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Sharing in Christ’s suffering6/5/2020 A Message of Hope and Encouragement to the African American Faith Community Written by Dominique Hampton As I sat down to prepare a few words of encouragement to my fellow black brothers and sisters in Christ, I found myself struggling to put words down on paper. Over the course of this week alone, I’ve called out to God countless times asking, “God why must this happen to my people. God this isn’t fair. God we are hurting, we are upset, we are angry, and we are afraid.” So, I tried turning on worship music, and for a few moments, I was at peace, but as soon as the earbuds left from my ears I was met with the sounds of weeping and the gnashing of teeth from those with skin color that look like mine. It feels as if we are living in hell on Earth.
And so, I went to the only place that I knew where to go in times of trials and tribulations, and that was to the word of God. I didn’t know what I was searching for, but I flipped open my bible looking for anything to give me hope. Flipping from book to book, story to story, page to page, and I begged God to show me something. After a couple of days of searching for answers, I found nothing. After bottling up so much emotion and anger from taking in post after post, video after video, and crying out to my peers trying to get them to understand what is happening, I went for a run around my college town to release the built up energy. During the run, I came upon a vast lake as the sun was setting, and for the first time in a while, I felt small, alone, afraid and seemingly hopeless in such a large, evil, and corrupt world. I asked, “God, don’t you see what’s happening?” After some more searching, I was finally drawn to Matthew 27:45-46. It takes place after Jesus was betrayed by Judas and delivered into the hands of the Romans. Jesus hung on the cross after enduring excruciating pain, a word derived to describe the pain of crucifixion. After being beaten, whipped, and brutalized, we arrive at the final few moments before Jesus gave up his spirit. And we read in Matthew 27:45-46 (NIV): “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). If any of you are like me, you’ve probably prayed a prayer similar to this. You’ve asked the question, “God where are you?” The incredible thing about the phrase “Eli, Eli, Lema sabachthani” or “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” is that if you dig around in the Old Testament for a little bit, you’ll learn that this phrase first appears in the Book of Psalms Chapter 22, and that it is actually a fulfilment of what is undeniable a prophetic passage on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the son of God. I encourage you after this blog to go and fully read Psalms 22, but in the interest of time I will share with you verses 1-11 (NIV). 1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.[b] 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.[c] 4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. As I read through that passage fully knowing it is in relation to Jesus, I can’t help but take what I read and compare that to the struggles that African Americans have faced in this country. I can’t help but imagine the children of Israel, who for 430 years were slaves in Egypt, and compare that to the 400 years that African Americans have faced oppression in this country. I can’t help but imagine Christ who, in all his Glory, was born in a manger, a room meant to hold animals, and compare that to young black boys and girls whose worth is overlooked because they come from low income households. I can’t help but imagine how many people overlooked Christ's value with sentiments such as ”Jesus, isn’t He the carpenter's son,” or when Nathaniel in the book of John asked “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” and compare that to young black boys and girls whose value is overlooked because they come from struggling urban environments. I can’t help but imagine Christ who spent the entirety of his life being targeted by Roman authorities & Roman soldiers, and compare that to how African Americans for centuries have been trying to escape the grip of systemic racism & police brutality that has flourished in America. When I read what Paul wrote in Acts 5:30 in the KJV, he says: “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.,” I can’t help but imagine an innocent Christ nailed to the cross fighting for his last breath as he is being mocked and shamed by the Romans, and not compare that to the pictures of aN innocent black body hanging from a tree, being mocked and shamed as men, women, and children stand together gathering for a photo. God where are you? He finally answered me in 1 Peter 4:12-13: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” Rejoice? God, rejoice? Are you serious? Right now, I can’t understand it, but maybe it was something our ancestors understood as they sang out spiritual hymns in the cotton fields during the period of enslavement. Or maybe it was something they understood when they marched down the streets in the south, as they faced persecution during the civil rights movement. I’ve learned that no matter what time you look to in our fight for justice, God has always been ever present within our community. Although we may not always see it, He’s working. We learn in our Bible that though Israel were slaves, God delivered them into the promised land. Though Christ was born in a manger and grew up in Nazareth, God elevated and raised him up to be King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Though Christ was delivered into the hands of the authorities, God used what the enemy meant for evil and turned it around for His good. Yes, Christ was crucified, and to us it may have seemed that his story ended there, but 3 days later He rose from the dead ultimately defeating death, hades, and the grave. Jesus commands us in Matthew 16 to take up our cross and follow him. Following Jesus is a challenge in itself, and sometimes it feels as if this brown skin makes our cross even heavier, especially in times such as these. But let me encourage you. As Jesus marched his way to cavalry, Peter, one of his disciples got up next to Jesus and helped carry the burden of that weight so Jesus, at His weakest moments, didn’t have to go through it alone. When Jesus finally ascended in His divine glory, He bestowed upon us His spirit to help strengthen and encourage us for times such as these. Jesus understands what we are going through. He went through it Himself. I also know that our God is a just and sovereign God. Although I can’t make sense of any of it at the moment, Proverbs 3 tells me to lean not on my own understanding. I envision God looking down from His throne in Heaven, hurting as we share in Christ’s suffering, but fully knowing that what He has in store for us is far greater than we could ever imagine. And as we continue to run our race and fight the good fight, let us keep our eyes set upon God, because though it has been a long journey, we are getting closer to the end each and every day. As we continue to work to bring Heaven down on Earth, let us look towards the day where we’ll finally receive a “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” and rejoice in Heaven with all of God’s glory and with people from every nation, tribe, and language (Revelation 7:9). To conclude this post, I wanted to end with the reading of the last verse of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” also known as the Black National Anthem, written by James Weldon and John Rosamond Johnson. God of our weary years God of our silent tears Thou who has brought us thus far on the way Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light Keep us forever in the path, we pray Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee Shadowed beneath Thy hand May we forever stand True to our God True to our native land God sees us and He is with us. Always has, always is, and always will be. Keep fighting the good fight. Blessings.
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We've all heard the phrase "Risk it for the biscuit." But as Christians living in a materialistic society we have to stop and ask: What if the biscuit isn't worth the risk? Maybe our friends in Westeros have set an example of what not to do. We all have a reputation at the dinner table right? Some unwritten rule that exists in your circle? For me and my family; I have to be the last one to grab the bread at dinner. The reason is because I will eat whatever is left. Whether we're talking about garlic bread, rolls, or biscuits, I absolutely LOVE bread. Matthew 4:4 says "Man should not live on bread alone" BUT Matthew didn't have that cinnamon butter from Texas Roadhouse you know what I'm saying? However; My love for bread doesn't stop with literal biscuits, but the figurative ones as well. One of my favorite phrases of all time is "you have to risk it for the biscuit." I recognize that it's a kind of joking phrase and a lot of fun to poke fun at, but I do think there's some good advice in there. If you really want something, what are you willing to put forward in order to achieve it? I remember being in High School and having a huge motivation issue. I was playing a couple sports and on drumline, but I didn't really love any of it. I wasn't working hard to get better, and in general I felt there wasn't much I would risk in order to do great things. As I've grown up I've developed passions and over the years had to risk relationships, reputations, and many other things in order to get that metaphorical biscuit. That brings up the question though, what if the biscuit isn't quite worth it? Mother of Dragons... and mistakes?I recently finished watching Game of Thrones for the first time. I was watching the show and trying to find something biblical to pull from it, and frankly all I could come up with was what NOT to do. In general this is not a show I would recommend taking life advice from. That being said, something happened in the last couple of episodes that really stood out to me. In the finale of any show there's going to be bows that wrap up series long plot points. Things have to come to fruition right? Although most fans can agree that GOT did a VERY poor job wrapping up the show we can actually that they did technically wrap it up. In the final moments for many of these characters I kept asking myself the same question, "is that worth it?" One of the two biggest characters in the whole series is Daenarys Targaryen. She's a fan favorite for her lovable dedication to freeing slaves and her ability to control three dragons. I couldn't possibly explain her character arc in one blog post, but simply put: her father is known throughout the world as the Mad King. Odds are, if you are named "Mad" anything, you likely weren't super liked. And the Mad Kings daughter was very accepted either. She spends the entire show trying to get to the Iron Throne. The pinnacle of power in Westeros. She does it by throwing from the east with ex slaves who follow her by choice for the first time in their lives. She truly loved people and does an amazing job caring intently for people. Well, except the many people she burned along with way. Quite literally too, remember, she had dragons. You see as she develops she starts becoming like her father. The epitome of this? When she burned the entire city of kings landing after they surrendered purely in cold blood. BUT, she finally got the iron throne. Only to have her nephew/boyfriend (we at Plain Sight Podcast do NOT support this) kill her before she continued to kill more innocent people. She spent her life for this moment, and she got it. She always said there was nothing she wouldn't do for the Iron Throne and she proved that. You have to respect her tenacity and dedication. She risked it for the biscuit, but it cost her everything. She spent 0 days as Queen. Instead she died because along the way she lost herself. How many of you can relate to this? Sure you likely weren't murdered by your nephew boyfriend because you rode a dragon through Kings Landing and killed a bunch of people. (Although if that does apply to you please don't haunt me). I think we can all relate to the part where we dedicate so much time and energy towards something, and when we get there it's short lived and not worth it right? And here's the thing, what your chasing might not be inherently bad. Danny was chasing power, which if used correctly is a tool that God can use to change lives. Yet, when she used it in correctly it cost people their lives, and ultimately cost her her own. Some people have a dedication to chasing money. Being financially stable is not a bad thing. It's actually quite good (I imagine. I wouldn't actually know about that), but it's when you love money more than you love God that you start to lose yourself a little bit. When we're chasing material things like power, money, and relationships the goal post is always moving. How long are you going to chase it before you realize you are never going to catch joy in the process? The things we want are not bad. The way we love them more than we love God is though. Jesus said "it's easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to make it in to the kingdom of God." What he's talking about here is not just people who have followed the Dave Ramsey plan. He's talking about people who idolize money. Jesus said it best, and TobyMac said it second best. I don't wanna gain the whole world, and lost my soul. Years ago I was put in charge of my fraternity as the president. I was terrified and kind of stupid at the same time which is not a great combo. I wanted to lead us to success, and I burned a lot of bridges along the way. I made some decisions that would ultimately cost me meaningful friendships because I lost sight of what I was really supposed to be doing there. I was put in a position to lead so I could point others towards christ. Instead I just wanted to point others towards me and how great of a leader I was. Euron Greyjoy: an absolute trash can of a human beingThere are a LOT of characters to hate in Game on Thrones. I can't emphasize how many there are. That being said, one of the absolute WORST is Euron Greyjoy. This man murdered his brother, kidnapped his niece, rapped and pillaged countless islands, and I'm pretty sure Creep by Radiohead is POV for him. In the second to last episode he confront the Kingslayer: Jaime Lannister. Jaime is known throughout the 7 kingdoms as the man who slayed the Mad King which earned him the nickname "Kingslayer." One of the greatest lines was when Euron looked at him and said "No man has every killed two kings" and Jaime quickly responds by saying "You are NO king." And then they have an epic sword fight. They each exchange deadly blows, and this moment will eventually to the death of both of them. Jaime is hurt to a point where he will bleed out over the next few hours, while Euron is stabbed through and will die within minutes. The last words we ever hear from Euron is him with a huge smily yelling "I did it! I'm the one who killed the Kingslayer!" And that moment struck me. You see, when Danny got lost in the midst of her passion she didn't know it was leading to her death. Euron on the other hand was spending his last breath bragging about killing the Kingslayer, who had also killed him. I think we sometimes get so wrapped up that we can't even see that what we're aiming for is the exact thing that's killing us. How many pastors have you seen get so dedicated to church growth that they solely focus on numbers and forget that their congregation is people. How many Christians want so badly for everyone to know about Jesus that they do so out of hate and ugliness instead of loving those who disagree with us? Don't get so lost that you don't realize that what you want most is the thing killing you. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"It's not a silly little moment. It's not the storm before the calm. This is the deep and dying breath of this love that we've been working on." Slow Dancing in a Burning Room is undoubtably my favorite song of all time. It's about a couple that spends their dying moments slow dancing as the room around them crashes down. Could they have left? Yes. But to them it was better to spend their final moments together than to live apart. It's a modern Romeo and Juliet if you will. One of the most interesting couples in the show is quite literally the creepiest thing ever. Jaime and Cersei Lannister are brother and sister, but have many kids together. Throughout the show Jaime, or the aforementioned kingslayer, becomes a very lovable character while Cersi takes the opposite route. The downfall of Jaime is always when he runs back to his sister. They spend their final moments holding each other in the red keep as the walls come crashing down with Dragon fire. They are quite literally slow dancing in a burning room. Sometimes, we risk a lot to run back to our comfort don't we? As a single 22 year old man I wouldn't say I'm a model for how to build a relationship, but I can say that it's easy to run back to what's comfortable. Whether that is a romantic relationship, friendship, or some other temptation that's leaving you burned each and every time. I do remember one time sitting at home after a break up that was really getting to me. God spent the next few months hammering home one major idea to me: He's got something bigger and better. But in order for me to get there I have to release what was holding me back. I was in a place where i wouldn't gladly settle for something less that what God wanted for me just to have what I knew was comfortable. I don't know what that is for you. But I encourage you to ask yourself what you're risking by running back to old habits, old people, and old problems when God has a much bigger plan for you. Let someone else get the biscuitMaybe you're the Mother of Dragons. You're sitting there and acknowledging the fact that you've pursued your passion so intensely that you've lost yourself in the process. Maybe you're Euron and the thing you've set your eyes on has engulfed you so much that you will die if it means accomplishing that. When Euron died he was under the impression he had a baby on the way. What, and who, are you sacrificing in order to achieve material things? And finally, maybe you're Jaime. Maybe you keep running back to what's comforatble because it feels like home, when God has something so much bigger and better for you. I've been each of these characters in one way or another. Odds are I will be again too, because these are things you have to check every single day. Don't let this post discourage you: I think it's amazing to work hard for what you want. I absolutely love the idea of risking it to get the biscuit. The best things in live don't come easy and I'm all for that. What I encourage you to do though is imagine yourself when it's all over, and ask yourself if the biscuit is worth what you're risking though?
A Ripple of Influence5/7/2020 Written By: Melody Jonas Romans 8:28 English Standard Version (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. This has been one of the hardest scriptures for me to comprehend and trust, and I still struggle with it today. Growing up, my oldest brother, Izzy, had a disorder known as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Those with DMD are lacking a vital protein known as dystrophin, and this leads to muscle wasting. Children tend to be diagnosed by the age of five, spend roughly half of their lives in a wheelchair, and pass away in their twenties. Unfortunately, this is also genetically inherited. DMD is an X-linked recessive disorder, which means females can be carriers - they can carry the mutated gene, although they may not be impacted by it, and they may pass it down to their children. Having a brother, cousin, and uncle who suffered from this disorder, and recognizing the magnitude of what they endured has made it incredibly challenging to cling to the idea that everything works together for good. However, their lives were not meaningless and their presence certainly did not go unnoticed - they each left behind a ripple of influence that continues to impact all of those who encountered them. While their story may not have been how I would have imagined, or what my family endlessly prayed for, they were loved, radiated joy, and had unique God-given qualities. My mother has reminded me time-and-time-again that it is not possible to put God in a box, and there are situations we cannot explain - they are out of our range of understanding. As I am writing this, my computer screen is softly glowing the words "Lab Processing." I have recently begun my journey in discovering if I am a carrier of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and it has been a long, twisted, uncomfortable experience. I have a 50/50 chance of carrying the mutation that has impacted two generations of my family, and I will know soon if it will now be three generations. Throughout this entire process, I have had to dig deep to find patience and faith. I have run into a plethora of obstacles, including being initially told my insurance would not pay for it, there were not any near-by locations accepting new patients, that my mother would have to be tested first, and my primary care physician was not willing to use the lab Children's Mercy recommended. Ultimately, my mother's test results came back quickly, Children's Mercy was willing to work with me directly, and between my mother and me, we will only have to pay $100. Even in a situation that seems endless and dark, these were huge blessings that I may have missed in the moment. No matter what the results are, I am surrounded by a pool of support. I am incredibly grateful for the resources to be able to go through genetic testing and be provided with answers to questions that my mother, aunt, and grandmother did not have access to. This is not a lack of faith - God and science are intertwined, and having this opportunity has been a blessing. If I find out that I am a carrier, this may put Alex and I in the position to adopt a child who would not have otherwise had a family. Without knowing Izzy, I would never have had an early appreciation for the value of life, in every design. While it can be difficult to see in the midst of turmoil, I am gaining a better understanding of how everything is, ultimately, working together for good. Too Hot to Handle4/30/2020 Written by: Zachary Kujath Well it seems I have a beat now, and somehow, it’s trashy, love and relationship-based reality TV. But this is what quarantine does to all of us. Not only are we forced to stay home more and fill that time with things like new Netflix shows, but there’s also less new content to keep us entertained. So we take what we can get. Too Hot to Handle is a Netflix love and dating reality competition show that heard every complaint people had about the genre and said, “What if we did all of that, but more?” The show found the hottest, dumbest, and most commitment-fearing group of singles they could and put them on an island, with the promise of $100,000 if they could refrain from sexual contact for the next months, and any infractions of the rules would pull dollar values from a collective prize pool. So they’re all in this together, with the aim of teaching the participants how to have stronger emotional connections with romantic partners. Now, if you grew up a youth group kid like me, you’re probably thinking about how you should be collecting quite a bit of back payment on this kind of deal, but this was not so simple for the contestants of this show. In fact, on the FIRST DAY, the contestants had lost $3000 of the prize money to an ill-advised kiss on the beach. What are you willing to miss out on for a good time?Here’s the thing: no one wants to read a blog post about my opinions about sex. It’s a legalistic, rules-y conversation that in general does nothing more than put people down and divide us over what’s really a small issue in the grand scheme of things. But this show provides an excellent picture of what it’s like to live life on earth for an eternal reward. One of the most common frustrations among Christians, especially young Christians, is the seemingly long road to gratification that it often looks like others are skipping past to have a part of here and now. And the way I see it, the contestants on Too Hot to Handle, and the way they dealt with their circumstances, can be an excellent insight into what we might have to look forward to, and the pitfalls we can avoid. The show was full of villains, but none received my vitriol quite like the Florida girl, Haley. Haley never made a connection with anyone, save fellow mean girl Francesca. After a slight in the early days of the process, Haley plotted a vindictive kiss with another contestant so they could lose everyone else money. Haley missed the point of the show. She lounged on an island having fun with a friend, but never accomplished much on the show, and was eventually removed from the show before the prize was handed out. Haley is a lot like those people that young Christians are so often jealous of. She had a good time, maybe even a better time than some of those people trying to follow the rules. But in the end, Haley missed out on the cash reward, and it seems likely she missed any personal growth the show could have offered her. In the same way, getting wrapped up in what the world has to offer leads to an eternity devoid of the reward that has been promised. But that would be a real downer of a think piece. Why are you seeking God? One of the most interesting figures on the show was British football player Kelz. Dubbed “The Accountant” by his cast-mates and the producers, Kelz was focused on the money as soon as he learned about the prize. Kelz displayed an unwavering commitment to the rules, spending much of the early time on the island only around the other guys so as to avoid temptation. But while Kelz followed the rules, he missed out on a lot of the early lessons on the show. Kelz’s story reminds me of the story of the morning after Jesus fed the 5,000. After the miracle of the loaves and fish, the disciples set across the sea to Capernaum, leaving Jesus to follow them walking on the water through the storm. The next day, having landed on the opposite shore, they are met by the crowds Jesus fed the day before. But Jesus’s reaction is one that likely caught those that followed him across the sea of guard. He says “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (John 6:26 ESV) Jesus is calling out their motives, saying that they followed him, but not out of any faith. Instead, they were looking to get a little more food from Jesus. In the same way, Kelz followed the rules. He did technically accomplish the mission in front of him, and he eventually received the reward at the end of the show. However, he missed out on much of the personal growth, and some of the rewards of the show. Kelz generally failed to interact with Francesca when they had a date, instead being so concerned with not breaking the rules that they didn’t find any deeper connection. Throughout the second half of the show, contestants were occasionally allowed to break the rules with the permission of the disembodied AI Lana, a permission she would grant after moments of personal growth and genuine connection. However, even following all of the rules, Kelz was never given that permission. While Kelz did share in the final cash prize, he never got the chance to share a kiss with any of the other contestants, and left the show without connecting with anyone in a meaningful way. The process of redemptionIf the show had any heroes, they were probably meant to be Francesca and Harry. And if you’re an astute reader, you probably recognize Francesca as a mean girl referenced before. These two would probably not have been chosen as favorites in the early going. Those $3000 lost on the first day? That was Harry and Francesca. Haley’s vindictive kiss to lose everyone else money? Francesca was the other half of that exchange. These two did not exactly make shining examples of themselves in the early going. But a few episodes in, the two started making conscious efforts to connect on a deeper, emotional level. While they had lost some money in the early going, they found a connection throughout the show, and were not only rewarded with a chance to kiss, but also got to win back the money they lost for the whole group by spending a night together in the private suite without breaking any rules. And, according to the follow-up reports, the two are still dating a year later, and are in the beginning stages of planning a wedding.
See, Francesca and Harry were far from perfect. They lost the group money, they fought with each other, and they were often otherwise insufferable. But they fully received the rewards of the show. Not only did they both win the cash prize, but the two got the chance to briefly be relieved of the rules, and found a connection that, so far, seems to have lasted. In the same way, engaging with the world in the way we are encouraged to can allow us to experience both the eternal rewards we long for, and the fullest extent of the rich life we can have on Earth. There is a middle ground of reconciliation between complete avoidance of guidelines set out for us and rigid adherence to the most legalistic version of every rule. Slight failures are not immediate condemnations. Instead, the things on the Earth have been placed there so that we can experience a full and complete life, one meant to be beautiful and eventually point us to the eternal reward we’ve been promised. Written by: Cameron Jordan I have a confession, something I feel I need to get off my chest. My confessions is that I JUST watched Harry Potter for the first time. I know I'm late to the party, and I have no excuse. In truth I mainly watched it for two reasons. The first is that I was getting really good at Harry Potter clue and felt I needed to see the movies before I continued any further. Second is that I think my sister was going to send my air mattress I'm sleeping on to the middle of the lake if I didn't watch them during quarantine. Either way, I actually learned a lot during the series. I think to an extent we can all relate to some of the positions Harry found himself in. What I love about series that take place in alternate worlds is that they can present uncomfortable ideas in a way that make us see them in a new type of light. They feel foreign enough for us to still call them fantasy, but close enough for us to realize that MAYBE we can learn something after all. That's what I believe the universe of Harry Potter did. What is your "room under the staircase"I remember sitting in an interview a little while back. I was the one conducting the interview, and I was asked to rate the candidates on a scale of 1-10 based on potential. I remember being really disturbed by this but not quite realizing why. I've since come to the conclusion that there is no word in the english language that I hate more than potential. I think it has to be the most limiting idea we can give ourselves, and especially as Christians. Let's look at Harry. At age 10 if you asked him his potential he likely wouldn't have had an answer. He was living under neath the stairs and told his whole life that the only people who even knew he existed were inside of his house tormenting him. Come to find out, there was an entire other world out there that needed him to be far more than what his potential said he would be. Who was his uncle to declare his potential as a useless orphan? In the same light, who am I to declare my own potential when there is a God out there wanting to use me in ways that I can't even comprehend? I think far too often we take our environment as the deciding factor for what we can amount to. It's easy for us to limit ourself in the name of potential, when in reality God is wanting to take you far beyond that. We saw him do it in the bible countless times, so why would he not do it now? Peter was a simple fisherman doing his job when Jesus called him to follow him. Years later he became the only other man to ever walk on water. Was that within Peters realm of potential when he was fishing with his brother and dad before Jesus? Not at all. Jesus doesn't care about your pre conceived potential. It's easy to limit yourself based on your room under the staircase, and the environment that you believe defines you. Jesus has shown time and time again that he does not care about that. He does not call the qualified, but he qualifies the call. Are you going to ignore the call of Jesus because you've limited yourself based on your potential, or are you going to let Jesus redefine your potential for you? Anything but SlytherinIn Harry's first moment in Hogwarts he comes across his time with the sorting hat. This is the moment that will surely define his future. He starts saying to himself, "anything but Slytherin, anything but Slytherin." He eventually gets placed in Gryffindor where he would go on to display amazing acts of courage and friendship. This makes me wonder though, why couldn't this same thing happen with Slytherin? Harry has been in tune with the wizard world for about 12 seconds and already knows he wants nothing to do with Slytherin. We go on to learn that they do have some purely evil tendencies. There's not denying that. They cheat in quidditch almost as much as the Astros cheat in the World Series. They seem to hate anyone who isn't a pure blood wizard. However; I wonder how much of that is on them, and how much of it is based on the expectations put on them. I'd attest that a large amount of Slytherin house is not truly evil, but instead fell in to the trap of self-fulfilling prophecies. This is the idea that we speak our own fate in to existence, or the existence of those around us. For example, let's say as a kid my parents believed I was going to be horrible at math and they made that VERY clear. When I come home with a bad score on a math test, is it because they were right all along? Or is it because I was only living up to the level of potential they put on me? These witch's and wizards are 11 years old and being told that they're their heir of evil, and that deep in their heart lies the desire to destroy everyone who isn't a pure blood. So when Draco decides to act on this expectation, is it because everyone was right about his desires? Or did his environment stick him in a box and limit him from being anything else? After all, when you tell a kid their level of potential you can only expect them to live up to it. How often do we do this as Christians? What about people like Matthew and Zacchaeus? These two men were considered the lowest of the low in terms of morals in Jesus' time. If Harry Potter was written in 30 CE I'm confident there would be social parallels between Slytherin and tax collectors. So what did these men come to? Matthew was one of the most committed followers of Jesus and wrote the first recorded account of Jesus. Zacchaeus had a hit song written about him that belongs on the top of the billboard charts. In both of their stories, Jesus took them in the MIDDLE of their mess and used them to change lives. What about the woman at the well? Jesus saw someone who, by every social standard, he should have been against. She was a Samaritan woman who was known for her less than religious relationships with men. Yet Jesus met her in her current state and saw that she was worthy of being used. What about Rahab? Rahab was a prostitute that God used to save two spies who were huge in the development of the promised land. Oh, and Rahab went on to be in the lineage of JESUS CHRIST. Kind of a big deal right? Well, if you asked those who knew her before her spies I bet they would have had a lot to say about her potential, and I'm sure none of it referenced he being in the bloodline of the savior of the world. Maybe is they didn't put the negative connotation on Slytherin than they never would have turned evil. Maybe if we give others the space to defy potential and social expectations we'll begin cheering for each others success instead of rooting for the downfall of the people Jesus loves. Lead against potentialSo what am I asking you to do? I recognize that this is all fairly introspective. In truth what I'm asking you to do is to stop limiting yourself and others based on how much value YOU hold to them. Maybe you're in a position where you are stuck in your bedroom under stairs. Maybe you're letting your environment define you potential. God wants to lead you somewhere far greater than where you think you can go. 1 Peter says that God has something bigger and better in store for you if you let him use you. Maybe, you're limiting others around you based on a cultural barrier. We all do this. We all have had moments where we make an assumption based on a stereotype we know. Jesus led the charge in accepting those who everyone else ignored. Whether it's people who historically were not considered holy because they hadn't followed the Torah, or it was Saul who known for murdering Christians for that exact thing. He takes them all and redefines their potential beyond what society says they can do. Remember that when Jesus died, he did it for all of us the same. That means if you're in the room under the staircase Jesus died and rose again loving you to the same extent as the cousin that seems to be loved by his family so much more than you. And if you're in a position where you're limiting others around remember that Jesus died and rose again loving them just as much as he did for you. And who am I to contest that?
The Hulk and the Fear of the Unknown4/16/2020 Written By: Alex Sons It’s been almost a month since we announced we were doing Plain Sight and to be honest... I love it. Writing and talking about finding Christ in the things we all love has brought me a lot of joy in a pretty rough time. With our first series of podcasts, we’ve been going through some of our favorite Marvel movies and characters. We’ve examined the Black Panthers' lessons of compassion and empathy, Spider-Man’s boyish charm and the strength of our youth, and here in the coming weeks are talking all about Thanos and ‘The Snap’. If you haven’t listened to those, come relive some of your favorite movies and try and know God deeper for it with us. You can find the links on this very website. We couldn’t talk about Marvel and not mention Bruce Banner. The Hulk is one of the most famous and unstoppable members of the famed Avengers. After being exposed during the testing of a gamma bomb, Bruce Banner is given a remarkable, yet terrifying, set of powers. When angered, Banner transforms from a normal dweeb of a scientist, into a massive green wrecking ball of a monster. No longer having control of himself, who knows what Hulk is bound to do. He can be a great asset, or a terrible deterrence given the circumstance. Beware, we may travel well into the cheese factory here, but there’s a lot that Bruce Banner and his particular set of powers symbolizes. There are so many different ways you could spin his powers: the way we suppress our past tragedies and trauma until they turn us into something we can’t control, or how even the ugliest parts of all of us can be used for the good of the kingdom, but I think I’m going to take a bit of a different spin this time. Bruce Banner was in a constant fight with the unknown. He was always aware of his potential and terrified of what would happen when Hulk came rearing his ugly head. Banner spends most of his time in fear of how Hulk can and will ruin every one of his relationships and everyone he comes into contact with. He gives up on his hope of love (Natasha, the Black Widow) and goes into hiding for long stretches of time. In Thor: Ragnarok, we learn that at one point, Hulk had taken over Banner for a stretch of TWO YEARS. JESUS, THE HULK, AND ME What does this mean for us? Honestly even as I write this at 1 in the morning, I realize I could take so many angles that I might as well write a book. Doesn’t “Jesus, The Hulk, and Me” just sound like a bestseller? I’ll get to work on that, but in all seriousness, we all struggle with fighting the inevitable. Of all the things Hulk symbolizes, this seems to move me most today. The vast majority of us have absolutely no idea what these next couple months may look like. There is nothing more revealing of that than trying to plan a wedding in a pandemic (mark “Planning a Wedding in a Pandemic” on the list of book titles). Melody and I have been filled with stress, anger, confusion, and much more simply because we have absolutely no control of the situation. People have lost graduations, weddings, funerals, family vacations, and more all the while knowing nothing about what the future holds for these things. So how do we deal with this? How do we wade the waters of uncertainty with joy and confidence Christ gives us? Honestly, I wish I knew. JEHOSHAPHAT’S PRAYER When I find myself in times of great uncertainty, I usually turn to Jehoshaphat’s (typing that name several times is going to get rough) prayer in 2 Chronicles 20. Jeshoshaphat was the King of Judah back in Old Testament times. He had just returned from a long fought war against the Syrians where they returned victorious but lost many along the way, including his friend, the King of Israel. As soon as he returns, he is IMMEDIATELY stopped and given some bone chilling news. “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” 2 Chronicles 20:2 (ESV) The passage said he was terrified and his very first response was to call a fast for all of Judah and to bring the nation together to pray. This has been such a light for me in my darkest moments, as a reminder that even at our lowest point and times of great fear, our first reaction should always be to call on Him. When all of Judah gathers together, Jehoshaphat delivers this BOMB of a prayer: “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20: 6-12 Now I know that 90% of y’all probably didn’t read all of that, but the real meat is in that last verse: “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” What is it in your life that makes you feel powerless? For Banner it was Hulk, and for most of us today it is COVID-19 and the way it is changing our entire world. There’s something freeing about admitting that we hold no power against this massive situation we are facing. As Christians, this is when we’re able to truly put our trust in Him. So what should we take away from Jehoshaphat? Well there are a couple things: RUN TO HIMIn our darkest and most terrifying moments, our first reaction is to become the problem solver. For some of us, we can take ourselves pretty far by using our intuition and quick decision making to our advantage. That being said, we all eventually hit a point when there is nothing we can do. Instead of relying on ourselves, we must submit to him. The very first thing Jehoshaphat did was fast and pray. How often do we do that ourselves? If we’re being honest it probably isn’t very often. Once we realize our need for Him and his ability to do all things for the good of those that love Him, we finally can put into perspective the situation at hand. YOU CAN’T DO IT ALONENot only did Jehoshaphat fast and pray, but he called the entire Nation of Judah to come together to pray with him. Your local church is so much more than a Sunday Service, and although we can’t meet in the flesh, now is the time for the church to bind together. Don’t fall into the trap that because you’re home alone and away from the building that you are not in the church. Reach out to your tribe, and be there for those in your tribe that need you.
The unknown is a terrible thing, life has taken a 180 degree turn and there may be nothing we can do to stop it. What we do know, is that we aren’t meant to be alone. Unlike Bruce Banner, don’t let your faults, insecurities and baggage keep you away from those that love you. In times like this you need them, and more importantly Him more than ever. Bold As Love: Who's Got Your Back?4/9/2020 Written by: Cameron Jordan Bold as Love is certainly an iconic song. It served initially as the title track for Jimi Hendrix second studio album; clearly setting it apart as one that he cared deeply about. It was later written that this was an olympian battle of passion and expression. Jimi's use of colors as a means of symbolism would make any writer jealous of the world he created in this song. John Mayer would go on to pay honor to the late legend in 2006 on his 3rd studio album Continuum. If you want to hear more about that album listen back to our latest podcast where we break it down. In 2008, Mayer released a live recording of his concert and in it included the long time legendary track Bold as Love. His twist on it? A rant that will go down in the record books as an iconic Mayer moment. I'm not going to sit here and and claim that anything he had to say here was religiously backed. I've seen almost every Mayer interview and I've listened to every single song he's ever released. I've never heard him say anything about believing in God. What I will say is that it's clear from some of his content that he has a longing for what God provides. You don't have to believe in God to long for his love and acceptance. I'd actually argue, alongside the writer of Ecclesiastes, that those are the individuals that have the deepest longing. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that eternity has been written on our hearts. We long for eternity before we even know that it exists. We have a desire for what God provides. So what does John say that makes me think what he was longing for in 2008 was God? Well, let's dive in. "I've tried it all, I bought a bunch of stuff and went: eh, I don’t like that”I'm sure we all have things that we value. I mean we HAVE things that we value. We can all claim to be simplistic and non-materialistic but I would bet that we all have a weakness out there. I know mine. I like clothes. Being able to have style is something I value. I have more shoes that anyone needs, I have a closet full of sweatshirts that I wear, and most people haven't ever seen me without a hat. Maybe yours is food, coffee, beer, or countless other vices that exist. John is speaking to all of us here. We live in a materialistic culture. Sure he has a little more money to spend than I do but does that mean he values "stuff" more than I do? No. It just means he's no longer naive enough to believe money doesn't buy happiness. If I were to put you on a spectrum, and on your right is happiness and your left is sadness and I asked you to tell me what makes you happy, what would you say? Maybe a new car, new shoes, the Chiefs winning the super bowl? Right now you're probably happy. But what happens when that car gets totaled? Or someone scuffs your new Jordan's? Or sports get canceled due to a global pandemic? Where's your happiness? Maybe, like John it went away. So let's switch it up. If you have joy on your right and sadness on your left, tell me what makes you sad? I'm sure right now we can point to a lot of things. Family getting sick, getting laid off, losing out on weddings or graduation. However, if you have joy you won't move one step on that spectrum. Why? Because joy is unconditional. Happiness is simply what you have; your shoes, hat, glasses. I'm glad you have those, but someone could come and take those pretty easily. Joy is your name. No matter what people take from you, your name is your identity. No one can take your name away from you. Joy is the same idea. It's who you are. It's founded in the promise Jesus made 2,000 years ago while he hung on that cross. When he said "It is finished" it was a promise that in the midst of today you can have Joy. I'm not telling you to not buy things you enjoy. Although I could use someone telling me that from time to time. I'm telling you to not let that rule you like it's ruled John. "Maybe that’s what you have to do to be a genius, is you have to be mad."I'm about to graduate college in a month, and THEN pursue another degree by getting my masters. Why? Because culture values education. Does a degree necessarily speak to the fact that I know more about a topic or career better than someone else? No. One of my favorite pastors, Michael Todd, completed one semester of community college and he pastors one of the fastest growing church's in the country. What college indicates is that you put in work and time to get something valuable. I think this drive is what John is speaking to here. He's talking about passion. What's your passion? If you listened to the Black Panther pod you heard us talk about how even great passions can become an idol. I care about Human Trafficking as much as I care about anything in this world. Where does this passion come from? It comes from my love for others and the commandment God gave me to love others. What is your passion, and where does that stem from? Is your passion driving how much you love God, or is your love for God driving your passion? If tomorrow it was announced that Human Trafficking ended globally would I be left feeling helpless because I no longer had a mission to serve? Or would I instead be motivated to continue to help others in need? Sometimes we pursue "genius" in a way where we become so zealous. That's what John is talking about. He zealously pursued music and he got there. And yet he still felt empty. Does God drive your passion, or does your passion drive how much you love God? "I've made a lot of stuff happen for myself"John at the age of 30, gets caught up on his own words. He's made a lot of stuff happen for himself. After all, that's a cool thing to be able to say right? He's won multiple grammy's, been number one on the billboard charts, and is considered a national heartthrob. He's done things most of us only dream of, and I'm not just talking about dating Jennifer Anniston. Yet, he's still talking about it not being enough. If I were to ask you to tell me the best restaurant in your city what would you say? For me, it's KC Joes. KC Joes is west of me. So if I start walking east, am I gonna get there? Not quite. Am I going to walk past some really cool places? For sure. Is it where I intended on going? Not at all. Sometimes when we walk in a direction that God isn't leading us we still hit some amazing destinations. They just aren't the ones God had in mind. Does that mean not using your gifts? No, it actually means using them for something bigger than you. My dream is to one day have someone tell me what I've accomplished and genuinely look at them and say that I had nothing to do with it. God used me in ways I never could. If I end my life saying that I made a lot happen for myself then I missed the point. "I've got your BACK love"Maybe the most iconic phrase in this rant comes near the end. This song and this rant stems around finding love. Claiming that the most bold expression of yourself is love. Every other emotion and passion is just hoping to live up to Love, which in it's pure form the most bold thing we can offer. It's vibrantly colorful but inherently pure. John continues by saying that he no longer wants Hollywood hot pink love. I mentioned that John was a heart throb right? Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jennifer Anniston, Jessica Simpson, Cameron Diaz, Rashida Jones, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry. Need I say more? He's tired of it. Now at this time he actually hadn't dated a couple of those girl I mentioned. His Swift and Perry phase came a little later. We'll have a different episode about Paper Doll and Still Feel Like Your Man. But John is tired of the Hollywood Hot Pink love. He doesn't want love that's just for show, or purely conditional. The instant gratification that comes from his celebrity relationships has left him empty. Sound familiar? Maybe it reminds you of the woman at the well in John 6. Jesus approaches her and asks if she's married. She says no, and he says "yeah I know. You've been with 5 men and the man you're with now is not your husband." Listen, a little bit of a weird move by Jesus. Kinda touchy, kinda personal. But deeply rooted in love and hope based on what he's going to go on to say next. He says that this woman is THIRSTY. And yes, Jesus was using an innuendo here. But he said take a drink of the water of eternal life and thirst no more. John Mayer said that he wants the "I've got your BACK love." He's talking about unconditional love. The type that means when you've messed up the person doesn't run. It means that they've got your back. I believe that is a great trait for a spouse, but it's not something anyone on earth can provide. This type of love is only found in Christ. It's unconditional love provided by the only person who has ever sent their son to die for all of humanity, but that rose again showing that not even death can hold back the intensity of his love. And until someone else pulls that off they will never truly be able to provide unconditional love. And here's a spoiler: No one else will ever pull that off. So what?Maybe you can relate to John on some level. I know that I can on a few of these levels. Am I saying you need to give up buying things, pursuing passions, accomplishing your dreams, or attempting to find true love? Not at all. I'm saying that you should do these things through God. None of what John talked about here is inherently wrong or even negative. It's only turned negative when taken out of the box that God put it in. When we take the gifts he has given us and use them selfishly we will fail. It might not look like failure, but it will certainly feel like it. For Why? Because God put eternity on our heart. For Christians, when we lose sight of eternity we lose a piece of our heart. When God isn't driving us, we try and drive God. And he's a much better driver than me. In John's case, and maybe for some of you, it looks a little different. The problem isn't that you've gone away from God as your drive, but instead that you never had him there in the first place. There's a place in your heart for God and the promise of eternity he provides. Maybe you've also tried filling it with success, money, relationships, or passion. But that's not going to be enough. Take John's word for it. At the pinnacle of his career he looked the Nokia theater in the eye and said he's tried everything and it hasn't worked. It drove him so mad he isolated himself in Montana for years after battling addictions to his own ego in his pursuit of finding that happiness. How far are you going to let it take you before you let God show you his I've Got Your Back type of love?
I’ll admit, Love is Blind is outside of my typical radar. I’ve never had much of an interest in shows like The Bachelor beyond being the punchline for some cheap jokes about how some people will do anything for love. Love is Blind was the quintessential version of this nonsense as far as I was concerned. Two weeks is insanely fast to get engaged anyway, and they don’t even get to see each other? That couldn’t possibly be worth my time. But in the final days before spring break, some friends convinced me to watch an episode with them by basically showing up at my apartment demanding it. And almost instantly, I was hooked. It took no time at all for me to find favorites (nice guys Cameron and Kenny were at the top of my list), choose people to hate (sorry Giannina), and get invested in the storylines (would Amber make a good impression on Barnett’s family?). But no one on the show caused me to have as many strong opinions as Jessica. Age is NOT just a number... to JessicaJessica and Mark seemed like they could work out well. They got along better than some of the other couples, and even made the choice to take things a bit slower, as much as that’s possible when your wedding is scheduled for 38 days after your first introduction. But Jessica was fixated on things outside of their connection, and nothing was more important to her than their age gap. At time of filming, Jessica was 34 and Mark was 24. This age gap obviously isn’t completely inconsequential, but it felt as if she let it consume every aspect of their relationship. She discussed it with him most episodes, when they were with the other couples, she would discuss it with the other women on the show, and she even brought it up the first night she met Mark’s parents. I remember yelling at the TV, “No one cares but you!” every time she would bring it up, but clearly something about it bothered her in a place deeper than she could effectively communicate. The issue with Jessica is simple, and it’s one that pervades each and every one of us, if we’re being honest. She was being controlled by fear. Fear of rejection by Mark once their age gap was established. Fear of disapproval by his parents when they first met. Fear of a disconnect should their relationship move into the long-term. These fears were especially present in her, but in truth, they are nothing new. Fear in God's KingdomThe book of Genesis tells the story of the foretelling and birth of Isaac to Sarah, a woman who was 90 at the time. And this isn’t a case of ages in the Old Testament being astronomical and people living hundreds of years. Genesis 18:12 says that when Sarah heard that she was going to have a child, she laughed, unable to believe that was possible. She was filled with much of the same fear and doubt that bothered Jessica, that age would come between her and something beautiful that had been promised to her. The key difference between Jessica and Sarah, and therefore Jessica and us as believers in Christ, is the quality of that promise. While Mark gave every indication of being in it for the long haul, an engagement in that context is inherently fragile, and Jessica’s fear likely stemmed from the short-term nature of their relationship up to that point, and how that relationship could evolve over time. Sarah’s promise, on the other hand, came directly from God in his conversation with Abraham. It is based in the same self-doubt, but that fear indicates a doubt in the all-powerful God of the Bible. God even responds to Sarah, saying “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen. 18:14) and promising that she would become pregnant after a year. This fear of the future clearly didn’t end with Sarah. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concluded with, “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” (Matt 6:34) Even with Jesus physically present in the world, fear and anxiety were not far from the people who followed him. But Jesus called his followers then, as he does now, to put aside the anxieties of the future, those that cannot be controlled, and focus on what is directly in front of us, and to trust him to take care of the larger picture. God's promise of love trumps our fearMake no mistake: we are not expected to be completely fearless. Sarah showed fear and doubt, and one year later, she did give birth to Isaac, thereby fulfilling God’s promise and furthering his kingdom. Fear does not preclude us from ever being used by God. But our unwillingness to act because of our fear does make furthering his work more difficult. The story of Jonah is a good example of this. When Jonah received his command from God to go to Nineveh, he fled from that calling to Tarshish. While the book of Jonah does not explicitly tell us why he ran, we can make inferences about his motives. It is first important to note that Jonah was not sent with a message of repentance, as the prophets often were. His message was simpler; “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). But God has a change of heart when he sees the repentance of the Ninevites, and decides not to bring judgement upon the city. And it is then that Jonah reveals the purpose for his fear. Positioned on a hilltop and waiting for the destruction of the city, Jonah says “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster” (Jonah 4:2). Jonah knew all along that God’s mercy would overrule his initial plan to overthrow the city, and Jonah feared what it would mean if he prophesied incorrectly. The prospect of being a false prophet was not something taken lightly among the Hebrews, and by law was punishable by death. Jonah’s fear was not at all unfounded, but God was calling on him to trust him, and instead he reacted with fear and later, anger. The book of Jonah ends on a bleak note, with God chastising Jonah for wanting more for his own safety than for the salvation of over 100,000 people in Nineveh, and never resolving what happened to Jonah. Trust God THROUGH FearIn the same way, there is an ambiguous nature in letting our fear control us. We will never know what happened to Jonah, and we will never know if Jessica and Mark could’ve been happy together. All we can know is that, because of their fear, those stories ended on a down note, and their happiest ending will never be known. So how can we find the happiest ending to our stories? The simplest version of that answer can be found in Proverbs 3:5. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” The writer of Proverbs never said we were not allowed to be afraid, but we are encouraged to put our faith into something bigger than our own comprehension, because trusting what we can understand only leads us back into fear.
Who’s to say if Jessica and Mark could’ve worked out. Who knows what happened at the end of Jonah’s story? All we can do is focus on what we do know, and follow the examples of people like Sarah who, despite her fear, made herself available to be used by God. If we can set aside our fear and trust God, we’ll likely realize that the thing we feared in the first place pales in comparison with the power of an almighty God. Written By: Zach Kujath Otis Redding changed the way I experience music. I had never felt someone sing the way I could feel every single note. He sang from a place like no one else I had ever heard. Maybe it was life experience, maybe it was passion, honestly it could’ve just been cigarettes. All I know is that whatever it was, I wanted to sound like that too. I wanted to write and sing with such passion and intent that every person who heard could literally feel what I was expressing. Although I’m crumbs compared to Otis, I’ve always felt that in some ways, listening to him taught me how to sing. Just before his tragic death at the age of 26, Otis wrote one of the greatest songs of all time. Dock of the Bay topped Billboard and is still covered by virtually everyone with an acoustic guitar and a drop of taste. I’ve probably played it at every gig I’ve had since I was 16. If a plane crash wouldn’t have stolen him from us, there’s no telling the heights his music would’ve reached. Dreams To RememberOne of his greatest pieces, “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” has always pulled me right into the feels (or fee fees if you’re really cool). The first time I heard the legendary first words were during a deep dive into John Mayer's live album, “Where the Light Is”. I searched Mayer’s entire catalog, desperate for more of the song. To be fair, John Mayer has been my man crush since I was 12 so it wasn’t that big of a chore. I ended up finding an old Otis video, and music as I knew it would never be the same. I was immediately captivated, and as a young teenager, I immediately decided that my heart was broken and Otis knew exactly who I was. Was this far fetched? Yes, but totally genuine in my 13 year old head. As I got to know this song the older I became, one thing became very clear to me. Heartbroken people are really, really dumb. The song is all about Otis finding his girl at the club all boo’d up with another man. He’s distraught, and starts to sing about the dreams he has to remember. “Bad dreams”, “rough dreams”. It all comes to an apex in the bridge where he says: “I still want you to stay I still love you anyway I don't want you to ever leave Girl, you just satisfy me, ooh-wee, ooh yeah” Let it be known, that ooh-wee is a stone cold killer. But in all seriousness, this is where we see how wacky being heartbroken can make us. I say this, because the vast majority have had our hearts ripped apart, and most of us said some outlandish stuff just like it. I’ve always been fascinated and terrified by why we act like this, and more importantly, how Christians are supposed to deal with these feelings. Whether it's a friendship, relationship, coworker, or crazy family member, we’ve all been in positions where we know it's not healthy, but we want to redeem the relationship more than anything. Nothing makes me question these situations like this song does. How would God want us to react? I certainly may not be an expert, but let’s take a deep dive. “Your forgiveness does not require your presence.”The Bible is very clear about the way Christians are supposed to treat those that hurt us. Romans 12:17 - “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” (NIV) and in Matthew, when Jesus is asked if 7 times is the limit to which we should forgive those that hurt us, he replies “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” What’s the moral of the story here? Well that’s easy, on the 78th time, they’re dead to you. No, but in all seriousness, it’s our job to forgive and love those that hurt us. The issue here is that we start to believe that in order to love and forgive those in these unhealthy situations, we have to fix them. If we distance ourselves, we often feel like we’re telling God that we’ve given up. This brings an intense amount of shame, regret, and hurt. Proverbs 4:23 - “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”What we have to understand is that if we are in a broken or abusive relationship, no matter how hard we try, our involvement only hurts both of us. Your forgiveness does not require your presence. The Bible talks clearly about guarding your heart and protecting your mental health. Proverbs 4:23 - “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Catch the first words, Above all else. Before we can witness to others, we have to protect our hearts. To be as cliche as it gets “Hurt people, hurt people.” If we can not take care of ourselves, it’s going to be 78 times harder to take care of others, especially those that hurt us.
So am I saying you should ghost all of your “toxic” friends? Probably not. Should you give up on your marriage? If it’s not abusive or sexually immoral, then the answer there is probably no too. What I’m saying is that like the late Otis Redding, we often aren’t thinking straight when we’re in abusive, or unhealthy situations. I know without a doubt that you are loved by many people, and most importantly, by the God of the universe. Don’t make these decisions alone. Seek wise counsel, pray, fast, and lean not on your own understanding, but on the promises of God. He loves you, and wants to know you and see you grow in Him. How do we balance forgiveness, love, and protecting our hearts? Every situation is different, but as long as we run to Him and use the tools he’s given us (prayer, friends, His Word) our decisions will start to look a lot less like our own, and more like His. I really, really hope Otis left her behind. But judging by the rest of his catalog, I would guess his luck didn’t get much better. Go check out this classic of a song, and everything else Otis put out. If you’re anything like me, it could change the way you feel music forever. Written by: Alex Sons Jesus is here: In Plain Sight3/25/2020 It's no secret to any one out there that everything right now is a little bit different. I'm sure each one of us can point to something we've lost in the last few weeks that meant a lot to us. The three of us are not excluded from this. We've lost weddings, graduations, and most importantly we've lost opening day of baseball. Ultimately we recognize that in the grand scheme of what's happening across the world these problems are minor, but to each of us they are still relevant. When everything around us seems to be coming to an end it's important to remember that God is still with us. The 6 feet apart rule does not apply to God. In the midst of chaos that seems to be all around us where can we find God? Well, we'd like to attest that you can find God all around you. He didn't stand outside the fire and watch Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendago. He was in the fire with them. God is not just standing outside of everything going on in culture today, but instead he's here with us. This goes beyond just the Covid-19 pandemic. We're at a point in culture where there is new media coming at you every day. Where do you find God? How can you find truth in a secular culture? Is there hope for Christians to find God when culture seemingly glorifies movies, music, and shows that don't glorify God? We say that there is. Just like with King Nebuchadnezzar we have an opportunity to glorify God THROUGH our response to pop culture. That doesn't mean we completely avoid it. But instead we find a chance to point others to him in the middle of it. There are pieces of God in media all around us. He's here, hiding in Plain Sight. "He also has implanted eternity on mans heart" - Ecclesiastes 3:11Growing up in church I'm sure you've been told to avoid certain bands, movies, or TV shows because it's not appropriate for Christians to watch. I personally was not allowed to watch Family Guy, the Simpsons, and a number of other shows. This is not inherently a bad thing to enforce; especially with the way some forms of media have gone. The boundaries seems to be stretched all of the time and you can get away with more and more. PG13 today looks a little different than it did 10 or 20 years ago. However; sometimes this media boycott gets taken a little farther than it might need to. There is new content coming out all around us, all of the time. Whether it's movies, podcasts, books, music, or TV shows you can always find something new to watch. What happens when we're taught that we can't consume the same content as the people around us because it's not Christian? Sometimes we connect secular to mean anti-christian. The goal of the Plain Sight Podcast is simple: we want to end that notion. In but not of the WorldA common conversation that's always being had is based on a handful of bible verses urging us, as Christians, to be in the world but not of the world. We don't want to dispute this verse in any way. However I do want to contend against our application of this verse. Paul urges us to not be conformed by the powers of the world. I think it's important to remember when listening to music and watching movies that you might come across some things that you don't agree with. That being said I think that there is Christian content out there that I don't recommend following. Instead, we should be consuming ALL forms of content with filters on them. Knowing what we believe is important, and if you hear something that conflicts that you should do your own research to come to the right conclusion. That's relevant with Christian content and secular content. Consuming secular content doesn't mean any more than putting it through the same filter. And I'd be willing to bet that if you did that you'd find that a number of secular pieces of media push narratives that have some more biblical connections than you think. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has implanted eternity on the heart of man. I believe we all have a longing for Jesus and the fulfillment he provides. When people are creating content you can often hear the longing for this fulfillment. So walk with usas we work to find Jesus in our every day life. Does this replace diving in to the Gospel and worshipping God? Not in the slightest. But if your faith is based on a relationship with Christ then we hope you can also work to see him every where. God is not limited to the confines that we give him. He's relevant all around us. Join us as we walk to find together.
Written by: Cameron Jordan Hello!Podcasts aren't for you? That's okay! We have some written reviews and content ready for you too. Let us know what you think! |