Short lived were the days when culture and Christianity were so in-line that no one needed to really explain what it meant to be a Christian. “Everyone” believed in God, right? The question of that bygone era was which type of Christianity did you adhere too? What was the right thing to believe about God? People knew what it meant to be a Christian. It meant to be an American, not a communist, and to be a member of a church.
However, did you know that in 1954 the phrase “under God” was added to the pledge of allegiance? Before then it wasn’t in there. Did you know that in 1956 the phrase “In God We Trust” was placed on American money for the first time? Before then it wasn’t there. Did you know that the United States Constitution contains no reference to God?
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Have you ever closed your eyes and imagined this scene that John talks about in the book of Revelations? Rev. 7: 9-12
“After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'”
I can only imagine the joy that will be pouring out of everyone there as they stand in the presence of unimaginable glory and peace. I feel as though I got a glimpse of that scene, be it very small, but nevertheless a glimpse this past week.
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It can be really hard to find a person that doesn’t love to be shown or told a good story. Stories are the mechanisms that we use to frame and communicate the experiences in our lives. Stories can define us, separate and divide us, unify us and ultimately give meaning to all that we do. Story tellers are some of the most highly sought after people and can captivate and inspire us to be the greatest we can be.
One story that is captivating teen culture and beginning to take over their earbuds is the story that plays out in the movie, “The Greatest Showman,” a story showing the poor becoming wealthy with moments of tragedy and redemption. The character of P.T. Barnum goes on the journey to overcome his place in life. Through success, failure, and ultimately through pain and destruction he is reminded of his true purpose and hope. If you haven’t seen the movie, add it to your movie list for the theaters or Redbox. It would be worth a watch. The story is a story of redemption at many levels and I believe that is why it is such a draw to many teens.
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Yes, I am aware that the title is a double negative and that those are not encouraged in the proper English language world because they are poor grammar. Nevertheless, the idea that you are not communicating at different points in your day, week, job life etc., is a false idea. Whether you know it or not, you are always communicating and so is the local church.
The most common way that we, you and I, communicate is through Body Language. In fact some research studies show that body language makes up about 55% of all your communication, followed by 38% vocal tone and 7% words. Now there is some dispute about the accuracy of these percentages. However, there is no disputing the idea that when your verbal statements don’t line up with your nonverbal cues (tone and body language), people will follow and respond to your nonverbal over and above what you are saying. Just imagine a very angry person with a weapon aimed at you saying, “Come closer…I just want to give you a hug.” When you respond, are you going with the body language or the words?
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“Do you see someone who is hasty in speech? There is more hope for a fool than for anyone like that.” Proverbs 29:20 (NRS)
So I don’t know if you heard, but the News is reporting that other countries have been using Facebook to inflame US citizens against each other with racist and anti-religious ads that look like news stories. This divisive tactic is an old one that has found a new platform in social media. According to Historians, this has been a favorite tactic for various countries and empires through the centuries to help divide and exploit their enemies. They also argue that Russia has for almost a century tried to use the racial tensions in the U.S. as a political tool to disrupt and divide.
Will we ever learn?
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