Are we living Nineteen Eighty-Four?

I had to run a quick errand the other day on the way to work. I needed to stop by a wholesale plumbing supply place to pick up something that we had already ordered and paid for. As I waited for the man behind the counter to locate and then retrieve my faucet so that I could be on my way, I thought to myself, "Are we living Nineteen Eighty-Four?" Here's a few reasons why I'd say that.

You see, there were three other gentlemen and a lady in that big room besides me (and the man helping me). Each of them had already started their work day. Each of them was passively staring at their computer screen, apparently not very interested or engaged in their work. Each of them looked like they weren't quite sure what they were supposed to be doing. They definitely were not talking to each other (or to me, for that matter). Each one appeared to have a relatively sad expression on their face also. Within the same big room was a big screen television, mounted high on the wall and blaring annoyingly. It was Matt Lauer on one of the morning shows interviewing some relatively young whiz kid (?) who had written something about what we might all have to do when gas in this country hits $20 a gallon. This guy was outlining the changes that will be progressively required of us as we march toward this outrageous (but arbitrary and imaginative) cost for gasoline. Let me tell you, it was just plain depressing!

By the way, where we live, gas prices seem to be going down lately versus rising. So, one might ask, "Why was this considered newsworthy and made out to be a big story?" Hmmmm.

That's when I thought to myself again, "Are we living Nineteen Eighty-Four?"

Some of you reading this are probably scratching your heads now and wondering to yourself, "What in the world is he talking about?"

Well, 60 years ago, an English writer by the name of George Orwell published an incredible book entitled "Nineteen Eighty-Four." When I was in high school in the late 60's/early 70's, everyone was required to read it. It's a fascinating book! If you haven't ever read it, you really should.

Basically, Orwell wrote a dystopian novel - that's opposed to a utopian one. It focuses on a repressive, totalitarian regime set in the future - 1984. The story follows the life of one seemingly insignificant man, a character named Winston Smith, who as a civil servant was assigned the task of perpetuating the ruling regime's propaganda by falsifying records and political literature. Smith gradually grows disillusioned with his meager existence as a civil servant. He eventually begins a rebellion against "the system," leading to his eventual arrest and torture.

Undoubtedly, lots of you have heard about some of the concepts from this book. Frequently people will refer to something as being "Orwellian." Or, perhaps you've heard the terms "Big Brother" and/or "the Thought Police?" They are from Orwell's book.

Not to be an alarmist here, but there are times when I really get concerned about how much power cable news media (not to mention news/information in print and on the Internet) has over some of us. Just like the people I briefly encountered in that wholesale plumbing supply place the other day, sometimes we just sit and involuntarily take it all in - whatever the media decides to give us, we accept. Sadly, some of us frequently believe it all to be true, too.

These days, there are multiple televisions blaring in many public places - usually tuned-in to CNN or some other 24/7 cable news channel? They command a lot of our attention and wield a lot of power over some of us. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell called that "Newspeak," and they even had their own language, called "Ingsoc." They also had the "Ministry of Plenty," responsible for rationing and controlling food and goods; the "Ministry of Peace," responsible for perpetuating war; and the "Ministry of Love," responsible for the identification, monitoring, arrest and torture of dissidents, real or imagined (just to name a few).

Orwell died from the complications of tuberculosis not long after his book was published. In a closing statement to the New York Times Book Review back in 1949 he had these parting words to say: "...totalitarianism, if not fought against, could triumph anywhere."

Are we living Nineteen Eighty-Four? Think about it.

Do I want to be brave or safe?

The past couple of months have been very, very interesting for me. Sometimes you go through times like this and later look back on them and declare them to be a series of seminal moments in your life. This may be one of those times. I'm not sure yet, but it could very well be. How else do you explain some of the unique events and relatively unexplained "God moments" that have occurred in my life?

It may have all started by reading Mark Levine's very compelling book Liberty and Tyranny, or it may have been by plowing through Richard Stearns' fantastic book The Hole in Our Gospel. It may have continued with possibly a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New Zealand in late June to attend a leadership conference on "Soul Care," or a quick business trip to Ottawa, Canada, soon after returning from down under to dialogue with several colleagues there. As I contemplated and prayed for our daughter Katie's incredible and significant mission trip to India planned for this November and Nathan's mission trip and time spent at an orphanage in Chihuahua, Mexico, this past week, I began to realize that I needed to start paying much more attention to the message I seemed to be getting from God. Finally, an unusual occurance while at lunch with a friend this past Friday, and then finishing Gary Haugen's terrific book Just Courage this morning seemed to tie it all together, forcing me to face a really, really tough question for my life. I believe that God orchestrated all of this for me, and has been continually trying to help me "get it" through these experiences. Even one of the pastors at our church asked this same question of all of us at services on Friday night - Do I want to be brave or safe?

According to Haugen's book, all followers of Christ need to clarify important choices in life. And he believes that for those who have received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the choice of the age for us is this: Do we want to be brave or safe?

According to Haugen, followers of Christ need to understand that they simply can't be both. He says that there are four things that hold us back from being brave versus being safe - Comfort, Security, Control and Success.

If we are more concerned about our own personal comforts in this life, we will be much less prepared to experience the adventures God may have planned for us.

If we are more preoccuppied with our own personal security in this life, we will be much less likely to step out in faith, trusting God to carry us through to the other side of the moment.

If we are so into controlling our own lives and the environments that we find ourselves in, we will be less likely to see and experience the miracles that God is already performing in our midst.

If we are so driven by achieving success in this life, we will probably miss out on experiencing a deep and abiding knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Do you want to be brave or safe?

I'm hoping that God is now moving me closer and closer to being brave. I would hate to miss out on the abundant life by only thinking "safe."

Poll numbers, junk science and other untruths

Has anyone else noticed lately how there seem to be polls out there for just about anything? Who creates these polls, and why are they created? More importantly, who votes in them? I've never voted in the polls seen in newspapers or on other media outlets (except maybe for some random internet polling?). Have you?

I guess polls are what we as a society want these days for truth. If a majority of people in a poll believe something or think a certain way, it must be truth, right? Isn't that how it works?

Has anyone else also noticed that it appears as though you can get the final results of a poll to say just about whatever you want them to say, just by carefully establishing "who" asks the questions, then by carefully controlling "who" answers them, then cleverly disguising "what" your original bias/starting point-of-view really is, and voila! The poll tells you just what you hoped it would! Completely different groups can issue results of polls and get their particular results to say just what they want them to say, even if their results are completely opposite of what some other poll tells you. It just depends on whose poll you look at and decide to trust.

I hate to be cynical, but I really don't put a lot of stock in poll numbers for truth.

Likewise, there is a lot of junk science out there these days. You can find a lot of so-called "scientists" claiming truth at complete opposite ends of an issue. In my simple way of thinking, there really can't be truth very often at completely opposite ends of an issue. Someone must be lying.

Just like the polls, you can get final results of an experiment/hypothesis to say just about whatever you want them to say just by establishing what data you use (and which data you conveniently ignore). Then, you disguise your original bias/starting point-of-view well and the results speak for themselves, right?

Once again, I hate to be cynical, but I really don't put a lot of stock in junk science for truth either.

There are a lot of other untruths out there these days, too. Don't be fooled by them! Lots of people are being fooled by them each and every day. It's really sad...

So, where can we find real truth then? Call me old-fashioned, but for me truth has to be truth both now and a hundred/thousand years ago. Anybody who claims "new" truth even though it just doesn't line up with (or sometimes even completely disregards) historical truth to me is very suspect. I do believe there can be and are new discoveries, but the times that we live in can't be continually making new discoveries that totally disregard historical truths. Smart as we may think we are in this society, we aren't that smart! It just doesn't make sense.

For that reason (and a lot of others!), I really depend on one book for real truth - the Bible. Name for me any other book that has been around as long as it has and is still relevant to our lives each and every day that we live? Precious few books can even come close to making such a claim. It is remarkable to me that you can literally discover a truth for just about any and all subjects in the 66 books contained the Bible. Whether it be about the origins of life, family relationships (including marriage and children), what foods to eat, how our criminal justice system should work, what to do about the poor in our midst, the good and bad of politics, poetry, music, healthcare, your finances, etc. It's amazing! If you haven't opened up this magnificent book in awhile and searched for the truths contained therein, you really ought to.

Poll numbers, junk science and other untruths. Don't be fooled by them! Counter-balance what the secular world has to offer you as truth by looking at the real truths contained in the Bible. Those truths will still be around a hundred/thousand years from now, whereas a lot of the stuff our society mistakenly declares as truth today will be long gone.

Unimportant Things

As some of you may already be aware, I recently took a trip to New Zealand to participate in and attend a Leadership Roundtable Conference sponsored by Living Stones Leadership Ministries for pastors, elders and other leaders of churches. The overall theme of the event was "Soul Care." We, as church leaders, discussed and then challenged one another concerning the condition of our souls. Each of the terrific speakers gave much needed wake-up calls, so necessary sometimes for our spiritual lives. Personally, this came at a time when I really needed it! I have also continued to be challenged by the words that were spoken in New Zealand ever since returning to Texas.

If you have accepted the grace of God in your life and received the marvelous gift of salvation paid for by the precious blood of Jesus on the cross, I ask you - "What is the condition of YOUR soul?" Have you even thought about your soul recently?

Why is it that we followers of Christ get so easily distracted by unimportant things? Why are we frequently allowing unimportant things to lead us away from our high calling - that is to live lives that bring glory to God, and to tell others about the free gift of salvation?

I am reminded of a great song written several years ago by Paul Smith entitled "Unimportant Things." Read the lyrics below:

Feelings for the moment
They come and then they're gone.
And time shows signs of frailty
To the face that once was strong.
Diamonds don't shine bright enough
To satisfy your soul.
Foolish are the ones who seek
Treasures wrapped in gold.

Why do we face one day
In search of things that slip away
When all that really matters is YOU.
All that really matters is YOU.

It's so easy to live for
Unimportant things.
To lose sight of heaven
As we chase our manmade dreams.
Lord, free us to focus
On what life really means.
And teach us to look past
Unimportant things.

There is so much love to find here
If we take YOUR point-of-view.
So much hope to live for
If we fix our eyes on YOU.
You give comfort beyond any reason
Compassion for our pain.
And mercy that is strong enough
To cleanse our guilty stains.

Why do we waste one day
In search of things that slip away
When all that really matters is YOU.
All that really matters is YOU.

It's so easy to live for
Unimportant things.
To lose sight of heaven
As we chase our manmade dreams.
Lord, free us to focus
On what life really means.
And teach us to look past
Unimportant things.

The condition of your soul is important. As a matter of fact, in light of eternity, it is the most important thing.

How's your soul today?

Please commit with me today to spending more time on your "Soul Care" than maybe you've done recently. It really is the most important thing you can do.

The Oftentimes Tragic Lives of the Rich and Famous

The headline news of this past week included reports of the deaths of at least three rich and famous people - Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Each one made a lot of money in their time. Each one also made relatively significant marks on our society (if not the world!). They were rich and famous! But in the end, their wealth and notoreity still did not allow them to escape what is inevitable for all of us - that is, physical death.

Why is it that so many of us admire people like this and make it our goal to be like them - to be rich and famous? Have we ever really taken the time to discover what it's really like to be in their shoes - to be rich and famous? Each one of these three individuals were a part of my growing up. I, too, admired each of them at some point in my life. However, I would submit that the lives of these three people (as is so often the case for those who are rich and famous) were testimonies of how tragic things can get because of money and fame. If we really looked at what happens to these people - I mean really looked into the true details of their lives - I am guessing that many of us wouldn't want to have any part of being rich and famous.

Take Ed McMahon for example. He was Johnny Carson's faithful side-kick on the Tonight Show for 30+ years. Always laughing, always smiling, always well-dressed, always happy, always on television and in the limelight, etc. Not a care in the world, right? Well, that's what we all thought was going on in his life. But, if you pulled back the curtains on his personal life and away from the bright lights of the television cameras, there was a lot of heartache and tragedy. Two failed marriages before his third, one of his six children died very young, and near the end of his life a couple of years ago he actually needed financial help from a merciful Donald Trump to even be able to stay in his Beverly Hills mansion. After all the money he made through the years, he was bankrupt at the end. How tragic...

And what about Farrah Fawcett? This Texas girl from Corpus Christi was dubbed one of the ten most beautiful co-eds in America while attending the university in Austin in the 1970's. This designation launched her career in show business, specifically as one of "Charlie's Angels" on the television show with that name. Following one season in that limelight, she became arguably the woman that every woman in America (if not the world) wanted to (and tried to) look like. Every man in America (and the world) knew about the beauty of Farrah Fawcett. From her stunningly gorgeous figure to her thick, blonde, tossled hair, she was considered every man's ideal woman. One incredible photo of her in a fabulous, red swimsuit sold millions and millions of copies (probably all to teenage boys and young men). It appeared as though she was completely at the top of the world - everything was going her way, right? But, after the initial fortune and fame she enjoyed, her life thereafter also included a lot of tragedy. A failed marriage after six years to Lee Majors, a very limited acting career with very little evidence of greatness following several more dramatic parts in a few movies, an out-of-wedlock child (currently serving time for a drug-possession charge in the Los Angeles County Jail) with her long-time partner but never her married spouse Ryan O'Neal, and a persistent lack of respect and privacy over the past few years while dealing with the terrible effects of and costly treatment for anal cancer (including a more secretive trip to Germany to get some relief from the news cameras). From all the reports you can read off the internet, it would appear as though her life ended with unhappiness and a lot of dissatisfaction (not to mention way too early).

Finally, there is the tragic life of Michael Jackson. I distinctly remember seeing he and his four other brothers on TV when they broke out as The Jackson Five in the 1970's (when Michael was only 8 or 9 years old). Wow. They were so good! What great talent! I couldn't get enough of them. My sister and I used to sit and listen to their albums over and over again. And up until the early 80's, Michael seemed to be at the top of his game and more incredible as a musician and dancer every moment he lived. Did you know that he actually lived at home with his parents until he was close to 30, even after making millions and millions of dollars? But then, with all that fortune and fame, what happened to Michael Jackson? It's not a very pretty picture to look at the final 15-20 years of his life. Being rich and famous seemed to really, really change him, and in my opinion not for the better. Michael died at the much too young age of fifty with over 30-40 million dollars in debt, and with a besmirched and sordid reputation involving alleged child molestation, persistent troubles with harmful prescription drug use and unexplained physical disfigurations to his face/body from who knows what treatments he experimented with over the years. Another extremely tragic life...

So, what can we all learn from all of this you say? Here's my thoughts in a nutshell. Be careful what you ask for. Being rich and famous might seem like a great thing to strive for, that is until you actually get there yourself. I'm sure that none of these three - Ed, Farrah or Michael - set out to have lives full of disappointments, heartaches and tragedies. But, that is what seems to find a lot of the rich and famous.

I think I'll start thanking God today for the abundance that I currently enjoy and realize that much more than that might not be very good (or healthy) for me in the long run.

If you have a minute, check out what Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 30:7-9 have to say. Good words from King Solomon down through the ages. Good words for each of us today.

Good 'Ol Benjamin Franklin

I came across some profound wisdom recently. I thought it was worth passing on. In my humble opinion, we've drifted a long ways away from how Benjamin Franklin saw his world. Maybe it's time we learned from one of our great Founding Fathers instead of just "drinking the Kool-Aid" distributed by people who only think they are hip? Sometimes "hip" isn't where we need to be. Read this and decide for yourself.

Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Principles for Success

During the course of Benjamin Franklin’s illustrious life, he recognized that certain ideologies helped bring him his remarkable success. He developed a simple method to master the 13 principles: he gave special attention to a different principle each week, and in the course of a year, he practiced all 13 principles 4 different times.

1. Temperance – watch what you eat and drink and take care of your body.

2. Silence – don’t say anything if you can’t say something significant or something nice about somebody else.

3. Order – there’s a place for everything and everything should be in its place.

4. Resolution – do what has to be done and do what you say you’re going to do.

5. Frugality – waste nothing and be very careful about the way you use money.

6. Industry – don't waste your time. Get rid of the unnecessary tasks in your life, and always be doing something that is useful

7. Sincerity – be honest in all your communications. No deceit. No manipulation.

8. Justice – It's all about being kind and fair. Or as Franklin put it, "Wrong no one."

9. Moderation – avoid extremes and seek moderation. You don't have to win every argument, for example. You could agree to disagree.

10. Cleanliness – have a clean body, clean clothing, and a clean house, Franklin advocated this.

11. Tranquility – choose your fights carefully; don't get upset about those things that don't really matter. As Franklin wrote, "Be not disturbed at trifles."

12. Chastity – choose morality; no one ever got ahead ... forever ... by doing the wrong things ... for long.

13. Humility – be truly humble.

Finally, Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM, once pointed this out, "Some of the best advice I ever received was unspoken. Over the course of my IBM career I've observed many CEO's, heads of state, and others in positions of great authority. I've noticed that some of the most effective leaders don't make themselves the center of attention."

The Chatterbox Cafe

This past Friday night, my wife Ellen and I had the relatively rare occasion (for us) of having dinner out - just my sweet bride and me! Our son Nathan was preoccuppied elsewhere, and it was a great opportunity for us to catch up with each other before heading into the weekend. We went to Papayas, a local family restaurant in our neighborhood that we had been to a couple of times, but not for quite awhile. We had a coupon for a discount (which we didn't end up using after all, but it got us in the door!). Anyway, while we were there, my mind went back to my childhood and the Chatterbox Cafe.

I grew up in rural Iowa, but very close to a little town near the center of the state called Radcliffe. And, Radcliffe had one restaurant - the Chatterbox Cafe. It was where most everyone in that small town (and the surrounding area where I lived) went for breakfast, morning coffee, lunch at noon, and then again for afternoon coffee. People also met their families there for lunch on Sundays after church. It was a very popular place - a place to see and to be seen at. I loved the Chatterbox Cafe.

We all need a place like the Chatterbox Cafe. Why? Because we all need other people. Even though we think we can be independent and isolated from each other (and we may even try to get away with doing that for awhile), we really can't. I am convinced that if you don't interact with other people and/or authentically share your life with someone, you die. God made us for relationship. We are wired for it. The Chatterbox Cafe was where people saw each other, interacted with each other, shared their lives with each other, and developed life long relationships. At various times you might find the same four or five people sitting there talking with each other three or four times a day, every day, 5 days a week, and for maybe twenty or thirty years straight! Being the city/suburban dweller that I am today, I think that might kind of drive me absolutely crazy! But, in small town America, this is how you thrive. On people. You know others, and you make yourself known to others by this daily routine. It's really pretty amazing.

Maybe that's why Starbucks became so popular several years ago. Maybe Starbucks was the more sophisticated, 21st century version of the Chatterbox Cafe?

One thing is for certain, people still need each other, and people can't live independent and/or isolated from each other for very long. If we do, we get sick, we get tired, we get cranky and oftentimes terribly out-of-sorts. We also miss the grand opportunities available to us to know and love other human beings traveling down similar paths, maybe with a different set of circumstances.

Tomorrow, make sure you find your own place to call the Chatterbox Cafe. For some it may be a coffee shop, for others it may be a school or a church. For still others, it may be something as simple as the break room at your place of employment. No matter where it is, get involved in other people's lives and enrich your own life in so doing. Find out about others by spending time with them and investing in their existence (and they in yours).

We'll go back to Papayas again. It was a wholesome and very authentic place. People loved being there together, allowing their lives to completely overlap. It was all very much like the Chatterbox Cafe.