Healing Rays of Righteousness

Not All Prisons Have Bars of Steel

In Matthew 25:31-46 we read of one of the most vivid parables Jesus ever spoke, and the lesson is crystal clear, telling us that God will judge us in accordance with our response to human need. Included in his listing of judgment criteria we read that he said to those on his right, “I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (v.36), and a few verses later he said to those on his left, “I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.” (v.43).

Whenever we hear these words about a prison, I think most of us would usually picture a building surrounded by high walls, barbed wire and guard houses where lawbreakers and criminals are housed in small cells with steel barred windows.

However, not all prisons have steel bars, and the prisoners seldom did anything wrong to deserve their imprisonment and separation from their family and friends. These imprisoned persons are the victims of unfortunate events that happened to them. Let me explain.

Prisoner number one is a seemingly healthy and active man who suddenly suffers a major stroke that causes a degree of paralysis in his body. He is no longer able to do, to go, or to speak as he had been doing until the moment of an unexpected and unwelcomed, forced imprisonment by the stroke. His freedoms are taken from him and he is given a life sentence of imprisonment inside a partially non-functioning body.

This imprisonment is oft-times reinforced by his need for nursing home care, further separating him from family and community life. His prison bars may not be made of steel but they are just as strong and confining. Feelings of loneliness, disappointment, and despair are his companions. This same imprisonment also happens to those suffering severe accident injuries that cause some degree of paralysis or very limited body or mind functions.

Prisoner number two is an energetic and skillful woman who manages her home and business responsibilities well, and who is known as a good thinker and conversationalist, but falls victim to Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly we watch as the slowly progressing disease forces her into confinement behind bars of lost memory, confusion, fear, paranoia, and isolation from the world of purpose, meaning, and relationships. Like prisoner #1, her prison bars are not made of steel, but they are just as strong and confining.

There is yet a third prisoner that we often fail to notice or identify as a prisoner. This prisoner is known and named as “The Caregiver”. The moment a loved one, whether spouse, parent, or child, is diagnosed with a disease such as Alzheimer’s, AIDS, Parkinson’s, Cancer, ALS, Stroke, Chronic Depression, or some other chronic emotional or physical illness, someone’s name changes to “The Caregiver”.

From that moment on their life is dominated by that title and their prison begins to take shape behind bars of continuous difficult labor, emotional strain, lost friendships, and feelings of fear and insecurity. Caring for a loved one is exhausting work, the pressure is unrelenting, and the hours are never-ending.

Even so, God forbid that “The Caregiver” would even dare to mention their pain, their loneliness, their feelings of imprisonment to anyone, for surely they would be tagged as being selfish and unloving. And so they suffer in silence, wearing a pasted smile.

I identified only three kinds of such prisoners and more could be named. But these three prisoner types are the ones I mostly saw in my work and ministry as chaplain and pastor. And I wonder how they would respond to the words of Jesus, “I was in prison, and you visited me.” Would they say, “Yes, I was visited and cared for by many.” Or would they say, “No, I was neglected and forgotten.”

These imprisoned persons are residents in our communities and members in our churches. And I wonder if we have really heard and truly understand these words of Jesus as the criteria by which our relationship with Jesus will be judged. To visit and to care for such prisoners as these is to serve Jesus. And to not do so, is to be condemned by him.

I believe our life mission as followers of Jesus, is to purposefully walk into these prisons and with loving compassion give support and assistance that enables the “prisoner” toward experiencing new freedoms, renewed hope, and new life.

And so, I gratefully applaud those who choose to work in our various health-care facilities for the unselfish purpose of being a caring friend and cheerful helper to those imprisoned by disease, illness or handicap. May God bless them, and may their numbers increase.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 29, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com
Ray M. Geigley

Precious Memories

The Memorial Day activities of parades and services to remember and honor those who died in our nation’s wars, left me wondering why the contrasting difference in the way our American society responds to the deaths of its citizens.  On the one hand, it responds with an all-out effort to remember and honor those who died in its wars, but on the other hand, it seems to encourage an all-out effort to quickly move on with life and suppress talking about the deaths of family and friends.

Because it hurts to remember, many friends of the family believe that they must somehow help the family to forget the death of a loved one and move on with life.  It is believed that to “bring it up” in conversation will open up the old wounds and cause more pain.  However, the truth is that people should and are going to remember whether we “bring it up” or not.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it well when he wrote, “Nothing can make up for the absence of someone whom we love.  …It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap.  He doesn’t fill it, but on the contrary, he keeps it empty and so helps us to keep alive our former communion with each other, even at the cost of pain.  …The dearer and richer our memories, the more difficult the separation.  But gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.  The beauties of the past are borne, not as a thorn in the flesh, but as a precious gift in themselves.”

Nevertheless, there seems to be a universal fear of remembering and talking about those who have died.  But, contrary to the popular fear and myth, bereavement grief is not a process of forgetting; rather, it is a process of learning to reconcile one’s self to the lost of a loved one while also reliving the good memories of that relationship.

To not talk about our relationship with the person who died is to rob ourselves of good grief work and healing, as well as to steal significance from the one who died.

Establishing the significance of the life lived in our midst is key to the healing of the pain suffered in the loss.  Significance is established as we remember and share memories of that relationship with one another.

In his booklet, The Gift of Significance, Doug Manning writes, “The grieving process is a gradual change from the physical presence of a loved one to the sense of presence provided by the memories.  The goal is to learn to live with the person not being here.  Coping without their presence happens when we begin to find comfort in the memories.”

I believe that one of the most priceless gifts that God gives us through the life of another person is the memory of our relationship with that person.  Those memories are ours to keep, to hold, and to cherish – a treasure that no one can rob from us – a treasure that never needs to be locked up or buried.

Memories are gifts that we should both cherish and nourish by recalling them often throughout our lifetime.  Memories take us by the hand and lead us back through the mists of the past to the happy scenes and experiences of yesterday.  And when a life has been lived constructively for God and others, the memories of that life is like a beautiful walk through a pleasant garden.

The wisdom writer of Proverbs suggested this when he wrote, “The memory of the righteous will be a blessing.” (Pr. 10:7a).

The ability to nurture and enjoy the memories of a relationship means that we never need to do as is often said, “pay our last respects” to a beloved friend or family member.  Nurturing and enjoying the garden of memories given us by a person keeps our respect and love for them alive and growing.

In many memorial services held each year, candles are lit in remembrance of those who died.  As we light each candle we give name, face, and public acknowledgement of the unforgettable relationship that was ours with that person.

The tradition of lighting candles is significant in two ways.  First, it symbolizes the light and warmth that each of those persons brought into our lives and community.  And secondly, it reminds us of our Christian hope that shines as light into the darkness of death and loss.  That light of Christian hope encourages us to walk through the garden of memories knowing that our present separation is only temporary.

Again I say, that the memories given us by those now separated from us are very precious gifts.  Let us rightly cherish them and freely share them with one another.  In so doing, we will both bless and be blessed.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 22, 2019

Keep Climbing Mountains

When educational philosopher John Dewey was 89 years old, a young medical doctor expressed his low opinion of philosophy.  “What’s the good of such claptrap?” he asked.  “Where does it lead you?”  Dewey answered by saying, “The good of it is that you climb mountains.”

The young man scoffed, “Climb mountains!  And what’s the use of doing that?”  The professor answered, “When you climb mountains, you see other mountains to climb.  You come down, climb the next mountain, and you see still others to climb.”  Then he added, “When you are no longer interested in climbing mountains to see other mountains to climb, life is over.”

Professor John Dewey had a point.  He was right in suggesting that it is the challenges ahead of us that give life meaning and energy, and if there are no challenges, or mountains, then we may still have a heart-beat, but we are not really living and aging as God intended for us.

It is very interesting and probably instructive to note that the pivotal moments in the life of biblical Moses took place on mountains?  First, there was Mount Horeb, the mountain of God’s call.  Then there was Mount Sinai, the mountain of God’s commandments.  And finally, there was Mount Nebo, which I like to call the mountain of God’s commencement for Moses.

From this final mountain Moses was privileged to see the results of his life’s work – the land God promised to his people.  From this mountain he also entered the heavenly Promised Land, graduating from this earthly life and entering into eternal heavenly life with God.  For Moses, there was always another mountain to climb, until he was called home to heaven from the final mountain.

If you are a senior adult, like me, I ask you, for what purpose are you living during these latter years of life?  Is your purpose just to hang on as long as you can, like the bumper sticker states: “I just want to live long enough to be a burden to my children.”  I suppose that can be a purpose for living, and it may indeed prolong your life, or probably more correctly, make it just seem that way to everybody around you.  Obviously, we should possess a purpose that is much bigger and more appreciated than just having a negative or cantankerous spirit about life.

So, what keeps you going?  What is your purpose on planet earth, in your community, church, and family?  Even more importantly, is that purpose given you by God?  I’m convinced that if we have a purpose that daily challenges us to keep climbing and discovering new things and new understandings, we can be young at age 80.  If we don’t, we are most likely old at age 40, in both spirit and body.

You are old when you feel that tomorrow holds no meaningful challenge, no mountain to climb.  You are old when you say, “I’m too old for that.”  You are old when you think that you have learned all that you are going to learn about life and God.  You are old when you talk to people younger than you but you don’t listen and learn from them.  You are old when you talk about purpose for living in the past tense but not in the future tense.

But, if you possess a God-given purpose that daily motivates you toward discovering new learning and understandings, you are “young” no matter how many candles are placed on your birthday cake.

If you keep focused on your spiritual legacy, find a purpose for living, and follow God’s guidance, then every day you will climb to a new mountain peak, from which you may see tomorrow’s mountain, and then the next day’s mountain, until you reach your final mountain and from there, while standing on its peak, you graduate to your heavenly home.  What a way to live, and what a way to die.  And so, keep climbing mountains, and God be with you.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 15, 2019

God’s Crowning Creation

“After God created man, he stepped back, observed his work and concluded, ‘He is imperfect.  I must give him someone to complete him, to be his helper.’  So he created woman – loving, gentle, tender, kind, understanding.  Side by side they were to live and work – cooperating, trusting each other’s strengths and allowing for the weaknesses of each.” (Source unknown).

As his final and crowning work in the biblical creation story, God purposely “made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:22), to be an unique helper to man and the mother of all human-kind.  Many centuries later, the apostle Paul reminds us of this relationship – “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman.” (1 Corinthians 11:12).

Mother’s Day is a day to give special recognition and honor to our mothers, both living and dead.  I heard it said that “Mother” is not a name, but a divine function.  “To mother” is to be the bearer of life and the one who nourishes it.

The world has been significantly blessed by women who, having committed their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, view their role as a good mothering parent to be a sacred calling from God.  To accept the responsibility of shaping lives and building character in a nourishing environment of a Christ-centered, love-filled home is often a difficult and frustrating challenge, but also a very rewarding responsibility.

Truly, a noble mother is the world’s most effective teacher and best companion.  Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

Speaking of noble mothers, the writer of Proverbs says that “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”  (Proverbs 31:30-31).

Called out of town to take care of a sick relative for a few weeks, a mother left her husband and children to run the house.  After a few days the mother began to wonder whether she was being missed at home.  A letter from her youngest son removed all doubt.  She read, “Dear Mom, Since you went away, this is the biggest house I ever saw.”

Little Brenda was about to “say her piece” in a children’s day program, but when she got in front of the crowd and saw all of the people in the audience, she panicked.  Every line that she had so carefully rehearsed faded from her memory, and she stood there frozen and unable to utter a single word.

Sitting in the front row, her mother was almost as frantic as the girl.  She gestured, she screwed up her lips to form the beginning words, but to no avail.  Finally in desperation she whispered the opening phrase, “I am the light of the world.”  Instantly little Brenda’s face relaxed, a smile appeared, and with supreme confidence she began, “My mother is the light of the world.”

Of course the audience quietly chuckled, but then on reflection realized that Brenda’s statement was not altogether wrong.  For good or for evil, mothers (and fathers) are unquestionably the light of their children’s world.

For that reason, I believe that the highest peak of influence for any woman is in the role of motherhood.   I once heard it said that to be a mother means managing a university, a clothing establishment, a laundry, a health clinic, and a restaurant.  Additionally, she is the president of the little state called home, as well as being its health officer and truant officer.

To be a noble and loving mother is an awesome challenge, and we need always to respect and honor their good influence in our life.  And probably the greatest tribute given to a mother was found on a cemetery headstone.  Below the name and date of the deceased mother, is this simple phrase, “She made home happy.”

No other word was needed.  What a testimony to a mother who was gifted, enabled, and committed to her calling and mission in life.  May their numbers increase in our world today, and may all of us, both mothers and fathers, daily endeavor to make our home happy.

                        “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 8, 2019

Watch and Pray

Tomorrow, May 2, is designated as the “National Day of Prayer.”  For what reason?  In what ways will your thoughts and scheduled activities be reshaped to honor the day?

Before his arrest and crucifixion, “Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane” to pray.  Later he found his disciples sleeping and he asked them, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?  …Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”  (Mt. 26:36, 40-41).

The words “Watch and pray”  were much more than a reminder not to fall asleep while praying, but rather his words were a call is to be intentional and vigilant about prayer.

Jesus modeled his admonition to “Watch and pray” by habitually giving time to prayer, constantly realigning his activities and planning with the Father’s will.  In all the major crisis of his life and ministry, Jesus took time to pray and make sure he was still headed in the right direction.

Simone Weil, who died in 1943 at the age of 32, was part of the French Resistance movement during the Second World War.  After the war she became known as an apostle of the spiritual life.  Simone Weil defined prayer as attention. 

So, too, Pascal, her spiritual forebear, felt that the greatest enemy of the spiritual life was in-attention, complacency.  Their thoughts surely echo Jesus’ “Watch and pray” admonition.

The apostle Paul considers prayer to be a serious matter when he writes in Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”  The apostle’s explicit command to the church is not simply to pray but to devote yourselves to prayer.  Paul’ concern and call is about keeping alert, paying attention, and being thankful in prayer.

I hear the words “being watchful” to mean “be alert, pay attention,” which is all about listening to, and being in relationship with God.  Maintaining relationship requires my making intentional space and time to listen, pay attention, to what God is saying to me.  How else can I faithfully follow my all-wise Savior and Shepherd, Jesus?

I think we Christians often fail to appropriately value the rich resource that prayer is for us.  We glibly “say a prayer” at mealtimes, or begin a meeting or special event with prayer; and yet, in doing so, we are often more motivated by tradition than by a sincere, genuine desire for God’s presence and power in our midst.

Prayer is about enjoying both communication and relationship with God. To be privileged to come into the presence of Almighty God as his children, and to speak with him as “Our Father” is a privilege of unimaginable worth.

Furthermore, our praying opens the gates of heaven for God’s “will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Prayer brings God into our life and work and also makes us more conscious of his presence and power.

Prayer connects us to the wisdom, power, and energy of God.  The prophet Isaiah wrote, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31).  It is the privilege of every child of God to have this super-natural power and energy of God’s Spirit in their life and work.

I believe prayer is one of God’s majestic gifts to us, a gift of gracious privilege, and a gift of tremendous value in daily enabling us through life’s uncertain and often difficult journey. To be privileged to come into the presence of God Almighty and to speak with him about what is on our hearts and minds, is a gift of grace.

The biggest challenge for all of us is to keep our eyes open, our minds alert, and always focused on Jesus.  And this can only be accomplished as we devote ourselves to diligent , informed and focused prayer with thanksgiving.

William Temple is quoted as saying, “When I pray coincidences happen, and when I do not pray, they don’t.”  Mother Teresa said, “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself.”  And Leonard Ravenhill wrote, “The self-sufficient do not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, and the self-righteous cannot pray.”

Let’s hear the call of tomorrow’s “National Day of Prayer” and give ourselves to diligent, devoted prayer in behalf of our nation and its leadership.  I invite you to join me in praying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth (in U.S.A, in my community and church) as it is in heaven.”

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 1, 2019