Healing Rays of Righteousness

Another Labor Day.  Another day to gratefully acknowledge all who have and are working for the “common good” of all persons in our nation and world.  Another chance to review and ask ourselves for what and for whom am I working.  Is my working all about me or about God? 

The Labor Day holiday is also a good time to be reminded that God created you and me primarily for fellowship with himself, and secondly, he tasked us to be the loving caregivers of all his created works.  From the beginning of this earth, God intended to sustain and continue his creative working in this world through you and me.  This truth alone should encourage and motivate us to busy ourselves with God’s business.  But what can we correctly say is God’s business? 

In Isaiah 40:3-5 we hear God calling us to invest and engage ourselves in his grand excavation project of lowering mountains, raising valleys, and making rough places level, building a glorious highway toward a new earth and heaven.

Every Sunday for many generations, the Lord’s Prayer has been repeated by millions of Christians around the world.  And in that prayer, we petition God to energize us in making his name holy and in doing his will on earth as it is in heaven.  So, what is his will and how will it be done? 

In Luke 4:16-21, we read that Jesus returned to his hometown, Nazareth, and on the first Sabbath, went to the synagogue where he read Isaiah’s prophetic listing of the Messiah’s work credentials.  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

After reading the text, Jesus surprisingly claimed these credentials as his own work (mission) credentials.  And later, he listed these same work credentials to the disciples of John the Baptist when they asked, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:18-23). 

It is important to note that these credentials are all about responding to the social needs of others.  The welfare of the weak and powerless, the sick and helpless, the poor and the hungry, the abused and the abuser, the stranger and immigrant, of all races and creeds.  This is God’s transforming, redemptive work in the world.  This has always been God’s business. 

As a Christian, rooted in Anabaptist theology and understanding of Scripture, I believe all of scripture would declare that God’s intention for us disciples of Jesus, is to daily emulate the life and work of Jesus.  I believe that “God is at work” where social concerns and human needs are responded to with authentic Jesus-like acts of compassionate love and practical, material generosity.  This is God’s business.   

I believe “serving others” is what identifies us as disciples of Jesus Christ.  I believe Christian faith is more than worship and verbal commitment to the Lordship of Jesus on a Sunday morning.  It is also the live performanceof that worship and commitment in every conversation and activity of life Monday through Saturday.  It is “walking the talk” of Jesus’ lordship and love in our worship, work and every relational encounter.  Thus, Jesus’ work credentials are intended to be the authentic work credentials for all God’s people living today.

Or, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  And in verses 44-45, we hear this “good deeds” also includes our response toward our enemies.  “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

For this Labor Day week, we do well to review our work priorities and behaviors.  How energetic and vigorous has been my commitment to laboring in God’s business of loving and caring for the world through me?  How sincere have I been in praying “Our Father in heaven, … your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”?  For whom do I labor?  Is my “going to work” all about me or about God.

In doing so, be encouraged by Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  AMEN!

<><><><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 8, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Today we are living 20 years longer than our forebears did a century ago.  However, many persons have not prepared themselves to fully enjoy life during these years.  Instead, they awake each morning without purpose and with a diminished sense of self-worth.  They meander through their days with no vision, no mission, no dreams, and no enthusiasm for life.  For them life is just one long monotonous “rocking chair” wait for death.  HOW SAD.

We may well ask, why does God allow aging to happen?  What is its purpose?  When did the process of maturing, which we see as being positive, become the thief in the night that we see as aging?  And that question leads to, If God allows aging to happen, it must have a purpose.  So, what is its purpose?

It has been said, “It is not how old you are but how you are old that makes the difference in your enjoyment or despair of life.”  It has also been said, “A beautiful young person is an accident of nature, but a beautiful older person is a work of art.”

Regretfully, in our American culture, attitudes about aging are very negative, resulting in a massive denial of aging.  We joke about growing old and stigmatize those who do.  We call our older adults “elderly” an identification suggesting diminishment and requiring constant care, rather than calling them “elders” which denotes wisdom and respect.

We idolize the young and desperately cling to the carefree, immature lifestyle of youth.  We constantly fight the evidence of aging and deny its reality by spending millions of dollars on cosmetic cover-ups to keep us looking young.  We pluck or dye our gray hairs and pay for surgical face-lifts attempting to cover any evidence of the aging process.  But it is all in vain.

American culture views aging as a succession of losses, a painful descent into nothingness, and a senseless slippage of strength, abilities, and stature in the community.  As evidenced in their attitudes and actions, Americans do not agree with the wisdom of Proverbs 16:31 which says, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.”

Even we, who call ourselves Christian, are tempted to become despondent and resentful as we grow older, causing us to age more like sour vinegar than sweet wine.  We need to daily adjust our attitude toward seeing aging from a vantage point dramatically different from that of the non-Christian world.

In appealing for a corrective change in our attitudes, Biblical wisdom states that our latter years are the glory years? “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (Proverbs 4:18).  

To change our attitude toward viewing our life pilgrimage as a journey into “the full light of day”  is to prepare us to see new visions, hear new sounds, and find new directions for living our latter years in continuing service to God and our fellow human beings .

In their book, Aging, God’s Challenge to Church & Synagogue, Richard Gentzler, Jr. and Donald Clingan state: “Aging can begrowing into the light in such a way that as we age, we see new visions, hear new sounds, and find new directions for living in service to God and to our fellow human beings.  …aging is so filled with promises that it can lead us to discover more and more of life’s treasures.  Aging is not a reason for despair, but a basis of hope; not a slow decaying, but a gradual maturing; not a fate to be undergone, but a change to be embraced.

The psalmist paints a beautiful word picture of the aging person in Psalms 92:12-14.  The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”

These verses suggest that our aging has the potential for spiritual development and character refinement far beyond what we could imagine for ourselves.  Our unique, individual, God-given gifts should improve and mature as we grow older.  Our character should become more Christ-like as we grow in a deeply rooted relationship with God.

Katie Funk Wiebe says in her book, Border Crossing, p.201,  “Old age is the proving ground of whatever one has believed, taught, and said.” 

This is to say that all we have been in the earlier years of life now matures and flowers in our older years.  Growing older leads us into new physical, social, and spiritual experiences and challenges, giving  opportunity for the integration of life, accumulated knowledge and discernment to bless our journey. 

I agree with those who say, “Aging is not an enemy to be conquered, but a friend to be cultivated.” 

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 1, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

In the beginning God created TIME.  He then placed things into space and TIME.  Then he created MAN and placed man in TIME as a subject of TIME to live in TIME. 

I say this to impress upon us that God created TIME and gives it to us human beings as a daily gift, moment by moment, heartbeat by heartbeat.  Someday, during one heartbeat moment, the same God who created time and works in time is going to say, “That’s it.  There will be no more time for you.”

What we do with that daily moment by moment gift very directly shapes how we will age physically, socially, and spiritually.   And it will determine what kind of person we will become in our latter years.  Today, not tomorrow, is given us for the one purpose of preparing ourselves for the future.

To properly prepare for the latter part of our life’s journey it is crucial that we begin by accepting the fact that we are going to die.  Yes, each one of us will die.  Life on this earth will come to an end.   Until we break down that wall of denial, we will not be motivated to follow through on any of the other needed preparations.

Whether we choose to believe it or not, our relationship with death and our attitude about our own dying, significantly affects the way we live each day.  I agree with those who say that we cannot truly live until we have accepted the fact that one day we are going to die. 

How will God call time, ending my life on earth?  When will God call time?  Only He knows.  How much time do I have left?  Only God knows.  How do I prepare for that end moment and the latter years of life that precede that moment?  That’s the focus of this presentation and the ones to follow over the next few weeks.

During my 20 years as a chaplain at Menno Haven Retirement Community I often heard a resident comment, “I didn’t expect to live this long” or “I never thought I would get to be this old.”  In those comments I hear the resident’s confession, I wasn’t prepared for this.  Now what should I do?

Preparation for growing old gracefully and gratefully should begin during the younger, more energetic and busy years of life.  Before we enter the latter third of our life’s journey and the retirement years.  This early preparation is important not only for sufficient financial resources, but also for adequate emotional and spiritual resources to carry us through to the end of this life on earth and into eternal life in the heavenlies.  Even so, we are never too old to begin changing our attitudes and behaviors regarding the ending of our life on earth.

Abram Schmitt writes, “I have a haunting notion that too many people live on too shallow a level.  They miss the real joy of living.  There is a depth of meaning to life that eludes them.  If only people would permit themselves to face their limited life span, they would be forced to make the most of every moment.  …There is no escape from death, but in this modern era people do all they can to avoid death, to delay it, and to evade all thoughts and conversations about it.”

The Psalmist prays, “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” (39:4).  And again, in chapter 90, verse 12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Joni Eareckson Tada writes, “…of all the things to be counted, this is the hardest – to number our days.  We number everything else so easily.  We know how much money we have in our purse and how many dollars in the bank.  Farmers number their sheep and cattle.  Restaurants number the meals served in a week.  Teachers check off attendance records.  Gardeners can tell you how many tomato plants are in the backyard. 

Yet we find it hard to number something so precious as our days.  Perhaps that’s because we see our days stretching on and on.  They seem infinite and so there is no need, we think, to number them.  Things we fail to account for, we waste.  That’s why it is wise to ask God to teach us to consider each day separate from the next, distinct in its purpose, unique in the way it is to be lived.”  (Diamonds in the Dust, 1993, Sept. 14). 

Contrary to popular thought, we do not live on borrowed time but on entrusted time.  Each day is the gift of time that God has given us.  Today is the day we hold in our hands to manage and use for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good. 

As Bill and Gloria Gaither sing so beautifully – “We have this moment to hold in our hands, and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand.  Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today.”

What do you want to accomplish before your time in this world of Time is ended?  How do you want people to remember you?  What are you doing with your fleeting TIME? 

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 25, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The prophet Jeremiah lived during a time of great national tumult and transition.  The nation of Judah was experiencing a period of political and social decline much like today.  And much like today, both political and religious leaders were hypocritical and deceitful.  It seemed no one was concerned about their not living up to their covenant with Yahweh, nor the consequences.

God called Jeremiah to preach to these religious, but sinful people, calling them to repent and return to worshipping and obeying God.  At great personal cost to himself, Jeremiah remains faithful to God in telling his own people that they have sinned in their selfishness, greed, and  ignoring God’s call to justice and concern for all people.

However, they resisted his preaching and would not listen.  Time after time, they ignored him, laughed at him, and refused to change their ways.  And the biblical record reveals that their stubborn resistance led toward their eventual destruction as a nation.

In Jeremiah 8, we hear Jeremiah weeping for the brokenness of his people that piled up as the consequence of their sinning.  He knows that the judgment of God is now unavoidable and that the time for amending their ways is past.  This causes Jeremiah to feel a deep sadness and pain in the pit of his stomach.

And yet, like God, Jeremiah continues to have compassion for his people.  “My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken.  …I hurt with the hurt of my people.  I mourn and am overcome with grief. (vv.18 & 21, NLT).  …Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears!  I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.” (9:1)     

Jeremiah is a man in deep pain and asks, “Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?  Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” (8:22).  And his painful weeping reveals that it is too late, “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” (8:20).   

In verses 10 – 12, he summarizes their grievous sinfulness.  “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain;  prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.  They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.  ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.  Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?  No. they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush.”

“Do not even know how to blush.”  That is an accurate and appropriate description for many of our contemporary church and national leaders.  Like the people of Israel, we have no shame in naming ourselves Christian even as we give ourselves to esteeming and bowing to the idols of power, money, sex, personal success, and material possessions.  Nor do they blush in choosing to believe lies and conspiracy theories rather than obvious truths.

With all the social and political issues that currently divide us, it is fair to say that we are a church and a nation at war with each other, rather than standing together in Christian love and compassion, proclaiming and doing the good news of Jesus Christ.  

Meanwhile, our prisons are filled to over-capacity, children go to bed hungry in most every city and town of our nation, and many die because they do not have the money to pay for health care.  And yet, we arrogantly claim to be a Christian nation.  God weeps over us, my friend.  Sadly, it can be truthfully said, “They do not even know how to blush.”   

What makes you blush?  What breaks your heart?  Is it because you care about the victims of our society, such as the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the handicapped, the unemployed?  Or is it because of our societal sins that cause victims, such as pride, greed, prejudice, lust, malice, injustices and oppression of all kinds?  

Jeremiah’s heart was broken because of the sins of his people.  But he always understood that God’s love is a healing balm, bringing forth newness of life where there was the stink of death, resurrecting hope where there was despair, and rebuilding that which has been torn down.

May we, like Jeremiah, have our hearts broken by what breaks the heart of God.  For then we can truthfully and compassionately sing with our voices and our lives, “There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole; there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.”  Amen!

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 18, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is described as dynamis, which means power.  Jesus tells his disciples before his Ascension that “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

When we receive the Holy Spirit into our life as our inner resource, we become living beings of God’s great power on earth.  That power is given us for the one purpose of accomplishing his will on earth.

We access this power through prayer.  Like His great power, prayer is God’s gift to us.  Prayer invites God into our life and work and makes us more conscious of his presence and power in the world.  Our praying connects us to the energy and will of God.  Our praying opens the floodgates for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven through us.    

The apostle Paul believed this to be true and desired the Ephesian church and every Christian church today to understand more clearly the purpose of God’s gifting us with His Holy Spirit and power. 

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”  (Ephesians 1:18-21).

Now, slowly read those verses again, thinking deeply about each phrase.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

                in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,

                                the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

                                                and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead

                and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

                                far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked,

                                                                not only in the present age

                                                                                but also in the one to come.”

Wow!  I confess I still have much to learn about this glorious inheritance of hope, power, and prayer.

In 1880, a Christian couple, George and Sarah Clarke, purchased the lease for the Pacific Beer Garden in Chicago.  Promptly dropping the word Beer, the couple added the word Mission, and launched a ministry to homeless alcoholics and downtrodden men and women.  Thus began the Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago.

George and Sarah Clarke bore the cost of the mission themselves, but as expenses grew and the ministry expanded, their funds ran low.  Eventually the day came when they could not pay the rent.  Attempts to secure the needed funds failed, and the Clarkes were told they had only 24 hours to make the payment.  Otherwise, the Clarkes would lose their lease and the Pacific Garden Mission would be closed.

Throughout the night, the couple prayed, asking God to guide and to provide in his own way and time.  They reminded the Lord of the souls being saved each night, and the many men and women whose lives were being salvaged.  They asked God why they should find themselves in such straits while trying to do his work.  However, committed to trusting God and not questioning, they continued in prayerful faith and earnest pleading throughout the night.

When they emerged from their Morgan Park house that morning, they gasped.  What had happened to their front yard?  It was covered with something white, something that instantly reminded them of the manna of the Old Testament.  Looking closer, they discovered their lawn was filled with mushrooms of excellent quality, which was very mysterious because it was not the season for mushrooms.

Gathering the crop, the Clarkes carted the mushrooms down the street and sold them to the chefs at the Palmer House, the famed hotel just off Michigan Avenue, for a large price.  The money they received was enough to pay the rent, with enough left over to meet other ministry expenses.  This miracle enabled the Pacific Garden Mission to continue with its life-changing ministry in the community.

Some persons may choose to discredit such stories of answered prayer, but I choose to believe because I agree with the Apostle Paul that God offers “his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Prayer is God’s gift to us, a gift of privilege and power, which is of tremendous value in today’s demanding world.  To be privileged to come into the presence of the “Almighty God” as his children, and to speak with him as “Our Father” is an amazing privilege of unimaginable worth.

Where are you going for replenishment of strength and courage?  Where are you seeking for wisdom and discernment? 

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 11, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

One of the most precious truths that I have learned through personal experience and Bible study is that “God is not our protector against trouble, but our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” 

This truth is reinforced by the three affirmations of faith found in Psalm 46. These affirmations of faith have frequently encouraged and strengthened me in both my times of praise to God as well as in my times of petitioning God’s help.

Bible scholars believe Psalm 46 was written by King Hezekiah to commemorate God’s great victory over Sennacherib. The Assyrian king thought he had Hezekiah caught in Jerusalem like a bird in a cage. But Hezekiah prayed, God spoke, and the enemy was defeated. In one night, an angel killed 185,000 enemy soldiers.

Affirmation One – “I will not fear because I have a refuge.” (Read vv.1-3). In every crisis and chaos, God provides refuge and strength. In times of crisis, we turn to whom or what we trust. To what or whom do you trust in times of crisis?

Earlier, the psalmist said, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Ps. 9:9-10).

Affirmation Two – “I will not faint because I have a river. (Read vv. 4-7). God provides a river of resources in his city during threatening times of despair and evil attack. “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” (v.5).

All of nature depends on hidden resources. The trees send their roots deep into the earth to find the hidden streams of water. Likewise, we Christians need to sink our spiritual roots into God’s stream of resources that keep us from fainting in despair and defeat.

Affirmation Three – “I will not fret because I see the rainbow.”  (Read vv.8-11). What is that rainbow?It is the revelation of God’s sovereignty and majestic glory over all the earth.It is seeing God exalted and overarching all storms of uncertainty and tragedies. The rainbow claims it to be so. There is no need to fret, because “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

This truth became very real to me and my family during one of our return trips home after visiting family in Phoenix, AZ. On a Monday, June 25, we left Phoenix in a VW Camper van that we agreed to drive to the New York seaport to be shipped to Africa.

We enjoyed the long drive through beautiful Salt River Canyon and then by late afternoon, stormy winds were blowing as we entered New Mexico. While eating supper in a restaurant, a very windy rainstorm delayed our return to vehicle and traveling. As we entered onto the interstate a bright and beautiful double rainbow appeared before us.

The evening soon grew darker, and it was then I discovered that the vehicle had no headlights. Racing against the deepening darkness we were unsuccessful in finding a garage that was still open, and so stayed the night at motel. This was the beginning of troubles and frustration.

The next afternoon, Tuesday, the engine quit, and we had to be towed to Amarillo, Texas. By then it was late evening and we had to stay the night a short distance from garage.

Wednesday was a day of delay and disappointment, and finally a diagnosis on Thursday. The van needed a new engine short block. This had to be ordered from Houston and should arrive sometime Monday and take about 2 days to install. The lack of urgency on part of garage service department frustrated me and family.

However, a phone call to the Mennonite church in Amarillo, connected us to the pastor who just happened to own a motel. The pastor and his wife graciously provided a room, meals, and a car for us to enjoy our stay while waiting for the van to be repaired, which took several days longer then promised.

Finally, we were on our way home by Tuesday evening, July 3, and behold, as we left the city limits of Amarillo, traveling east, a beautiful rainbow appears in front of us.

It was then God’s promise of presence, protection, and provision, a promise that speaks of peace amid trouble, was revealed to us in a very personal way. The rainbow stands guard over the storm. It is God’s name written in the sky for all to see and spells out “God with us” to remind and renew our faith and trust in his presence and power.

I believe God placed those two rainbows at the beginning and ending of our nine-day journey through trouble and blessing as an experiential teaching for me and my family about God’s enduring faithfulness.

So it is that I read “Be still, and know that I am God” to mean, “Relax. I am God and I can manage the situation.”

And so, I repeat what I said at the beginning,  “God is not our protector against trouble, but He is our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in trouble.

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – August 4, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The prophet Micah told his contemporaries that what God has shown us to be good and what he requires of us is “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8).

Even though each of these virtues is worthy of thought and comment, I want to focus on the middle one – “love mercy.”  The Hebrew word for “mercy” is chesed.  Sidney Greenberg writes in a devotional that “Judaism did not permit mercy to remain merely a feeling, a kind of inner glow of benevolence or pity.  It demanded that the feeling be translated into a host of benevolent acts.  Such are called gemlut chesed, an act of loving kindness.  … An act of loving kindness is a humane response to human need.  It is your pain in my heart.”

He concludes his devotional with this challenge – “Loving-kindness reveals the inability to remain content in the presence of a person who is troubled; the inability to remain comfortable in the presence of a person who is uncomfortable; the inability to enjoy serenity when one’s neighbor is distressed.

The most important art to be cultivated in life is the art of loving-kindness.  The person who has mastered it is doing God’s work here on earth.” 

In his book, “When a Congregation Cares”, Abraham Schmitt states “It is not possible to care unless one is willing to enter into another’s pain.”  My years of training and experience in chaplaincy ministry have repeatedly confirmed this to be true. 

However, to carry “your pain in my heart” seldom fines acceptance or practice in today’s fast-paced, high-tech world, which is continually convincing us that to do so is too emotionally costly, too time-consuming, too physically exhausting, and the risks to our happiness are too great.  For those reasons, we tend to distance ourselves from and ignore those who are hurting and need the sterling presence and touch of caring compassion.

I believe our word “empathy” to be a good word for carrying “your pain in my heart.”  One of the things that I would tell new staff members in their orientation at Menno Haven Retirement Community is that a good caregiver “empathizes” with the hurting person, and that “empathy” is not the same as “sympathy.”

Empathy is the “mental entrance into the feeling or spirit of another person.”  It is the capacity to look at life from another’s perspective, to walk in their shoes, to keep in step with them.  Empathy is feeling with the other person.  Empathy is the offering of our precious time,full attention, and sincere love to the other.  I believe these to be the three most valued gifts we can give to one another.

To become an empathetic, compassionate friend who carries “your pain in my heart” is the greatest gift we can give to anyone who is deeply hurting and urgently needs the reassurance of being loved by God and neighbors.

Empathy is not a natural human response.  It must be learned through sincere desire and commitment to repeated practice.  This is not always an easy task.  I confess that at times I have been inclined to quickly give my advice and exit the time-consuming and emotionally demanding situation. 

But the good news is that with God’s help and heart, heart-filled empathy can be learned by anyone who sincerely desire to be a genuine, trustworthy, compassionate friend to those hurting physically, emotionally, socially, or spiritually.  I pray we all will accept the challenge and do so whenever we have the opportunity.  May it be so!

Bless’d Be the Tie That Binds

Bless’d be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.

The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers;

our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear,

and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain,

but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.

(John Fawcett, 1782)

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 21, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

We usually relate “assisted living” as a need for persons during their later years of life.  Yes, aging happens and most of us are going to need help with our daily activities as we grow older.  However, such thinking is very shortsighted and can easily distort our attitude toward others and cloud the reality of our living together as humans.    

One of the most contagious social disease in our Western society is individualism with its consequence of a diminished sense of community.  In a culture that glorifies rugged independence and individualism, we need to be reminded that none of us goes it alone.  None of us goes through life totally independent and unassisted from our birth to our death. 

We are “assisted” in life from the cradle to the grave.  Countless people, our parents, teachers, friends, pastors, neighbors, employers, have all helped us along the way.  So, if we might need some “special assistance” later in life, it is no embarrassment;  that is, if we have acknowledged that others have been helping us all along as neighbors and friends in community.

God, in His great wisdom, created all of us to be relational human beings.  Shortly after God created man, he said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.”(Genesis 2:18).  In doing so, God created inside man a kind of “human-shaped-void” that can only be filled and satisfied when in relationship with other human beings. 

 And so, every human being has a need, a yearning to belong, to be accepted, included, and cared for in a family of families, better known as community.  But today, in our nation and world, so few people seem to understand that this yearning for belonging comes from the one God who created us all to live in community with other human beings. 

The fact is that our life on earth has been “assisted” living whether we know it or not.  “Assisted” living is the only way we can get through life with any sense of worth and purpose.  To think otherwise is to be extremely unrealistic.  There is no such thing as “independent” living.  It is a myth.  Yet, as true as this is, most of us find it hard to ask for help, or even to extend help to the stranger in our community.

If we are honest with ourselves, I think most, if not all of us, would admit to having tried in some manner to live life independent of others and found it to be inadequate.  We have learned, sometimes the hard way, that such efforts are extremely unrealistic and dangerous. 

That is why hikers are warned not to travel in the high country alone, mountain climbers never to climb alone, and swimmers never to swim alone.  That is why women are encouraged to be careful when traveling or walking alone in the city, and children are given a buddy when taking field trips to the zoo.  And that is why God gave Adam and Eve to each other.  God knew it was not good nor safe for us to be alone and independent of others.

I share the following prayer by Marjorie Holmes as my desire and prayer for an “assisted-living community” in every church and neighborhood of our divided nation and world.

“Oh, God, we go through life so lonely,

needing what other people can give us, yet ashamed to show that need. 

And other people go through life so lonely,

hungering for what it would be such a joy for us to give.

Dear God, please bring us together, the people who need each other,

who can help each other and would so enjoy each other.

AMEN!

I sincerely believe the cry of every human heart is for an “assisted-living” community.  A place where no one need to fear asking for help or being taken advantage of.  A place where all individual gifts and abilities are acknowledged and accepted as enriching community. 

May we always remember that the one purpose of community is to be in relationship, striving together in assisting one another toward living a meaningful life of purpose and enjoyment.     

<><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 14, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The Statue of Liberty stands at the entrance of the New York harbor, inviting the world with these words, “Give me your tired, your poor.”  Resonating with this invitation to the world, Jesus shouts out this invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus’ invitation is directed to you and me, disciples who often struggle and become discouraged in our commitment to being a loving Jesus-like neighbor toward others.  He promises that in Him we will find rest, wisdom, and strength for the difficult and sometimes dangerous journey of nurturing a loving relationship with all others.  

When Jesus was asked by an expert in the law, ‘And who is my neighbor?’  Jesus answered with the story of the Good Samaritan, and then asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The man replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”  Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37).  In this conversation, Jesus shifts the identity of “neighbor” from the victim to the questioner.    

With that corrective to our usual reading of the story, I must ask myself whether I am being a  Jesus-like neighbor to those with whom I live, work, and play; be they family members, community members, coworkers, both the likeable and unlikeable.  Yes, there are many people in my  world of relationships, and I need always to remember that each one of them is dearly loved by God even as he loves me. 

Jesus was a servant-leader who deeply loved others during his short ministry here on earth, and I am convinced it is his expectation and command that we do the same as his followers.  “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  (John 13:34).

But what does it mean to be a Jesus-like neighbor?  I think Jesus would tell us that it is more about what we do to others then what we say to others.  His story of the Good Samaritan is only one example.  On another occasion he told a wealthy “wanna be” disciple to “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21). 

And in Matthew 25:31-46 we hear Jesus describing the end-time judgment and its separation criteria.  “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and , and did not help you?’  He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”  (vss.44-45).   

In introducing a study from Proverbs, Karl A. McKinney lists four definitions of neighbors as those who: plan to do good to one another, including to not harm or ignore one another (Proverbs 3);  suffer to benefit one another and fulfill vows to be neighbors (Proverbs 6);  look for poor people to care for them (Proverbs 14);  and control their speech “weep with those who weep; rejoice with those who rejoice”; show care and compassion for others, even when one becomes an enemy and needs food, shelter, and clothing;  and do not speak evil about one another to anyone else (Proverbs 25).

In his devotional book, A Daily Walk Through Romans, Myron Augsburger writes, “There is a cost in love, for when you love someone, their experience is shared with you, their problems become your problems.  Love is far deeper than tolerance; it calls for repentance while tolerance doesn’t require change.  Love does not select.  Love shares totally with the person.  When we love we identify honestly, openly, fully.  Paul states his admonition simply but profoundly: “Let love be genuine.”

 Yes, the command to be a neighbor of Jesus-like love to all others, including our enemy, is often difficult, costly, and sometimes dangerous.  But difficult roads are also opportunities to deepen our relationship with Jesus, and to have our trust strengthened.  And since Jesus knows our limits of strengths and weaknesses, he invites us to “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, … For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Jesus’ invitation is not the promise of an easy road, but rather of a difficult road made easier because of a traveling companion whose wisdom and strength makes the journey more restful and enjoyable.

The burden becomes light (easy) because Jesus shares the burden with us and carries the greater weight for us.

The Statue of Liberty promises a country where like-minded persons will travel the journey together.  Likewise, the empty cross of Jesus Christ on Mount Calvary promises a journey where like-minded persons will travel together with the resurrected Christ as yokefellow, companion and guide, comforter and teacher, protector, and healer.

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 30, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

We are quick to classify significant events as either “tragic” or “triumphant” based on our extremely limited knowledge and insight.  However, we need to admit that such simplistic classifications do not and cannot fully describe nor explain the whys and wherefores of such events. 

What is so readily visible to us in our life experiences and situations is so small in comparison to what God knows, sees, and purposes for us.  He sees and knows the big and eternal picture of the world in which we live.  And he knows every little detail about us because he created us and breathed life and purpose into our bodies.  And so, it is only reasonable to believe that his perspective of any event or situation happening to us would be much different and more accurate than ours.

In Romans 8:26-28, apostle Paul, encourages us with this reassurance –  “… the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  … the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Paul then continues in verses 31-39 by asking two questions.  His first question in verses 31-32, is “What, then, shall we say in response to these things?  If God is for us,who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”    

Paul is emphatically trying to convince us that written on the underside of every experience in our life, both the good and bad, is the holy seal of assurance, “God is for you.”  Unfortunately, some have misread verse 28 and being disappointed, have become confused and discouraged.  It is especially important for us to note what this verse does not say as well as what it does say.

Verse 29 clearly identifies the “good” promised in this scripture as the ability “to be conformed to the image of his Son.”  To accomplish this, God uses all things, the good and the bad, the joys and the tears, the successes, and the failures to shape us into the likeness of his Son, Jesus.  And we can be assured that God does not waste any events or experiences in our life and world toward accomplishing his purpose of transforming us into the person he created us to become.

We know this because God is for us.  Pause for a moment and think about what you just read.  God is for you!  It does not say that God  “may be” of “has been” or “was” or “will be” for you, but rather “God is for you.”  Can I really believe that today, at this very minute and every minute, God is for me?  The biblical answer is “YES”!

Paul’s second question is this – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”  Remembering his personal experiences of hardships and sufferings, Paul lists those things that can cause us to question God’s love for us, and emphatically declares that none of these things can ever, ever separate us from Christ’s love. 

Rather than separating us from the love of Christ, Paul declares that these difficulties and sufferings make us “more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (v.37).  Our sufferings do not separate us from the love of Christ, but rather they strengthen our bond of relationship with Christ as the dearly loved, adopted children of God.

In verse 38 Paul answers his own two questions, with a powerful, all-inclusive declaration regarding the love of God for us – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  This is Paul’s testimony of faith from his own life of many difficult, life-threatening experiences.

Remembering my own journeys through times of difficult and painful sufferings, I can affirm that God is present with us every moment or every day.  He keeps his promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  He is by our side cheering us on, applauding our accomplishments.  He is there to pick us up when we stumble and fall, and he puts his arms around us to comfort us when we hurt and cry.  God is always for us, and in every situation of life working for our good.  Thanks be to God!

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” –  June 23, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley