Are you keeping that gift I gave you?

I spent many years sharing the Gospel with a friend of mine.

In the early stages of our friendship it was part of getting to know each other.
I attended church, he didn't. What was your background growing up, etc.
We had both attended the same denomination with our families, but it was just routine for both of us as youths.
God was one of many topics we covered over many conversations, but never a focus.
With our wives, we were a great foursome. Then kids. Time passed, we moved to different cities.

He was a solid, family-oriented guy. Fantastic dad, respected business person.
There was just never a time when he asked more than I offered about spiritual matters.
Through the years, Angela and I both grew in our faith, attending bible study, keeping Jesus at the center of our family.  I began sharing the Gospel more openly and proactively with people, wanting to share the good news.

And so I brought it up more often in our phone calls.  Did he ever have questions about Jesus or his relationship with God?  No, everything was just fine. Did he understand Grace?  He'd patiently listen and we'd go on to other topics.  We'd send each other books and music now and again.  On one of those occasions, I had an idea.

He called me to say thank you for a music CD I'd sent him.
"You're welcome," I said. "Are you going to keep it?"
"Well, yeah, I like it," he said.
"We're you planning to send me any money or anything to pay for it?" I asked.
"I'm not sure where you're going with this, but its a gift, right?"

After some of our usual back and forth, I brought it into perspective.
"That's the Grace I've been talking about. It's a gift. You didn't do anything to earn it - it's part of our friendship. I provided it, but you received it. You could have thrown it away when you saw who it was from, but you didn't. And you know there's no cost, there's no expectation to repay it. In fact, you could try to repay me, but then it would mean less, and wouldn't be a gift after all. We'll have our usual ups and downs, but I won't ever ask you to give it back.  That's how it is with God's love."


That broke through where years of other conversations had not. It eventually did lead to the specifics of his personal faith. And though he never shared news of a profession of faith with me, he acknowledged his understanding and that we were on the same page about Jesus.

He's passed away now and I do believe that he took time to think it through, and was prepared to have the conversation with God.  I hope he did. I'm looking forward to catching up with him again when its time. We'll have a lot to talk about!

Is there anyone you've tried to share the Good News of Jesus with, but haven't quite found a way to explain Grace?  Try sending them a CD...

What do you believe?

The State Will Take Care of Me Anywhere I Go

Our travel guide through Europe was Gabriel, a young woman from Hamburg.
She spoke six languages - which helped as she navigated us through five countries!
We had plenty of time for conversation with Gabriel during long hours of walking and transit.
We came to know some of her personal worldview and caught glimpses of it intermingled with her tour guide commentaries.

For example, she explained that she was "not very religious." This came up at the first cathedral we visited in Frankfurt, St. Bartholomew's.  We had been walking and chatting with her for several  hours through the downtown, along the Main river and at a nearby cafe. As we were about to enter St. Bartholomew's sanctuary, Gabriel hung back and said she would be waiting in the courtyard when we were done.

She held up a cigarette to signal it would be a smoking break. Our initial disappointment was that we would miss her terrific historical insights, and that we had genuinely enjoyed her company. But we were soon engrossed in the lovely cathedral and its art.

When we rejoined her outside, it was with a new list of historical questions - who was buried there, who created the sculptures, what had been rebuilt after the war, etc. Gabriel patiently shrugged and said she didn't know, she was not very religious after all.

Angela and I shared a curious, bemused look, but it was only the first day and we still had lots to see.

On the one hand, Gabriel could easily recite dates, generals, battles, monarchs, novelists, plazas, breweries, rivers, mountains, etc. But whenever we arrived in a new city and inquired about the most historic cathedrals, we got a casual shrug and sometimes her own bemused look when she repeated, "As I said...I am not as religious as you are."

But there was so much more to our cathedral visits than spiritual interest. We stumbled onto fabulous art by the likes of Van Dyck, Veronese, Bellini, Caravaggio, etc.  500 year old works in 1,000 year old architecture.  Whether you cared to walk through a particular cathedral or not, surely you might be inclined to point out where there were masterworks to be seen, as she did later --- when it was the secular setting of the Louvre.

We learned to do our own google research as we "steeple chased", which worked just fine, and all was well in the end.

The other worldview glimpse came with Gabriel's passion for the European Union. She took time in each country to explain their role in the EU and would point out the 2 flags..a country flag and an EU flag. She had the tour bus circle around the grounds of the EU parliament in Strasbourg and Gabriel explained the work they conduct there on behalf of EU citizens.

Gabriel took that opportunity to explain, "Because I am also a citizen of the EU, I know that even if something happens to me while I am in a different country than my own, they will take care of me there, they have to."

And that helped me better understand how Gabriel might see "religion." While she seemed suspicious of - or indifferent - to Christian cathedrals and what they represented, she was almost reverent in her regard for the EU and how it would support her, wherever she might go.

We didn't have the time or opportunity to dig deeper into the topic. I would have loved to explain the gospel to Gabriel in terms she associated with the EU. God loves her with more than a union of economic and social welfare. He is there wherever she goes, to be called upon for support, guidance, protection, insight and wisdom. Forgiveness and mercy. Eternal life.

God's love provides so much more than can be accomplished by the principles of the EU, or any other government for that matter.  And that message of Grace is so close to Gabriel in the sacred buildings she has chosen to leave off her list of "places to see while visiting Europe." Maybe on another trip, another cathedral...

What do you believe?

Glorifying God - Cathedrals or Auditoriums ?

We finally got to Europe this summer and I was amazed at the age and art of so many beautiful cathedrals. In some cities there were literally churches on every plaza. These were of centuries old architecture - interior walls hung with stunning canvas and frescoes, painted domes, marble columns, tiled floors, carved wood and exquisite sculptures. Absolutely breathtaking.

The sheer volume of superlative religious art impressed me, but I also paid attention to the fascinating back stories of funding. Connected to these historic sites was the vast wealth of monarchs, merchants and the personal sacrifice of countless individuals and communities.

My favorite example turned up in Venice. It was late afternoon and we were due to board our water taxi back to the mainland. We saw a steeple peering over nearby roof tops and quickly navigated a few narrow streets to find a small courtyard and plain, bone white structure. It was the church of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. Hurrying inside we were stunned to see lavish, floor to ceiling paintings. The late afternoon sun streamed through the high windows and lit the 500 year old art as though a spotlight from heaven had been carefully positioned for the purpose.

Centuries before, a convent next door to St. Zechariah trained the young women of local families. Those same families helped fund the church and its art. Quite a commitment. And remarkably, it's still standing for us to marvel at all these centuries later. The best part of the story for me is that this ancient community of nuns, in turn, donated a plot of land a little further down the canal. It became the site of St. Mark's Cathedral, the most well know landmark in Venice. We later learned that the beautiful altar piece in St. Zechariah had been painted by Bellini, considered one of his most important works. Who knew. What an amazing story traced back to people choosing to glorify God artistically with their wealth.

Fast forward five centuries to the nice Christian school we sent our own daughter to. Our family donations were in the form of tuition. Tuition pooled with much wealthier donors to fund a school building, library, auditorium, gym, football stadium, tennis courts. No Bellini's on the walls that I know of.

There are those who say we are better to "invest our treasure in the kingdom"  like this with schools and  missionaries - rather than in the elaborate edifices of architecture and art as in the distant past.   After experiencing the Bellini altar piece and the splendor of St. Zechariah's in Venice - I'd still like to see us glorify God with both.

One thing is not lost on me - Europe is full of exquisite churches visited by tourists in a post-Christian culture. Glorious architecture and art has withstood the test of time, but it has not sustained or nurtured a culture with evident spiritual foundations.  The thriving, growing churches of evangelicals here in the states are more auditorium than architecture, beautiful for their acoustics and worship music. And they actively glorify God by sharing the Gospel with new believers and with robust missionary programs. All good.

So its hard to know what will "stand the test of time" 500 years from now - what will have best glorified God and grown the kingdom with worship, service and discipleship.

For me, I was very encouraged and inspired as we wandered and marveled at the sacred art of our European travels. It was exquisite sensory beauty that anyone could appreciate, but it was spiritually moving as well. Worthy of its creation and preservation.

If Jesus hasn't yet returned 500 years from now, will there still be a church in Venice that grabs someone's heart and attention as St. Zechariah's and the Bellini did for me?  I hope so. I pray so.

What do you believe?