Caring for Bambi

I sat in the coffee shop this morning and listened to a discussion about what kind of chicken farm is best for the environment. The discussion ranged from what kind of chicken is healthiest to what was the best chicken for eatin'. Personally I like it grilled.

Needless to say, my comments were not registered since the most I know about raising chickens is that I once dated a girl whose dad owned a chicken farm in Georgia. Oh yea, in Ecuador I ate a "range" chicken - once. It was the toughest white meat I have ever eaten, but it was boiled not grilled. I much prefer "range" guinea pig to "range" chicken.

But I digress. Bambi and the rest of the environment need protection, not only from us, but I suggest that it needs protection even from itself. Managing the environment is like juggling. We need certain resources from the environment in order to live, but we cannot consume the environment. You leave an environmental footprint upon this planet whether you want to or not. Some of those who seek to protect the environment seem to destroy it in the process. We all leave footprints wherever we go.

So, what does this have to do with the church?

If we were called to have "dominion" over the earth, this inherently demands that we act as stewards of our environment. It is not unlike money. Some of us are investors and others are consumers. If we would recognize that the land is not ours any more than our money is ours, it should change the way we use the land. We are but managers, not owners. God is the owner we just serve Him. We are not called to be hoarders or consumers - our job is to be managers and investors for the future.

So, whether you drive a Hybrid, an SUV, eat range chickens or buffalo is irrelevant. The issue is much deeper - are you an investor in or a consumer of the environment?

I Don't Want to Be an Idiot

What kind of old person do you want to be when you grow up?

When I was a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child - I was a child! But, now that I am a man, I have put childish things behind me - at least I am trying. No longer do I wonder what I am going to do when I grow up, now I wonder who I will be when I grow up - will I wander? I spend a lot more time thinking and pondering my character than I do my productiveness. Productivity is important, so people tell me, but I have seen too many productive people be idiots when it comes to who they are on the inside.

I don't want to be an idiot when I grow up.

I want to be a man of character to whom people look for wisdom and insight - not professionally but personally. I used to want success and professional respect. I now want my depth of character to be known by those who know me best. As far as my professional career, big whoopdedoo! My kids won't really care how big my church was - they don't even care now. My wife could care less about how good of a preacher I was or am or will be. My friends want to know that I am the same on the inside as I am on the outside.

So, I resolve to be like Christ - that way I won't be an idiot when I grow up.

The only way I know to make sure this happens is to spend most of my time working on the stuff nobody sees. You know - those deepest, darkest places of a man's soul. Better yet, I will let those around me see those places and let God use them to work on me. I won't try and make myself more holy or pure, I will give myself over to God and let Him do it - that way I can't boast when I am old. All I will be able to say is - I just tried not to be an idiot and let God do His thing.

My Mission (and I choose to accept it): Go be a good slave - and don't be an idiot!

Living in a Glass House

When did living in a glass house become a bad thing? Shouldn't we do everything possible to make our lives an open book? Shouldn't the guy down the street know us? Why do we put up privacy fences, live in gated communities, and use the remote for the garage as the key to our house? When was the last time YOU used your front door?

Are we afraid of other people?

I would argue that we are afraid of what other people will find out about us if we were to let them see into our lives. This is the intriguing part of all the reality TV shows. We can look into other people's lives without reciprocity. We can throw stones at their glass house and keep our house free from intrusion!

Who knows you? Who knows that you yell at your kids when you are stressed and tired? Who knows that your marriage is not all that? Who knows that your time with God is a passing glance as you rush out the door? Who knows what is your greatest temptation? Who knows your dreams and despairs?

If you cannot name anyone but your immediate family, you are not living in community. You are removing the windows of your house - sure it is more efficient, but . . . Living in community is to live in a glass house. It is where we learn about ourselves and what we could become. Community is where we share our lives and learn to bless others.

Have you ever noticed that model homes have every light in the house turned on and the drapes and curtains are wide open? That is because nobody lives there. There is a place for modesty and appropriateness - but our lives should be welcoming, inviting, authentic and sincere.