Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? Or Is There A Greater Evil At Work?

10/30/2014

by Drake De Long-Farmer

With Halloween just a day away, I thought it would be fitting to touch on the question that is asked by many of those in the Church, "Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?" In the past couple of weeks, I have had quite a few conversations and have seen many debated threads on the topic of Halloween ranging from hostile to helpful. I had forgotten how controversial this time of year has become and was quickly reminded of that this last week. But when I came across the article 'The Evil Part Of Halloween You Probably Didn’t Think Of', I was reminded of the injustice of child slavery in the chocolate industry, and it made me realize this post sheds a light on a greater evil surrounding this day which is so often forgot about. So in lieu of tackling the topic of Christian's VS Halloween in full, we want to share this article and change the direction of our original intent.

This doesn't mean we need to celebrate the horror, evil and gore-porn associated with the holiday, but...

If after reading the article linked above, you are still wondering about the topic if Christians should celebrate Halloween because of 'pagan' ties or have questions you need to wrestle through, I recommend reading this article as well, as it does a good job of asking the question of Halloween and should we reject it, rejoice it, or redeem it. Recognize we should never make decisions in fear and compulsion, but instead, in faith, and be confident in our freedom in Christ and keep our conscience clean; we are not in danger of losing our soul when taking our kids out trick-or-treating. Use wisdom and live in confidence and faith and look at what Paul said about a pagan practice that we know for sure was associated with idol worship and pagan rituals.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. ...So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin // Romans 14:13, 22-23

Do not condemn and second guess what you have already approved. If a person chooses to celebrate Halloween, they can do so with confidence and not be in fear of sinning. This doesn't mean we need to celebrate the horror, evil and gore-porn associated with the holiday, and if you feel, in the season you are in, wrong in your conscience to participate in anything that associates with these things and are unable to separate the 'good' from the 'evil', then it wouldn't be wise to go against that conscience. Maybe this is a conversation that we do need to wrestle with and dialogue about in our community and for some it is a big deal and I don't want to belittle that, but let us not forget, it is a grey area and God's children are on both sides of the argument.

Let's shift gears: Maybe, just maybe, this question is a much smaller issue in the grand scheme of the injustice happening on the other side of the world, which truly grieves God's heart--The Greater Evil Of Halloween We Have Never Thought Of. The whole debate and fighting about 'If We Should Celebrate Halloween' makes me think of Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for straining on such small things and legalistic laws when the greater sins were taking place:

What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! // Matt 23:24

I know this next statement will be bold and I realize we are all on a journey and Halloween is a big deal for some, but let's just think for one second about the big picture and the true nature of God's heart. When we debate the merits of Halloween as a 'pagan' holiday and if Christians should participate, is it not possible that we are straining our water in fear of swallowing a gnat and lose sight of the greater evils happening in our world?

What I am not saying is we stop celebrating Halloween or dictate how each individual should react or deal with this issue, please hear me right. But I am asking two questions:

(1) Maybe the debate about Halloween shouldn't be: should we celebrate it because it is 'pagan', but how do we celebrate it responsibly knowing the reality of child slavery? That maybe we are distracted with the small thing when we might be missing the more important thing going on--the "more important aspects of the law--justice, mercy, and faith". Let me be clear: the selling of Chocolate is not isolated to Halloween and so this reality shouldn't be pinned on Halloween alone and I still believe families can celebrate Halloween responsibly if they wish.

It makes us really ask the hard questions: What kind of follower of Jesus do we want to be? What kind of people do we want to live as? What kind of humanity do we want to perpetuate?

(2) Should we not be about justice and mercy as Jesus said? This is a huge complicated issue and with no easy answer, but choosing to do nothing may not be the best solution either. Don't you think? I am not trying to rain on anyones parade or ruin the fun of Halloween, but I believe awareness is such a huge thing, and this is why I shared this article in the first place. Information is power. Maybe we simply need to be much more self-aware about the things we purchase, the actions we do and how they contribute to injustice around the world (even if unintentionally): The injustice of slavery. The injustice of stolen childhoods. The injustice of dehumanization of people.

Try not to look at the whole problem and be discouraged that we can do nothing. Look at one step you can do today, one simple change you can make and every little bit we do can change the situation for the better. Do some research and ask God: what can I do? You as an individual may not be able to do much on your own, but imagine the power of millions doing just one thing. Do the one thing you can, with the one thing you have.

When we are faced with a moral dilemmas and complex issues, it makes us really ask the hard questions: What kind of follower of Jesus do we want to be? What kind of people do we want to live as? What kind of humanity do we want to perpetuate? I know my wife and I have agreed we need to sit down and figure out how we will deal with this as we have done with other purchases we have done.

Do the one thing you can, with the one thing you have.

I guess a big question now is: for families who do participate in Halloween, how do we go about still allowing for our kids to have fun, live their childhood, and connect in our community, while not perpetuating child slavery and stolen childhoods of so many other children around the world? Thoughts? I simply wish to provoke thought and conversation, as there is no easy answer. Each person needs to wrestle with and come to their own conclusion of how we deal with such things. I would love to hear your perspective on anything said above as I don't have all the answers and would love to hear your thoughts. Either comment below or at fb.com/boldcupofcoffee. Let's wrestle with this together.

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The Moon Landings Never Happened: A Case For Constructive Conversation

10/27/2014

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by Drake De Long-Farmer

Have you ever been in a conversation where you thought, "you're joking right?" You do a mental double-take and for a second you seriously wonder if what you are hearing (or reading) is actually satire. You wonder if you are the only one in the room that isn't getting the punch line. It is like you are sitting there and listening to someone trying to convince you that the moon landings never happened and they are doing so with complete sincerity.

In my vocation, I interact with a lot of different people from a variety of backgrounds, convictions and beliefs. Most everyone has an opinion on something they are passionate about and the conversation can get animated as people generally want others to see the value of that passion. I think we all do this. We all have values and convictions that have shaped us and drive us and we should have an avenue to share those things. How else could we learn from differing perspectives and be challenged by opposing views unless we give the opportunity to dialogue?

Respect & Reason

Differing perspectives isn't a bad thing, and honestly, we shouldn't be scared to get excited and animated on things we believe in and value. The issue is when a conversation leaves the grounds of respect and reason. Simply put: if a person becomes less then charitable in the manner in which they are dialoging or worse begins to defend something that leaves basic understandings of reality and reason at the door, then that conversation is no longer useful or constructive (for the hearer or the speaker).

"I want to teach you how to think, not Simply what to think" // Martin Trench

Just recently I had one of those conversations and it left much to be desired. This person made a very bold claim and more than implied that if you held anything different, your devotion to God was in question. I should have left the conversation alone, but I couldn't help myself and I decided to poke the bear and ask some questions. Was that a mistake! The moment he got a sniff that I might even hold a differing perspective on the topic, I was bombarded with a slew of criticisms questioning my faithfulness as a Pastor, my belief in the 'plain reading of scripture' and if my faith was truly authentic. He both left the realm of respect by attacking me as a person instead of defending his point and abandoned sound logic and reason by confusing the essentials and secondaries of truth.

Revealed Truth & Speculative Truth

As a Christian, there are definitely some essentials to our faith; we call them 'revealed truths'. These are the things that build the foundation to that faith. But there is also what is called 'speculative truths' that have many differing perspectives and are debated. It is when we confuse these two and elevate 'speculative truths' to the level of 'revealed truths' that we go terribly wrong.

We should have the liberty to share our deep-rooted convictions with others, but we must also be willing to listen.

This is exactly what was happening here. This 'gentleman' not only confused the topic at hand, which easily fell into the category of speculative truth, but was unable to separate the two. Everything in his view of reality was black and white.

The same principle can be implied to most anything in life and how we dialogue with others on a wide variety of topics. We should have the liberty to share our deep-rooted convictions with others, challenging diverse points of view, but we must also be willing to listen, not confusing the essentials with the debated and be careful not to become so closed-minded that there is no room to grow.

Questions of Condemnation vs.
Questions of Clarification

On the same day, I received some messages from a friend who had similar concerns about the same topic, yet unrelated to the first.

What was different about the second conversation was that every question that was asked came from a place of trying to understand, grow, and bring up some concerns she had. By the end of the conversation, we didn't see 100% eye to eye on the matter, but I was encouraged by the conversation and deeply respected her position and even attempted to implement some of her thoughts because the whole situation was approached completely differently.

So often we forget this simple
truth: It isn't so much what we say but how we say it that allows for constructive conversation

Not only did she stay in the realm of respect and reason and recognize that we were speaking on a topic that fell into speculative truth, but all her questions and challenges came from a place of clarification. She started in a position of first trying to understand what I actually believed, why I held that view and how I came to that position and from there: dialogued, listened and challenged.

See, so often we forget this simple truth: It isn't so much what we say but how we say it that allows for constructive conversation. The first conversation had loads of questions directed at me, but they were questions of condemnation. He wasn't interested in dialogue or even trying to understand, he simply asked questions to attempt to trap me and lay judgement on me. He wasn't simply confident in his conviction, he was holding a position of utter certainty with no room to be challenged or grow. This kind of approach doesn't encourage dialogue and constructive conversation, it actually shuts it down.

"Do you simply want to make a point, or do you want to see change." // Perry Noble

While on the other hand, my concerned friend asked questions of clarification. She did want to challenge me and did want her concerns heard, but she did it out of a position of also being teachable and was trying to, first and foremost, understand where I was coming from and better understand the why, what and how. Only after this, where both people were heard and understood, could constructive conversation happen.

The former closes dialogue and assumes that we cannot learn anything else, and worse, it scuttles our ability to actually influence others for the better. The latter fosters dialogue and allows mutual learning and can actually influence people towards real change. As Perry Noble once said, "Do you simply want to make a point, or do you want to see change." [Paraphrased]

Confidence Not Certainty

This is what we are all about at Bold Cup Of Coffee and why we do what we do. We want to foster dialogue and constructive conversation, give a place for people to challenge each other, but do so out of a place of deep conviction and confidence, not utter certainty with no room to grow or be challenged. The latter puts a ceiling on people while the former has endless possibilities. The latter can be driven out of the fear and pride, while the former is driven by faith and love. Ultimately we want to help people learn "how to think, not simply what to think" // Martin Trench.

So, as we continue to dialogue and converse, let us not forget we do so in community, with diversity of opinion and those on different stages of life's journey. Let's walk together in gentleness, love and respect, challenging each other to think deeper on things and always foster dialogue that can lead to real change.

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How Christians Are Like Zombies

10/20/2014

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Image taken from 'Shaun Of The Dead'

by Paul Walker

***Disclaimer: As the topic of Zombies is alluded in this post, some images and thoughts may not be suitable for all readers. If you are one who does not appreciate this kind of content or have children near by, please do not read on***

There is a lot that could be said and not said about the comparisons between Christians & Zombies. I am not the first to make this connection. In fact, last night when I gave this talk, my Catholic friends gave me their take on the matter: "Christians & Zombies both like flesh and blood!!" they exclaimed. Given the view of transubstantiation you could totally make that case. But I won't. A few years back there was even a movement called "Zombie Jesus Day" that tried to humorously draw comparisons about Jesus' rising from the dead and Zombies. There are even some critics that have compared the lack of thought from certain Christian groups as evidence that, "Christians want to eat your brains" and that faith is 'believing without any evidence'. I am not coming from any of the previous mentioned angles. For a bit of self disclosure: I am a huge fan of Zombie movies and I am a Christian. So I might tend to cast them both in a good light...

How Christians are a lot like Zombies:

 1. Zombies & Christians have a singular focus to life.
Imagine for a moment that you were observing the behaviour of a Zombie for the first time. It would most certainly be a frightful sight. You would observe a decaying animated corpse covered in their last meal and endlessly searching for their next victim. You would hear the sounds of 'groaning', 'moaning', and 'screeching' emanating from this creature. The Zombie might seem like a slow creature, at first observation, but given the right opportunity they become ferociously quick in catching their next meal.

What drives a Zombie? What leads them to endlessly stalk prey, break down doors, and risk even their own existence? Two words:

Insatiable Appetite.

Zombies have a singular focus: human flesh, or more specifically: brains. It's the creed of their existence. In fact, everything that the Zombie does can be boiled down to the search to satisfy their hunger.

Q:Why did the Zombie break through the window of your car?
A:Insatiable Appetite.

Q:Why is the Zombie, whose legs were blown off by a shot gun, desperately dragging themselves along the ground toward you?
A:Insatiable Appetite

Q: Why is your best friend turned Zombie trying to kill you?
A:Insatiable Appetite

Now imagine that you were observing the behaviour of a Christian for the first time. In order to do this observation justice, let's also imagine that you are observing the 'first strain' of Christianity in the first century. (Patient Zero) You might observe that these 'followers of the Way' have an outward appearance like everyone else, but upon further investigation their behaviour is anything but normal. You would notice that these followers of The Way “all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14) and "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching"(Acts 2.42) If you got close enough to these Christians you might even hear 'strange sounds', some in your own language, emanating from them sporadically.(Acts 2.4) This 'speaking in tongues' would be so strange that you might even think they had started drinking at 9 in the morning. (Acts 2.13) You would also notice that these weird Christ followers, “shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32) Who does that? What kind of disease makes someone willing to give up possessions and not buy into materialism? The most interesting behaviour you might notice among these followers of 'The Way' is when you try to kill to them. They might cry out things like, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7.59) or run away from your persecution.(Acts 8.1) What will seem odd to you is that they never take up a weapon to try and seek revenge. It seems the more you kill these Christ followers the more they look like the one they are following, Jesus.

What drives these Christians? What leads them to take care of the poor, pray for the sick, love their enemies, forgive without limit, and travel to ends of the earth? Two words:

Insatiable Appetite.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." (Jn 4.34)

Christians have a singular focus: to do the will of the Father. Everything that a Christ follower does can be explained by their insatiable appetite to do the will of God. Christians are people that hunger and thirst for righteousness and justice on the earth. We don’t want to stop until our mission is fulfilled and the Kingdom has come.

Q:Why do Christians feed the poor?
A: Insatiable Appetite.

Q: Why is my best friend turned Christian praying for me?
A: Insatiable Appetite.

Q: Why is this Christian still loving and forgiving me even though I've told them off and hurt them?
A:Insatiable Appetite.

2. Christians & Zombies die in exactly the same way.

The best way to kill a Zombie  is to sever the head. There is no guarantee in any other method. You could try to cut off a zombies arms; but you just know they'll keep walking toward you. You could even shoot a Zombies legs clean off; but they'll drag their torso relentlessly toward you. You could empty the magazine clip from a handgun into the Zombie's torso. It might slow them down, but they eventually get back up! So as the picture above shows.... Aim for the head!

“Christ is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Col 1.18

Your head is arguably the most important part of your body. It houses the brain, which gives function to every other part of the body. According to the apostle Paul, Christ is the head of the Church. The metaphor “head” designates him both as supreme over the church and as the source of the church’s life. In the image of a living body, the head not only directs and governs the body, it gives it life and strength. You can live without an eye, a hand, or a foot, but you can't live long without a head! In the same way, in the life of a Christian, you could take away security, comforts, freedoms and they will still live. You could make it illegal to be a Christian, but that will not stop them. Even when you insult them, hurt them and put them to death.... It won't stop them!! They are relentless!

BUT, If you remove Jesus as head of the Christian's life.... You're guaranteed the death of a Christian. Or you can at least you can reduce them to living the status quo...

How to remove Jesus as the head: Put something else as head of the body and as the source of the Christian's life. Try a few of the following:
Money
Career
Power
Worry
Pride
Hate

3. Zombies & Christians are the Living Dead.

Popular culture has long taught us that Zombies are the living dead – animated decaying corpses. They are no longer 'human' anymore. Zombies may bear a resemblance to human flesh BUT something is different. There is something within a Zombie that has transformed them from the dead to living dead.   Zombies are not living people who have become the living dead. Zombies are dead people who have become 'animated' in their deaths.

The real 'Living Dead'

Christians are also the 'living dead'. Paul tells us that, “We were dead in our transgressions and sins” (Eph 2.1) Dead. Dead as a doornail. No pulse. Yet something has happened to bring us to life in our death. Paul tells us that Christians have been “made alive with Christ even when they were dead in transgressions” (Eph 2.5) We were dead, and now we have been reanimated. Christians bear a resemblance to human flesh, BUT something is different. We may appear to be wasting away, but the Spirit is at work in us and will bring us to fulness of life in Christ.

“....Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”- 2 Cor 4.16b- 18
Christians will still 'waste away' and be laid to rest like everyone else on the planet. That, however, is not the full picture. Paul tells us "that if our ‘earthly tent’ is destroyed we have a building from God, a house no human hands have built: it is everlasting in the heavenly places."(2 Cor 5.1 KNT) The Christian hope is that what is "doomed to die will be swallowed up in life."(2 Cor 5.4) But what about the present moment? Paul tells us that currently, "God is at work in us" and God has given us the Spirit as the "first instalment and guarantee. " (2 Cor 5.5) When a Christian confesses that Jesus is Lord they are 'animated' by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:14; John 14:17); seals us unto the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13; 4:30); and grants us everlasting life (Gal. 6:8).

4. Zombies & Christians work best in community.
In a Zombie movie, the threat of death by Zombification is directly proportional to the amount of Zombies in your direct vicinity. Take the following scene from Shaun of the Dead:

Shaun and Ed deciding what to do about two Zombies in their backyard.

Shaun and Ed encounter two Zombies in their backyard who are slowly walking towards them. Shaun and Ed first try to resist the Zombie's advances by throwing dishes, cutlery and vinyl records to no avail. Shaun eventually breaks into the shed to discover a cricket bat and a shovel. Shaun and Ed then proceed to deal with their Zombie aggressors. The whole scene is really hilarious, and gives our protagonists enough time to figure out how to deal with the problem. If, however there were ten Zombies, the scene might have turned out a bit differently.

Zombies work best in community. A single Zombie is easy to resist. It becomes way more difficult to deal with a 100 Zombies sauntering down the street towards you. The more Zombies there are, the more trouble you have on your hands. Zombies use their numbers to help them achieve their goal of satisfying their appetites. Zombies act as a cohesive interdependent unit that is united in the goal of getting the next meal. A Zombie hoard can surround your position and cut off all hope of escape.

Christians also work best in community. A single Christian is easy to dismiss. A single Christian cannot address the deep brokenness of a hurting world. It becomes harder to dismiss a community of Christians living out the Kingdom of God. Christians use their numbers to help them to do the will of the Father. Christians believe that each member is part of a greater body united for common goal. (1 Cor 12.27) Christians act as a cohesive interdependent unit that is united in the goal of doing the will of the Father. A hoard of Christians can surround issues like poverty, injustice, slavery, racism and cut off all hope of enabling humanity to perpetuate the status quo.

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He is with you

10/18/2014

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by Ashley Elizabeth Petryshyn

I live in a bubble. Between my home, my job, my Church, and my favourite coffee shop my bubble is roughly 60 blocks wide. I see the same people everyday, I can even recognize the face of strangers on the bus on the way home. I can say hello to the cashiers at my grocery store and have them know who I am. Your bubble is where you feel comfortable. It is normally referred to a community.

When I watch the news and something is happening in the south side of the city it feels like it is worlds away. Because whatever thing is happening will affect a community there, usually with no residual effects that I can feel up on the north side. It feels like an adventure when I get to go south of the river and broaden my bubble.

I love going on trips outside of the city. I like weekends away in the mountains, I even like going to Calgary just to experience a little different culture. Which brings me to my newest adventure, two weeks away on vacation. I have driven through Alberta and BC to get to Seattle and then back to a week and a half in Vancouver. It is so eye opening to see all these new people going about their day to day business. To find stores that don't even exist in your country, to be using a different kind of currency, and have a totally different kind of weather. Yet all these people in this new place have all the problems people at home in my own bubble have. I saw women in heels running for the train, I saw colleagues getting take out for lunch and balancing bags, I even saw one or two spats between couples while out by the water. All these things that happen time zones away from my house, with people I have never met. I bet you there are 20-something girls here too that share struggles with me. I bet you some are walking around wishing their hair looked different today, even though it looks fine, that some are walking around wishing they were 10 pounds lighter, and some are wondering what coffee shop line Mr. Right is standing in. I walked around downtown Seattle watching everyone. In fact I probably freaked some people out for holding their gaze too long. It's okay though, they don't live in my bubble, so I'll probably never see them again anyway!

This brings me to my take away moment from this aspect of my trip. That while I am sitting in the comfort of my bubble, praying to my awesome God and there are so many other people in the world, some many other people that need his time and attention and yet he still answers my prayers in little north side Edmonton.

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians3:16

I have always read and been told that my God is a great God and he is a God of the people. It has been easy for me up to this point to recognize that he is good and see him work in my life and the lives of my friends, but to imagine that he does that for the people across the world is so overwhelmingly amazing. He is with you, in tiny towns, in big cities across the country, and on every continent. He is always with me, and with you, regardless of how far apart we are. That makes him great. So great. I am so glad to say that I am a child of this amazing God. And that he is with me however far out of my bubble I am.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

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Irrational Fear

10/15/2014

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by Charlotte O

I don’t really know why, but somewhere along the way, I’ve developed a healthy fear of dogs. Actually, healthy might not be the right word to describe it. It might go back to one of my first nights in the countryside of Taiwan, when my roommate and I innocently decided to go for an evening walk in the small village where we were staying. Unfortunately, our walk lasted a very short time as we encountered a lot of dogs fiercely guarding their territory. Later, I also had the terrifying experience of being chased by dogs while driving my scooter, where it’s like what do you do? Drive faster which encourages it to take up the chase? Attempt to kick it without falling over? Anyways, I’ve come to learn that dogs are not always friendly, and even now, if I’m walking alone I get nervous if there’s a stray dog or pack of dogs on my path. Actually nervous isn’t even the right word, because it’s an almost irrational fear, so that even while I’m telling myself “stay calm, just ignore them, remember, dogs can smell fear!” there is a lurch in the pit of my stomach that I can’t control.

Now obviously this reaction is limited to dogs sans master. I don’t really feel afraid or nervous around dogs owned by my friends or family members.

So this got me thinking about a story in the Bible. It’s a story about fear. It takes place in the book of Mark:

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:35-40 NLT)

A lot of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen, and most had grown up near water. So they would know that you need to have a healthy respect for or even fear of a sea where storms can come out of nowhere. The only one in the story who was not afraid was Jesus, who was sleeping during the ‘fierce’ storm. After Jesus calmed the storm, he asked them why they were so afraid. He wondering why it was that after walking with him, seeing him heal the sick and cast out demons, they still didn’t understand who he was. I imagine that they had that same fear in their gut, an almost uncontrollable fear that triggers the fight or flight response in all of us. And why? Because they didn’t realize that the Master was there. That he holds the wind and waves on a leash. They knew he was powerful, but they didn’t yet believe he was God.

And what about us? Self-preservation aside, how willing are we to trust that Jesus really is who he says he is? How often do we hesitate to put our lives into his hands? The fear of not being in control is an irrational fear because control in our lives is usually an illusion anyways.

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Cookies: A New Kind of Love Story

10/13/2014

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Photo Cred

by Cole Benton Hatchard

Hello, my name is Cole Hatchard, and I’m a recovering Subway addict. I used to eat Subway just about everyday. Somehow, I’m still not tired of it, but once I saw the dent it was making in my wallet I realized I needed to 'repent'.

But one of my favourite parts of Subway is getting cookies. I love their cookies to the ends of the earth. Their sandwiches are good too, but the thought of finishing the sandwich and moving on to my two cookies is one of the most exciting thoughts I have.

If you get cookies with your meal, they give you two. It’s always two. Sometimes I’d get two chocolate chip cookies, sometimes two white chip macadamia nut cookies, sometimes two double chocolate cookies. I liked to spice it up.

But I distinctly remember getting Subway with a friend of mine once. I made my sandwich, ordered my two chocolate chip cookies, then paid for my meal. Then I waited for my friend to finish, and witnessed one of the most life-changing events of my life. When the time came, he ordered two cookies: one chocolate chip and one double chocolate.

Boom.

My whole world was rocked. I had never once considered getting two different kinds of cookies! I had been wasting my life! What joy had I been missing out on?? I had been living a life of darkness in my two-cookie-confined box.

Unfortunately, some of us are wrong in how we view God. Unfortunately, some of us are stuck in the ignorant box of the “same two cookies” rule.

I heard a quote once that still resonates with me, and I share it with people often because I believe it to be a defining thought in all of our lives.

"What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

We all have our own perceptions and ideas of who God is, what God’s like, what he likes and dislikes, etc. Even if you don’t believe in a god, you still identify certain adjectives with what he/she would be like if he/she existed.

Unfortunately, some of us are wrong in how we view God. Unfortunately, some of us are stuck in the ignorant box of the “same two cookies” rule. We’re yet to be revealed truly what God is like. I can tell you I was stuck there for a little while.

I lived much of my Christian life in fear of God. Not the fear that God calls us to have (i.e. “reverence”) but rather an actual terrified angst. Every action I did or did not do, I feared losing the love that I was supposed to have from God because I thought God was just this omnipotent angry judge that was waiting around the corner to catch me and toss me into hell forever. Or some evil game maker (a la The Hunger Games) who can choose what ways to torment me based on my actions and his desires.

What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us. So, if we call ourselves Christians, why doesn’t our God look like Jesus?

That’s similar, I think, to how much of the Jewish culture of the time of Jesus thought. They lived in constant worry, focused solely on their actions in order to please God. But Jesus did his best to mess that up. He told stories often, teaching on what the character of God truly is. He taught on what the Kingdom of God truly is, what God’s plans truly are. He broke these people from their “same two cookies” box. They were all stuck thinking that they could only get two of the same, but Jesus showed them that there is so much more than that. There’s a whole other world, a world of love!

What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us. So, if we call ourselves Christians, why doesn’t our God look like Jesus? Why doesn’t our God look like a God of love? I don’t think that everyone is caught in the same trap that I was, but I know some people are. We can say all we want that God is a God of love. We can sing as much as we want in church about it. But until we truly reconcile who Jesus is with the character of God, we’ll be stuck in that fear, that angst. Similarly, if you don’t believe in a God, don’t let false notions about God turn you away from Him. Especially if a person - believer or non-believer - doesn’t spend time in the Word of God, it’s difficult (arguably, almost impossible) to understand who God is. That’s one of His revelations to us about Him.

Look at Jesus. Look at what he teaches. Let him move you into the realm of getting two different kinds of cookies. Because, trust me, it’s a much more peaceful and fulfilling life.

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