John Fischer The Catch

It’s been interesting to watch you all react to my wife, Marti’s writing. Some of you feel understood for the first time in your life. Others are still scratching your heads.

Take, for instance, that little bit she wrote recently about Jesus coming in through the window. Many readers, both men and women, connected with that picture and responded as if Jesus used windows all the time in their experience, at least the picture triggered something in their minds that enabled them to access their own story to tell.
As for me… I didn’t get it.

As someone who moves forward by sequential steps, each of which has to be justified, and knowing Marti is grounded in biblical truth, I was very confused when she first read to me her story about Jesus coming in through the window. That’s not in the Bible, I thought. I did a word study and the only thing ever coming in through a window in the Scriptures was death (Jeremiah 9:21).

Yet, if you are among the many who are on Marti’s radar, you know she demonstrates in everything she does her belief in inclusiveness with a message of acceptance toward connecting everybody. Marti loves to open her stories for others, allowing for many interpretations so people can follow their own rabbit trails and experience the adventure through their mind’s eye and thus own the story for themselves. She says it is more a matter of connecting to each other than just telling a story.

To this end she is known to welcome – even embrace – the conflict that arises in the midst of diversity as an opportunity to learn, grow and grow closer. She has no problem disagreeing with another while all along extending herself to make sure no one disconnects.

For many, Marti’s behavior is certainly not out of the ordinary and for many others it is down right alarming. I, for one, do not like conflict. I avoid it whenever I can. However, my preference to avoid and not face into conflict may be the one element interfering with my message in the marketplace. Marti believes that conflict can serve a function of connecting us to one another. If we can embrace conflict instead of avoiding it – disagree without disconnecting – our message will hold the one element that is missing in almost all attempts to deliver it – reconciliation.

Toward the hope of reconciliation, I am pleased to issue a challenge for anyone who wants to accept it. I invite the diverse readers within the Catch to share their stories based on my wife’s leap into sideways thinking, and I will do the same. Join me in responding to one or more of Marti’s rabbit chasing one-liners. Remember it doesn’t matter if you are wrong at some stage of your writing in order to achieve a solution right for you. It’s asking a lot of my fellow left-brainers, but Marti doesn’t want us to limit our story to just historical facts or Biblical understandings. With humor, insight, and creativity where no one is necessarily wrong or right, we invite you to enjoy this exercise in connecting with others in our extended body of Catch readers. You may reply either directly to me or post your comment at our website.

Rabbit Trail One-Liners:

Jesus comes in through the window.

Are you brave enough to tell your King, the Christ, something that he does not want to hear?

Do you think that Jesus sees us as children at play when we sin?

We are sinners after God’s own heart.

When we sin we are at war with our own patience.

When we take on another, like the Muslims, as enemies we see that we take them on as lesser men and women and are, by God, proved wrong and end up paying respect to the enemies.

While holding back a hardy laugh God asks, “What in my name persuaded you to take on a giant such as this?”

Lying brings a sense of falsehood to all who listen. Better to always be true to yourself. Otherwise, the consequence is for everyone in attendance including you, to become Godless.

It is better to be brave, honest, and native.

Your own rabbit chasing one-liner.

For such a time as this, I offer some advice from “Elastigirl,” the “super” from the animated movie, The Incredibles.

Bob and Helen Par are superheroes trying to have a normal life, raising a family in the suburbs, when they get sucked back into their superhero stint of saving the world. The children have untested powers they have inherited from their parents DNA that they will need to draw upon in the current crisis. In a moment of truth, Helen (“Elastigirl”) has to leave two of her children to fend for themselves while she goes off to rescue her husband, Bob (“Mr. Incredible”). It’s her speech to the children that gets my attention every time I see this fast-moving movie.

Up until this moment, Helen has been discouraging her kids to play around with their latent powers so that they wouldn’t stick out among the other kids in the neighborhood. In their physical competitions at school, they have to constantly hold back—even lose on purpose now and then, in order to live a “normal” life. This time, she has to reverse that rule.

“But things are different now,” she says to her daughter as she prepares to leave her and their son, Dash, in enemy territory, “and doubt is a luxury we can’t afford any more, Sweetie. You have more power than you realize. Don’t think, and don’t worry. If the time comes, you’ll know what to do. It’s in your blood.”

Actually this sounds strikingly similar to the way Jesus prepared his disciples to go out without him, and what he would say to us today. As followers of Christ, we have more power than we realize. Don’t think too much, or in other words, don’t psyche yourself out with rules and requirements. Step into the situation because you have what it takes; it will come to you when you need it. And remember… “It’s in your blood,” because the Holy Spirit is within you giving you what you need, when you need it. Doubt is simply a luxury we can’t afford any more.

“On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:18-20)

This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?” (Isaiah 66:1)

You don’t know about this yet, but there is a huge hole in the South Atlantic Ocean that covers a massive area from just south of the equator to the northern reaches of Antarctica, and from Rio de Janeiro to the west coast of Africa where the greatest land damage was sustained, losing parts of the coastlines of Namibia and Angola to the sea.

Now the reason you don’t know about this yet is because it happened not in the real world, but on my son’s 21-inch globe he got for Christmas. Apparently there was a little roughhousing going on in his room and the South Atlantic Ocean took a knee.

In spite of the relative insignificance of this, my reflection on this tragedy turned up some useful thoughts. If, as the scriptures say, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool,” that would put the world as far as God is concerned in a similar perspective as Chandler’s globe is to us, where a swift kick could wipe out an entire ocean.

So what good does it do to think about this? When we have a tendency to compound our problems or listen to our fears, or get trapped in our worries, it’s time to remember we are at all times in the presence of a God to whom the world is the size of a footstool. Our problems? What problems? Look to God and you will start finding solutions. Look to Him and you will know what to do. Step out and you will have the power to do it.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

If all things are possible, what are we waiting for?

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. (Isaiah 49:16)

Not in the sky, because the sky is too high
Not in the clouds, because the clouds can’t hold you
Not on a stone, for a stone is too cold
Not on silver or gold, lest anyone think you could be sold
Not in a book, because a book could be lost

But on the palms of His hands
On the flesh
Where you can’t be lost, sold or forgotten
On the flesh
Where He sees you all the time
On the flesh
Where the pain was measured out in love
On the flesh
In the warm skin of the Savior

There you are…
Permanent
Indelible
Part of…

Engraved
Cut into
Scarred forever
As God’s tattoo

[Following is Marti’s account of the Isaiah House Academy Awards night. Warning: Do not attempt to read or understand this with your left brain. In fact, if you can shut down your left brain entirely, you will enjoy the ride so much more! Many thanks to all of you who sent costumes and funds. We couldn’t have done it without you!]

Like tidying up drawers, I like to tidy up other’s minds, sometimes after they are asleep or while they are day-dreaming. Like a mother with her sleeping children, I like to rummage in their minds and put things straight for the next morning, lingering humorously over some contents, wondering where on earth one had picked this thing up and hurriedly stowing that out of sight.  It is a rather confusing process, however, because nothing stands still. I always make discoveries sweet and not so sweet, and things I do not understand, and of these quite the most perplexing is when Jesus appears in one’s mind, folding up evil passions without saying a word and placing them at the bottom of the mind while on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out the prettier thoughts, ready upon awaking to put on.

Occasionally, I find that no adjustments are necessary. Jesus is there — just the right size both in mind and in body — even though not known. Yet, there He is with His name standing out in bolder letters more than any of the other words with the dreamer not knowing why she knew His name, she just knows it.

****

I am quite certain Jesus comes in by the window.

****

Tonight was the Isaiah House Academy Awards with each nominee spontaneously accepting her prize by proclaiming the Jesus she knew through the influence of and challenges met by her fellow women without homes.

****

We volunteers evoked Oscar® Night with the iconic symbols including the red carpet, the searchlights, the envelope and Oscar himself – all center stage for the Isaiah House guests in support of the many second beginnings they were taking advantage of, and because they deserved to be congratulated for remaining in the game in spite of it all.

The intent of the evening was to truly honor the Isaiah House guest, and at the same time, provide an evening of laughter and delight. Of course the Isaiah House celebrities were formally announced as each stepped onto the red carpet. Spotlights were glowing as our celebrities took center stage in star-worthy attire supplied by many of you. The garb comprised of fun accessories including glamorous hats, glitzy feather boas, gaudy rhinestone jewelry and make believe furs.

The rest of us were the paparazzi, held back from the red carpet by red velvet ropes, and we, like the paparazzi, were taught by our celebrities that it is not a matter of seeing different things but rather seeing the same things differently.

****

As with the paparazzi, we volunteers found ourselves peeping through the gaps between the velvet ropes as if eavesdropping on an intimate moment between very special celebrities, as one by one, each guest shared from her extraordinary and often passionate stories, thanking the other women in the room for being a part of her real adventure, which was said to have just begun.

Ah, if it could have been for us to experience the courage that each of these women spoke to as they stepped forward — not onto some faux red carpet, but onto a blanket of fear — real life- threatening terror, yet dissipating the fear, but never knowing for sure, until the step.

“Our lives require Big Solutions,” said one woman during her acceptance speech. “We cannot allow the problems to get worse.”

I understood her to say that the cycles of returning were over, as if proclaiming that the Penthouse with its view of the world, was hers. The world was hers, because she was choosing to give it her all with finesse, and most importantly because her fellow celebrities were challenging her to want it more than any other person on this earth.

I was quite certain before, but now I know beyond any questions, that Jesus comes in through the window — any window that is left open.

And on this we draw a veil over the evening, for it is not for us to encroach any further upon such privacy except to ask, “Is my window open?”

This morning I had the opportunity of hearing Dave Robinson speak at a Women of Vision Orange County Partnership Breakfast. Dave is the Senior Advisor for Operations for World Vision International. He has also lived most of his life as a Christian amongst Muslim people, and this is what I have to say about that: Why don’t we let this man inform our thinking and our activity towards Muslim people in this country and around the world instead of listening to a man who has lived in suburban America all his life and whose only claim to understanding Muslims is the fact that he is a popular radio talk show host? Why were 75 people listening to what the qualified man said and hundreds of thousands listening to the other? Why is fear more popular than reason?

Among a number of stories Mr. Anderson imparted was this one. In the wake of initial U.S. successes in Iraq, a moderate Muslim man said to Dave, “America is great.” To which he responded, “No. God is great,” which is actually a very common Muslim phrase of worship not unlike our Christian, “Praise the Lord.”

“Are you Muslim?” asked the man excitedly when he heard that.

After some thought, Dave replied, “I am a student of Jesus Christ.”

Notice he didn’t say, “I am a Christian,” which would have put him at odds with the Muslim man. Actually, Muslims are students of Jesus Christ too.

“Initiate open ended conversations that will eventually lead to Jesus,” Anderson said over and over. “Seek common ground even though the core of the message is missing.”

How often do we do that?

Last September, we had as global crisis on our hands because a pastor in Florida wanted to burn a copy of the Koran in retaliation for the memory of 9/11/2001.  Anderson said that had he succeeded, it would have ended World Vision’s presence in any and all Muslim countries of the world.

Seek common ground. Initiate open-ended conversations that will eventually lead to Jesus. Not a bad way to operate with everyone. Cast aside fear and get smart.

The hour is approaching when the Academy Awards come to the Isaiah House for women without homes. Our excitement is growing, while theirs is non-existent. All they know about is another free meal. They have no idea they are about to be dressed in faux furs and feathers, entertained by music, escorted down the red carpet, announced by the Master of Ceremonies and called up to receive their very own Oscar as a survivor of second beginnings. On top of all this, each “nominee” will be receiving a pair of premium sunglasses courtesy of Spy Optic where what’s important is “not seeing different things; it’s seeing the same thing differently.” That signature statement alone is loaded with applicable truth for the real world. For instance, Jesus was always talking about the kingdom of heaven, but then when he explained it, it wasn’t about heaven at all, it was about what’s going on here. It wasn’t about a different place; it was about a different way of seeing this place. The kingdom of heaven is about a new way of looking at the kingdom of earth. It’s about seeing losers as winners, about seeing the last as the first, about seeing the poor and the beggars as the most blessed; it’s about seeing God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven because you can, in fact, see differently. We need to cultivate this ability. We need to train ourselves to see and value things as Jesus values them. We need to meditate on his teaching and let it shape how we think, what we value, and what we act on. It just might be that with the right pairs of glasses on, the Academy Awards tomorrow night in Santa Ana will surpass the other Academy Awards soon to be held in Hollywood, in the things that really matter.

This last weekend we celebrated our oldest son’s birthday. I won’t tell you which one since both he and I don’t feel the truth applies in this case. Our little house, which can feel small with three of us, swelled to 20, and Christopher, lover of a good party, was in his element, moving around talking with various groups of friends who had formed in the living room, the kitchen, the dining room, and outside on the patio.

To start things off, I had decided to make homemade salsa. Chandler’s choice for his Christmas gift to his mother this year had been a 4-cup Cuisinart chopper/grinder, and as soon as we opened it up, I knew I was going to have to get a good salsa recipe.

Some years ago, I was speaking at a church and went to the pastor’s house afterwards with a number of friends from the congregation, and he made a salsa up fresh, the likes of which I never forgot. So I emailed the pastor and asked if he would be interested in divulging his secret recipe and he did! Sent it right back to me with detailed descriptions of exactly how to put it together including some priceless side comments, one of which I’m including in today’s Catch.

You’ll notice this is the second phase of production, the first being a blend of Anaheim and serrano peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro and seasonings.

Phase Two:

Now dump in two cans of diced tomatoes (make sure they are not seasoned with Italian or Mexican anything). Just plain, diced tomatoes. Now (AND THIS IS CRUCIAL) give the processor one or two quick little pumps to mix everything together. You do NOT want to over-process here. It’ll make the salsa foam up. It’s sort of like when a Christian is “OVER-SAVED.” They just get all foamy and they’re not too much fun to be around. You’d almost prefer them to be a bit under-saved. Well, salsa is the same way. Make sure the tomatoes are fairly chunky and not over-processed. You can always pump it once more, very quickly, if you have to.

Though I think we all probably have in mind something of what my pastor friend means by being “over-saved” or “under-saved,” I would love to hear back from you some creative descriptions of what you would call an “over-saved” and/or an “under-saved” Christian. This could be fun (and educational, too). I’d give you some of my own ideas but I don’t want to skew the discussion.

Also this gives me a chance to get you thinking about a new project we’d like you to contribute to. It’s a Catch of the Day cookbook (not the actual title), but with your stories as to particular memories surrounding the creating and enjoying of your dish. We believe this will be an excellent gift to share with others and a unique way of showing the kingdom of God at work in our ordinary affairs of life. We will give you more details on this later, but for now, be thinking about a recipe with a story behind it that you could tell.

A lot of sentiment held by Christians today is centered around the desire for America to be a Christian nation. We long to see our faith more fully and freely expressed in public life. But sometimes I don’t think we go far enough with this. To what end do we want America to be a more Christian nation – for the salvation of those around us or for a safer environment to raise our own families? And if we could get everything we wanted, what would that be? Would it mean more people would become Christians? Would more people be saved? Would more people come to know Jesus?

What if living in a Christian nation and knowing Christ were two different things that didn’t have anything to do with each other, or even more problematic, what if they were counter productive? What if a more Christian nation meant a more diluted Christianity? Actually a strong case could be made historically for this (see the Holy Roman Empire). A more current illustration of this would be the fact that one is more likely to find a vital Christianity thriving on a secular college campus than in a Christian college or university. The more Christian the environment, the more assumptions are made about everybody’s Christianity, often resulting in apathy and disconnection when it comes to one’s personal faith.

It could be that a less Christian environment might foster a more vibrant Christian community. The early church and Christianity around the world show us over and over again that faith thrives amidst opposition.

I’m not suggesting we let America go to hell in a handbasket, but I am suggesting we think through just how much time, money and emotional energy we should put into trying to make or keep this country “Christian.” Jesus didn’t die for America; he died for you and me.

My suggestion: whatever attention we are putting into trying to save America, double that when it comes to seeking to love and save those who are lost. I’m not even sure what a Christian America is or would look like, but I do know what a Christian is, and a real Christian will be a real Christian anywhere.

[Warning: Reading today’s Catch may be hazardous to your fear.]

Worldview #1: The world is our enemy. Satan is hiding out for us behind every bush. Secular humanists are conspiring to influence our children and take over our country, and everything we believe in and hold dear is being threatened by the culture around us. Better hunker down and wait out the rapture.

Worldview #2: This is our Father’s world. Every bush is ablaze with the glory of God. The Holy Spirit is behind the past and current events of history, and no force on earth, heaven or under the earth can do anything outside of the will and knowledge of God Almighty who lives in us. Time to get out into the world, find God and love people.

To be sure, the Bible does warn us of Satan’s wiles, but not for the purpose of keeping us in fear. The actual passage is 1 Peter 5:8, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Peter’s admonition to us in this regard is to resist him and stand firm (vs.9), and we do this by being self-controlled and alert (vs.8). And the admonition immediately prior to this warning is 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety [that would be fear] on him because he cares for you.”

No looking behind any bushes here. And no putting us in positions of power, either. “Humble yourselves…”

Worldview #1 has served the Christian community for far too long. And yes, “served” is the right word. It has funded Christian ministries, mobilized boycotts and marches, even put people in the White House. It is a worldview that has turned Christians into a social force to be reckoned with. But for what purpose? We’re here for the gospel. Remember? The gospel? What’s the gospel? No one in the world would know because we haven’t told them. We’ve been too busy trying to gain power.

Mark my word, with Obama in the White House, WV#1 is enjoying new life as American Christians terrorize their fellow-believers spreading hate and fear daily around the Internet. I can’t believe the stuff I’m receiving. It’s as if Christian leaders think they can’t control people, motivate them, or mobilize them without keeping them sufficiently afraid.

It’s time to stop it. NO MORE FEAR. It’s time for a different worldview. (Check out WV#2 above for starters.) It’s time to do what we should have been doing all along: spread the good news of God’s love everywhere.