Blown away

2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 is plain or enigmatic depending on what experience one has had with people who are reckless and absolutely indifferent toward anyone but themselves. Verses 3 & 4 bring to mind a number of people I have been acquainted with over the years. I have seen the type that have "sold their souls" to the one who is lost and destroyed (son of perdition). I have seen the type that think they are supreme, accepting others' accolades for self-made success. I have seen the type that are so full of themselves that they have taken over God's place in their lives (and possibly in the lives of others) with their own success. I have even seen people that accept people's reverence, meaning that they accept regard from people who consider them to be connected to God in such a superior way that other humans are not.

The writer is clear—Christians should not be deceived by these kind of people. Their end is clear because they belong to the one whose end has been decided already. If Christians should give credence to such people, they would be supporting an idea as bad as claiming that Christ's era is already over (verses 1&2). We are assured, however, that the era of Christ is alive and well and that Christ will come and destroy these weak, reckless people as if they were made from sand. Breathing on them will blow them away (verse 8).

Although so many times it looks as if arrogant or prestigious people have everything the world has to offer, I will take the advice of verse 2 and be encouraged in keeping faith, which is really hard at times. I will not rearrange my thinking or trouble my spirit. Christ will come and those who appear so successful as self-made successes will be simply blown away.

Who gets our trust?

People are drawn to good word plays. Who's on First was a classic word play. It was hilarious when it was first done and it still entertains whenever we hear it. Biblically speaking, the passage containing the word play between Jesus and Peter in the last chapter of John is a classic. Not all the translations show the word play, but Jesus asks Peter if he cared for him more than anything else, then toned the question down to, "Do you care for me," and finally to "Are we friends Peter?"

Tucked away in chapter 3 of 2nd Thesssalonians are a couple of verses that contain a word play that shows the difference between what the world gives and what God gives. In verse 1, the writer asks his brothers and sisters to pray for him. His reason is split between the rest of verse 1 and verse 2. The verse 2 reason is "so that we can be rescued from people's moral morass and base living." Then comes the word play.

The writer wants to be rescued from people's (probably the Jews' and the Romans') ruthless treatment of him because (literally) "faith is not in all." The very next statement contrasts nicely, in fact so nicely that it automatically registers the reaction, "Now that's a no-brainer." Verse 3 reads, "But faithful is the Lord who grounds you and guards you from base living." Therein lies the word play. Who wouldn't want to take the high road? Faith is not in those who live base lives, but faith is fully in the one who helps us from stooping to base living.

Christians, like the writer, know they need to be rescued, but base living is so much fun and has a certain amount of prestige attached to it. So, we read the first 3 verses as a way of "sounding right" in front of other Christians, when we know how very difficult it is to allow ourselves to be rescued from the world's moral morass.

So, instead of letting verses 2 and 3 become a mere platitude, maybe we should make them into a plaque to place somewhere our eyes often see. Then the words don't become a platitude, but a no-brainer way of living.

Thanks for what?

I think from time to time of the ending to Oedipus the King. The chorus begins chanting, after all the characters have left the stage, the Greek wisdom of the ages. The last line of two paragraphs of chanting says that a person should consider himself really fortunate if he or she can get to the end of life and look back on it without any regrets.

I am instantly indicted because I have more than a few regrets along Life's way. I can remember loose words spoken against others along Life's way, even some two days ago that were so, so foolish to have spoken on my part. I can remember being a part of meetings with people that I didn't think should be taking place. But there I was in the middle of them nonetheless. I can remember times when I forgot some amazingly important events to other people, and my attempts to rectify were feeble. My list is long, and my confession to God has already taken place. But I am guilty of not being able to look back on life without regrets.

I can, however, look to others around me and say, "Thank you, God, for them." They are people who have gone through very similar events in life and still hang in there. They may have just as many regrets as I do, but they haven't thrown in the towel. And then there's Oediupus the King. I think, "If Sophocles wrote such a play to let people know not to drop to such depths of depression as Oedipus did about events in life he could not control, then people have been dealing with misery, pain, regret, shame, and guilt a very long time. [The play was written almost 450 years before Christ].

Thank you
Weaver of Life's events
for showing me
through the people around me
and the spirit inside me
that Life's story of me
doesn't incriminate me
It characterizes You in me
And speaks the word "worthy" to me

How fitting

Both letters to the Thessalonians begin with a thanksgiving statement. 2nd Thessalonians' beginning is a little different in its wording, however, from its corollary in 1st Thessalonians. In the first letter, Paul says we do thank God for you. In the second letter, the text says we ought to or must thank God for you because it is fitting. I guess these 2 reasons are the ones anyone would want to pray for someone else. We told someone we would pray, so we do. Perhaps, we just pray for someone on our own accord. But sometimes we pray for someone because we are compelled to pray for them, not because they force us to, but out of sheer admiration for the power of their lives' testimony. Praying is sometimes a nebulous idea. But, if we bring others up in our own conversations with God, then we have a reason to. Sometimes, it is to ask God something for that person, sometimes it is to stand with someone in God's presence, sometimes it is merely to say thanks for the person's life and his or her willingness to be such a grand example.

So, I say thanks to God for a number of people's testimony through their lives. The beauty and power of the statement they make for God each day amidst and after life's hard circumstances stirs my soul to uttering thanks and inspires my steps to remaining on the path that leads home. So, thanks to God is fitting.

See-through values

I think the older a person gets, the less (s)he likes facades. It's a type of game playing to create different faces to hide behind. Who needs the game playing! Yet, we all know people who are two-faced or who speak with a forked tongue or who try to hide their real agendas. Transparency, on the other hand, is both trustworthy and appreciated. Transparency denotes a genuine, straightforward person.

Over and over in just a short letter, Paul emphasizes how transparent he was when he lived and worked with the Thessalonians. Paul appealed to not hiding anything from them, so that they could truly believe God's authentic message. It's refreshing to see people who are transparent. They can be trusted. They're straight, not crooked people. I hope I am transparent to others.

Good news

Koine Greek had a term - euanggelein. It is translated variously as many terms are. As it came into English hundreds of years ago the "u" was changed to a "v" and the word appeared as evangelize. But if one leaves the term in Greek and tries to translate it, it has to be translated on its own terms. I suppose one could break the word up into its two component parts—eu=good and aggelein=to announce. The noun form for the verb means messenger. So, an angel is a messenger. In the 1970s, with the advent of the Today's English Version, the term "good news" became popularized. It is a term that has stuck for the last 35 years. The term before that was "gospel," which the King James Version made to stick. Glad tidings was an intermediate term that came and went between 1611 and1971.

The word does mean that whatever message is announced is good. But, today I think people are a little weary of news whether good or not. Over the years I have translated the term as both "good news" and "welcome chain of events." In Philemon, the context seemed to call for the "message of happiness." But, in 1st Thessalonians, I think Paul used it like we might need it today. He wrote a group of people that were used to hearing news of all sorts from all around the Roman empire. So, he seems to put it in a context that is somewhat sensationalized. Americans ought to recognize the strategy since our news media sensationalizes most everything before presenting it. I think telling the story of Jesus shook up the lives of the hearers of Jesus' story. Paul seems to be telling the euaggelion, that is His fabulous story. So, everywhere I found the Greek term, I replaced it with the English phrase, "His fabulous story." The more I get familiar with Jesus' effect in people's lives, the more I agree with the term of His fabulous story.

Walking by moonlight

The other night I was walking in the park. It had been dark for about an hour and a half. I noticed right away there were two types of brilliances lighting my way. One was the light at the top of the lightpost that had that yellow luminescence. It lighted my way quite well, but it played out after about a 30 yard radius from the light pole. Then, I was in darkness again. The other light was the moon. It was paricularly bright that night. Its luminescence was slivery blue against the darkness, but it pervaded the darkness. It was not limited to a radius tha it had to stay within. I could easily see the park's trail and trees and playground equipment, but just their shapes, not their colors or finer details. Yet precisely because of the lack of detail I could see, my meditation was enhanced. The objects under the man-made light could be seen in much more detail, but that enhancement caused me to focus on the details of the objects or their color or their juxtaposition to each other, or some other distraction. I couldn't see the park as a whole nor could I concentrate as easily.

It is rare in the winter that I walk in the day. But, then I am grateful for that because my mental conversations with the one who made us and gives us our paths to walk home on are livelier, more extended, filled more with frolic and contentment. I have a fuller understanding of life and people which the Creator-made light makes possible more than the limited, distracted understanding allowed by the man-made light. The temperature during the winter is secondary. Lighting is primary, at least if it is the light of the moon.

Perception rules

I wish for _________ (the list is long). What I get is _________ (the list is short). This is what life feels like most of the time. Thinking that is a sure way to depression. What helps one cope with life according to the psychologists goes more like this: What I really need to survive in life is ____________ (the list is short); What I actually have in life is (the list is long). All this shows that it is a matter of perspective when it comes to being content to some degree or another. Sometimes I think that if my behavior in life depends on my perspective, then it ought to be easy to make the necessary adjustments and live life royally. However, perspective doesn't have to be reality; it is simply a frame of mind. If this is true, then a person is bordering on spirituality. And if spirituality depends on frame of mind, then is the Creator real or not? Well, that is the subject of a whole other blog sometime. For the moment I must remember that perception is a guiding light to whatever reality I construct for myself. That's good because then I can have the energy most of the time to live in an optimistically constructed world that rotates on the axis of what I want in order to be happy.

Natural productivity

The day began with waking up naturally, albeit later than I had wanted to wake. Waking up naturally is what I really like to do on weekends since it takes the alarm clock on weekdays to get out of bed. The day goes better and is more balanced somehow. Although there were appointments to keep, they seemed easier to make because I woke up without any help. I don't know how ancient people used to get up, but I can see how they would have experienced more balanced days than the ones I face since during the week I have to be forced out of bed. I'm thinking that once we know how to find balance in our spiritual lives, we ought to stick with it. Productivity in the spiritual realm may be related to our natural energy. Of course, the Creator knows what is "natural" to us because he made the possible set of personalities that individuals can have. And He does want our productivity.

Working through the mystery

I have been enamored of late by a group of writings found at Nag Hammadi. They are referred to as pseudipigraphia sometimes, the gnostic gospels sometimes, the New Testament apocrypha sometimes. I had previously written about my doubts of the Pauline authorship of 2nd Thessalonians. It's one thing to prove that someone didn't write something, but it is entirely different to say who did write the book or to what time period and group of people a writing belongs. So if Paul didn't write it, who did? That question can't be answered because the time period that apparently the book belongs to is a time period that produced the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, The Gospel of Phillip, the Gospel of Truth, the Apocalypse of Peter, the Apocalypse of Abraham, the books of Enoch, the Assumption of Moses, the Secret Book of John, and on the list goes on. Of course, none of the people used in the titles of these books wrote the books. So, it would be impossible to know who wrote a book purported to have come from Paul.

The books mentioned above were produced by those in the gnostic camp of Christians. 2nd Thessalonians seems to have been written to combat the philosophies represented by these books. Thus, the writer refers to a "man of recklessness" (usually translated "lawlessness") and a "rebellion" which must happen before Christ establishes himself firmly in Chritstians' minds and hearts. The book also refers to "handed down instruction" so as to offset the gnostic teachings of seeing the mysteries of Christ as revealed to each believer. The book could have come from Rome since that was the seat of "handed down instruction" and been aimed against any number of teachers, like Valentinus, who might have come from Alexandria, the seat of gnosticism.

A year's difference

At the end of every year I find myself reflecting on what has transpired. What a difference a year makes is what I usually find myself saying. This year is no different. However, today I found that the day brought some unusually reflective moments.

My son left to see his Maker's face 2 1/2 years ago. But, today my thoughts were filled with memories of him. I think of him often, but today his aura was almost with me again. I don't know how that happens, nor do I know how to explain it. There was no sadness from his aura, just a feeling of subtle pleasure. Most days, I miss him so much that I ache in my soul. But that was not today's feeling. In his case I guess I am getting better by the year in getting along without his being present in life's events.

Of course , there was the relief that my daughter had only dysplasia rather than cancer. A year ago, I wasn't as thankful as I am now that I have my daughter with me. Guaranteed that that feeling has changed.

The job I go to every day was a hope within my chest last year at this time. Now, I enjoy the palace intrigue on a daily basis. It gave me a sense of accomplishment that otherwise would not have been felt.

So the difference in this year and last has been a good one. And so, I thank the creator of those differences.

Till I catch up

His glasses many times sat on the table next to his chair or on his lap in the evening hours as he relaxed. He slouched in his later years while he sat in his chair, but that was probably from so many years of long hours of work. He spoke encouragingly usually. And he always thanked me for coming to see him after I was grown and married. I admired his people skills and his slow pace of getting things done, but done right. This is year number 3 without dad. I miss his encouragement and kindness, his patience and wisdom about people. But, I thank my other dad for his safekeeping until I catch up to hm.

Definitely spurious

I was doing a little translating work today in 2nd Thessalonians. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now. The first week I was translating chapter 1. When I finished, I thought, "This content and tone are so different from 1st Thessalonians that it doesn't seem to be Paul writing this. It is too radically different." After translating chapter 2, I told my wife, "I don't think Paul wrote this letter. The content seems to match a slightly different time period." I told the same thing to a Bible class teacher. His comment was that he never had heard of Paul not writing that book.

Then I found the smoking gun in chapter 3. What I thought from the beginning came clear. It has to be a spurious letter addressed to groups of "orthodox" Christians warning them against the teachings of the gnostic groups. The same word meaning "we instruct you" appeared 4 times within a few running verses. Paul never did that. He was educated enough to vary his wording even when he felt strongly about a matter as he did in Galatians and in the two Timothy letters. But the crowning blow came when unique words started popping up. What are the chances in a small, 3-chapter letter that in the last chapter a word would surface that was unique in all 27 books of the New Testament (and all 66 books of the Old Testament [Septuagint])? What are the chances that a second word, unrelated in form, would surface? I was ready to declare spurious authorship at this point. But what are the chances that a third word would pop up...? 3 unique words in a matter of a few verses. One of the words was used as a variant in a Leviticus passage. And guess what manuscript tradition supported that variant? Right, Syrian and Alexandrian. The two gnostic capitals of the world. That was my smoking gun.

When at the end I had to translate, "I, Paul write this greeting with my own hand," it sounded too bogus. Sure enough, Paul did say the same in Colossians at the end, which some scholars are quick to point out that Paul did not write and in 1st Corinthians. As if someone was trying too hard to make 2nd Thessalonians authentic, he added, "which is my distinguishing mark in all my letters." Of course, that phrase doesn't appear in any of Paul's letters either.

So, "another one bites the dust" in the words of an old rock and roll song. This would be earth shattering to me if I had not already dealt with spurious books a long time ago in trying to figure out something about God's inspiration of writers of the Bible. But, now it just goes right along with God using people as they are, customs as they are, and time lapse as it is. But, I am glad to be able to classify 2nd Thessalonians in the spurious category.

The 2-day Xmas

What is the meaning of Christmas? Now that answer has been distilled into common wisdom of society because it's been around so long. But, now what is the meaning of the day after Christmas. Back to work for some, but not many. Out to more shops to spend Xmas cash. That works for about half of the US. Consumer-oriented culture we are as a nation. I am surprised that we don't have a 2-day Xmas—1 for giving, 1 for buying. It's almost that way already. When about 3/4 of the nation hits the stores after Xmas, the people will have spoken, and we will have a de facto 2-day Xmas. Such are the days of the American people.

I don't know. It will probably be a good thing. People deserve to go shop with those they love if they are with them, and those who are not with their families or friends deserve to go buy something to remind themselves that somebody loves them. And I don't think there's any question about a gift representing love. So, I say go for it America. Get the 2-day Christmas you want and are working hard to get.

Yes, go and die

Ahab had a dilemma. His 400 prophets told him to go fight. Micaiah, a lone prophet, told him he would get killed if he did fight. Micaiah told Ahab that he had seen a scene in heaven in which God had asked his heavenly host if any of them would go tell Ahab to go fight. One of the spirits said he would do it through having false prophets tell Ahab to do so. Of course, Micaiah was disliked and detained until his prophecy came true, which wasn't for long. Ahab died in battle soon after.

A school board member said he wanted to take on atheists in battle. He listened to many voices that said, "Yes, go fight and we'll back you with a book purporting to have truth in it." Some lone voices warned against that move and charted a different track. Alas, the lone voices were ignored and the battle is about to be fought, and the board member will probably meet Ahab's fate.

Learning to listen to voices who have a record for spiritual discernment is the better part of wisdom even if the voices are the minority. It's a sad refrain of history that people don't learn from written examples that stare them in the face. (Second Chronicles 18)

God have mercy

I have cried out tonight. Why would my daughter of 17 years have to have a biopsy after having seen it done to her brother only 3 1/2 years earlier?! I shout "NO!" to the heavens hoping that the Maker or life hears and acts. And I sadly question, "How could a body of Christians miss a clear and evident sign that God delivered the enemy into their hands?" Both events come within 24 hours of each other. Both leave me emotionally drained. Both leave me shaking my head. Both leave me bowing once again in the face of forces unseen, in the face of forces I don't control, in the face of forces that drive me to a blind trust. God have mercy.

Fog is temporary

Roads were foggy tonight. Sometimes my vision in life is too. I can navigate, don't get me wrong. But, details of landscape illude me. The thing about the Maker of the fog is that he lifts the fog. It doesn't linger forever. Of course, that's what I need in my vision in life, too, a lifting of the fog. If it happens, I know who did it.

Trusting an inkling

Life is so fickle. I was reminded by that because this morning I left for work in heavy snow. It was an inch deep when I left. By late afternoon, about 30 minutes before the sun was to set, streets were completely clear. There was no sign of snow on buildings or on the landscape. The weather changed completely in 8 hours. Life smiles on us one minute and frowns the next. We are exhilirated by life for a weekend and trounced by it the next weekend. Events seem favorable for a season and difficult to navigate the next. There's not really a trajectory line for predicting life.

Why is that way? I take it that the Creator of the universe knows. It is not apparent to earth's mortals. I hope with my being that the little inkling we mortals have of the supernatural as found in our sacred books is true. A creator exists and has patchworked our lives into a bigger picture. I trust that small hint given us in our records from old. I have to say that I trust it. Otherwise, life is abyssmal. The roller coaster ride makes no sense - it merely is what it is. I cry from my innermost being if there is no creator. I have to believe the words that were left by one purported to have come from the other side of our mortal existence, "I am going to prepare a place for you... if it were not true, I would have told you."

Soul soothing

A note to the Pobble: Thank you for your thoughtful words. I have been to the park and mentioned you by name in my walks. I'll continue till I hear from you again.

Tonight I was about to lose my evening energy when my daughter's boyfriend took up the guitar to play. It soothed my soul. Then my daughter played my son's recorded music. That was special because he has changed residences and cannot play on this earth any more. That soothed my soul. Both of those incidents reminded me of a dream I had last Saturday morning that was about what happens between the time a person gives up his life on earth and begins the journey to the next world. That thought soothed my soul again. And then I sat to type the blog for the evening and to thank the Pobble for being kind with her comments. How soothing. I think I will rest easy tonight, engulfed with twilight thoughts of peaceful reflection.

Thanks

Once in a while events just turn out right. It seems to me that for every event that does turn out right, there were at least 10 events before it that didn't. By the time the event that turns out right happens, it feels as though I deserve it. Perhaps, appreciation is the response I should have. The 11th event didn't have to turn out right, after all. On rare occasions, I experience 2 right events in a row. Wow! That really deserves double appreciation. Instead, I tend to start thinking I can control my destiny.

Well, now that I have seen my tendency as I have reflected on it, maybe I will be appreciative in the future instead of arrogant. Maybe I will say, "Thank you," instead of saying, "Well it's about time."