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Have you ever been sucked into the attention vortex?

I have. Many times, in fact. I admit it.

It’s not entirely our fault. World class psychologists are employed to keep us glued to our screens. Does this dilemma sound familiar to you? What can we do about it?

Social media

I enjoy Facebook. Without it, where would I show off my pretty photos? It’s a good way to be salt and light (as a follower of Jesus) amongst my peers who are also on Facebook. Yes, I know, Facebook is becoming a bit of a hangout for middle-aged people. That’s why I am comfortable there.

I’m not on Instagram or Twitter or any other form of social media. I don’t have anything against them, but I don’t want to spend any more time online. In fact, I probably spend too much time on social media as it is. Why do we do it? What keeps us clicking?

I am genuinely interested in my friends’ lives. And enjoy following the adventures of people I don’t know well but who are my ‘Facebook friends’. Part of it, I admit, is the dopamine rush I get from people liking my pretty pictures. A lot of research and effort has gone into keeping us clicking.

You see, we are the product that Facebook and other forms of social media are selling to the advertisers. The longer we stay online, the more targeted advertising we watch and the more likely we are to spend money on the products promoted by these advertisers.

That’s why these companies strive to keep us clicking. Our attention is worth a lot of money.

Television

It’s been a good day but now I’m tired. I settle into my armchair, legs up, the cat snuggling beside my smelly feet. I pick up the remote and flick channels.

Why do I do this? Why do I fill my mind with mindless stuff? It’s restful – yes – but there are other ways to rest, surely? Music, for example, or a relaxing book.

Even when I deliberately choose to watch something particular on catch up TV, I find myself mindlessly watching the advertisements. Why do I watch the advertisements? I’ve seen some of them tens of times – why am I watching them again? Why not mute the TV and do something slightly useful for two minutes – tidy the table or do a round of review items on my language learning app?

Sometimes I do mute the advertisements but not usually. And that’s why the TV shows are free to air – free for us at least. Actually they’re not free at all, for again, our attention is the product which is being sold to advertisers. We pay, but with attention rather than money.

The gadget I use to watch catch-up TV (my iPad) often recommends shows it thinks I would enjoy. Its suggestions are often good. They have algorithms designed to track what we like to watch. That’s clever and that’s the point. The more attention we give to TV stations, the more money is made from advertising.

That’s why these TV stations strive to keep us watching. Our attention is worth a lot of money.

So what?

So what? Does it matter if we choose to pay attention to things such as social media and TV shows?

Choosing – that’s the point. I want to choose where I pay attention.

There are a great many things I want to do, see, read, learn, and even cook. There are things I need to clean too, and projects to complete, administration to plod through and more. My time is limited. Like everybody, I only have 24 hours in a day. How am I going to use my time well? Where am I going to focus my attention?

That’s the point of this blog post. I have been thinking about the monetisation of attention. I am willing to give a little of my attention to the advertisers through the companies providing these so-called ‘free-to-me’ benefits. But I don’t want to be sucked in to the attention vortex of social media or television or anything else.

I need limits, but limits are not encouraged by these companies. You can’t blame them in a way. They exist to make money. That’s the world we live in.

By recognising when I am at risk of being manipulated to pay more attention than I am willing for their services, I am better able to stop.

That’s the point of this blog post. Let us use these tools wisely, but not be unhealthily sucked into the attention vortex.

The final word

Today’s ponderings are contemporary but not new. I shall let the apostle Paul, from a distant land and time, have the final word on this matter.

Be very careful, then, how are you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV

God’s word is held as sacred by many of us, myself included. Yet our cultural lenses impact how we understand it. 

How can we make sense of what happened way back in history to people living far away?

A good Bible teacher strives to understand and communicate a passage in light of the context in which the key players lived, as well as the intended original recipients of Scripture. Of course, there are points of connection between these ancient texts and us in our twenty-first century settings all about the globe too.

Last week, in my suburban Australian church, we studied a passage which I have heard passionately presented in an Asian context too. The interpretations were starkly different. I’m not saying that one was right and the other wrong. Not at all. 

This blog post is my way of exploring this topic. The Bible text is this:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him….”

John 9:1-3 NIV

Imagine….

Can you imagine being an onlooker casually leaning against a wall that day, almost 2000 years ago, on a dusty street in Israel. I have lots of questions. What was the weather like? What were the people around me wearing? What were the streets like? And the homes? What smells would have wafted my way? And what sort of food was available? It seems strange to imagine a place without tea or coffee.

I wonder who was walking with Jesus that day? His disciples were there, for sure. Were there others? Jesus had just slipped away from a crowd intent on murdering him (as recorded in the section preceding these verses). So it was probably only a small group who walked with him.

Can you imagine the blind man whom the disciples and Jesus discussed? Later in the passage, we learn that he used to beg. Was he begging when Jesus approached him? Or did he approach Jesus? And if he did approach Jesus, was he asking for money? Or did he know that Jesus could do more? (In John 9:11, he refers to his healer as ‘The man they call Jesus….’, so he at least knew of Jesus’ name.)

Actually, it seems that Jesus singled this man out in order to display in him the works of God (John 9:3). What a concept! I wonder if the man knew that? Had he overheard the conversation between Jesus and the disciples?  

The writer of John 9 does not record the man born blind saying a word at the beginning of this tale. Later, the formerly blind beggar had plenty to say, and spoke boldly and without fear of what others might think of him. By the end of this tale, the faith-filled follower worshipped Jesus as having come from God himself. (See John 9:35-38.) 

The events recorded in John 9 turned this man’s world upside down … or, more accurately, the events turned this formerly blind beggar’s world right side up. 

What can we learn from this passage? 

An Asian audience

Karma … this passage is all about karma. That is how some people in Asia might interpret it, anyhow. The concept of karma is an integral part of the very fabric of society in some places. If you do good, in this life or another, then life will be good to you. If you do badly, then life will be bad to you.

Whose fault was it that this man was born blind? Was it his own fault, his blindness the result of actions committed in a former life? Or was it his parents’ fault?  Later in the chapter, the religious leaders of the day stated that he was “steeped in sin at birth” (John 9:34). They clearly connected his blindness with somebody’s sin. 

Did Jesus’ answer shock them? It would certainly shock a listener viewing the world through a lens of karma. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3 NIV)

The rest of the passage outlines how the One sent from God broke the power of cause and effect – of karma. We are saved by grace. No matter how well we live, we are never good enough. No, only Jesus can save us.

Jesus has power even over karma. All glory be to God.

An Australian audience

“Will you follow Jesus?” the preacher asked, pointing his finger in emphasis. “It’s not for your parents or grandparents or anyone else to decide for you. It’s your choice.” 

Individualism is an integral part of the culture in some parts of the world today. Faith is a personal matter, and often private as well. (This worldview is different to that of the Asian audience in the section above.)

This man’s blindness had nothing to do with his parents. And neither did his healing. No, later in the chapter, when asked about what had happened to their son, the formerly blind man’s parents replied, “He is of age. Ask him.” (See John 9:20-23.)

This man’s healing was not dependent on anyone else but himself. He chose to submit to Jesus’ ‘treatment’ of a mud poultice over his eyes made from saliva and dirt. He chose to obey Jesus’ instructions to go and wash in a particular pool. He chose to trust Jesus, and so he was healed. 

Jesus has power to save you but you must choose to accept his invitation. It’s up to you. 

He is calling you today. If you pass up this opportunity, you may never get another chance to respond. What will be your response? 

Close your eyes. Don’t look about the room. This is between you and God. It is nobody else’s business. Will you turn to Jesus right now?

Onlookers in Israel two millennia ago

Jesus healed a blind man, then slammed Jewish religious leaders for being blind to God’s presence among them. He was the light of the world, and they had missed it. That had done even worse than miss it, actually, for as Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:41).

Ouch.

Imminent judgement, it seems, by One in very essence God, was the main point of the passage for early readers of John’s gospel. It wasn’t all negative, for, in Jesus’ words, “… the blind will see and those who see will become blind” (John 9:39b NIV). Judgement would involve righting wrongs and ushering in justice.

In answer to the disciples’ question about the cause of the man’s blindness, Jesus explained that this had happened that the works of God might be displayed in him. Then he went on to make another point, which doesn’t, on the surface of it, seem to relate to the question. Not at first, anyhow.

As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 9:4-5 NIV

Cultural insights

Details in this story meant a lot to those who witnessed the account but don’t mean much to us without a cross-cultural guide to fill us in. My knowledge is only gleaned from what historians write and from other parts of the Bible. And it is limited.

Let me touch on a few points as lightly as a dragonfly touches on water – 蜻蜓点水 . (That is a Chinese idiom, obviously.)

1. Light of the world

Jesus claimed to be the ‘light of the world’ (John 9:5).

This isn’t the first time we have come across this claim. Not long before this encounter with a man born blind, Jesus had said to a large crowd which had gathered in the temple, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV, and see also John 8:20).

Now we see him give light to one who had only ever experienced darkness.

This concept of ‘light’ was hugely symbolic. In fact, John (who wrote this record) made a huge deal of Jesus being ‘the light of the world’ in his opening chapter. (See John 1:4-9.)

2. Mud made from dirt

Saliva and dirt were mixed to make mud.

God himself created man from dust and breathed life into him at the very beginning of time as we know it. And now the Son of God is restoring our marred broken bodies through dirt.

I wonder if Jesus’ use of dirt brought to mind the creation story to onlookers of the day.

3. Mud made from saliva

Jesus sent the blind man with mud on his eyes, mud made with Jesus’ own saliva, to the pool of Siloam to wash. Back then, priests would ritually collect water from this pool every day during the annual Feast of Tabernacles, and would take it to the temple and pour it out with great pomp and ceremony. On the final day of that feast that particular year, Jesus stood up and offered living water to any who believed in him. “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink,” he said (John 7:37).

Now, just a short time afterwards, this same man who claimed to be the source of Living Water used his own saliva to bring light to a man trapped in darkness. In fact, he sent his own saliva back to the pool from which ritual healing waters came, in the form of mud.

The water originating in Jesus’ body was far more powerful than the water used in rituals. Sending the man with the spit-mud on his eyes to wash in this ritually important pool was not coincidental.

I wonder if onlookers at the time recognised its significance?

4. Prophecies

There are hope-filled prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah healing the blind. They’re even richer than physical healing, because they are often linked with judgement and reversal of injustices. See Isaiah 35:4-5 and Psalm 146:8, for example.

Jesus explicitly linked this miracle of giving sight to a man born blind with judgement and reversal of injustices in his explanation later in the chapter (John 9:39). 

Jewish religious leaders would have been well aware of such prophecies. Bringing sight to a man born blind was a powerful statement about the judgement of the ‘Son of Man’ (see Daniel 7:13-14). What they probably did not expect, however, was his declaration of them – the religious leaders – as the object of divine judgement. (See John 9:41.) That they took offence to Jesus’ rebuke is almost understandable … almost … and also serves as a warning to us.

5. Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus healed the blind man on a Sabbath, which was seen as sacrilegious by the religious leaders of the day. Their rigidity on this matter reflected their blindness to God and his heart for his people. Not only was Jesus the Light of the World, the source of Living Water, but he was also Lord of the Sabbath.

In summary, this particular miracle was a powerful statement of Jesus’ deity and the work of God, which he, Jesus, was carrying out. Judgement and salvation were integral parts of that work. The healing displayed God’s work in terms that were hard to miss if you were a first century Jewish scholar of the Scriptures.

Neither this man nor his parents sinned, … but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 9:3-5 NIV – my emphasis

In conclusion….

In this blog post, I have looked at a particular Bible passage that can be interpreted in quite different ways in different contexts. 

Is the story of Jesus healing the man born blind a powerful teaching about karma? Does it rock the very fabric of a worldview based on karma? 

Is the story of Jesus healing the man born blind a powerful call to individuals to respond to Jesus’ call and so be saved?

Is the story of Jesus healing the man born blind a powerful illustration of his divinity and of his work of judgement and reversal of the ancient curse? 

I’m not saying that the interpretations described in either modern-day setting are incorrect. God’s word speaks to us in various places and times which are vastly different to those of the original recipients. We need to know God’s mind on matters quite foreign to those of Bible times, and his word is powerful to address such matters.

What I am saying is that our worldview – how we view the world – significantly impacts how we interpret God’s word. That in itself can be a cross-cultural adventure. And like any cross-cultural explorer, we are wise to consider how other people see the world as well as how we experience life.

The Light of the World, the source of Living Water, the Son of Man, the Judge of the World, was born in a particular time, place and culture. But he calls and saves people of many cultures, languages and who view the world in very different ways.

May Australians, Asians and others from around the world and from different eras grow in our understanding of Jesus, just as the man born blind did. May we, too, worship Jesus as Lord, our eyes filled with light and our souls channels of living water. And may we handle God’s word well, with wisdom and diligence, as we apply it to our own lives.

Mindless busy work. Meeting after meeting. It feels pointless. And, just sometimes, it IS pointless.

“What’s your why?” the coach asked. I wrinkled my forehead, pursed my lips and cocked my head to the side.

This was part of a short course designed to help us ‘re-set’ as we near the end – please Lord – of this crazy period of closed borders, relentless lockdowns and pirouetting (ie frantic ‘pivoting’).

It was a helpful course and we were given some useful tools. This blog post is my way of processing one particular aspect of the course.As you read along, you may find it stimulates thoughts relevant to your situation too.

Why, how and what

A secular tool which the coach recommended was the ‘Golden Circle’. It basically considers your ‘why, how and what’. Businesses use it to set their compass of what they do, how they do it, and most importantly, why they do it.

The parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, for example, has recently re-branded itself as ‘Meta’. Their ‘why’ drives everything they do and how they do it. The founder of ‘Meta’ put it like this:

“In our DNA, we build technology to bring people together.”

Mark Zuckerberg, https://about.fb.com/news/2021/10/founders-letter/

Their ‘why’ is to bring people together.

Their ‘how’ is to build technology.

Their ‘what’ includes specific forms of technology such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and possibly, in the future, holograms and more.

That’s Meta. What about Suzanne?

“For God so loved the world….”

That’s my big ‘why’, and it is a good one.

But it’s too big.

The Bible is full of teaching about how God has endowed us with different gifts, skills and abilities for the sake of his community. As the Apostle Paul put it, we all have different roles to play.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

So what good works has God prepared in advance for us to do?

The Greek for the word translated as ‘to do’ at the end of this verse, περιπατήσωμεν (peripatēsōmen), literally means ‘to walk all around’. ‘Peri’ means ‘around’, as in ‘perimeter’. ‘Patein’ means ‘to tread on’, which creates a ‘path’. The English word, ‘peripatetic’, comes from this Greek word. I have often described my own lifestyle in recent years, when borders are open, as ‘peripatetic’.

περιπατήσωμεν (peripatēsōmen) is the main verb in the second half of this verse, and different to the word, also translated as ‘to do’ in English which precedes ‘good works’, ἐπὶ (epi). That isn’t a verb at all in the original Greek, but is actually a preposition, meaning ‘on the basis of’. The second half of this verse, then, carries more a sense of our good works reflecting the unique natures God has predestined for each of us as we go about our daily lives.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB

Why am I best placed to walk in particular good works compared to, say, Gillian from Gulargambone? Gillian has a different set of good works in which to walk.

(I don’t actually know Gillian from Gulargambone. She just represents other people who are somewhat like me but not quite the same.)

“Start with the why.” This is a helpful tip I gleaned from the course. Why I do what I do stems from who God has made me to be.

A Values Assessment

Another helpful tool which I gleaned from the course was the concept of a ‘personal values assessment’.

We were provided with a sheet chock full of words. Each word represented a value. They were all quite good values. It wasn’t a case of right and wrong, but rather a case of identifying which values particularly struck a chord in our hearts.

I did a similar exercise once as part of a team. We were given a table full of words, all on bits of paper, and all with different values. We were asked to take words which we felt represented our our own values. We then had to combine our lists and create one list that represented us as a team. What seemed like a simple activity led to some difficult but exceptionally helpful discussions.

When I did it as a ‘personal values assessment’ exercise, it was subjective, of course. It would be helpful to ask others to frankly explain how they see me. In any case, it served its purpose of helping me identify how I perceive myself to be wired. I’ve done many other work style / personality preference quizzes, but I’ve never before done a personal ‘Values Assessment’.

I skimmed through the list, circling those words which jumped out at me. Then I cut that list down to about 8-10 values. Finally, as per the activity instructions, I drafted a ‘Personal Values Statement’.

A Personal Values Statement

I’m still not 100% sure of my ‘why’, but I was interested to see that ‘reflection’ featured prominently in my short list of values. That’s partly due to training and partly due to personality.

I like to think that I have something to offer to more action-oriented colleagues in this space. It also gives me ‘licence’ to take blocks of time to reflect, journal and blog, though doesn’t excuse inactivity. Inactivity is a real threat to my walking about in the good works that God prepared in advance for me to do.

A draft of my ‘values statement’ is below, but I am aware that it is too wordy and inadequately specific. Still, it is a start.

I yearn to be significant, and try to ensure that by reflecting often on what I observe both around me and within me. This may be aided by learning at times. As a result of such reflecting and learning, I strive for wholeness, contentment and dependability of both myself and the communities of which I am a part.

So what?

It’s all very nice to have a ‘personal values statement’ but what practical difference does it make in life?

First, it helps me prayerfully discern where I pour my resources of time and energy, limited though they be. I can’t be everything to everyone in every place. But there are particular things that I can do, and want to do. Perhaps God has uniquely equipped me to sit back and reflect on specific situations then speak into them from a considered perspective.

Second, it takes the pressure off me being like the Apostle Paul. The good works which he prepared in advance for me to do as I walk about did not … I don’t think … involve passionately pushing on despite challenges such as shipwrecks, beatings and imprisonments. Some of my colleagues may be more like this great apostle, and I admire them greatly, but that’s not me.

Third, it affirms some areas of my current work which I previously viewed almost as ‘optional extras’ rather than ‘the real focus’. I love to spend time with people of a particular background, and don’t plan to stop doing that. How can I reflect and contribute if I am not involved in the action at all. Yet I often find myself building into other workers in various ways, which is a privilege but takes time … time which I sometimes begrudge. Certain writing projects fall into the same category. ‘Indulging in’ spiritual direction and an occasional retreat is perhaps less of a luxury and could be better seen as tools which helps me to fulfil my unique role in my community.

As I look at my ‘values statement’, I realise that, perhaps, I am already where I should be, doing what I should be doing, as one who is God’s handiwork created for good works in Christ Jesus.

In conclusion….

I wonder if you have ever done a ‘personal values assessment’? And if so, I wonder how that affects your ‘why’? I’d love to hear about it if you have.

It wouldn’t surprise me if some of my friends say, “Where does all this thinking get us? There is a job to be done. Just DO it.” And that reflects the good works that God prepared in advance for them to do. Some people are full of action, zeal and purpose. People like that should wholeheartedly leap into action for God’s kingdom.

“What’s your ‘why’?” the coach asked me. “Spend some time on that,” he advised, “and you will have a compass by which to direct your life choices.”

Through doing that little course, I have narrowed down my ‘why’. I remain focused on people of a particular background and those who intentionally intersect with them. In that space, I want to be a reflective cross-cultural worker who strives to see people and communities thrive.

And so, re-focused, I shall carry on walking in the good works that God has prepared in advance for me.

Quack, quack, went the duck.

Or something like that. We’re up to ‘Q’ in our alphabet themed walks. I needed some groceries from Woolworths, which is conveniently located by a pond and a large park.

‘Quack’ starts with Q, so I figured that a duck picture would suffice for our photo scavenger hunt style walk today. The real aim, of course, is to maintain a sense of community with the gym ladies during this season in which restrictions prevent us from exercising at Curves, while also getting outside and moving.

So I bought a fluffy coffee and sat by the pond … yes, yes, I know it was meant to be a walk. The walk would come.

As I sat, I meditated on a passage which we are studying in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this week.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11 NIV

Messy

I felt messy. I was messy. Hair LONG overdue for a trim, dressed in tracksuit pants and fleecy jacket, I was frustrated. I have so much to do, but struggle to knuckle down and focus. Hence a midday walk rather than my usual late afternoon walk. At least, I figured, I could achieve my ‘Q walk’ goal for the day.

“Heavenly Father,” I prayed. “You give your children good gifts. Here I am. Is there anything particular that you would communicate? Please help me to hear.”

Then, as if to reinforce my messiness, something white and sloppy splashed onto my leg. I looked up at the underside of an Australian magpie.

Ugh.

Eccentric lady and little girl

No, I’m not talking about myself. Although there are perhaps arguments to support the idea that I am becoming a little eccentric as I age.

It was a lady with pink zinc over her nose and cheeks, a pretty dress and a shopping bag full of bird feed that I’m talking about.

She walked about an open grassy area near the pond scattering seed as she went. Birds of every feather – black, brown, ducks, swamp hens, magpies and more – flew down or waddled fast to the open area.

I sat and watched, awe-filled at the quirkiness of God’s good creation. The little duck family particularly caught my eye.

Enter a little girl. Running faster than her father, she, too, was captivated by the duck family. The eccentric lady stopped her.

“See that daddy duck,” she said. “He loves his ducklings so much that he will do anything to protect them. And that means that he might hurt you. So you mustn’t run near them. Just watch from here.”

Daddy duck…..

Something went ‘ding’ in my muddled mind.

A song and a walk

The eccentric lady and I both watched the birds for a long time. We outstayed the little girl and her father.

I may be messy, but since when has that stopped a father loving his daughter? Let alone a Heavenly Father.

Finally, having long finished my coffee, I picked up my earphones and set off on my walk. I had intended to listen to a language lesson as I walked, but was reluctant to leave this special moment. So instead I put the song ‘Good, good Father’ (sung by Chris Tomlin – look it up) on repeat.

As I walked, I sang. Perhaps passers-by thought that I was an eccentric lady, and perhaps they would have been right. In any case, I’m a child of God, and his opinion of me is all that matters.

You’re a good, good Father,
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are,
And I’m loved by you,
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am.

Songwriters: Tony Brown and Pat Barrett

One more song

All good things come to an end, and it was time to get my groceries and head home.

At which point, I realised that I couldn’t find my shopping list. It was in my bag somewhere, I’m quite sure. Oh dear, I am such a mess. Scruffy hair, comfy clothing splattered with white, no list, shopping in the middle of the day when most self-respecting workers would be hard at work … aaaaargh.

Having purchased some of what I needed … not all, as I have since realised … I hopped in the car for the five minute drive home. Halfway back, a song on the radio caught my attention. No, it wasn’t the song I had been singing in the park, but it was quite apt for a windblown, bird-excrement-splattered woman. It is called ‘Known’, by Tauren Wells. Look it up.

It’s so unusual, it’s frightening,
You see right through the mess inside me….
I’m fully known and loved by you….
It’s hard truth and ridiculous grace to be fully known and loved by you.

Songwriters: Tauren Wells / Jordan Douglas Sapp / Ethan Gregory Hulse

Daddy Duck type care

Now I am home and at the computer. Yesterday I drafted a long blog post summarising some insights from a recent course I took which was designed to help participants prayerfully discern where the Lord would have us focus in this next season of life. I did not post it, though, because I wasn’t happy with it. It wasn’t focused enough, which, of course, reflects the fact that I feel inadequately focused.

(The course was good, incidentally. And the re-worked blog post about it may yet appear in coming days in short segments.)

In the context of feeling messy … unfocused, poorly groomed and even splattered upon … our Heavenly Father co-ordinated a lovely lesson for me today.

I started out meditating on a verse from Matthew, in which Jesus told us to ask our heavenly father for what we need, knowing that he longs to give us good gifts.

If daddy ducks passionately and lovingly care for their own, how much more will our Heavenly Father care for us, his redeemed, restored creation. Even, perhaps, to the extent of co-ordinating a daddy duck care lesson for this child today.

And so, messy and unfocused, I ask…..

‘Jehovah Jireh’ – the Lord will provide. 

I can once again attest to that truth. The Lord has provided in a very specific way this past month, and I am grateful. Yesterday, I picked up the spare keys to my home from the last worker who needed access.

But that’s the end of the story. Let me backtrack……

Problem 1 – the bath

It was a long overdue renovation.

The problem was the shower over the bath. 

For starters, one had to step up and over the bath to access the shower, which wasn’t ideal, especially as my friends, who sometimes stay with me, are ageing. I was okay with it, of course. I’m not ageing … much … right?

Second, the tiled walls weren’t exactly keeping the moisture out, as evidenced by the mushrooms that would grow from the grout in summer. I didn’t mind mushrooms. It was quite satisfying to pluck them off. It was the termites that were the real problem, and apparently they had been attracted by the moisture. 

Third, the cold tap would burst off the wall from time to time with a great deal of pent up energy. I would explain to guests that they needn’t panic. They need simply pick up the bits (tap, spring and central doodad) and stick them all back on, then turn the tap off. Nobody was ever injured since the taps were some distance from the shower. 

And finally, the enamel on the old iron bath was looking pretty bad. Forty or more years of regular use had taken its toll.

Solution 1 – shower / pantry

Actually, it was better than a solution. It was a massive improvement. 

A wonderful handyman, a friend of friends, had suggested that I put in a small shower, and turn what was currently empty space over the bath into a kitchen pantry. That meant adding a small extra wall in the bathroom, and replacing another bit of wall with a sliding door opening into the adjacent kitchen. 

But how much would it cost? That was the real question.

“It all depends,” explained the handyman. “It depends on what we find under the bath and behind the walls.”

Right……..

I’m staying with family during lockdown (again), so it was a good time to get the work done. 

Problem 2 – money

Before long, it became apparent that my savings would be inadequate. 

What was behind the walls? A very great mess of power lines, gas lines, water pipes and lots of dust. 

What was under the bath? Absolutely nothing. Literally. Once the bath had been removed, one could stand on the soil under the house. I needed a whole new section of floor. Timber is apparently like gold at the moment due to supply issues. Uh oh.

Furthermore, it seems that part of the electrical wiring was dangerous, illegal and essentially invalidated my insurance in case of electrical faults. 

“Just take your problems to the one who has all power,” the preacher said that Sunday, in the context of a sermon about a faith-filled official in Jesus’ day.

So I did. I walked and I prayed and I laid out the issues before the One who sees.

Solution 2 – money 

In the space of a week, I received an unexpected gift AND an unexpected payment. Incredible!

This is an unexpected blessing, I reasoned. Surely I need not tithe this extra income. That was a Tuesday evening. 

On the Wednesday morning, on Zoom, some Chinese ladies and I studied Luke 6:38 in our weekly simple English Bible study. 

Give, and it will be given to you. A good amount will be poured into your lap. It will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The same amount you give will be measured out to you.

Luke 6:38 NIRV

One of the ladies in the group had grown up in a rural setting. Better than me, she understood the context in which Jesus gave this instruction. “It’s just like me giving a wooden box of rice to my neighbour. When she returns it, she doesn’t return exactly the same amount. No, she shakes the box so as to fit in the maximum amount of rice. Even so, the box is so full that it overflows into my lap.” 

I was convicted.

Immediately our study finished, I made a donation as the tithe of that extra income for the month.

That very afternoon, I received yet another payment, this time a reimbursement for claims I had submitted some time earlier. Yes, it was as much as I had tithed and a little bit more.

Jehovah Jireh – he provided the money that was needed AND the tithe! 

Problem 3 – tiles

I had to choose tiles for the shower walls and pantry floor. Because of lockdown, I could only browse online, though I did go to a local store to collect some samples. I later returned to the store to discuss details with a salesperson and return the samples, then put in my order.

The handyman wasn’t impressed with my choices. To put it bluntly, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. The size was wrong, the colour was wrong, and it seems I had paid WAY too much. 

Solution 3 – tiles

But guess what? The tile shop completely messed up my order. 

First, they forgot to put in the transfer papers so, although my order had been prepared, it had not been shipped to our local store. I waited, waited, and waited some more, and finally chased it up. 

Then even after they did ship it, they got confused about where it was. It was on a truck on its way to me, I was told. No, it was not, it was still at the main depot, I was informed later that day. The handyman needed the tiles. It was apparent that nobody quite knew where my order was in the system.

And so I cancelled the order. 

The shop manager apologised profusely and processed a refund.

I called around several other local tile stores and found one which had in stock the sort of tiles I now understood I needed. The tiles were half the price of those I had originally ordered.

The handyman was still not impressed with my choice of floor tiles for the kitchen pantry, but he had something suitable stashed under his house which he kindly gave me.

Jehovah Jireh – the Lord even provided the tiles for the job. And at a fair price. 

Jehovah Jireh – God sees

In the Bible, the name ‘Jehovah Jireh’ actually refers to a place rather than to God himself. The name ‘Jehovah’ refers to God, while the word ‘Jireh’ actually means ‘God sees.’

The term was first used in the context of a life-and-death situation. It was a long and awful story. (See Genesis 22 and Hebrews 11:17-19 for more details.)  

In my case, the odds were a lot smaller.

Either way, God sees.

That doesn’t mean that I should go ahead and commit to projects without a care for how the bills will be paid. We are not to put the Lord our God to the test.

Nor does it mean that God will always make our life comfortable. 

Yet in this brief tale of my lockdown renovations, I want to attest to God’s kindness, generosity and faithfulness. To the dollar, he has provided. Again. 

Jehovah Jireh.

And now it’s time to organise my pantry! 

I had ‘a moment’ in the fruit & veg shop this weekend. (It was actually sparked by an exercise on ‘remembering’ from a writing workshop earlier in the day.)

I picked up the green gourd, poetically labelled ‘Buddha’s paw’ (佛手瓜), and sniffed. It had no fragrance. In fact, as far as I could remember, it had no flavour either.

There, in front of the chokos, I was whisked a thousand kilometres north and four decades back.

1981

Dad was in the kitchen, a knife in his hand and a grin on his face.

It was choko season. In fact, it seemed that it was always choko season.

What would he come up with this time?

Mum was the sensible cook. She was the one who kept us fed and clothed. Dad, however, was adventurous.

Adventurous in journeys … what could we see or do on the way?

Adventurous in relationships … his friendships with sea captains from around the world, to whom he taught first aid, led to dinner table tales which were almost as enthralling to us kids as the fish-flavoured chewing gum they gave him.

Adventurous in life was my dad, boarding a ship in far-off England as a young man. Later he would move to Papua New Guinea, before convincing his fiancee to follow him up there and join him on his adventure.

Even in the kitchen, Dad was adventurous. As kids, we both loved and dreaded the evenings Dad would cook. All Bran in scrambled eggs … why not? Doughnuts in the deep fryer … oh yes.

(Mind you, the doughnuts were always a bit fishy, given that the oil in the deep fryer was mostly used for fish’n’chips.)

That particular day, it was to be chokos masquerading as apples, mixed with spices and encased in pastry.

2021

I look back on those childhood adventures with gratitude. Not gratitude for the chokos, of course. In all these years, I have never once missed those slimy, tasteless paws. No, I am grateful for the one who made even chokos seem adventurous.

Which is why, in the fruit & veg shop, I found myself acting like a modern 21st century woman, searching online for choko recipes. Dad would have been surprised that I actually paid for one of those despised childhood vegetables. But I did.

I turned it into muffins.

After all, why not?

Walking in the drizzle today, I listened to a lecture. It was on the genealogy of Jesus, listed in the first chapter of Matthew.

A black bird (an Australian raven? or crow? a corvid, anyhow) outside the hospital frantically stuffed a crumpled tissue into its beak. As I drew near, it flew up to the electricity line, then into a tree. Perhaps it was planning on lining a nest with the sodden mess?

Rounding a corner, I passed pest-ridden leaves sprouting from the trunk of a tree which fell in a storm last year.

Creation is broken.

Creation is sullied.

Shame

Women of note

There are four women listed in the genealogy of Matthew 1 prior to the end of the genealogy which finishes with Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary. Given that this lecture was given by a woman to ladies, it was hardly surprising that our Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) leader focused on these four individuals.

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba had one thing in common, in addition to being ancestors of our Lord. It was not a factor which you might consider appropriate for ancestors of a great religious figure.

All of these women had previously had other sexual partners before playing their significant roles in the genealogy of Matthew 1.

You could say that the lineage of our Lord was broken, spoilt and shamed.

(Mind you, it must be noted that the women were not necessarily at fault as individuals. In fact, several were victims themselves of broken societies, and honoured for their faith.)

Prophecy

Time and time again, Old Testament prophets blasted the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness to God.

Perhaps the most vivid picture of such prophecy was powerfully lived out by Hosea. He married an unstable and unsettled woman named Gomer.

She left him. The patient prophet pursued and retrieved his errant wife. But it didn’t last long, for it seemed that she had a wandering heart.

The Old Testament is full of stories of how God’s people followed him for a while then strayed into idolatry, only to be pursued and restored by Jehovah … until the next time.

Old Testament prophets not only damned broken society, but also offered hope of restoration. As exemplified in the marriage of Hosea and Gomer, forgiveness and restoration was available.

The problem, of course, was that human nature did not change. It was only a matter of time for God’s people to wander from him again.

But there was hope for permanent restoration. The prophet Isaiah predicted that ‘a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall name him Immanuel’ (Isaiah 7:14).

Which brings us to the genealogy of Matthew 1, culminating in Joseph, to whom the virgin Mary was betrothed.

Hope

Our faithful Creator united his unblemished spirit with flawed, broken and sullied creation. He was not contaminated by the union with Mary, a girl who was pure and untouched.

The pictures and prophecies of centuries past now came to a head.

Creation was broken and shamed. But restoration was underway.

The virgin was with child. She would give birth to a Son. He would be named ‘Immanuel’ – God with us.

We live in the now-and-not-yet. Jesus has come, born of a virgin. He has redeemed all creation. Yet black birds still line nests with soggy tissues. Pests still attack new growth. Disease, distress and even death still impact God’s people.

Creation was broken, sullied and shamed.

But light has broken into the darkness.

He had the big picture.

He knew how the story would end. It would be good. Glorious, in fact.

But the sisters were still in the dark. And they were hurting. Badly.

Martha

Martha heard that her Lord was coming. At last.

They had sent for him days ago. The Great Healer. Their personal friend. But he had not come then. And now it was too late. Much too late.

She slipped away from the activity of the house. Shoulders slumped, dressed in a drab tunic befitting a sister in mourning, she shuffled towards her Lord. In response to his nod of invitation, she sat beside him on a low stone wall just outside the edge of town.

Holding her emotions in check, a pounding headache the only sign of the tension within, she initiated the conversation. “Lord,” Martha said, her voice artificially calm and controlled, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Logical and methodical she was, even in her grief.

“But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

What was she expecting? Her incredulity an hour or so later at Jesus’ suggestion that the tombstone be rolled away from her brother’s resting place would suggest that she did not expect to receive her brother back from the dead that very day.

Quietly, Jesus uttered the unimaginable. “Your brother will rise again.”

And then, in the context of back-and-forth questions and answers on the topic of ‘resurrection’, Jesus revealed a profound truth about himself. It is a truth that has encouraged believers in the centuries since, myself included.

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

John 11:25-26 NIV

Mary

As soon as she heard that Jesus was asking for her, Mary bolted out of the house. I imagine her hair flying behind her in disarray. The Bible tells us that her friends, who were trying to comfort her, followed behind, supposing that she was rushing to the tomb to mourn.

It was a noisy group that approached Jesus. Mary wept, as we know from Scripture. Being so expressive, I expect that she did so loudly and without restraint. Her friends wept too. Can you imagine the cacophony?

Upon reaching Jesus, Mary threw herself on the dusty ground, her tears dripping onto the dirt. She looked up from the ground, mud now marking her flushed face. “Lord,” she sobbed, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Unlike his interaction with Martha, Jesus did not try to teach deep theology to Mary in that moment. No, he simply said, “Where have you laid him?”

And then salty tears flowed down his own face. His shoulders crumpled and he, too, sobbed.

The big picture

All along, Jesus had the big picture. The sisters did not. Yet Jesus met with each of them where they were, with logic for Martha and emotion for Mary. His responses were not contrived. The sympathy was genuine.

Days earlier, upon receiving news of Lazarus’ illness, Jesus had prophesied something quite extraordinary. The Bible explains it like this.

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

John 11:3-6 NIV

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

Yet he stayed where he was two more days.

For there was to be a glorious end to this saga.

Dad

Fast forward to 2021.

It has been a year. A full 365 days.

On 9 August 2020, my father breathed his last. In the weeks prior to that, kind staff members had wheeled him to a window at pre-arranged times so that we could observe his decline.

Lockdown sucks.

I can’t begin to fathom what glory is like, but that’s what Dad experiences now. He was released from lockdown – both in the community around him and from his failing body – a full year ago.

But some of us, like Martha and Mary, still grieve. Oh yes, it is right to grieve. And we have a very great hope for an eternity with God. Yet in the interim, Jesus meets us where we are at. He meets logical, restrained people like Martha with theological explanations. He meets emotional, ‘let-it-all-out’ people like Mary with tears.

He has met me through what I understood was a ‘requirement’ to meditate on the passage on which this blog post is based (John 11:17-27) this past weekend as preparation for an online gathering. Actually, it wasn’t required after all. But it was helpful, and I accept that as a gentle touch from Jesus himself.

He knows our limitations. He knows our personalities. And he meets us in our weaknesses and short-sightedness.

HOPE

Martha and Mary trusted their Lord implicitly. And, in his sovereignty, he saw fit to call Lazarus back from the dead as a powerful pointer to the glory of God, a glory which he embodied.

We don’t have that luxury. And, to be honest, much as I miss Dad, I am actually pleased that he has missed a year filled with frequent lockdowns.

When I ‘zoom out’ to the perspective that Jesus had that day when he met Martha and Mary outside of Bethany, I am filled with hope for eternity. But when I ‘zoom in’ to the perspective of the two grief-stricken sisters, I am sad. We miss those we loved.

I take comfort in two truths gleaned from this meditation on the story of Jesus’ interactions with Martha and Mary just before he called Lazarus back from the dead.

First, Jesus meets us where we are at, understanding our finite perspective, as well as how we are wired. He meets us and he cares for us.

Second, Jesus has authority even over death. In a very real way which my finite mind struggles to fathom, those who have died in Jesus are now enjoying life in all its fullness.

As our Lord promised, those who believe in Jesus will live, even though they die. And whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die.

And so we hope.

Even as Jesus meets us in our sadness.

“Here I am,” I prayed, shivering. 

Despite my cosy vest and the blanket over my legs, the air on my face and hands was icy. 

Birds cawed, cooed and tweeted, their various calls sometimes melodious and at other times, grating. An engine grumbled nearby, perhaps from a nearby suburban block subdivision. When it paused, the undulating rumble of traffic noise was audible. A train rushed by, no longer stopping at our local station, which is under construction at the same time that the level crossing is removed. 

The sun shone weakly, dark clouds threatening to block its light altogether. Raindrops glistened on overgrown grass. Flowers are forming, stems beautifully curving towards buds and blossoms. The violets are already out in all their glorious humility. The gentle angles in the garden contrasted with the squares of construction, every corner of my home behind me measuring 90^o exactly. 

What was I doing in the garden on this late winter’s day? And, more importantly, where was the Creator in all this? 

Background

It was a semi-regular half-day retreat. Several other women in ministry were striving to appreciate God through creation in their backyards at the same time. We were all connected through zoom. 

Having considered Biblical examples of how God expresses himself through nature, we were now doing the practical part of the exercise. Soon we would reconnect and share our experiences. (Screenshots of the instructions for our activity are below if you are interested. Let me know if you would like an emailed copy.) 

Allow me to share in this blog a few highlights from my time in the cold this morning. 

Mercy

‘Neglected’ is a good word to describe my backyard. Yet in God’s mercy, rains fall and plants grow. I don’t deserve a pretty garden. But God has seen fit to bless me with this little corner in suburbia. 

My thoughts flitted to Jesus’ words, uttered on the other side of the world some two millennia ago. In challenging his listeners to love their enemies, he said this: 

… that you may be children of Your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:45 NIV

I don’t deserve to have my garden watered, nor to have the sun shine on my neglected plants. But God does not treat us as we deserve. 

He is merciful. 

Pruning

Neglected though my garden may be, I did ‘prune in June’ … almost. It was more like early July, actually. 

Pruning is painful. At least, I imagine it to be when I attribute human characteristics to my rose bushes. Perfectly good branches are removed and destroyed. 

I remembered my Lord’s words to his disciples in another garden far, far away in both space and time.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

John 15:1-2 NIV

What does God want to prune from my life, I wondered? 

Pruning is painful. But I was comforted by the fact that the gardener is God himself. 

Onion weed

Onion weed. What an ugly name for such a vigorous flowering plant. 

When I first moved to this area, a helpful neighbour offered to poison the onion weed for me. I was horrified. “It’s green,” I explained. “Let it live.” 

To be honest, at the time, I thought that they were snowdrops. They’re not dissimilar, but one is a friend while the other, in this culture, is deemed an enemy. 

That was before I realised that, given half a chance, onion weed would take over my backyard. It’s not a bad plant. Although pungent, it’s pretty enough. But if I don’t uproot it, the grass will not have space to grow. 

The parable of the onion weed, I call it. Were Jesus to walk the streets of Melbourne at this time of year, I daresay he would have some story to tell about onion weed. It might be like ‘the wheat and the tares’. Nevertheless, I don’t plan to let grass and onion weed grow together in my backyard. 

Intentions for moving ahead

This morning, I took a half day, in the company of some other ladies, to focus on the Great Gardener. He cares for us in his mercy and he prunes us for his purposes. 

This sort of activity is always helpful. I find myself re-focused and refreshed. 

The onion weed, however, has to go!

He likes cats. She likes dogs. Is he better than her? 

She is pedantic about conventional spelling, grammar and punctuation. He can’t see the problem in more creative ways of expressing oneself. Nor does he see the point in spending time checking for typos and fixing them. What does it matter, so long as the message is clear? Is she better than him? 

He is good with his hands. He can fix or adapt anything with his trusty toolbox. She is good with her head. She spends hours reading, thinking and writing. Which is better? 

Right, wrong or just different?

Cross-cultural training often incorporates the concept that certain things which may strike newcomers to a culture as strange are not necessarily wrong, but just different. Should children be seen and not heard, or should they be encouraged to express their individuality? To greet another person, should two people shake hands, rub noses, peck one another on the cheek, bring their hands together in front of their chests or bow a little? (Okay … during a pandemic, some of these conventions for greeting are definitely ill-advised.) Do rules apply to everyone regardless of the situation or is it appropriate to interpret the rules based on the particular players involved and the setting? What is the best way to enjoy a meal – chopsticks, cutlery, or a freshly washed hand?

I like to think that I am sensitive to such differences when interacting with people from cultures different to my own. Yet in my own culture, I am quick to attribute value to things that don’t merit it. Why is it so important to ensure that typos are fixed before hitting ‘publish’? Roles requiring a tertiary education or unskilled intense labour … both are valuable though often in different settings. Her Feline Highness might argue that cat people are better than dog people, but until she came into my life, I would have said the I preferred dogs. (Ssssshhhh … don’t tell the cat!)

Convicted

Last week I had the privilege of teaching on a passage from Romans 12. I found myself convicted on several points, and would like to reinforce those lessons through blogging. Thanks for reading along. This particular blog post relates to Romans 12:3b.

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” 

Romans 12:3b NIV

As part of my preparation for teaching on a later verse, in which all members of the body, though independent, belong to one another (Romans 12:5-6), I grabbed a Twitter post from the Olympics opening ceremony. Although the picture and sentiments ideally illustrated my point, to my horror, the post contained a typo. Whoever let that through? And how was it picked up and reproduced in mainstream media? Surely heads would roll…… 

Then something even more dreadful than a typo occurred to me. In putting down those responsible for letting a typo through, I was elevating myself. I was thinking of my self more highly than I ought. Never mind that the intended message was perfectly clear. Or that this was only a Twitter post and not a news article. 

The early Roman church

The people who first heard Paul’s letter to the Romans read aloud most likely came from a variety of backgrounds. Jews, Gentiles, slaves, slave owners, former slaves, tradespeople, men and women, educated and illiterate – they joined together in small groups scattered around the great city of first century Rome. Within society, their positions were anything but equal. Yet within the body of Christ, they all had a role to play. 

Just as an aside, if you, like me, enjoy historical fiction, I can thoroughly recommend the book ‘Phoebe’ by Paula Gooder. The main character, Phoebe, is based on the woman of that name mentioned in Romans 16:1-2. The book was written by a New Testament Pauline scholar who has a rich grasp of history and the culture of that time. When I read the book of Romans today, I freely admit that my interpretation is coloured by Dr Gooder’s work of historical fiction. I am grateful to its author for those insights into the world of the original recipients of Paul’s letter to the Romans. 

A modern context

The church to which I belong in an outer eastern suburb of Melbourne looks quite different to that of first century Rome. In our hyper-connected world, I can grab a Twitter post about an event halfway around the world to illustrate a point in a sermon just two days later. Nevertheless, these words recorded in Romans 12 are as applicable to us today as they were to Phoebe and her peers. 

“Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought….” (Romans 12:3b NIV). Righto, I acknowledge that being pedantic about the written word doesn’t make me a better person than one who lets a typo slip through. 

“… but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3c NIV) This isn’t all negative, actually. In fact, introspection can result in offers of service to the greater community.

I judge myself a picky proof-reader, which doesn’t make me better than anyone else, but it does make me potentially helpful in certain areas. If I were to proof-read certain documents before they were published, wouldn’t that bless the greater community of readers? Perhaps because I have been vocal about noticing errors in the past, I have ended up being asked to regularly proof-read material in several settings. I’m glad to use my pedantry to benefit others. 

Moving on

Are cat people better than dog people? Are practical people better than academic people? Are perfectionists better than those who can tolerate a little variation in certain settings? 

Sometimes things are plain right and wrong. Yet there are many times when I am quick to cast judgement on others without first examining myself with sober judgement. We are all different and, indeed, we need one another if we are to enjoy a robust community. 

And now, moving on, I shall not be judgemental about those responsible for an extra apostrophe in not just one but several signs for a local barbeque store. Yet whenever I pass that shop, I shudder. And I am afraid that deep inside, an arrogant smirk echoes what I perceive as Barby Dave’s evil grin … evil because he knows about the errant apostrophe in the “BBQ’s” sign (below) yet does not let on.

I’m a work in progress……