Watching for love gifts

Greek honor guard

at the tomb of the unknown soldier

Chris and I had about three hours free time in Athens. We had been encouraged to go to the Plaka, a unique labyrinth of local shops and restaurants.

Starting out with directions and map, we became distracted by a crowd of people in front of an official looking pink and white structure. We later learned this was the Parliament building.

On a marble plaza in front of the Parliament, an honor guard for the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was preparing to be relieved by the next shift. These tall, handsome young men performed their carefully choreographed routine with precision, accuracy, focus, and total disregard for tourists bold enough to have their pictures taken next to these on-duty soldiers.

We quickly exchanged a temptation to be disappointed at not finding the Plaka, for recognizing the privilege of stumbling upon the changing of the guard.

God frequently works serendipitously in our lives. He/She hides little gifts here and there along our paths. If we're too busy, self-absorbed, or determined to follow a specific agenda, we miss some, or perhaps most, of the gifts. On the other hand, if we're willing to look at a wrong turn and not label it a "mistake," we often discover something or someone delightful. And to find a God-guided good purpose for our being in an unexpected place.

It's important, for me anyway, to learn the flexibility of looking for the presents in the present, that indicate infinite Mind's ever-present goodness.

God doesn't make any wrong turns, and as I try to stay close to my highest sense of what I think His purpose is for me at any given time, I feel his gentle guiding. I'm learning to trust that direction, even when it doesn't take me to where I thought I should be headed.

It's a more gracious way to live, a less hectic approach to life and relationships. No wonder Jesus taught, Your heavenly Father will give you what you need, "if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to." (Living Bible) This approach takes away all the stress.

St. Paul, the whole purpose for my trip to Greece, was so convinced of the solidity of his relationship to God, that he didn't worry about what might appear to others to be mistakes. He could say with honesty and the conviction of experience that nothing could separate him from the love of God, which he had discovered through Christ Jesus.

Thanks to Christine Proctor for the excellent photo

Always a beautiful work of art

On the island of Rhodes, I watched an apprentice potter grasp a dull gray lump of clay. He shaped this lump on his spinning potter's wheel, molding it skillfully with his fingers. Within minutes it had become a beautiful vase.

Prophets from 2500 years ago found the clay and the potter a good metaphor for the relationship of man to God. Isaiah wrote, "O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."

Paul too uses the potter metaphor in his letter to the Romans. He advises against questioning the skill or the motive of the potter. And he addresses the need to trust the potter, and not become so absorbed in our own projects that we miss God's very presence!

I can relate to that. There are many times when with unbridled enthusiasm I have rushed forth with what seemed to me a great idea -- only to realize somewhere down the line when things began to unravel, that I hadn't asked God's opinion.

So I'm getting better at going to God first. With a "God, what kind of pot would you like me to be today? How can I best serve you today?"

As long as it's is my Maker's idea, I've learned I can be not only content, but rather excited about how He/She shapes and molds my day. And maybe that's where the pottery metaphor ends. Because while a vase or a water pot is a completed object, infinite Mind's (another name for God) creation is actively and continuously unfolding. It just never ends.

And so our Maker's purpose for us continually unfolds, providing us with new views, new insights, clearer understanding, fresh opportunities.

_______________________________________________________

The potter is not in the clay;
else the clay would have power over the potter.

God is His own infinite Mind, and expresses all.

Mary Baker Eddy

_____________________________________________________

Dealing decisively with impositions

Caryatids are female figures
taking the place of columns

Our last day in Athens. Yiannis (Yah’ nees, means John) our very capable guide, had brought us to the Acropolis (means high place, and every Greek city has one). Every few minutes he paused to share historical insights. We twenty-six crowded close to learn.

We heard how Lord Elgin in the early 1800s had been given permission by the ruling Turks to take one of the caryatids back to England – where it remains today. Athens wants it back, and has built a large new museum to prove it.

Yiannis was pointing out the nearby seaport of Pireas, which we could easily see from this height, when two other tourists attached themselves to our group. Yiannis finished his talk and the men followed us to the next spot. And the next.

It didn’t feel quite right. I wondered how this was going to play out. These fellows had latched on to an interesting and knowledgeable guide. Yet they were not part of our group.

As we gathered round, Yiannis made his move. Looking directly at the men he spoke loudly and firmly, “You two are not with this group. You must leave.” The men didn’t budge. “Yiannis continued, “These people have paid Euros to have this tour. There are other guides here. You must find your own.”

The men looked at each other for a long moment, before reluctantly walking away. Yiannis’ brief speech was to the point and effective. He did not tolerate the imposition.

Paul also dealt decisively with a disconcerting imposition. While in Philippi he had been harassed by a slave girl “who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.” She had followed Paul and Silas day after day, chanting after them.

Finally after many days, Paul had had enough. He healed her on the spot of her capacity to “sooth-say.”

When impositions faced him, Christ Jesus took control. He dealt swfitly with whatever opposed his sense of God as Love. He encouraged others to follow his example. So, what would that mean today?

For me it means to take charge. Recognize the imposition as an imposition, whatever it is. Size it up – determine what’s going on. Be clear about the solution. Then speak with authority.

Impositions can take many forms. Sickness and pain are impositions on God’s creation. As I see it, God didn’t create them, so they don’t belong.

Hate, anger, resentment, confusion, and anxiety are also impositions. As I see it, God didn’t create them either, so they don’t belong.

So when any of these things come knocking at my thought door for acceptance and identity, I can choose to refuse to let them be part of my thought group. As I see it, they have no place in God’s infinite goodness, and I can with God-given authority stand up to the intruders as suggestions that can be turned away.

It’s amazing how often and how quickly standing up to such impositions has good results.

For other posts on Paul's travels, click here

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

Finding the beauty underneath

Mars' Hill, as it looks today,
where Paul spoke to the Athenians

While waiting for Timothy and Silas to join him in Athens, Paul explored the city. He was impressed by statues everywhere to Greek gods and goddesses.

When he decided to speak to the Athenians, he addressed them from a high spot called Mars' Hill. There he commented on how scrupulously religious they were. They were so careful to include every god that they even created an idol to the unknown god - just so none would be left out. The King James version of Paul's words, "ye are in all things too superstitious," sounds like a put-down. But actually Paul was complimenting them. A more accurate translation would be, "You are in every way very religious."

When in Athens a few weeks ago, we walked up Mars Hill. It's a huge old rock, big enough for many people to congregate. It's bumpy though, with weathered outcroppings everywhere. Marble perhaps.

Greece has LOTS of marble. The ancients paved their streets with marble, built columns of marble, and created beautiful statues. Marble magnificently adorns modern Greece as well.

On Mars' Hill old gray boulders muscle up just far enough to have become part of the path and people naturally walk on them. Over decades, maybe centuries, the rough exteriors have in some places been worn away. Beneath that surface roughness glows a warm and beautiful marbly orange interior that becomes shinier the more it is polished by countless soles of tourist shoes.

As I bent closer to confirm what I thought I was seeing, that rock became a metaphor for people. I've met a lot of folks who were crusty and bristly on the outside. As we walked into each others lives, and maybe even stepped on each other a bit, lovely color, vibrancy, beauty, and caring surfaced.

It is good to not be fooled by appearances, to cultivate the ability to look past unpromising exteriors to the person within struggling to be valued and appreciated as worthwhile. It sometimes takes a lot of love to be willing to move past surface impressions, but the resulting friendships can be precious.

God saw beneath Paul's tough and determined exterior, to the willing and honest heart, which He shaped and warmed so that a transformed Paul traveled to Asia and Europe to preach a God of Love.

Christ Jesus “threw upon mortals the truer reflection of God
and lifted their lives higher than their

poor thought-models would allow
— thoughts which presented man as fallen, sick, sinning, and dying.”
Mary Baker Eddy

"Now" vs Jet Lag

A mosaic in Berea where both Jews and Greeks

received what Paul had to say AND

Paul really did speak from steps

like those in the mosaic

Time is a funny thing, an arbitrary measurement, sometimes useful, sometimes a pressure cooker. Yet is it time that builds pressure, or is it how we relate to the ticks and tocks of our day?

Here’s a splendid application for managing time. One of our travel hosts on my recent trip following Paul’s footsteps in Greece, explained helpfully, “As soon as I get on the plane, I set my watch to the time of the place where I am going. And I think and act according to the time it is there.”

My sister had advised, “Don’t even think in terms of ‘If I were home I’d be having breakfast, or sleeping, or whatever.’ Live in the now.”

What a practical two-step antidote for jet lag. 1. Set your watch for where you are going and think and act according to the time it is there. 2. Live in the now.

It worked well for all 26 of us on the tour, so far as I know.

We can refuse to be the victim of “time” in other ways too. When I first discovered this some years ago, I was late for something that seemed important and the temptation was to lean heavy on the pedal and zip through traffic to try to be not-too-late. It occurred to me that instead of being a traffic hazard by driving as though only I was important, I could consciously both slow down and pray.

Have you ever tried to break a hurry-hurry habit? It isn’t always easy. What came to me as I prayed was that I was exactly where God wanted me to be – expressing His qualities of thoughtfulness, patience, and trust in the one Mind to be in control. When hurrying, I was trying to be in control. By slowing down, I was trusting God’s timing.

I agreed to let God be in control, and prayed for the harmony, safety, and good judgment of all on the road. Sure enough upon arrival, I was the first one at the meeting – others had been delayed as well. And this same sort of calm trust in God’s timing has yielded similar results time after time.

Paul lived in the now. He advised forgetting the past and setting goals and moving toward those goals. His personal goal was letting God direct his life for God’s own good purpose. If he had had a watch, I think Paul would have set it for “Now.”

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

Mirror polishing

In ancient times bronze mirrors had to be polished daily in order to see your reflection.

Otherwise they tarnished quickly, and became dull and useless.

Bronze mirrors displayed in the Corinth museum.

Regarding the great question of our relationship to God, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “we see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face to face.” Meanwhile, he said, the most important thing is to “love extravagantly.” (Living Bible and The Message)

This from a man who had to learn, and did, how to deeply love his fellow man.

Mirrors of bronze needed to be polished daily to in order to reflect an image at all. At best the images were dim. Without daily polishing, they quickly tarnished, and became dull and useless. What’s the metaphor here? If we want our thinking to reflect the beauty and joy of God’s creation, we need to keep our thoughts polished – free from the tarnish of hate, anger, resentment, selfishness, anxiety, fear.

How can we accomplish this? Paul sent the answer to his beloved church community in Philippi. He said, "In conclusion, my brothers, fill your minds with those things that are good and deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable." (Today’s English Version)

I think Paul is onto something. Despite the turmoil the media serves up as news, there is much more good than evil in mankind and in the world. What's good is worth zeroing in on, recognizing, and cherishing.

This is where we need to focus thought. It doesn't mean we ignore evil, it means we keep it in perspective. That’s how we polish our mirrors to better see God’s hand in our lives and in the world. That's how we align with the infinite good that overcomes the evil.

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

How is your life purpose?

Paul liked sports metaphors. He likened our life purpose to running a race. The Corinthians hosted the Isthmian Games, and it’s probable that Paul enjoyed watching some of these events.


Athletes in Olympia trained in gymnasiums.

The stoa, or covered colonnade next to the gymnasium, the columns of which you see here reconstructed after earthquakes, hosted philosophy discussions.


Paul pointed out that all the contestants run, but only one wins. What’s needed to win, he says, is focus. Greek athletes trained for ten months prior to the races. Paul knew the importance of staying in peak condition, staying alert to avoid anything that would distract from training.

The reward for the winner was a wreath of pine or laurel. Paul contrasts this with the reward for a life in service to God -- heavenly approval of unselfish love for one’s fellow man.

So once again Paul speaks across the centuries.

Find your relationship with your creator. Discover how He/She wants you to use your gifts, your talents, in the service of others. And focus on achieving this goal. Be alert to distractions, for the devil doesn’t like good things going on, and diversion is a favorite tool. Stay in mental and spiritual shape. And keep to your course.

There’s no limit to the good we can accomplish, if we give our lives to Christ to transform for his spiritual purpose.

Success in life depends upon persistent effort,
upon the improvement of moments
more than upon any other one thing. . .

If one would be successful in the future,
let him make the most of the present.

Mary Baker Eddy

Closed doors? Don't be discouraged!

Nancy Fischer, tour host,
explains Paul's impact on
the Christian community in Philippi

Ever feel frustrated, because your project keeps being stymied? All the doors keep closing in front of you?

That happened to Paul. He and Silas had traveled to Lystra (a city located in modern Turkey), where they found Timothy – who became a faithful companion and trusted colleague. So far so good.

The trio traveled west. Just one problem. Luke (who wrote the account) says the Spirit blocked that route. By this time Paul was so committed to serving this God of Love, that when God closed one door, Paul simply said OK, and looked for a new direction.

This time they went north towards Bithynia – an ancient region of mountains and forests, bordering the Black Sea that included serveral large cities. Paul probably thought that must be where God wanted him to go.

However, Luke says, the Spirit didn’t let him go there either. Most likely Paul was trying to find the logic behind this message. And Troas, an important seaport, made sense as a new destination, so they headed west once again.

There in Troas, where they could travel by ship, he had a vision of a man in Macedonia calling Paul to come and help them. At last their direction was clear. They were to take their message beyond Troas – to Europe!

And that’s how they happened to come to Philippi – where, as you have read in previous blogs, they met a merchant named Lydia, a slave girl, and a jailer.

So I’ve been thinking, when a project seems important and doors keep closing it’s important to be clear whether, like Paul, I am totally committed to serving God and fulfilling His purpose. Or whether it’s a notion I cooked up because it seemed like a good idea at the time – without checking with the “Boss.”

Because if it’s indeed a God-initiated project, then He supports it and points the way for its completion. If it’s just a Sandi plan, well, it’s probably not going to be the lasting blessing it could be if it were God-centered.

Certainly we prefer the clarity of a message that says, "Go here," or "Go there." Yet here is Paul, 2000 years later, teaching yet another lesson – about not being discouraged when the message comes in the form of blocked paths -- "Don't go here" and "Don't go there." He didn't let anger, discouragement, or frustration keep him from going forward as best he understood how.

When we really want to serve God, infinite good, and are willing to (preferably promptly) change direction, He will show us the way.

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

Valuing the moment

Paul would have walked this street in Philippi

(The rubble remains pretty much where

earthquakes have left the pieces.)

On this trip to Greece to find Paul the apostle, and better understand his life purpose, I wonder if Paul had been an athlete. He shows his respect for runners by frequently using racing metaphors.

I’m impressed that he refused to be shackled to his past. If anyone had a past to regret, it was Paul. As Saul, he mercilessly persecuted Jesus’ followers, even stood by approving Stephen’s death by stoning.

But Paul was so busy going forward with his Christ mission that he couldn’t indulge the past. He refused to let regrets or remorse anchor his life purpose in the murky waters of what happened last week, or three years ago.

He writes to the Philippians, “I keep going on to try to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.” Modestly, he continues, “Of course, brothers, I do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize…” (Today’s English version)

Rejecting the temptation to dwell in the past is an apt beginning for Paul appreciation. Most of us on this tour have, for two weeks, left behind friends, family, careers, responsibilities, not to mention time zones.

Every person in our group is facing forward -- with anticipation and good cheer. Missing our flight from Paris to Athens (due to an influx of travelers at the passport checkpoint, and a minimum of official checkers) produced not a single grumble or complaint. This collective expectant attitude constitutes a good start.

I wonder if I can resolve to be as committed to the good of the moment as Paul. My life mission is not likely to be as world-shaking as his. Yet can I be as consistently aware of my own purpose to also love with God’s unconditional love? To shake up that part of the world my life does touch with this incredible love?

And why not! Valuing God’s love for each of us, this moment, is everyone’s present opportunity.

More about "now."

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

Never too late for Amazing Tenderness

Philippi -

where Paul met Lydia,

the seller of purple

St. Paul was a busy man. I’ve spent the last two weeks on a most amazing tour, with a group following his footsteps around Greece – Philippi, Berea, Thessaloniki, Corinth, Athens, even Ephesus in Turkey.

What surprised me most about Paul was discovering his tenderness. This man who had terrified and persecuted Christ’s followers in his career as Saul of Tarsus, now a convert himself, proved kind, caring and tender towards his new friends in these far-flung cities. These new friends became the foundation, the core, of new Christian communities.

In Philippi, he found Lydia the seller of purple – at the upper layer of the city’s economy; he freed the fortune-telling slave girl from what’s described as demonic possession – which so enraged her owners that they had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison where these bruised and bleeding men sang hymns. Paul baptized the jailer and his whole family after an earthquake freed the prisoners and the jailer would have killed himself, supposing they had all escaped.

Here in Philippi were the elements of a fledging group of followers of Jesus, who identified with this God of Love Paul was showing them. They represented all economic classes – from merchant to jailer to slave. This God who is also Love knew no economic class, honored no categories – neither slave nor free, male nor female. And Paul built all his relationships on this universal Love he was himself learning to live.

So one moral Paul is already teaching me, is to open wider the possibilities of amazing relationships through absolutely refusing to categorize or classify those I meet. Rather to connect with the sparkling man of God’s creating in everyone, across cultures, without age. It's an exciting goal, because there is something special in everyone, something worth discovering.

For Paul’s adventures in Philippi, see Acts 16:9-40

Gone is the distinction between Jew and Greek, slave and free man, male and female – you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Living Bible)

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

Traveling with Paul

Ships in Bible times

Paul, as in the Apostle, is my theme today. I’m traveling with him mentally, perhaps spiritually.

What I’m loving about Paul right now is the fact that his many trials increased his conviction that he could never be separated from the love of God.

Never.

Shipwrecked, three times, he says. Beaten, stoned, often in danger from those who hated his words, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, at sea, and among those who pretended to be his friends but were not. He adds that he was often hungry and thirsty and cold.

But never separated from God’s great love.

Fearlessly he forged ahead.

I think, “I’m not Paul. I don’t have to be brave. I’m not a threat to anyone, so far as I know. People don’t hate me - well, so far as I know.”

Yet each day requires some bravery on our part. The events of any given day are unknown when we awake each morning. We assume a certain routine, but that could be interrupted any time – a colleague is promoted, or fired; a treasured friend moves away. Someone who loved us is no longer around.

We can lean on that same great Love that sustained and inspired Paul through much scarier days and nights. Life does go on and, if we’re holding back, we need to shift gears and participate in Life’s fullness. The world needs our caring, our prayers, our peace, our laughter, our involvement.

Paul felt he was a conqueror. He conquered his fears, his insecurities, his doubts, his short-comings - because he knew he had a purpose.

We can do the same. God intends us to be conquerors too. You too have a God-given purpose to bless.