiology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology and Eschatology. As I looked through these, I realized how much they all flow together. Your view of who God the Father is will affect how you view the Bible, His Son, the Holy Spirit, angels, man, sin, salvation, church and the end times. What you believe of the Bible will greatly impact the rest of your beliefs as well. Bibliology, I think, is at the center. If we can't believe what the Bible says, then how are we to know about God? But, if the Bible is true, then we must realize that "[t]hese words have real implications for real people with real destinies." I believe C. S. Lewis also realized this. In his book, The Weight of Glory, he writes : "But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors." People are what really matter. Everything else you interact with on a day to day basis will be gone in the blink of an eye. 

Lord help this knowledge impress upon me the importance of everyone I come into contact with throughout my days. Help me to see people as You see them. Help me to mirror Your desire for all men to be saved. Lord give me Your heart.

"Gentle Savage Still Seeking the End of the Spear"

This story starts before that fateful episode on the beach of the Curaray River in Ecuador.

Having grown up under the occasional teaching of Dr. Jay McCully, I had heard the story of the five missionaries killed in Ecuador from a very young age. Then, Steve Saint and Menkaye came to visit the States and made a chapel appearance at Seattle Christian Schools and I learned more about the continuing work among the Waorani people. At college I became good friends with Stephen Elliot and Samuel Fleming, both grand-nephews of the missionaries. I won't try and claim that I'm intimately familiar with all the details of the story, but I do know it quite well and know several people that were personally affected by what happened that day.

Fast forward to today and we find my sister-in-law, her husband and their kids living just on the edge of the Ecuadorian jungle. (You can read about their adventures here or their blog is also listed under "Friends and Family" on the sidebar there).  They have gotten to know Gilberto-Menkaye (the grandson of Menkaye) and this was something really cool for me on my birthday a few weeks back, because Alesha and Taylor bought me a book. Gentle Savage Still Seeking the End of the Spear. I was able to finish this book yesterday and can honestly say that it has impacted me greatly. It was so interesting to hear the story told from "the other side." The book is narrated by Menkaye and his friends Kemo and Dyowe, and they tell their story compellingly. (As a side note, I do think it's kind of sad how much most cultures have lost the art of story telling as a whole). These men relate what life was like growing up in the jungle. They tell of their encounters with the Kowodes (outsiders) that came in to their territory. They tell of the friction within the tribe. All in vivid detail. And this detail was still achieved even though the narrators spoke Wao to Gilberto who then spoke Spanish to the author. The translator notes that Gilberto was chosen because of his fluency in both Wao and Spanish and could better express nuances that might otherwise be missed. I would say that he did exceedingly well.

I praise God that this book has come out and that the story of the Waorani is being told. He has done a mighty work among the people of the jungle. My recommendation: buy this book. If you know the story at all, buy this book. If you like compelling story telling, buy this book. If you're interested in what God is doing in other places in the world, buy this book. I know I repeat myself, but it is that good.

Thank y'all again for taking the time to read this. God bless.