because the time is short.

"What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on, those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away."

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Dear friends! What will it take to awaken us to the raw fact of our mortality? You may not survive the decade, the year, the month! Your life is not your own, whether you can say that for you to live is Christ or not.

If the thought that tomorrow is not guaranteed does not inspire us, doesn't the knowledge that neither are the lives of those around us guaranteed? If we knew the hour of Christ's return, or the times set for their deaths, what kind of people would we be? Would we wait? Do we really know so little of the joy of life in Christ that we can't be bothered to see it embraced by others until the time is "more appropriate" or more desperate? Do we not already see the glaring signs of desperation and death and depression and disease and defeat and defiance all around us? What are we waiting for?

Dear friends, what will it take to awaken us to the glorious fact of our immortality? This present world is passing away, and do we prostitute ourselves to a vapor? Already our souls have outlived so many things--clothing, furniture, homes...We are not made for this place.

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation" (2 Peter 3:11-15).

Does God's patience, for us, merely mean more time to relax?

"How shall I feel at the judgment, if multitudes of missed opportunities pass before me in full review, and all my excuses prove to be disguises of my cowardice and pride?" ~ Dr. W.E. Sangster

But what to do with that cowardice and pride? We cannot shake them on our own, "But the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'no' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives..." (Titus 2:11,12)

May we ever look back to Christ on the cross as we move forward towards Christ on his throne."

Pittsburgh International Airport -- gate B37.

What has happened to people?
The waiting area is all but empty. A mother (middle-aged) and her skinny teenage son (with appropriately baggy clothes) sit near the desk. A grubby-looking college student occupies a corner, laptop open. Late-twenties red-head (business woman?) on far side. I come, do the calculations, and sit far enough away from everyone to eliminate all potential for conversation, even in the case of accidental eye-contact. The next six people do the same. Nearly everyone on a cell phone, or eating, or texting.

Real people are scary inconveniences . . . we already know too many.
"I don't have time or energy for you, unless you can prove you have something to offer.
Are you funny? Sexy? Friendly? Impressive? Will you make a good story?"

Has it always been this way? 'Cause I imagine the old days, a station wagon waiting platform-place, gap-toothed, plaid, bearded men exchanging hardy handshakes and "nice-to-meet-yous".

Am I too cool to be excited to meet you, stranger? What can you do to harm me? Any injury to my pride would be a help.

Do any of you think of me? What half-formed ideas about the somber kid with his legs crossed, writing, momentarily distract your brain from its dominant preoccupation?
What are your stories? I'd love to care about you...know that I'm trying--and if that counts for anything, I do care in that small way.

As a child of God, I ought to bring joy to this place. Forgive me stranger--I'm not yet what I should be. I have no real cause to be uneasy, in the grand scheme of things...and certainly I'm of no account, so I don't know why I'm so prone to self-induced social paralysis.
But in another way, there is legitimate cause--the air is thick with fear and sin, the wrecks of mediocrity or malice...hatred sits there, to my left deception. Across against the wall is laziness. But are they happy--generally--or sad?

Are you empty? Or is your void filled with bubbles that make your walls feel like its full?

I do know the Truth. Will you listen if I tell you?

It Endures Forever

A new year is often accompanied by personal reflection. How have I changed in the last year? What about the last twelve months has contributed to my situation right now? Where am I going? Questions like these, spoken or not, undoubtedly weave through many people's minds as calendars change and innumerable things begin yet again. The resulting answers are as varied as the people asking the questions. Some see themselves as an entirely different person than the one they were 365 days earlier while others less dramatically notice the slow but sure effects of age and life brought on by another year.

For some, whether they know it or not, the past year was the best they will ever have, filled with success and satisfaction never again to be matched. For others the past year was overwhelmed by dark times and great tragedy. And for the multitude somewhere in between, the past year was just another completely unpredictable stretch of living with highs and lows and joy and pain and everything else we experience as humans. Each person’s year long story is as different as their fingerprints and yet, unlike the marks from our fingertips, can change tremendously from each year to the next. Whether it is a "roller coaster" or some far more unique metaphor you might use to describe the passing years, any image assuredly tries to capture the drama, change, unexpectedness, and sheer fast pace of human life. Last year, like pretty much all the years before that, was crazy.

God’s past year, as we might see it, was far less exciting. He experienced no surprises, did not fail in any way, did not in any sense have "a bad year," and remains exactly and perfectly the same God He was a full year ago. As Christians, God's change-less nature is a cause for praise! So many of our human ups and downs correspond to our failures, struggles, and imperfection–simply put, sin. Very often we Christians expand our New Year’s reflections to include our spiritual growth, a pursuit marred by our faithlessness and resulting in yearly resolutions to tackle new or ongoing areas of our lives that need work. Yet even as our faithfulness to God fails and our mercy to other people reaches its limit–things that surely make for troubling, "exciting" times in life–God's faithfulness to us has not faltered. Among many I talk to, no matter how different or trying the events of the past year have been, the one constant is God's redemption of situation after situation.

Psalm 136 famously begins with a declaration of this truth: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." After each line declaring a truth about God, the refrain "His love endures forever" returns verse after verse after verse, illustrating even within the poetry that God's love is ever present and does not end.

Likewise "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness" (Lam 3.22). The Bible contains so much about the consistency and constancy of God. In any new, tough, or changing season, it seems wise for His followers to seek out and dwell on God's promises of love that does not change and mercy that does not end. It is a stark contrast to the inconsistent and infidelity-ridden way in which we imperfectly love Him. While our failings make for action packed and drama filled years to reflect on, it is God's tranquil and ceaseless love that is truly exciting. How wonderful that Christ first loved us!