Theological Musings

n the most recent episode of “It’s Really That Simple” (the podcast that my lovely wife Christy and I co-host), Christy and I talked about our thought of simplicity in trusting God.  If you have a half-hour free, I’d encourage you to go and listen to that episode, as it will form the basis for this post.  However, I’ll also try to summarize as much as I can so that you get the gist of what we discussed.

As an example of trusting God, we talked about the daily provision of food.  Jesus told us in Matthew 6 that we should not worry about food or clothing, but that we should seek after the kingdom of God, and everything that we need will be provided for us.

In response to that episode, my favorite skeptic/agnostic/atheist (depending on the context in which he labels himself!) Sid Faiwu (not his real name, by the way, and it’s pronounced FAY-woo, as I have taken a long time to learn!) asked a very good question.  I will repost the entire relevant part of his comment here so that you don’t have click over if you really don’t want to…

Taking literally the idea that if one trusts God, then one will be provided with food, clothing, etc. is morally problematic. Every true statement’s contrapositive is also true. The belief you hold to be true is:

If one trusts God, then one will always have enough food.

It’s contrapositive is:

If one doesn’t [sic] not have enough food, then one does not trust God.

It means that if someone starves or is starving, then it’s their own fault for not trusting God. It blames the victim. I’d imagine this is why so few people take this part of the Bible as literal truth.

Secondly, I’d argue that such a belief is simply false. It suggests that Christians should never starve if they truly trust God. I would argue that of all the Christians who have died of starvation over the centuries, at least one of them trusted God in this way. She/He trusted God to provide and he failed to come through.

I completely understand where Sid is coming from on this.  And on the surface, I would agree that it sounds more like blaming the victim.  But I think there are some assumptions made in Sid’s argument that could use a little scrutiny.

First of all, I don’t think there’s any way to argue the actual point regarding contrapositives.  Sid is entirely correct that the contrapositive must be true.  It’s in the evaluation of that contrapositive that I think there are some problems.

Sid says that the original statement by Jesus is morally problematic.  I’m not sure about the “morally” part, because I think that putting the responsibility on someone is not necessarily “blaming the victim”.  In fact, the very phrase “blaming the victim” causes problems because it assumes victim status where none has been established.  In other words, if the words of Jesus here are, in fact, correct, then one who does not heed his words would not be a victim.  They would, in the words found elsewhere in scripture, “reap what they sow”.

So, from that standpoint, I think we need to withhold judgment on whether or not someone is a “victim”.  Let me explain a bit further.  The concept of trusting God (or “faith”) appears many, many times in the New Testament (especially, the four gospels) in conjunction with healing.  Now, I know that we’ve discussed this on this blog in the past, but I think that often we put the cart before the horse. Rather than assuming that Jesus was telling the truth, we try to find other explanations for what we see.

I’ve said it before here: Read the four gospels and make a note of anytime Jesus heals someone from a physical illness.  In those instances, note how often Jesus comments about their faith.  Statements like “your faith has healed you”, or “if you believe, all things are possible” jump out at me.  They are not isolated statements. They are woven consistently through every physical healing with very little exception.

Today, however, when someone does not get healed, and one dares to raise the question of faith, emotional responses often claim that we’re “blaming the victim”.  But if that is true, why did Jesus talk so much about faith in those situations?

From that standpoint, the passage regarding food and clothing is not anything out of the ordinary for Jesus.  In fact, I think it is entirely consistent with the rest of his teaching.  Faith is an integral part of receiving what the Father provides.

Take the story of the prodigal son.  While he was sitting in the pig pen wishing he could eat the scraps he was feeding the pigs, was he a victim?  He was the son of a man who was providing everything he needed — food, clothing, shelter — and yet he had not received what his father was providing because he left home.  He was not a victim.  He received the consequences of his own choices.

Sometimes the situation is not so clear.  One may claim they are trusting God for their provision, but maybe they are hiding their own doubt and worry.  Maybe they are seeking after their own provisions and not really seeking first the kingdom of God, as Jesus instructed.  We can’t judge their hearts, obviously, but I think it doesn’t really make sense to just throw out the words of Jesus in our own lives because of what we think is going on in someone else’s.

Let me turn, now, to the second objection Sid raises.  I have to admit that Sid surprised me with this one, because Sid is usually very concerned about empirical evidence.  Verifiable facts.  And yet here, he throws in a highly hypothetical situation, rolling the dice of history and assuming that somehow he can roll the right number.

Sid says, “…of all the Christians who have died of starvation over the centuries, at least one of them trusted God in this way.”  This pits the statement of Jesus against some “odds” that seem pretty incredible.  I would argue that this is not a logical argument, and therefore is not valid.

It’s not able to be proven or disproven because we can’t go back through history and interview those who have died.  In fact, I would say that there is stronger evidence (eyewitness, even) for the resurrection of Jesus, yet Sid rejects that account, by his own admission.  Yet, in this case, Sid is willing to pit the words of Jesus against unknown, unverifiable, unrecorded “witnesses”.

All I can offer, Sid, is my own testimony.  My own eyewitness account.  I have shared some of these accounts on this blog and on the “Beyond the Box” podcast in the past, so I won’t recount them now.  But if there are any questions, I’ll gladly share them again.  I can’t answer for anyone else, but I have found the words of Jesus — all of them that we have recorded — to be accurate, truthful, and consistent in my life.  When I have trusted my Father, I have never been disappointed.  I have never been rejected by him.  And whatever he has promised has come to pass.  When I have not trusted him, I have found that the consequences of not trusting him have borne out the very promises he made — I have, indeed, reaped what I have sown.

Now, before I close, allow me to say a brief word about “faith”.  Hebrews 11:1 defines faith for us.  I like the way the New International Version words it: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Faith is not always based on what we see or what we can touch or what we can prove with our senses.  Faith believes that truth can sometimes supercede evidence.

I know that sounds wacky to some, but I hope you can understand where I’m coming from.  Right now, in fact, we are going through another mini-financial crisis in our family.  A check that was supposed to arrive over a week ago (a substantial part of our monthly income) has not arrived.  We honestly don’t know how we will pay for stuff this week.  Bills that are due, rent that will be due on the 1st, food and gas that are needed this week — we don’t know how we will pay for all of that.

But we trust.  Why? Because of our faith.  Because we know that God has promised.  And in addition to that faith, we have the track record behind us to prove it.  Whenever I have sought the kingdom of God first in my life, all of my needs have been provided for.  Sometimes in really cool “miraculous” ways, sometimes in much more ordinary ways.  But always, always, always, my Father has kept his word.

So, does believing that faith is something we possess and exercise put blame on someone else who doesn’t?  That’s not really the point.  The point is, Jesus said that we can trust the Father for this, and I have found it to be true in my life.  That is the testimony I provide.

Until next time,

steve

ere on the east coast of the US, it’s just minutes away from the start of Thanksgiving Day.  I wanted to take a moment to just bullet point some of the things for which I am so very thankful right now:

• I am so thankful that my Father watches over me and cares about every detail of my life.  His care for me is evident every day, and I can’t express the depth of my gratitude.
• I am so thankful for a beautiful, loving, wonderful wife who supports me in so many ways and gives me opportunities to support and show my love for her, too.
• I am so thankful for two children who bring joy to my life.  While being a parent is often tricky, I could not be happier as a dad.  The fact that both children have come into my life through adoption reminds me on a daily basis of the joy of being adopted into my Father’s family.
• I am so thankful for the recent move to Abingdon, VA.  I haven’t changed the graphic in the “About Me” section of the sidebar yet to reflect our move, but we are now officially residents of Virginia.  The details of how we ended up in Abingdon remind me of the tremendous provision of our loving Father.
• I am so thankful to be able to do things that I enjoy doing for “work”.  My work stays varied enough and interesting enough to actually be fun.
• I am so thankful that my work often gives me the ability to be home with my family.  There are stretches of time where the schedule gets difficult, but there are many more times where I can stay home and spend time with my lovely wife and children.
• I am so thankful for blog readers who often encourage me.  Especially when it’s weeks or even months between blog posts, and yet they keep coming back to read!
• I am so thankful to be a part of a podcast that is actually encouraging people.  The comments we have been receiving on our (mostly) weekly episodes humble me.
• I am so thankful to be able to minister to people through my music.  There was a time when I realized that I was nowhere near worthy of being used by our Father to touch others’ lives, but I have come to relax in the joy of knowing that I am worthy because of Christ.

These are just a few of the things that I am thankful for.  What about you?  The comments are open for you to share things that you are thankful for.  And to my brothers and sisters reading this in the United States, have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving day!  To my brothers and sisters outside the US, this is a good day to give thanks anyway!

steve

t’s time for another personal update because the last week has been such a whirlwind of sudden developments and surprises that I don’t even know which end is up right now.  And suddenly, life is extremely different than I thought it would be right now!  Don’t worry, it’s all good.

Many of you who read this blog may remember last year that I went through an agonizing six-month process of applying for, interviewing for, and getting turned down for a music director position at Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA.  At the time, it seemed like a dream job, and it was one that I really wanted.  However, in a close race between me and one other person, they ultimately chose the other person.

Fast forward about six months to June of this year, and I get an email from the guy they hired, asking if I would join him in playing for one of their shows that they were doing with two keyboards.  I was surprised at how willing I was to do it, considering how disappointed I had been to not get the job in the first place.  But my heart had healed, and I gladly decided to make it work.  (It involved some negotiations with the University where I normally work during the school year because a handful of matinee shows would interfere with a commitment I had already made there.)

We made arrangements for how it would all work timewise, and Barter was kind enough to offer me a room to stay for those nights that I didn’t want to make the 90-minute drive back home after a late show (evening shows don’t start until around 8:00 PM).  All seemed settled, and everything was fine.  It would be fun to play a show there, and hey, the guy that took “my” job seemed really nice.

Then, about a week-and-a-half ago, he called me.  It seemed that he had an assistant music director who is not real strong on the keyboard, and they were wondering if maybe I could start a bit earlier than expected and play for some rehearsals, too.   Sure, why not?  So I agreed to that.

And then Sunday a week ago came.  A frantic email.  The assistant music director had left town without telling anyone.  Just cleaned out his room and left.  He was supposed to be music directing a show on his own.  They weren’t sure how they would cover everything.  They would call me Monday with more info.

Monday came, and a phone call.  Would I music direct the show the assistant was supposed to music direct instead of playing the show I was originally hired for?  Or would I like to music direct the show I was originally hired to play and the music director would pick up the other show?  I opted to just take the show the assistant had bailed on.

Now, it was looking more like two months of work instead of five weeks.  That’s cool.  But since it’s going to be more work than I had anticipated, maybe we should figure out a way for the whole family to be up there more.

So I googled “short term rentals Abingdon, VA” and contacted a place that specialized in fully-furnished rentals for short term use (i.e., corporate/business travelers).

And then Tuesday came.  Another phone call, a new offer.  Five months.  Finish out the season.  Music direct two shows, plus play in the original one I had been hired for, assist in other rehearsals, etc.

With a five-month contract, we definitely needed to find a place to stay up there.  We’d only need to be here in Boone one or two days a week, but the rest of the time I’d be working up there, so it made sense for us all to be up there most of the time.

However, I was waiting on some income from work I had done several months ago — income that I didn’t expect to receive until late August.  We would wait until those funds came in, and just try to get by with being apart some until then.

Tuesday afternoon, however, I had a meeting with the people for whom I had done that work.  And much to my surprise, they handed me a check for the amount I was owed!  We could rent a place right away!

Wednesday, I went up there for my first rehearsal, and we met with the agent I had contacted regarding a rental.  We looked at two places, and the second one was perfect. Three bedroom, two bath, nice quiet location less than two miles from where I’d be working.  It’s fully furnished, all utilities included, everything supplied including appliances, cookware, lawncare, internet access…  Wow!  And the price was within the range we had thought we could afford.

I went back for rehearsals Saturday and Sunday, and even though our lease was not to begin until today, the agent gave us a slightly smaller place to stay the night free of charge!

Today, we head back up there and will “move in” to our new place.  We’ll continue to rent this house in Boone and will be here probably Sunday nights each week, and maybe Monday nights as well.  But most of the week, we’ll be hanging out in beautiful and charming Abingdon, VA while I work for the theatre that once chose someone else over me.

It’s going to be a fun and action-packed five months.  The music director is a great and fun guy, and we hit it off immediately.  The theatre management told me that they had a very tough time deciding between him and me and now they feel like they have “the best of all worlds”.  I don’t know about that, but I do know that I’m very happy to have this job!

And through all of this, I have been absolutely amazed at the way in which our Father worked out all the details in such rapid fashion.  His provision has been timely and abundant, and the quickness with which all of this happened is amazing considering how many pieces needed to fit into the right place for everything to work.

I can still honor almost all of my commitments to the University throughout the semester, thanks to Barter’s eagerness to help work out a schedule that allowed that.  And I get to provide for my family while doing what I love doing!

Soooo…I’m not sure when I’ll be able to post again as the next few weeks will be hectic in the whole transition, but you’re used to waiting for my posts anyway, aren’t you?   At any rate, you now know what I’m doing while you’re waiting!

Until next time,

steve

t’s hard to believe that today marks three years since I started this blog!  I had no idea at the time I started it that I would enjoy such wonderful conversations with such a diverse group of readers.

While posting here has been sporadic at best in the past year, there have still been some really stimulating conversations, and some of you have really helped me think through some potentially difficult topics.

Thank you to all of my readers and commenters for making these three years a fun ride.  While I’m busy with other ventures (like podcasting and a not-yet-ready-for-publication joint blog with my wife, as well as our foster/adoptive experiences and my regular musical work), I do hope to continue to spark some interesting discussion here on this blog.

In the meantime, may our loving Father richly bless each of you on whatever journey you find yourself.  And may you find yourself growing deeper and deeper in an understanding of his love and the freedom that comes from life in him.

Until next time,

steve

oday is Christy’s and my fourth wedding anniversary!! I can’t tell you how happy I am being married to Christy. She is not only my wife, but my very best friend.  Every day of my relationship with Christy is a reminder of just how awesome our Father’s grace is.  It is a reminder of his love for me.

Christy, thank you for four amazing years of marriage together. I look forward to the next four, the next fourteen, the next forty…however long we remain in this life. Thank you for being who you are and for helping me be who I am.

I love you!