TheHighCalling.org is dedicated to helping people live a life of dignity, respect, and concern for others. How we welcome others with concern for their well-being demonstrates our understanding and acceptance of a scripturally based life. There is a simpler way of saying this, but the simple message is often glossed over. It’s a message often greeted with platitudes rather than embraced as profound and life-changing.

One thing we are committed to on this site is to help individuals make a profound difference in their lives. What we post we believe. From the audio encouragements about the high calling of our daily work to the ramblings found on this blog, we use these materials to change our own lives. Then we share our understanding with a broader audience.

Our basic premise in simple language comes from Jesus. First, love God. Second, love others. Matthew says it. Mark says it. Luke says it. John says it. Paul says it. James says it. Peter says it.

Let us live a life of love. We’re not perfect, and that is why we need to encourage one another.

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The story may seem a little fishy, but Jonah clearly heard God's call. So what did he do? He set sail in the opposite direction. What was God's reaction? He threw Jonah overboard where our would-be prophet was swallowed whole.

For three days, Jonah lived in the belly of a fish. After Jonah repented, the fish threw him up and out. So, Jonah got a redo.

This time Jonah followed God's call to go to Nineveh. He warned the citizens of their impending doom: God was not happy with them, and he would destroy their city.

The people of Nineveh recognized their evil ways. They turned away from evil and appealed directly to God to save their city. God showed them mercy.

Jonah, being unable to recognize the log in his eye, threw a fit. Instead of rejoicing at the salvation of Nineveh, Jonah was angry. God had shown mercy, and Jonah was disappointed probably because Jonah thought God's mercy made Jonah look like a chump.

God uses a parable to set Jonah straight. We're unsure about how that worked out for ol' Jonah. Then the book of Jonah ends with a question. God says, "Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

I see too much of myself in Jonah. I can relate to a guy who feels wronged. Like Jonah, I can build a pretty good case for myself. So when you're working up a good righteous anger. Maybe you ought to check your attitude and remember God's question to Jonah.

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Here’s a question for you—prefaced by a comment. We are created in the image of God. What does that mean?

Does God have big ears or little ears; black hair blonde, red, or brown; light complexion or dark; big nose or small nose; thick or thin lips? Is God tall or short? Does God have Spina Bifida or Downs Syndrome? Just what does it mean to be created in the image of God?

Since none of us are perfect and none of us look exactly alike it's safe to assume we’re not perfect replicas of God. In fact we’re probably not even a decent bobblehead version of God, physically speaking.

I want to turn the tables now, because we have a strong tendency toward the opposite belief. What I mean is that we take God and form God to our own image of what God should be. You may object, but it’s true. We see it in how Jesus lived. Peter had his image of God and projected it on Jesus. Jesus reply? “Get behind me Satan.” How about Paul? He had a very clear image of who God should be. Again another rebuke, “Why are you persecuting me?” Even John the Baptist wondered. Jesus replied, "Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen.”

If we deny that we make God in our own image we run the risk of never knowing God. We’re left with some idealized version of who we think God is. By recognizing our need to see God anew we can focus on Jesus and the gospels where he tells us who God is. He told those closest to him and still they didn’t understand.

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Religion News Service published an article recently by Ron Csillag called “The Gospel According to the Boss." This is the second article I’ve read on the religious symbolism found in Bruce Springsteen’s music. About twenty years ago America magazine published an article by Andrew Greely, “The Catholic Imagination of Bruce Springsteen.” Obviously, the Christian motif weaves its way through Springsteen’s music.

In researching this post, I found that America published another article about this topic in 2003, “’The Rising’ of Bruce Springsteen,” by Patrick Kelly. In the first three paragraphs, Kelly refers to Springsteen, Flannery O’Connor and Walker Percy. He points to their connection, their faith, and their struggles. I was intrigued to see Bruce Springsteen’s music being tied to some of the best literature of the late Twentieth Century.

Another connection is an interview with Bruce Springsteen conducted by Walker Percy’s nephew, Will Percy, for DoubleTake magazine in 1997:

Following an Atlanta concert promoting the album, Will Percy, Walker's nephew, met Springsteen backstage, and the two talked for hours. When Springsteen mentioned his regret at never having written back to Will's uncle, Will encouraged him to write to his aunt, Walker's widow. A few months later, Springsteen, who likes to say that "it's hard for me to write unless there's music underneath," sat down and wrote four pages—a letter years in the making.

Howard Butt has an audio message called “Bruce Springsteen.” The audio was inspired by a New York Times story, “MUSIC; His Kind of Stories, His Kind of Songs.” That’s an appropriate title for any piece about Springsteen. He’s always been about the ordinary things of life—the faith that gives it meaning and the grace that brings us home.

Life folk and country music, Springsteen's music often tells a story and offers autobiographical glimpses set to music. They help us to connect not only to the musician but to a deeper part within ourselves. They are stories of pain as well as celebration. And the rhythms intensify our emotional response in a way that makes this music deeply personal--almost visceral in meaning.

This struggle for faith is a theme in literature and music that connects with millions of people. People of faith struggle with life. The mundane can wear us down. But like the best small group, Springsteen’s music connects with hope, the hope that here is something more, something beyond ourselves.

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This is our nation’s 232^nd birthday. So if you know somebody who’s 77 years old, that person has lived one third of the nation’s history. A person who's 58 has lived for one quarter of our national history. It seems to me that listening to the stories of older people about what it was like can really give a clear perspective of how things were and how they may have changed.

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend in his early eighties. He has some short term memory loss but his long term memory is fine. In fact, the vividness of the memories of his youth were mesmerizing. His face reflected the glow of the memories as he clearly transported himself to another time. The stories that flowed seemed not so much from a distant past as they were so clear and packed with emotion. I felt like I was part of his history, experiencing his youth alongside him.

This holiday weekend make it a point to talk to someone over sixty. Or if you're over sixty, talk to someone younger about your memories growing up. What was America like. Listen closely and encourage the storyteller to share the good with the bad. Celebrate where we are and from where we've come. Look for signs that reveal Christ's leading.

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My neighbor Liz is our local version of the Dog Whisperer without the “dog psychology” and the “energy” lessons. Liz has her own methods. Just to give you some insight, Liz is the kind of person who could tell a sagging wall to straighten up, and it would snap to it. She commands respect.

For the uninitiated, Liz comes across as abrupt and mean-spirited. The opposite is the truth. She is kind, generous and caring. But when she walks the dogs, usually three at a time, there is no question about who’s in charge. When she barks orders (that’s a clever pun, Liz doesn’t really bark), the dogs attend to her commands.

Liz dislikes undisciplined dogs. So she not only walks her dog but two other neighbor dogs. It may be two dogs in the morning and another two neighbor dogs in the afternoon. Liz serves our neighborhood by taking care of all the dogs. She leads, and they follow.

Often, we’ll see Liz stop to feed the deer on her walks. She doesn’t just throw food out along the road. No, Liz hand feeds the deer as they walk up to her. You may find that hard to believe, but we have an over abundance of deer in our neighborhood.

While feeding deer is quite a sight, it doesn’t compare to what’s taken place the last few months. In the morning when Liz is walking her dog Heidi and a couple of other dogs, another animal has joined the pack. At the end of the line of dogs is a strange sight. A cat walks along with Liz and the dogs. This almost daily occurrence makes no sense. There is little logic to it. Liz is not particularly fond of cats. Yet that cat joins the queue.

Liz walking a cat reminds me of several things like good leadership, judging others, and living like Saint Francis. But what comes to mind most clearly is how this is a metaphor for faith. It doesn’t make sense. First, there are some people who are skeptical about the hand feeding of wild deer. That raises some eyebrows. But walking a cat? Without a leash or even a collar for control? This is difficult to believe. Even as I tell you I’m an eyewitness, there are some who refuse to believe what I say.

Have faith.

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How quick we are to blame. When something happens we want to pin the blame on somebody for the wrong that has happened to us. Don’t let facts get in the way. It’s easier to blame first and get the facts later.

While in college I worked at a school supervising the gym. There were nightly basketball games among high school and college athletes. One night a high school boy came running in the gym with a mouthful of blood. I immediately took him to the drinking fountain to wash away the blood while I ran for a clean towel. About two minutes later his friends came in carrying his two front teeth. I tried to get in touch with the boy’s parents, but no luck.

I decided to call a dentist to get some advice. When I finally got to speak to a dentist he told me to shove the teeth back in place and apply ice.

When I did get to talk to the parents, I told them what had happened and the story the boy told me. He had been playing football and someday hit him with their head and knocked his teeth out.

When things calmed down I got a call from the boy’s father. He was upset with me because the real story was that the boy jumped on the trunk of a moving vehicle. He slid off, hit his face, and knocked his teeth out. Somehow this was my fault. The father called to blame me. I quickly told him that I was in the gym and responsible for supervision there. I had nothing to do with what happened outside.

Here I was, a twenty-year-old kid, acting quickly and responsibly. I saved the kids teeth, but the father was looking to blame someone for his son’s stupidity. I couldn’t believe it.

The wisdom of 1Corinthians 6 applies to this blame game. Settle disputes honorably, with integrity. Get the facts first. Don't just work off of emotion or righteous indignation. Work to settle disputes not to place blame.

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Here comes that log again. You can follow the link to a recent post where I use a Eugene Peterson quote as illustration. Now Mark Roberts has written a piece about the log in his Daily Reflection at thehighcalling.org where he talks about hyperbole. Jesus uses this literary device to make his point more dramatically. He wanted people to pay attention to his point. Look inward first. Don’t look at others and see their faults. Come to terms with your own first.

We all have faults. Many we get from our parents. Since they are the people we’ve spent most of our lives around it stands to reason that they would burden us with excess baggage. They’ve given us many gifts to help us navigate through life’s difficulties but, unsuspected, the baggage comes along for the ride. If we ignore the baggage the ride can be bumpy and we repeat the same destructive behaviors causing pain to ourselves and others.

However, if we unpack the baggage one painful piece at a time we can change the ride. For many people the principles of AA have changed their lives. These are Christian principles packaged so that anyone can use them. They’re also sound psychology that helps people heal. Just as some fear overt Christianity others fear sound psychology.

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Playing with language is fun. I like to use (or sometimes overuse) a pithy pun. When I was younger and deferred credit was popular in TV ads, I'd say goodbye to my dad as I was walking out the door for the evening.

He’d say, “By now.”

And I would respond, “Pay later.”

Currently, I have a new favorite. When I wish someone well, they'll often say, “You too.” I respond with a hearty, “Bono.” Very few people ever catch it. Maybe they think I’m speaking a foreign language poorly. Or perhaps there aren’t that many U2 fans out there. Probably they’re just not listening.

I like to listen to people and take them seriously in what they have to say. For example, I’ve noticed quite a few people use the expression, “I can’t complain.”

Sometimes I'll greet someone and inquire, “How ya doin’?”

And they reply “I can’t complain.”

That just opens a door for me. I respond, “Sure you can. It’s easy. Just give it a try. You might even feel better.” Usually people just look at me quizzically. Nobody ever takes me up on my encouragement.

Last week, things caught up with me. I pulled into a gas station and a friend was at the next pump as I was filling my tank. She asked “How are you?” I went into a discourse about how busy and frustrating my morning had been. When I finished and she had filled her car, she said, "I hope things get better for you.”

That’s when it hit me. I had just listed the longest complaint about trivialities ever. I rattled this off to someone who knew something about pain and suffering in her own life. She wished me well in my trivial pursuit. I felt like such an idiot.

Since I was feeling rather odd, I decided to read Ecclesiastes. Let me just sum things up with the closing verses of Chapter 5.

Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

 

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Yesterday's United States Golf Association Open Championship revealed something unique in our culture. It's the fascination we have with outstanding talent and our desire to cheer the underdog.

Tiger Woods is an unbelievable talent. His dedication, hard work and mental discipline are unparalleled. He is a wonder and we marvel at his achievements.

Rocco Mediate is the Huckleberry Hound of underdogs. With his enduring personality and aw shucks attitude people naturally pull for Rocco. He is a very capable and steady performer.

Rudyard Kipling wrote, “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those impostors just the same .” Well that's what we got to experience through the Open—both triumph and disaster. There were no impostors on that course Monday, only courage, talent, determination, and humility. We are left to salute the achievement and the effort.

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