About two years ago I finally gave in to the lure of online social networking, otherwise known as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Now, I'm not exactly all that old, but I had always thought of these sites as catering to a younger generation; high school and college age mostly. I had no thoughts of becoming part of the phenomenon; that is until I wanted to download music to a song by a favorite band of mine. I went to their site like I had done so many times before only to find that the content I was looking for had been moved to their new MySpace site. Not wanting to give up my endeavor, I set up a quick account expecting only to use it for this express purpose. But as I navigated around a little bit, I found that many of my friends and family were signed up as well. I was amazed at the diversity of membership and I ended up finding people whom I hadn't seen or spoken to in years. A year or so after creating this account, I added an account at another of these sites, Facebook. And that brings me to want I want to share with you.
If you've ever been on Facebook (and if you're reading this on Facebook right now, yes I do realize that's a stupid question), you know that invitations to join groups are pretty common. And few groups on Facebook may be more popular than the group "Six Degrees of Separation." It's based on the theory that everyone in the world is no more than six "steps" away from any other person. I've yet to join the group myself, but it did remind me of an episode of Primetime I saw a couple of years ago.
I don't normally watch the primetime news programs, but this one was about the six degrees theory, and I've always been a bit fascinated by that so I decided to watch. The premise of the show was that they would take two complete strangers in New York City and see if they could connect in six steps or less. The one I remember paired an opera singer and a boxer; two polar opposites from opposite sides of the tracks who couldn't possibly run in the same circles, being asked to find each other in one of the largest cities on earth by no other means than mutual acquaintances. Fascinating, I thought. But there was no way she would do it.
To start the show, they took the opera singer and gave her nothing but the boxer's name, profession and photo. From there they followed her as she tried to find someone she knew who would know someone that would know someone that would know someone else, etc, until they found someone who knew this boxer personally. And she had only six steps to do it in. If I'm not mistaken, she did it in four. Unbelievable.
As I lay in bed later that night, I couldn't get the show out of my head. I kept thinking about all the people I know, and all the people they know and so on and so on until my brain began to hurt. But then another thought occurred to me. God calls us to take His word to all the nations, and if you're anything like me, that task seems awfully daunting. I've only occasionally been out of Mansfield, Ohio much less into all the nations. And how many people are there in the world now, six billion plus? Incredible. How can we possibly expect reach all of those people? But think about it for a minute. If each of us is only, on average, six steps away from everyone else in the world, then theoretically, if we tell only the people we know about Jesus and they in turn tell the people they know and so on, the whole world could know of the One true and living God in only six steps. Doesn't seem quite so daunting anymore does it? From six billion to six.
Lest you think I'm completely crazy, let me give you a quick mathmatical example. Going back to Facebook, I think I currently have a bit over 200 "friends." Some people have far fewer and some have many, many more than that. Regardless of the number, it usually doesn't begin to exemplify the true number of people we really know. I'm sure I could easily double or triple that number and more by just thinking of every person I ever encountered at every school, job, church or organization I've ever been a part of. But let's take the number 200 for arguments sake.
Step one is the 200 people I know. Assuming they each know 200 more unique individuals, step two gives you 40,000. If we continue to carry that out, making the assumption that every person will know 200 unique other people then step three gives you 8 million, step four takes you to 1.6 billion, step five makes 320 billion, and by the time you reach step six, you're at 64 trillion people, which, if I'm not mistaken, is roughly one thousand times the earth's current population.
I guess my point in all of this is that we really can make a difference. And we can't shy away from telling the people we come in contact with about Jesus. Who knows what effect it will have? Who knows how far the impact of each person you tell about God will reach. Look at all of the pastors, authors, musicians, filmmakers, etc. who are doing great things for God. They are having a far reaching impact, but along the way, someone had to be the one to tell them about God.
I think back to when I was in a band during and right after High School. One thing we always said was that if all of our time together as a band ended up being for the purpose of reaching just one single person, then it would have all been worth it. I don't know if we ever really did reach anyone, but I remember playing for the youth night at a local Church. I only vaguely remember the song, and I have no idea now who this person was, but a girl came up afterwards with tears still in her eyes and told us how much one song had impacted her. Like I said, I have no idea who she was, but I've thought a lot about that moment over the years. I wonder what became of the conviction she experienced that night. I wonder how many other people she may have in turn touched. The point is we just don't know. The person you tell about Jesus may laugh at you. They may want nothing to do with you. But they might also respond. And they might tell another person, or 100 people, or 1,000 people. You just don't know.
There's a song that comes to mind by the band Casting Crowns. One of the lines is "Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come." Is that what we're doing? Deciding for ourselves who we will tell? Deciding who we think will respond and who won't? Waiting for just that right opportunity to tell someone when we think they will be most responsive? Or are we telling everyone, at every opportunity we get? Realizing that we could be just six small steps away from reaching them all.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
What Kind of Sorrow?
Larry Lee Palmer. March 25, 1950 - June 16, 2004
I miss my dad. He was taken way too early at the age of fifty four. I often wish I would have spent more time with him at the end. I wish he could have still been here to meet my wife; he would have loved my wife. I wish he could have been here to see his granddaughter; he would have really loved her, and she would have loved him. But we don't always get what we wish for, do we?
So, why do I tell you this? Is it so I can write a nice little piece about being content and thankful for what we have? No, I tell you this about my dad because something I heard in church a couple of weeks ago made me think about him. Or rather, about the week that he passed away.
To be perfectly honest, I don't remember exactly what the sermon was about. I kind of zoned out after I heard these verses from II Corinthians. They're from chapter 7, verses 8-10:
"Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."
The passage continues on through verse 16 if you want to get the full context, but this is the gist of what I wanted to share. I suppose what struck me the most about this was the concept of there being a distinction in our sorrow. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. And as I started to think on that, my mind was taken to the weekend of my dad's calling hours and funeral.
My dad passed away sometime shortly after eight o'clock in the evening on Wednesday June 16, 2004. He had been battling an inoperable brain tumor for about a year, so his passing was not sudden. We had time to prepare (as much as you can prepare for a loved one's passing that is). I remember that night so vividly. I had been playing at church and was leaving to go see my dad right after the service. I made it about halfway there when I got the call that he had passed away. Shortly after my arrival, the house was nearly filled. My step-mom, my sisters, my dad's brother and sister, a multitude of family friends, all were there to offer support and pay their respects. There were many tears shed, but also more than a few smiles.
Fast forward a couple of days to the calling hours. I've been to a few of these in my day, but always to offer sympathies, never to receive them. It was kind of surreal, just standing up in the front by my dad's casket while throngs of people passed by offering their condolences, a handshake or hug, and maybe some brief memory they had of my dad. And when I say throngs, I'm not exaggerating. Countless people filed through that night. Whether it was his playing for the church softball team, his four mission trips to Ukraine, the years spent as a youth leader and Sunday School teacher, his time as a CASA volunteer, or the countless hours spent on various church finance committees and mission boards, it was clear that he had come in contact with and had touched many, many lives. But back to those smiles I mentioned a minute ago.
My dad was a born-again Christian. He had been since he was in his thirties and I was in my early teens. I tell you this because it is at the heart of what makes this weekend stick out for me after all these years. You see, I had expected his calling hours to be a difficult time to get through. I wasn't sure how I would be able to manage talking to all of those people while keeping some sort of composure. But as person after person filed by, it became more and more clear that this was more of a celebration of his life than a mourning of his passing. And for all of the lip service we often give to people being in a "better place", it was clear that everyone passing by knew that my dad truly was in a far better place and that it was only a matter of time until we were all reunited. Sure, there were still tears. But the overall feeling was one of joy. Joy that he had finally been eased of his pain and taken home. Joy for all of the lives he had touched. And joy that we would one day, very soon, all see each other again. Godly sorrow.
Now, let me take you forward a couple more days. As cruel fate would have it, I received a call from my mom on Sunday, the day before my dad's funeral. My cousin Brandon (second cousin actually) had been in a car accident and had been killed. Honestly, I didn't spend a lot of time with that side of the family and probably hadn't seen Brandon since he was waist high on me. But, I made arrangements to take an extra day off work and attend his calling hours on Tuesday.
Almost as soon as I arrived I could feel a difference. The whole room seemed darker; the people more solemn. I don't know how to describe it really. There was such a sense of despair in the room, like a dark cloud just hovering overhead. The family was almost inconsolable, and people just didn't know what to say. I'm sure some of it had to do with the suddenness of his departure. Whereas my dad passed slowly over the course of a year, Brandon's life was gone in an instant. Not to mention, Brandon was only 18. He still had so much of a future in front of him. Most importantly though, Brandon (at least to my knowledge) did not have a relationship with God, and I believe that was the overriding difference. There wasn't that solid assurance that he was truly in a better place. Sure, some people said it, but you didn't get the sense that they really believed it. Lip service. Worldly sorrow.
As I left the funeral home that day, it struck me right away that I had no idea how people without a relationship with Christ can possibly handle death. Those two experiences were so polar opposite of each other. We have to remember that God never a promised us a life without trials, pain, hardship or sorrow. Whether it's losing a father to a brain tumor, or losing a cousin to a sudden car accident, sorrow will most definitely be a part of our lives. The question is what kind of sorrow will it be? Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow? Will it be sorrow that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, or sorrow that brings death? There is a difference and we are all free to choose.
As for my "wish list" from before. I still wish I would have spent more time with my dad, but I know that in a short while I'll have an eternity to spend with him. I still wish he could have met my wife. But I know that he is smiling down on us, even as I write this, and couldn't be happier for me. And I still really wish he could have known my daughter, and she him. But who knows, maybe he got to hold her and play with her even before we did. Godly sorrow.
I miss my dad. He was taken way too early at the age of fifty four. I often wish I would have spent more time with him at the end. I wish he could have still been here to meet my wife; he would have loved my wife. I wish he could have been here to see his granddaughter; he would have really loved her, and she would have loved him. But we don't always get what we wish for, do we?
So, why do I tell you this? Is it so I can write a nice little piece about being content and thankful for what we have? No, I tell you this about my dad because something I heard in church a couple of weeks ago made me think about him. Or rather, about the week that he passed away.
To be perfectly honest, I don't remember exactly what the sermon was about. I kind of zoned out after I heard these verses from II Corinthians. They're from chapter 7, verses 8-10:
"Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."
The passage continues on through verse 16 if you want to get the full context, but this is the gist of what I wanted to share. I suppose what struck me the most about this was the concept of there being a distinction in our sorrow. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. And as I started to think on that, my mind was taken to the weekend of my dad's calling hours and funeral.
My dad passed away sometime shortly after eight o'clock in the evening on Wednesday June 16, 2004. He had been battling an inoperable brain tumor for about a year, so his passing was not sudden. We had time to prepare (as much as you can prepare for a loved one's passing that is). I remember that night so vividly. I had been playing at church and was leaving to go see my dad right after the service. I made it about halfway there when I got the call that he had passed away. Shortly after my arrival, the house was nearly filled. My step-mom, my sisters, my dad's brother and sister, a multitude of family friends, all were there to offer support and pay their respects. There were many tears shed, but also more than a few smiles.
Fast forward a couple of days to the calling hours. I've been to a few of these in my day, but always to offer sympathies, never to receive them. It was kind of surreal, just standing up in the front by my dad's casket while throngs of people passed by offering their condolences, a handshake or hug, and maybe some brief memory they had of my dad. And when I say throngs, I'm not exaggerating. Countless people filed through that night. Whether it was his playing for the church softball team, his four mission trips to Ukraine, the years spent as a youth leader and Sunday School teacher, his time as a CASA volunteer, or the countless hours spent on various church finance committees and mission boards, it was clear that he had come in contact with and had touched many, many lives. But back to those smiles I mentioned a minute ago.
My dad was a born-again Christian. He had been since he was in his thirties and I was in my early teens. I tell you this because it is at the heart of what makes this weekend stick out for me after all these years. You see, I had expected his calling hours to be a difficult time to get through. I wasn't sure how I would be able to manage talking to all of those people while keeping some sort of composure. But as person after person filed by, it became more and more clear that this was more of a celebration of his life than a mourning of his passing. And for all of the lip service we often give to people being in a "better place", it was clear that everyone passing by knew that my dad truly was in a far better place and that it was only a matter of time until we were all reunited. Sure, there were still tears. But the overall feeling was one of joy. Joy that he had finally been eased of his pain and taken home. Joy for all of the lives he had touched. And joy that we would one day, very soon, all see each other again. Godly sorrow.
Now, let me take you forward a couple more days. As cruel fate would have it, I received a call from my mom on Sunday, the day before my dad's funeral. My cousin Brandon (second cousin actually) had been in a car accident and had been killed. Honestly, I didn't spend a lot of time with that side of the family and probably hadn't seen Brandon since he was waist high on me. But, I made arrangements to take an extra day off work and attend his calling hours on Tuesday.
Almost as soon as I arrived I could feel a difference. The whole room seemed darker; the people more solemn. I don't know how to describe it really. There was such a sense of despair in the room, like a dark cloud just hovering overhead. The family was almost inconsolable, and people just didn't know what to say. I'm sure some of it had to do with the suddenness of his departure. Whereas my dad passed slowly over the course of a year, Brandon's life was gone in an instant. Not to mention, Brandon was only 18. He still had so much of a future in front of him. Most importantly though, Brandon (at least to my knowledge) did not have a relationship with God, and I believe that was the overriding difference. There wasn't that solid assurance that he was truly in a better place. Sure, some people said it, but you didn't get the sense that they really believed it. Lip service. Worldly sorrow.
As I left the funeral home that day, it struck me right away that I had no idea how people without a relationship with Christ can possibly handle death. Those two experiences were so polar opposite of each other. We have to remember that God never a promised us a life without trials, pain, hardship or sorrow. Whether it's losing a father to a brain tumor, or losing a cousin to a sudden car accident, sorrow will most definitely be a part of our lives. The question is what kind of sorrow will it be? Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow? Will it be sorrow that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, or sorrow that brings death? There is a difference and we are all free to choose.
As for my "wish list" from before. I still wish I would have spent more time with my dad, but I know that in a short while I'll have an eternity to spend with him. I still wish he could have met my wife. But I know that he is smiling down on us, even as I write this, and couldn't be happier for me. And I still really wish he could have known my daughter, and she him. But who knows, maybe he got to hold her and play with her even before we did. Godly sorrow.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
New(er) Features
I'm currently working on a couple of new posts, but they are stuck in my Blackberry right now. I wanted to try out my new bluetooth keyboard so I downloaded a trial version of Microsoft Office Mobile and started typing away. I was working on one post today when I realized the program was having trouble keeping up with my typing. I decided to just save the file to the memory card and transfer it to my laptop to finish. Well apparently, since it's only a trial version, the file seems to be encrypted to where I can't do anything with it. So, all that is to say that I promise I'm working on new content, but it will have to wait until I either re-type it or pony up the $29.95 to register the program.
In the meantime, I figured I would alert you all to some of the new features here at 6:22. Some have already been in place for a little while while a couple others are new.
1) Subscription. You can now subscribe to, or "follow" this blog by clicking on the link on the right of the page and following the instructions. Some of you have already done this and I encourage others to do it as well. This way, you'll always be alerted when there is a new post. Also, you can see who else subscribes and check out their blogs as well. You do not need to have a blog of your own to subscribe.
2) E-mail a post. This one is new. If you look at the bottom of each post now, you'll see a small envelope icon. You can use this to e-mail a link to that post to any of your friends who might find it interesting.
3) Bible Gateway Search. Bible Gateway is one of my favorite free online Bible resources. They offer a multitude of versions and plenty of cross reference and topical options. I know that many times, when reading other blogs, I've had a thought cross my mind and have wanted to look up some passage or another. Now you can do that with the search box located on the right hand side of the page.
4) C.S. Lewis Quote of the day. Not much to say about this really. I like C.S. Lewis and his approach to Christianity. I'm noticing that there is not a lot of variety in the number of quotes, so we'll see how long I keep it up. For now though, enjoy thinking on the wisdom of Lewis.
That's really about it for now. There're a few other things I'm contemplating but we'll see. Any suggestions are appreciated. And look for a new post shortly. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet for now and re-type one.
In the meantime, I figured I would alert you all to some of the new features here at 6:22. Some have already been in place for a little while while a couple others are new.
1) Subscription. You can now subscribe to, or "follow" this blog by clicking on the link on the right of the page and following the instructions. Some of you have already done this and I encourage others to do it as well. This way, you'll always be alerted when there is a new post. Also, you can see who else subscribes and check out their blogs as well. You do not need to have a blog of your own to subscribe.
2) E-mail a post. This one is new. If you look at the bottom of each post now, you'll see a small envelope icon. You can use this to e-mail a link to that post to any of your friends who might find it interesting.
3) Bible Gateway Search. Bible Gateway is one of my favorite free online Bible resources. They offer a multitude of versions and plenty of cross reference and topical options. I know that many times, when reading other blogs, I've had a thought cross my mind and have wanted to look up some passage or another. Now you can do that with the search box located on the right hand side of the page.
4) C.S. Lewis Quote of the day. Not much to say about this really. I like C.S. Lewis and his approach to Christianity. I'm noticing that there is not a lot of variety in the number of quotes, so we'll see how long I keep it up. For now though, enjoy thinking on the wisdom of Lewis.
That's really about it for now. There're a few other things I'm contemplating but we'll see. Any suggestions are appreciated. And look for a new post shortly. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet for now and re-type one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)