Holy Laughter

“I smile at my enemies." —1 Samuel 2:2

Laughter, I read somewhere, is caused by the sudden perception of an incongruity. A story or event takes an unexpected, surprising twist, jerks our minds around and we laugh. It's a gift God has not given to the animal kingdom. Only human beings laugh.

The biblical word “joy” suggests a similar idea—a response to a sudden turn of events, a serendipity, a “surprise.” (That’s the basis of the pun in Lewis’ autobiography, Surprised by Joy.) God sends a happy surprise and the emotion we feel is joy.

To illustrate: I have a friend who spent four years of his life and thousands of dollars pursuing a Ph.D. at a prestigious university in California. When he met with his faculty advisors to defend his dissertation he was told that it was not acceptable. "Lacking in scholarly support," they said, but in reality their rejection was based on his Christian presuppositions.

Two thoughts went through Bob’s mind. The first was the sight of thousands of dollars and four years of his life sprouting wings and flying away. Then the words of a chorus broke through:

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;

I’d rather have him than have riches untold.

I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

And Bob laughed—at which point his advisors thought he had lost his mind.

No, Bob just got the joke.

David Roper

4.1.17

New Feathers; Fresh Wings

(Bless the LORD...)

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

Who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. —Psalm 103:4-5

When we get to where we're going, we'll be met by Compassion and Love, two commodities that are in short supply here on earth.

In the meantime, while we wait, God is able to "satisfy us with good." There's an odd Hebrew word underlying the English translation of this line: Literally, the poet says that God is able to satisfy our "ornamentation" with good.

Ornamentation?

Most grammarians think he's referring to our so-called golden years, relying on an old Semitic root that refers to old age.

Old age an ornament?

Think of it this way. If I were to run a Boston Marathon I would probably get a T-shirt with an inscription on it that says, "I ran the Boston marathon." I'd wear it proudly, as one should wear old age, because both marathons are achievements worth celebrating.

Here I am eighty-four years old, a spectacular accomplishment if I do say so myself. Most people are dead at my age, as Yogi Berra famously said. But God in His mercy has allowed me to beat the odds: 4 score+4.

But I don't want to just live a long time, like an old tree, and then topple over. I want to live and grow forever! Here I'm told that my youth can be renewed like the eagle's.

Eagles lose their flight feathers each summer—which is why we're asked to avoid certain areas along the Boise River lest we disturb them. But then, having grown fresh feathers, the eagles emerge as good as new, full of vim and vigor, thereby becoming a symbol of ever-renewing youth. God's presence is the sanctuary where you and I shed our old lives and put on the new.

It occurs to me I should make a sign for my study, the place where I meet God most mornings: "Please don't disturb me. I'm molting."

David Roper

5.2.17

The Simple and Those Who have Been Led Astray

I have a collection of verses I call "Grace Notes." Here's one I found today.

"And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. This you shall do for those who have been led astray and the simple: you shall make atonement for their house" (Ezekiel 45:19,20).

I think of friends who struggle with addictions, who have been terribly damaged in their youth, who are mentally or emotionally challenged, who sincerely want to do the right thing, but fail again and again. God knows.

C.S. Lewis wrote, "If you are a poor creature—poisoned by a wretched upbringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels—saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion—nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends—do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day (perhaps in another world, but perhaps far sooner than that) He will fling it on the scrap-heap and give you a new one. And then you may astonish us all—not least yourself: for you have learned your driving in a hard school. (Some of the last will be first and some of the first will be last)" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity p. 214-215).

English poet George Herbert, somewhere refers to a spirit of holiness in us, “or that which groans to be so.” There’s a dandy grace note for you!

Are you good every day? No, but I think you “groan to be so.” 

Jesus said, "Blessed are the righteous." Oops. No, that's not what He said. He said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).  

So keep on. Do what you can. By God’s grace—in this world or in the next—we shall arrive.

David Roper

Friends

I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,

that they may dwell with me;

he who walks in the way that is blameless

shall minister to me. —Psalm 101:6.

Every relationship has consequences: "Bad company ruins good morals" Paul wrote, quoting Menander, a Greek playwright (1Corinthians 15:33). Thus it's important to be discriminating in our friendships for we're all influenced by our friends.

David sought out "the faithful in the land." In the same way, it's good for us to seek those who seek God and who will direct our thoughts toward Him. There's an old Quaker saying: "Cling to those that cling to God that they may draw you unto God."

This is not to say that we can't be friends with those that do not seek God; Jesus was "the friend of sinners." But if our heart's desire is to know and love God then our closest friends and those we follow most closely should be so inclined.

There are some folks that will never be good friends: "Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly... Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I cannot endure" (101:5).

We should avoid those who tear down the reputations of others. They're insecure, threatened people and can be very dangerous. You can count on it: If they slander their neighbors they will slander you.

The translation "arrogant heart" is an attempt to render a Hebrew idiom, "a broad heart"—someone full of himself, I suppose. Thus we need to avoid entangling alliances with self-centered people.

There are who come to me, and write, and send,

Whom I would love, giving good things to all,

But “friend”—that name I cannot on them spend:

‘Tis from the centre of self–love they call. —George MacDonald

"No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes" (Psalms 101:7). Honesty is not the best policy; it's the only policy. "One lie, you die," is an old saying, an indictment that may seem harsh, but it's a practical consideration. Once someone deceives us we can and should forgive, but it's difficult to fully trust them again.

Finally, to turn the matter around, I must begin, with God's help, to deal with my own arrogance and duplicity, for humility and honesty are indispensable attributes of a friend. The words of an old proverb come to mind: "If you want to have good friends, you must first be one."

David Roper