On this Date...

Not quite a decade ago I was looking for a pocket watch that dates to my birth year. I came across this one that dates a few year older but with the name: Earl R. Renner inscribed on the back.

I bought it thinking it looked pretty cool and as it turns out, this watch was presented to Master Chief Petty Officer Renner when he retired from the Navy in December of 1965. 
What was even more astounding was the fact the he was at Pearl Harbor(on Ford Island) on December 7, 1941 and received a commendation medal for his responses that day.

Renner joined the Pearl Harbor association of Ohio in the early 1970's and went into the local schools to share his story. I spoke with the Ohio Pearl Harbor Association a year to two after acquiring this watch. Renner was a favorite in their schools to have share his story. He impacted countless teenagers with his story.

When he passed away in 2009 he had no biological children. Many things, like this watch, were sold. It is not an extremely valuable watch. It's the last American made Railroad pocket watch, a Hamilton 992b. It is not housed in a gold case with the intrinsic value of a precious metal shimmering and drawing the eye to its beauty. It is stainless steel. It is the name of a man and his story that connects you and I to this time piece and escalates the value. Because the value of his story directly affects the quality of our freedom.

Throughout the year I leave the watch in a case set with the time, 7:48, since that is the time of the attack. Some years I wind it up and carry it on December 7th, as a reminder of the sacrifice of so many, not just in 1941, but throughout our nations history.

Renner may be gone but he is not forgotten. His story continues...

How does your story affect the lives of others? 

What are you doing today that will bless others tomorrow with true value?

As we think about the sacrifices made on that December morning, I hope we may think of bigger sacrifices. Namely One.

We are told that the real freedom we may enjoy, freedom from sin and death, was made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We think of the birth of Christ and we celebrate it this time of year. We have many symbols that point to His birth. But let us not forget that the sole purpose of the Christmas story is summed up nicely in Philippians 2: 5-11. 

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born(Christmas) in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus' story is one of obedience so that He could be glorified and our sins might be paid for. "He became sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God through Him."

Paul said he carries the marks of Christ on his body. Paul constantly was reminded of the hope he had and the freedom given through Christ. He carried those marks willingly as a testimony and he always pointed to Jesus.

I carry a watch to remind me of that one day in recent history. May I always remember that I have a bigger purpose than what this watch symbolizes. I have a story of God setting me free from the enemy. Like Renner used his story to tell others about the freedoms we enjoy, may I (and you) be willing to share the story of our greatest battle, and how our sin was defeated by Christ. 

One day we will bow. Don't wait until the watch stops ticking.

Soft Focus Lenses

Do you remember pictures from the 70's and early 80's? There were always those images that had the bride and groom(or whatever subject matter), mainly the bride, with a dreamy glow about her. The image was in focus, yet not tack sharp, the way we take most pictures today. There were lenses(and still are: Canon 135mm f2.8 with soft focus) that created this effect. The idea was to create a dreamy image that eliminated harsh lines and unflattering details while capturing the essence or mood of the subject.

Our modern High Definition TV's or 4K TV's show every little detail, flattering or not! The goal is to have the sharpest image possible regardless of what is in focus. Every flaw exposed. Every detail is projected into our minds in order to affect some desired thought or action. And we are captivated by them. Not just the TV's but the images. Just look at all the "click-bait" on every website or social media site. There is usually a HD image that is put there to pique your curiosity and get you to click on it. Then a myriad of other images cascade to keep you on their site. And then the possible damage is done. Not just to your brain with stuff you'd probably be better off not seeing, but often times with bugs for your computer! (this is not a blog about the dangers of "click-bait" but a greater danger).

Through what 'lens' are you viewing the world around you? The harsh truth of every moment of our lives may be that we are seeing life's moments through a lens that warps or distorts reality.
One lens that seems to be prevalent today is the lens of fear. There is so much chaos in the world and fear causes us to retreat into a world of diametrically opposed sides. We fear what we think the other side represents, so we retreat, and surround ourselves with people who use a similar lens through which to evaluate all of life. And before long we no longer have conversations with anyone who may be different than us. Our world becomes mono-centric. We see detail in the lives of others, like constant High Definition, and the brutal details and people don't have a place in our world.

Jesus lived in a similar world. He didn't need High Definition to probe into the depths of the broken world views and hearts. The world He stepped into was diametrically opposed to most things. And there were labels for all things so you knew where to stand or not too. Scribes, Pharisees, Sinners, Tax-Collectors, Gentiles, Jews, Romans, Samaritans. Each had a circle they would find solace in and lines drawn as to who could cross them.

But Jesus saw through the lens of Grace. "All who are weary come to Me and find rest." Weary from what? A mono-centric life of fear. A life that constantly buttresses the boundary. Fear of the diametrically opposed. Fear of someone different. Jesus looked and saw the depths of the sin and brokenness and said, "come to Me." Jesus knew that the ultimate boundary was sin. Sin that kept people from seeing the Father clearly. Sin that kept people from the Father. And He became the Lens. A person that comes to Jesus is seen by the Father through the sacrifice of the Son. That is Grace.

What lens are you viewing life through? It may be time for an equipment upgrade.

You've Been Hacked

It is all I see now.

Email. Social Media. Credit Card Companies. Banks.

Every part of your life has someone trying to gain access and steal something they deem valuable. People trying to hack into something.

Some valuable time is then spent trying to create a password that can be remembered but not guessed. The attempts keep coming.

The problem is not new. People for centuries have wanted what someone else has and have gone to great lengths to get it, without having done the actual work. But in our connected world of social media, online everything, the stakes seem bigger than before.

Everything is accessible.

In a few key strokes your account is in the hands of someone else and you loose control. What will they post? Will people that we care about be affected? Will I loose everything and have to start over?

We have been reading through the Bible agin this year at church. We talk about it in Bible Study and on multiple text based conversations each week. We've arrived at The Good News of Mark. John the Baptizer makes his appearance. "Repent" is the call. And people do. Jesus is baptized. The powerful want a part of this so they arrive and start "hacking." They want what John seems to have. Power. And when they don't get it there is a measure of relief when John is disposed of. If they can't have his stuff then he can't either.

And they miss out on the real treasure. "The One coming after me.""The One I'm not worthy to take off his shoe." What was the value of John? His camel hair jacket? His leather belt? His sack lunch?
I believe it was his obedience to the Father. In the face of those who wanted power, John remained faithful to the One who called him out of the wilderness.

John's treasure was the belief in a heavenly Father who would forgive. John's treasure was tied up in the truth of a heavenly Father who could transform the broken. The treasure was the hope that God the Father would fulfill His words through the prophets and use His people as a light and that God Himself would be that Light that came into the darkness. And the Light of the World, Jesus, said of John after his death, that John was the "greatest among men." John had fulfilled his role of the forerunner and directed people to the Son of God. That is a powerful accolade that no one can steal from John.

I'm not sure why people want to hack any of  my accounts. They will laugh at my bank balance. They will find that I don't run in circles with the rich and famous so hacking them through me is fruitless. But what I hope they find as they continue to try and break in and steal is a life that points to something greater. The same Treasure that John spoke of and lived for, and gave his life for in the end. Maybe they will see that.
And if my social media accounts end up in their hands?  My prayer is that those who receive the spam, the links, the files that usually accompany that type of activity, will know where my treasure has been and know that there is an imposter at work.

Does that mean I'll create a weak password? Publish my password and/or ignore the threats? No. But I'll constantly remind myself that the treasure in this vessel is worth caring for and I'll strive to be and become the man of God that He desires of me. I'll never hear Jesus say that I'm the greatest man but I long to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."