On Cecil the Lion and the Resulting Outrage

Recently, my social media feeds have exploded with people expressing outrage and deep sadness over the killing of Cecil the lion. You might be led to think that they were best friends with this beast, although none of these people have ever met or scene Cecil in person, as he lived on the other side of the planet.  But they have seen pictures and videos of him and I can tell you that they appear to have been very deeply impacted by the story of his demise. Petitions! Blog posts! Status Updates! Exclamation Points!!!!

Meanwhile, in our own little corner of the planet, we are completely passive about the premeditated slaughter of millions of innocent humans. We have pictures and videos of these little babies in the womb, yet do not raise our voices to protect them. To speak critically of the immoral practice of abortion is not the current trending topic on the web, and has not been for quite some time. I wonder where the outrage is over the 1 human life that is purposefully ended in utero every 30 seconds in America. Every day that passes on the calendar is another 2,899 people that will never breathe their first breath in the Land of the Free. Over 1 million babies a year are killed and yet it is an acceptable practice. (abortion clock)

If we lined up 120 lions and killed them all in 1 bloody hour, you can be sure that the entire world would demand justice. And yet, we do something far worse every hour here in the United States. 21 percent of ALL pregnancies in our country are terminated by an abortion. 1 in 5. Over 58 million Americans have been murdered in this fashion since 1973. That’s an immediate population loss of over 18%, which does not include possible future generations.  Dwell on that. These aren’t just numbers  - they are little lives that are being purposefully extinguished.

As a father of three children, I truly cannot understand how anyone who has ever stared at a live monitor feed of an ultrasound can defend this practice. How do you deny that the heartbeat that can be measured and seen at 8 weeks post conception is human? I cannot.

I have seen people express anger and outrage over the fact that this animal was hunted just for sport. I understand the emotion and do not disagree with the anger over luring a protected animal to its death. I’m all for obeying the laws that exist and protecting the creatures that have been designated as requiring that protection.

To all the people outraged in general over the hunting/raising of any animal, specifically for food: If you commit wholeheartedly to this thought and stop eating all poultry, pork, red meat, fish and their eggs then I will acknowledge that the outrage you have expressed has prompted life-altering action. To do any less would be picking and choosing what animals are more valuable than others and that doesn’t seem like a valid option to me.

To all the Christians who are outraged by the death of a lion you’ve never met, in a place you’ve never been: Please take that passion and purpose and pour it into defending the lives of the babies who are dying as a result of “choice”. Be willing to take a bold stand in the social arenas for those who do not have the ability to scream for themselves.

To all the Christians who support abortion: Please study the Bible and attempt to reconcile your stance on abortion with what God says about a person’s worth, their creation, Him physically knitting them together and, knowing them in the womb, etc. I don’t understand how the two can be reconciled. I welcome your emails and private messages to begin a 1 on 1 dialogue.

Dead lions don’t have souls and Christ didn’t come to die for them.

Let’s be more outraged about the death of millions of people in our country than that of a lion in a far off land.

A Life Well Lived - Scarlett

This morning I stopped in to the visitation of a friend who passed away last week. I am thankful I found out it in time to attend as I saw many of her family, who are friends of mine as well, that I haven't seen in over 6 years. I visited with them briefly and answered questions about my family. In many ways it felt like a reunion of sorts, which I suppose is the way you might want a funeral to be. While there is definitely more than a hint of sorrow throughout the room, there was a kindness and love that was a great reflection of the friend we had all lost.

Scarlett O'Hara Matlock was 62 years old when she obtained her reward for a life well-lived for the glory of God. She had endured more pain and suffering than many people will ever have in their lifetime and she did it with a joy that was obviously not of this world. I saw her exhibit this joy in suffering many times. Scarlett always expressed her love for people without shame, hesitation or qualification. I was privileged enough to be able to help her move around from time to time by carrying her from her bed to a couch or chair. I was reminded today by her family of how I had helped her in this way. She was light and frail due to illness, yet full of life and a passion for God that was unmistakeable.

It's not that I had forgotten having carried her - it's just that I never attached any great amount of significance to it when I was doing it. It was something that needed to be done and I was capable of doing it, so I did it. And yet, years later, the family remembered and even introduced me as the man who carried Scarlett around the house. I am reminder that simple acts of kindness that don't cost you anything but time and a little bit of energy can mean so much more to people. I need to be cognizant of the opportunities I have presented to me to help other people.

I was told by her brother that some of Scarlett's last words were "God is Good, all the time."
Indeed He is. She was faithful to God and He is ever Faithful to her, and us.

I am thankful for having known Scarlett, as I would imagine everyone who ever met her would agree.
She made the world a brighter place - a more lovely place.I am thankful that there is no doubt that she is in the presence of God, where she most longed to be. Her suffering is over. Her joy is complete.

Oh, that my life would more closely resemble hers.

Lord help me learn to love others and endure hardship in a way that brings glory and praise to you.

Don't Text and Drive

This is powerful.
The direct tie to our area really brings it home.

If you text and drive, please stop doing so.
You may lose the typ of life you have now.
You may lose your life.
You may take someone else's life.

Nearing Home - Book Review

Billy Graham is known the world over for his decades of preaching the Word of God to millions of people during thousands of sermons delivered at small revival tents, large churches and arenas and stadiums filled to capacity. He has offered advice and counsel to Presidents and has become an icon of modern Christianity. In his book "Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well, Mr. Graham takes a look back at the life he has lived and offers advice and encouragement to readers young and old.

Being in my mid-thirties, I am certain that I do not fit the target demographic for this book. I do not doubt that many of my peers would not pick up this book to read it, when there are so many other books on the shelf that are being written by the current group of up-and-coming, popular, mostly young pastors and theologians. While this is understandable, and there is a lot of great content being generated by that group, it is unfortunate that the words of a man who has lived a life dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ might be overlooked.

In this book, we get to hear the heart of a man who is fondly recalling not only events in his life but one who is also pleading for others to learn from his own mistakes. We get to hear the humility of a man who fully understands that he is far from perfect, but knows that he is loved by God. We get a glimpse into the frailty that comes with age and the heartache that is generated by the loss of so many loved ones. We get to see a man who is calling us all to live in the here and now, fighting our sinful nature and sharing hope with the world, all the while anticipating the joy that will come when we are called home to Heaven.

I would encourage anyone at any age to read this book. While it is geared more toward the older generation, there are many wonderful sections that are directly applicable to people of all ages. For those of you who, like myself, do not have a grandfather to listen to share the Biblical wisdom they have gained through their life experience, I would wholeheartedly recommend taking a couple of hours to read through what Mr. Graham has penned.

A Brief Excerpt:

"Christians are not to be preoccupied with death; God has put within each of us a will to survive. But neither are we to shrink from death or act as if we must fiercely resist it until the breath. The time may well come, in fact, when life's burdens and pains overwhelm us so much that we will welcome death as a friend - and that is as it should be. If we know Christ, we know that Heaven is our true home, and (like the saints of old) we are "longer for a better country - a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:16). Remember that one day everyone will be facing old age. I can recall as a young adult worrying about my parents as they aged. I always try tried to give them the respect they earned and deserved, and I was cautious not to insult them by suggesting that they could no longer make important decisions about their lives. A fine line sometimes separates preserving your parents' dignity and ensuring their well-being." -- from pages 66-67