You’re not the only one

Posted on January 26, 2017 by jwfisch

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I used to think that I was right

A lonely candle in the night

And while the heart of the world was breaking

I could not feel the aching

The mantle had passed down to me

This thing was my destiny

And while the world was out there dying

I was in here lying to myself

For all the knowledge I had gained

Put me on a higher plain

And I became another

No one was my brother

And the loving message He brought down

Turned into a hollow sound

And then I heard Him calling

And His words sent me falling to my knees

 

“You’re not the only one with truth

You’re not the only one with eyes

You’re not the only one — 

The only one who cries

You’re not the only one”

 

And suddenly there was with me

An ocean of humanity

A sea of many faces

in waves of warm embraces

And while I questioned how to judge them all

Who would rise and who would fall

I found myself among them

And it mattered little who was wrong or right

And then I saw Him lifted up

The wounded one who drank the cup

Of death for all the dying

The end of justifying

And I laid my mantle on the ground

And felt the rain come pouring down

The rain of my Religion

Falling down like weeping from the sky

 

“You’re not the only one with truth

You’re not the only one with eyes

You’re not the only one — 

The only one who cries

You’re not the only one”

This song explains what happens once you “get” the grace of God. By “get” I mean you understand it and realize it applies to you — that you have received undeserved favor from God because you are a deplorable sinner with no hope of reforming or redeeming yourself.

Here are three common realities that go along with understanding and receiving the grace of God:

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What’s great about living in America right now

Posted on January 25, 2017 by jwfisch

“It’s not about morality, it’s about grace; it’s not about politics, it’s about people; it’s not about what we’re against, it’s about who we’re for.”

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And the battle’s just begun

There’s many who lost, but tell me who has won?

– U2

Our country is in a hurtful battle right now the likes of which I haven’t seen since we battled over our involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s. And like most social battles, it appears many have lost and very few, if any, have won.

Last night on BlogTalkRadio, Barbara Walters (aka Marti Fischer) conducted an interview with Catch producer Gunnar Simonsen and myself over what Grace Turned Outward looks like in this current cultural climate. I recommend you listen to it.

I thought the country was divided before the election; now the situation is even worse after it. Both sides — liberal and conservative — are using the news media as propaganda for their side, and unbiased sources of information are almost nonexistent.  Our new president is trying to govern a country that elected him by electoral college, not popular vote. And a day after his inaugural as the 45th President of the United States, millions marched in a show of solidarity in cities all over the world against many of the policies that got him elected. Everyone’s vowing to fight, and fight back.

Where are Christians in all of this? All over the place, most likely, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. We at the Catch believe that this is actually an incredible opportunity for what we talk about a lot as the Gospel of Welcome — Grace Turned Outward.

Among the millions of people who marched for women’s rights on the day after the inauguration, there were undoubtedly many Christians, just like there were undoubtedly many Christians who didn’t march who were confused by those who did. But it’s finally time to push all this aside and focus on what really matters: the Gospel of Welcome — Grace Turned Outward to everyone. It’s not about morality, it’s about grace; it’s not about politics, it’s about people; it’s not about what we’re against, it’s about who we’re for. 

We’re for you and you’re for us, regardless of the battles going on out there. We are mainly concerned about the spiritual battle going on for the souls of men, women and children of all stripes, color, sexual orientation, and religion or none. We are boots-on-the-ground Christians speaking grace into the lives of everyone we meet. We are coming alongside. We will march in any parade where there are people who need Jesus because people need the Lord. People need grace. It’s our time to step out of isolation in our own homes, businesses and even churches, and step out into the world and invite everyone out. Time to stop shouting on social media and start being social. It’s time.

Sunday bloody Sunday

The real battle has just begun

Sunday bloody Sunday

To claim the victory Jesus won

– U2

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Why truth is so hard to come by

Posted on January 24, 2017 by jwfisch

‘The clearest voices come by way of those who have been forgiven.’

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The truth is hard to come by these days.

This is a time when it seems that no one’s word can be trusted. Everyone has their own version of the truth. And if their version turns out to not be verified, it’s not because they were wrong or they lied; it’s an “alternative fact.” Your take on the news is not based on what the newspaper says or the television news reports, but on which newspaper you read and which television news you watch. Unbiased journalism appears to be a thing of the past. Into this maze, the words of Jesus appear almost naive: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” To which we all could say like Pilate, “What is truth?”

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Rain on the roof

Posted on January 23, 2017 by jwfisch

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The word for southern California this weekend is rain. Rain, rain, and lots of rain.

Though the news was harmful for a few people in vulnerable areas susceptible to flooding and mud slides, to the vast majority, this was sweet.

This was manna from heaven — drought-breaking extravagance forming pools and puddles and virtual rivers down the street. It means snowpack in the mountains that will melt off in the spring and fill up the sparse reservoirs.

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Diminishing Differences

Posted on January 20, 2017 by jwfisch

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Where are the good guys? 

Where are the bad guys?

Who can tell?

And does it matter that we can or can’t tell?

Yesterday we tried to get rid of “them.” Not in an attempt to send anyone away, but in an attempt to diminish the differences between those who are in the Kingdom of God and those who are in the world. We tried to get rid of a way of thinking that divides and separates — that puts Christians in a separate camp and pits them against the world.

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Putting forth the Effort of Imagination

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Terri main
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day couldn’t have come at a better time. It comes at a time when the nation appears more divided than ever before – four days before the inauguration following the most detestable, divisive election in memory.
In a recent article, “What, to the Black American, Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?” Chris Lebron, professor of African-American studies and philosophy at Yale University, stated, “While he indeed fought for the security of a full schedule of rights for black Americans, [Dr. King] was in fact fighting for something greater and more difficult to articulate – the hope that white Americans could extend a hand of brotherly and sisterly love to blacks. The mark of true love, for Dr. King, was to embrace strangers as familiars, and conversely, to deny that blacks’ humanity was a new and strange thing.”
“To embrace strangers as familiars” can apply to liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, Trump supporters and Hillary supporters as well as to blacks and whites. Dr. King was hoping for something deeper than merely tolerating one another or even gaining social rights, he was talking about brotherhood and sisterhood. He was talking about love and respect. He was talking about true unity. The best way to honor Dr. King would be to take action on this kind of love, respect and unity in whatever way is appropriate for you.
Author Wendell Berry has written that to reach across a human divide, we “have to be able to imagine lives that are unlike ours.” In other words, love takes effort – starting with the effort of imagination.
As you contemplate these things today and plan a course of action, I offer some of Dr. King’s quotes for your reflection and inspiration. He was a master at packing a lot into a few words:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. 
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. 
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. 
There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.
The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But… the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’
That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.
Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.
Honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Show love to someone who the current cultural climate says you should be hating.
Celebrate today by viewing Dr.King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Click here.
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‘Don’t give up on me’

Posted on January 13, 2017 by jwfisch

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My wife, Marti, loves to tell the story of a dramatic rescue in which she played a significant role when she was a flight attendant. On a routine done-it-a-hundred-times flight from Chicago to New York, a gentleman on board had a heart attack. Literally keeled over in his seat. This is when you are really grateful for the flight attendant call button the man’s fellow passenger pushed in a panic.

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Living in a post-Christian age

Posted on January 12, 2017 by jwfisch

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
– Charles Dickens

Here’s one thing that is good about this crazy election and the outrageous things we are finding out daily about our new President-elect, speaking of crazy. I think we can safely say we live in a post-Christian country. (I was about to write post-Christian world, but I understand that the church in Africa would put us to shame, and I’m sure there are other places on the planet where Christianity is doing so well, they should send missionaries here.) Here in America, you would have to call this a post-Christian era.

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Living a masterpiece

Posted on January 11, 2017 by jwfisch

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For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

I received a new book in the mail today. It is by Terry Glaspey, a friend of mine and editor of two of my books. The book is 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know and it just recently received a book of the year award from Christianity Today. From Michelangelo to Mahalia Jackson, Dante to U2, and Van Gogh to It’s A Wonderful Life, the book is a collection of art, literature, architecture, music and film that captures truth and beauty in some form worthy of reflection.

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The bug’s in the drink

Posted on January 10, 2017 by jwfisch

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[Not to be confused with my November 21, 2016 Catch, “Swallow the bug” which was another angle on this same analogy.]

“Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, but ourselves by our best intentions.” 
– George W. Bush

We owe our analogy today to Gary, who sent this to me a week or so after the recent election. He used it to describe how he felt about his participation in it, but I have found it useful on far deeper levels.

Each and every night I drink about a liter of one part grape juice and two parts tonic water (with quinine). I have found that if I drink this stuff I don’t wake in the middle of the night with terrible leg cramps. Well tonight I’m drinking the stuff and I spot a little bug floating in the glass. I think, “Okay I am not going to waste any of my beloved drink.” So I am able to avoid sucking in the little bugger until there’s half a teaspoon left. Only then did it get tossed. Then it dawned on me: That’s how I came to my compromise in the election choice.

This is undoubtedly how many people felt and still feel about last November’s election. According to post-election statistics I’ve heard, up to 80% of the people who participated in this election did not like either one of the candidates, and abhorred the system that delivered these choices to them. They may have avoided the bug they felt was the worst choice for the nation, but what difference did that make in the end, when the bug was in the drink?

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