Riding the Waves

One of the online devotional resources I read posed an interesting question this week: “How much discipline and practice does it take to ride a wave?” There was a picture of a man in a rash guard and board shorts riding out the end of a wave on his surfboard. He wasn’t doing any spectacular tricks. From the picture it didn’t seem to be particularly beautiful day or especially interesting surroundings. It was just a picture of a man on a board in a sea of foam.

If you have been out to the pier at Tybee, perhaps you have spent time watching the surfers practice their sport. They come dressed for the conditions. They carry their boards to the water. They paddle out to the deep. And then they wait. And they wait.

They look out into the vastness of the ocean for a wave. It is quite ironic, really; because all you can see when you look out into the ocean is waves. But they are looking for the wave that will carry enough energy to carry them and their board on the short ride from their place in the surf toward the beach.

When they spot such a wave, the real action begins. They scramble around, start paddling, and (if they have timed their efforts just right) they stand to their feet as they accelerate down the slope of the wave as it moves toward the shore.

Now let me take you back to the question: “How much discipline and practice does it take to ride a wave?” I imagine it takes quite a bit of both; but it also seems that whoever is willing to commit themselves to the practice and the discipline can succeed in riding the waves.

You don’t have to be a certain age. You don’t have to pass an intelligence test. You don’t have to have a certain body type. You just have to be willing to commit to practice the habits that lead to the ability to ride the waves; and you have to do it day after day.

As we move toward the end of this season of Lent, let me encourage you to stay committed to the disciplines that will carry you along on your journey to hope. Even the waves of the ocean pale in comparison to the power of God that is moving all around us.

May you experience the thrill of riding the wave of God’s awesome power—a power so great that it restores sight to the blind, heals the sick, and brings the dead to life.

Alert to the Dangers

It seems much more difficult to adjust to the “spring forward” change to Daylight Saving Time than to the “fall back” one. In large part that is because the idea of getting up an hour earlier is extremely unpleasant to most people. On top of that, most folks are already sleep-deprived. Nearly half of Americans say they rarely or never get a good night's sleep during the week.

That may not seem like such a big deal, but consider this. There is research that indicates the number of car accidents increases on the Monday after daylight saving time begins. Workers report more injuries on the job the Monday after the beginning of daylight saving time. In the days after the shift, heart attacks are also more common. When people are tired they are in danger.

The truth is sleepiness contributes to human error in variety of settings. When people are depleted physically, emotionally or spiritually they are at risk; and life is full of challenges, distractions, and interruptions that make it difficult to reach our intended destination.

A lot of people look for a quick fix. You can hardly get to the register in most gas stations without knocking over a bottle of “energy.” Others look for their rush by scratching numbers off a lottery ticket. A few experiment with drugs. Still others turn to pornography or extramarital affairs. It seems that people will try all kinds of ways to short-circuit the thrill of being alive.

When you tire on the journey to hope, you are most susceptible to temptation. It is so tempting to choose something that promises momentary pleasure; but that leads to long-term pain. That is one of the reasons the season of Lent is a time to consider the resources available to believers, especially when they meet resistance. There are so many things that interfere with your reaching your intended destination. Do you know where to turn when you need to refuel?

Let me encourage you to remember where Jesus found the strength to continue his journey to the end. He gathered his closest friends around him. He spent time in earnest prayer. He affirmed his total commitment to God’s purpose for his life. These are things you can do to faithfully continue your journey to hope.

To Serve, Not To Be Served

Should every American go to college? That’s a question that has stirred quite a bit of public debate over the past few weeks. Some have suggested that a college education is the path to job security and economic success. Others have openly questioned the value of the college experience and warned that the lessons learned in an institution of higher learning are irrelevant, if not destructive.

Andrew Delbanco entered the debate this week with an op-ed piece that was published in The New York Times. Mr. Delbanco is the director of American studies at Columbia University and also the author of the forthcoming book, “College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be.” He admits that there may be some merit to the argument “that elite college culture encourages smugness and self-satisfaction.” He continues:

Our oldest and most prestigious colleges are losing touch with the spirit in which they were founded. To the stringent Protestants who founded Harvard, Yale and Princeton, the mark of salvation was not high self-esteem but humbling awareness of one’s lowliness in the eyes of God. With such awareness came the recognition that those whom God favors are granted grace not for any worthiness of their own, but by God’s unmerited mercy — as a gift to be converted into working and living on behalf of others. That lesson should always be part of the curriculum.

In this respect . . . our leading colleges could use a little more of their own old-time religion — not in any doctrinal sense, but in the sense of taking seriously the Christian virtues of humility and charity. In secular terms, this means recognizing that people with good prospects owe much to their good fortune — and to fellow citizens less fortunate than themselves. . . .

Perhaps if our leading colleges encouraged more humility and less hubris, college-bashing would go out of style and we could get on with the urgent business of providing the best education for as many Americans as possible.

Like James and John, most people want some assurance that they will eventually receive the honor they deserve (see Mark 10:35-45). Jesus lets them know clearly that’s not the way it is going to be in the community he is creating. Instead, the greatest will be the one who serves.

“Working and living on behalf of others” is the most faithful way to follow Christ on our journey to hope.

Take a Look in the Mirror

Early in the movie, Six Days Seven Nights, the crusty charter pilot, Quinn Harris, shares an important insight with Robin Monroe—the young professional who has recently arrived with her fiancé:

Quinn: They come here looking for the magic, hoping to find romance, when they can't find it anywhere else.
Robin: Maybe they will.
Quinn: It's an island, babe! If you didn't bring it here, you won't find it here!

That’s important to remember whenever you are embarking on a journey. It’s the reason you want to travel with trusted companions; but it is also a reminder that it is worthwhile to reflect on the person who is always with you. As Confucius said, “And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”

That’s good news for some folks, but more than a few folks spend huge amounts of time, energy and money trying to reinvent themselves. Perhaps they recall the pronouncement of that wise swamp ‘possum, Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

In the introduction to Pogo Papers Walt Kelly tried to explain what he meant by this:

...Specializations and markings of individuals everywhere abound in such profusion that major idiosyncrasies can be properly ascribed to the mass. Traces of nobility, gentleness and courage persist in all people, do what we will to stamp out the trend. So, too, do those characteristics which are ugly. It is just unfortunate that in the clumsy hands of the cartoonist all traits become ridiculous, leading to a certain amount of self conscious expostulation and the desire to join battle.

There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.

So as we make this journey of hope, don’t be discouraged that you can’t get away from who you are. What Walt Kelly said may be true, “We are all of us responsible for our myriad pollutions, public, private and political.” That’s our call to confession.

Just remember this journey also serves as an opportunity to recall that God created you in his image. God’s nature is within you; and by God’s grace, that nature can become a greater and greater source of the basis for your hope.