Don't Forget the Tiny People

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. –James 1:27

The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. –Deuteronomy 14:29

Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves a bribe and chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, nor does the widow's plea come before them. –Isaiah 1:23

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? –Micah 6:8

The Bible is filled with God’s concern for the widow and orphan.  We have to be very careful building on what Scripture says; but allow me to speculate that as the widow and orphan were the most vulnerable class in these writer’s societies, we can extend the principle while being faithful to scripture to include the handicapped, the working poor, the elderly, the refugee, the slave (illegal slavery, particularly for illicit purposes, is alive and well today in our country), and those society marginalizes, be it for racial, gender, religious, or other reason.

A local high school put on Seussical recently, a musical based on some of Dr. Seuss’s work.  Ever since, I’ve joked about naming any future son we may have Horton after the elephant who fights to protect the tiny people of Whoville, always remembering that “a person’s a person no matter how small.”  (Alex is not a fan of this name, in case you were worried).  It might not be the best name, but what a role model.  Judging from my childhood trajectory, a young Horton would likely be much bigger than his peers.  Depending on how God gifted him and our family, he very well might be a giant in other ways as well.  What better way to remind a child to protect the tiny people?

The church is meant to be like Horton, and it is my sad observation that it is failing in this regard miserably.  The prominent Christian voices I most frequently hear are all concerned with protecting our self interests.  More ink will be spilled on a supposed “War on Christmas” this time of year than on the problem of housing the homeless from the cold this season brings.  Forwarded e-mail chains promoting the notion that liberals want to make us all dependent on the government will fill inboxes   Fears about our loss of religious freedom will be stoked as millions are displaced by war and famine, some of whom will starve and die because they have no place to turn. 

We have been convinced that we should be afraid of the world; us, a people who believe God Almighty fights for us.  Are you kidding me?  I am not afraid for what my future holds in terms of personal liberty and economic well-being, but I am nauseated at what I see from the church around me.  We have become so fearful, so protective of our rights, that we have become bullies ourselves.  We even elected a bully to be our President in hopes that he would better be able to protect our rights.

I am no prophet; God doesn’t speak directly to me to reveal his divine will.  I do think He made me a Horton, however, with a compassionate heart and a good mind for seeing the needs and realities that others apparently miss.  As if to complete the analogy, He gave me a tall, broad frame, and even ears that are disproportionately large.  May he forgive me for the times I, either passively or actively, forget about the tiny people.  I had a hard time sleeping last night thinking about this reality and how paltry my response has been.

Reality is something of a paradox.  We are all helpless in ourselves, just like the citizens of Whoville.  However, because of Christ’s sacrifice, we have fellowship with God who enables us to spread His kingdom; that makes all of us who are called by His name Hortons.  While writing this, I had been musing about how tiny I was compared to some of the bullies in the world today, Horton though I may be.  Reality is stranger than fiction; the biggest bully has nothing on me or you.  We should not cower in the corner in front of self absorbed posers when the God of the universe fights for us. May Christ enable us to live like it.

Annual Christmas Camp-In

Last year for Christmas we got a tent for our backpacking hobby.  I had the urge to try it out but being December I knew Arthur wasn't going to be in for a true camping trip so I suggested setting up the tent in our living room and camping in front of the Christmas tree one night.  Since he loves me (and spoils me) he agreed.  This year I could tell he was less than thrilled about sleeping in the living room when he had a cozy bed on the other side of the wall.  Therefore I recruited someone who was a little more enthusiastic to participate in my annual Christmas camp-in-- our 4 year old niece.
On Friday night Arthur picked her up after work to come spend the night at our house.  I would have loved to hear the conversation between the two of them.  Arthur tells me that they discussed My Little Pony, our niece's favorite subject currently, and then she fell asleep for the rest of the trip home.  After dinner we had her assist us in decorating for Christmas.  She really took to our miniature nativity set and played with it for quite a while.  It is very interesting to hear a 4-year old perspective of the Christmas story.  There might be some theology flaws that will have to be addressed later but
still highly entertaining.  After decorating the Christmas tree we had several books to read which has always been one of her favorite hobbies.  I read The Velveteen Rabbit, Arthur took charge of Porky Puppy, and she "read" a Golden Book version of The Christmas Story.  I got in trouble for talking too much while we were reading and was asked to stop interrupting.  My favorite part of The Christmas Story that she read was the page that had several horses in the stable.  She "read" extensively about allergies  with hay and horses and that baby Jesus shouldn't be in a stable if he has allergies.  (Her dad is fairly allergic to horses and can't be around them while she and her mommy love horses.)
Next it was time to set up the tent in the living room.  She has played in our tent before and loves that it has two doors.   She pulled out her sleeping bag and got all cozy and then we read some bedtime stories in the tent.  We read one of my favorite Jan Brett Christmas books which has great illustrations.   We either kept her up later than usual or tired her out but she fell right asleep without a fuss.  I enjoyed snuggling in my sleeping bag admiring the Christmas tree lights that we left on for a night light.  It is so much fun to be an aunt sometimes especially if it means having an eager camping partner. 

The next morning a pink and blue Marmot tent was added to her Christmas list and I think we will have to camp in the living room anytime she comes to visits. There could be worse things.  Omnia Vincit Amor.

Footage of the wrestling match that broke out between Uncle Arthur and some stuffed animals.  It got a little wild.

Give Thanks and Give Back

Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home!

All is safely gathered in,

Ere the winter storms begin;

God, our Maker, doth provide

For our wants to be supplied;

Come to God’s own temple, come;

Raise the song of harvest home!

It has been such a long, warm, and glorious fall this year.  Farmers in the area have basically wrapped up fall harvest.  I just gave away the last of my tomato harvest and even though Gertrude the geranium is still in full bloom, she was hauled down to her winter quarters next to the washing machine.  Thanksgiving seems to be the marker signaling the close to one season and the beginning of the next.  In the past it is been the harvest celebration at the end of the growing season, the last hurrah before the rolling in of the winter storms.  It seems that the focus has change to still mark the change of the season but it is more the kick off for the Christmas shopping season.  

Recently I was discussing spiritual disciplines with a few friends.  These disciplines included reading, studying, and memorizing scripture, prayer, service, fasting, giving or tithing, etc.  I mentioned the discipline of celebration and they both gave me a surprised look.  Celebration doesn’t get a lot of press in the spiritual disciplines but the Israelites in the Old Testament to celebrating seriously and I think God enjoys a good party.  There were at least seven major feasts listed in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  A handful of these were harvest festivals since it was an agrarian society.  

At one of the festivals the firstfruits of the harvest were offered.  I think the following sums up the purpose of these offers:

The offering of the firstfruits to God was a statement of gratitude and a confession that the benefits of the harvest came by his grace. Also, in giving the very first of their produce to God, Israel learned not to hoard but to trust God for provision.
I was surprised by “a confession that the benefits of the harvest come by his grace”.  I might always be a little nervous when I see the word “confession”.  I do like the idea of going beyond being thankful to humbling confessing that my work and striving had nothing to do with these blessings but it is all by His grace.  I also think I fall into the trap of “hoarding my blessings”.  If God blessed me with something once does that me he will bless in the same ways again or do I need to store up that blessing since it might not come around again?  God may bless in the same way or He may choose a completely different avenue of blessing but we can trust that He will always provide for us.  

Another harvest festival was called the Feast of Weeks.  It celebrated the end of the grain festival—very much like our Thanksgiving.  The purpose of this festival was to give gratitude to God for all the crops that had been gathered in during the year.  In fact, each individual made an offering and the portions of the offering were based on the size of his harvest.  

Here’s my editorial portion of this post: Each year it seems that more of the Thanksgiving Day is carved away from giving thanks and turned into an extra day for Black Friday.  I would venture to say that Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping crowds make it difficult to ponder and confess all the blessings we have only because of His grace.  Kudos to companies who are willing to sacrifice some of their bottom line for the sake of not taking a chunk of Thanksgiving Day and turning it into cash.  A few years ago REI, a large outdoor retailer, decided that it wouldn’t even open its stores for Black Friday but encourages its customers to go outside instead of standing in lines.  That’s my plan for Friday.  It’s not that I am sacrificing anything to miss the sales—in fact I will probably avoid all retail areas until January.  But hopefully Arthur and I will take a hike, enjoying the fall weather since it may be our last chance before swirling snows, and recount God’s blessings.  Additionally, just like the Feasts of Weeks, we have an opportunity to give in proportion to what we have “harvested” this year on Giving Tuesday.  Giving Tuesday started about 4 years ago as a day set aside to give to charitable organizations in the chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Many organizations have matching funds to double what is donated on Giving Tuesday.  Heifer International, which is an organization that gives farm animals to people to help end of the cycle of poverty, has a grant to double donations this year and World Vision is teaming up with Thirty-One products to provide bags or totes with donations made on Tuesday.  

We are so blessed in ways that are not universal.  We are reminded that as I write this, almost one person in one hundred alive today are either refugees or internally displaced due to political upheaval or natural disaster.  It is not due to our own efforts that we are not among those numbers, it is pure grace, and I hope that fact will fill us with compassion towards those whose external circumstances have made the future deeply uncertain.  Consider giving to an international relief organizations this Thanksgiving season to alleviate this huge source of human suffering.

We are blessed to live in homes with running water, heating and air conditioning, and comfortable furnishings, all in a time when so many in our own country will have no home to turn to.  While we may work hard every day to provide these comforts, it is also very true that the circumstances very much outside our control and given us completely by grace have given us this gift.  We were born into loving families that nurtured us physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually; support systems that are far from universal.  Let compassion be your default position towards those you see on the street, and offer a smile and an encouraging word should circumstance allow it.

Today, we will still down to a feast at a time when one billion live off of less than a dollar a day and one person in six in the United States will at some point this year experience food uncertainty.  We are again humbled by God’s goodness in providing us with good jobs made possible through the collective workings of this country that creates a stable economy.  Remember God’s love for the widow and orphan, and think of your local food pantry this holiday season.

So many of our needs and pleasures are provided for as a direct result of our education.  We praise God for the advancements and social good provided for by a society that values education enough to provide it to all children and has, to varying degrees, recognized the value of higher education and worked to make is accessible for the rich and poor.  That societal stance has made the life we live possible.  We are reminded that huge disparities in educational opportunity still exist today.  As God has gifted you, encourage the imagination of the children you interact with, and consider giving to organizations to bring the blessing of education to children around the world.

We are blessed with easy access to health care.  It is scary to consider where Arthur might be were it not for the care he received while fighting through depression, and we praise God for the health care providers who made his clean bill of health possible.  So many do not receive that care, and not just when it comes do mental health disorders.  Diabetes goes untreated, dental work goes undone, preventable diseases kill so many, even in this affluent country, that we are overwhelmed with thanksgiving for the grace given our family and grieved by the fact that so many do not receive the same.  Encourage and support programs that work to bring about these ends.

We need to nurture an attitude of thanksgiving for all the provisions God has provided and also recognize that we need to give back in return.  Now I need to go peel five pounds of potatoes for my mom so we can so sit around a table filled with several of the people who mean the most to me in the world.  Omnia Vincit Amor.

Lakeside Retreat

Each year Arthur and several friends from college get together to reconnect for a weekend.  My friends know that if Arthur is going for the weekend I will more than likely plan a get together.  For the past few months they have been asking about when Arthur and his friends are meeting so we can go on a camping trip.  Finally the guys set the date for the last weekend in October which would be perfect for us to have a campout.  So we actually decided that camping outside that late in October might be a little iffy weather-wise so I was able to snag a cabin at a state park to have indoor accommodations.  As it turns out with a high of 80F this weekend camping outside would have worked just fine but having a kitchen and bathroom facilities was a plus for some of the group.

On Saturday afternoon we all met up at Milford Lake State Park.  We had reserved a small cabin that would sleep 4 and it was almost like a tiny-house or at least felt that way when 4 women drag along all the stuff they need for overnight.  It was located right along the lake edge so we spent part of the afternoon sitting outside chatting and enjoying the view.  We decided that hiking was in order being at a state park and we found an area where they had recently held a cross country race so paths were well mowed in the tall grass.  We wandered around enjoying the sunshine and crunching the fall leaves under our feet.

After our hike we were hungry so we dove into bowls of chicken cheesy chowder which it the spot on a fall day.  As we were enjoying the soup we notice the sun was sinking low on the horizon which meant we had to leave dinner and watch the sunset.  We ran down a trail about 1/4 of a mile to an observation tower only to find trees blocking the view.  So we turned around and ran back to the car to scope out a better viewing location.  One of the campgrounds was named Sunset Ridge which sounded pretty good.  When we arrived we jumped out of the car and made our way to a bench just as the sun dipped below the lake.  We enjoyed the beauty for a while and those who didn't run cross country in high school tried to catch their breath after some high-intensity sunset watching-- who knew it was an cardio activity.

Since darkness was setting in it was time to light a fire.  After all a camping is not complete without a fire and more specifically s'mores.  I love that sitting around a fire encourages conversation but when there is a lull in the conversation it isn't awkward silence but thoughtful reflection while gazing into the dancing flames.  Once we got some decent coals the marshmallow roasting began.  As the night air cooled we pulled out our plaid flannel shirts which made the evening more cozy.

Our final entertainment for the evening was stargazing.  We hiked up to an open area on top of a hill overlooking the lake and found a dark and brilliant night sky to spread a blanket beneath.  We are marveled about how the stars are out most evening but we never take the time to stop and appreciate this wonder.  It was also a treat that we saw five or six shooting stars too.  We laid on the ground, lost in the stars for probably an hour, until it finally got chilly enough we called it quits to go snuggle up in sleeping bags in the cabin for the night.