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Holy Week runs against the grain of culture, as it did from the start. The classical world, for instance, considered Christianity to be upstart foolishness. Now, many call it “outdated.” The Church however is  untroubled by such criticisms for it is self-consciously countercultural, concerned instead with fidelity to the gospel.

The words of English non-conformist preacher John Angell James (1785 – 1859) are meant to embarrass any pastor made craven by the culture. He spoke in a day when modernism was budding; his words hold strong in the postmodern era.

“It should never be forgotten that the time when the apostles discharged their ministry was only just after the Augustan era of the ancient world. Poetry had recently bestowed on the lettered world the works of Virgil and Horace. The light of philosophy, though waning, still shed its luster over Greece. The arts still exhibited their most splendid creations, though they had ceased to advance. It was at such a time, and amidst such scenes, the gospel began its course. The voices of the apostles were listened to by sages who had basked in the sunshine of Athenian wisdom, and were reverberated in startling echo from temples and statues that had been shaken by the thunders of Cicero and Demosthenes; yet they conceded nothing to the demands of philosophy, but held forth the cross as the only object they felt they had a right to exhibit. They never once entertained the degrading notion that they must accommodate themselves to the philosophy or the taste of the age in which they lived, and the places where they ministered . . .

Whether the apostle addressed himself to the philosophers on Mars Hill, or to the barbarians on the island of Melita; whether he reasoned with the Jews in their synagogues, or with the Greeks in the school of Tyrannus, he had but one theme, and that was Christ, and him crucified. And what right, or what reason have we for deviating from this high and imperative example? Be it so, that we live in a literary, philosophic, and scientific age, what then? Is it an age that has outlived the need of the gospel for its salvation; or for the salvation of which any thing else can suffice but the gospel? The supposition that something else than pure Christianity, as the theme of our pulpit ministrations, is requisite for such a period as this, or that it must be presented in philosophic guise, appears to me a most perilous sentiment, as being a disparagement to the gospel itself, a daring assumption of wisdom superior to God’s, and containing the germ of infidelity.^1”

PS. You may be wondering why I’ve chosen Jerome’s picture for this post. It is because he is a terrific example, in my humble opinion, of someone who grasped this truth. You’ll recall Jerome’s story about a dream in which he was brought before the great judge. Asked who he was, he answered that he was a Christian. "You lie," said the judge, "you are a Ciceronian. Where your treasure is, there is your heart." From that day forward, Jerome resolved never again to covet the literary works he had loved so well, but to devote himself to Scripture. This is the spirit of Holy Week.

Footnotes:

¹ The Founders Journal 43, Winter 2001, 24, http://www.founders.org/FJ43/article2.html. Quoting from John Angell James, An Earnest Ministry: The Want of the Times (1847; reprinted in Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1993), 69-73

Pulling out from my driveway this morning, I caught Steve Winwood’s 1980’s hit, “Bring Me a Higher Love.” Maybe you’ve had this experience before: it’s a song I’ve heard countless times over the years, yet have never actually heard the words. Today, as I finally listened carefully, I realized the enormous relevance it has for this particular week, traditionally called Holy Week. Here is the opening stanza:

Think about it, there must be higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above
Without it, life is a wasted time
Look inside your heart, I’ll look inside mine
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk blind and we try to see
Falling behind in what could be

Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love
Where’s that higher love I keep thinking of?

With needy hearts and impaired vision, surrounded by the world’s pain, longing for a “higher love” to safeguard our souls, we have the opportunity, in Winwood’s words, to “think about it.” In busy routines and multi-tasking, we can slow down to read, to pray, and to think upon the passion of Jesus. Of the activities we’ll observe and celebrate this week, such concentrated reflection is surely among the most rewarding.

Peter Hitchens, brother of Christopher, a Christian, and the author of The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith , tells his story here. Well worth eight minutes:

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the assumptions and general ideology driving progressive taxation. Perhaps you have been too. If so, you might find the following quote helpful, as I did.

Austrian-trained economist Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) came to America on the eve of World War II. He was a prolific writer on behalf of capitalism. Among his books are Theory of Money and Credit, Socialism, and Human Action. In the following passage from Planning for Freedom, he disparages inheritance taxes and the progressive income tax, whereby those who make more pay not only pay more, but pay a higher percentage of their income. He shows these two forms of taxation, that many take for granted in a free society, are right out of the Communist bible and a good way to weaken the economy.

“Looking backward on the evolution of income tax rates from the beginning of the Federal income tax in 1913 until the present day, one can hardly expect that the tax will not one day absorb 100% of all surplus above the income of the average voter. It is this that Marx and Engels had in mind when in the Communist Manifesto they recommended “a heavy progressive or graduated income tax.”

Another of the suggestions of the Communist Manifesto was “abolition of all right of inheritance.” Now, neither in Great Britain nor in this country have the laws gone up to this point. But again, looking backward upon the past history of the estate taxes, we have to realize that they more and more have approached the goal set by Marx. Estate taxes of the height they have already attained for the upper brackets are no longer to be qualified as taxes. They are measures of expropriation.

The philosophy underlying the system of progressive taxation is that the income and the wealth of the well-to-do classes can be freely tapped. What the advocates of these tax rates fail to realize is that the greater part of the incomes taxed away would not have been consumed but saved and invested. In fact, this fiscal policy does not only prevent the further accumulation of new capital. It brings about capital decumulation. This is certainly today the state of affairs in Great Britain.”¹

Footnotes:

¹ Ludwig von Mises, Planning for Freedom, and Other Essays and Address, 2^nd ed. (South Holland, IL: Libertarian Press, 1952, 1962), 31-32.

March is hemophilia awareness month, something our family is aware of since we have a son with the condition. Simply put, hemophilia is a disorder in which one’s blood fails to clot. Such people sometimes cannot stop bleeding on their own, which poses a host of potential problems, all of which improve your prayer life.

This may sound frightening, but for people in countries like the United States, there is medicine that can stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, for people in many parts of the world such medical care is unavailable, that is, with the exception of when they are assisted by Laurie Kelley’s phenomenal organization, Save One Life.

Save One Life is a nonprofit that offers sponsorships to individual children or adults with a bleeding disorder in developing countries. Because hemophilia can cause severe pain, crippling and even death when untreated, such provision is vitally important. In many countries there is usually no budget to purchase the blood-clotting medicine needed to sustain life. And for a disorder as rare as hemophilia, governments and social agencies usually cannot help. For under a dollar a day you can sponsor a child or adult with hemophilia.

Save One Life is dedicated to the bleeding disorders community, uses funds carefully and diligently, and has strong personal relationships with the organizations in developing countries (NGOs) that manage programs.

Many of you will recall that Elton, our guest from Zimbabwe, was a recipient of Save One Life (and still is, thankfully). Having seen the profound difference it made in his life, I’m compelled to tell you about it. More information is available on at www.saveonelife.net.

I recently reconnected with an old high-school buddy whose wife, Natalia, is a gifted artist. After moving to the US from Prague, she pursued her passion of drawing animals in such a way as to reveal their personality, character, and beauty.

Last night I enjoyed learning about Natalia’s work from her website and thought that perhaps you would too. With the frequency of my boys’ requests for a dog, I have a feeling that it won’t be long before I am in the market for such a drawing. You can enjoy it for yourself by clicking here.

Some of you will remember Elton, the stranger who became a dear friend when he stayed with us for six weeks this time last year. Traveling for the first time from his city of Harare, Zimbabwe, much less on a plane to the United States, Elton came for major surgery at RUSH hospital in Chicago. Since we have a son with hemophilia, the same condition as Elton’s, we volunteered to provide hospitality. Little did we know how God would use Elton to enrich our lives.

Those of you who followed our daily posts will recall the wonderful and sometimes dramatic events that unfolded during those weeks. Over the last twelve months, since Elton returned to Africa, we have enjoyed periodic updates and are happy to report that Elton is still walking without the use of his crutch. Thankfully, despite the economic turmoil and harsh realities of Zimbabwe, Elton and his family are doing well.

So what’s the greatest lesson that we learned from Elton? Reflecting upon this question this morning, I’d say the answer is best described by the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor 4:8-18:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies…. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

“Divine grace” best summarizes the Holy Ground Southern California book tour. Having visited 12 different churches to meet with pastors, spoken at four of them, and a university, I am keenly aware of God’s merciful oversight. Here is one example. It may sound insignificant, but it’s really quite amazing: while traversing foreign cities with the threat of California traffic around every turn, not once was I late for a visit. Clearly, there has been an intelligent power greater than On Star responsible for guiding me.  Indeed, it has been the Lord himself, full of kindness. And in the final analysis, there’s nothing more to say about it than the doxology.

Last night I spoke at First Presbyterian Church of San Diego. After changing my Hawaiian shirt for something more Presbyterian-like, I loaded copies of Holy Ground into the car and traveled downtown with Ralph and Donna. A large number of former Catholics, and also some practicing ones, attended. Their thoughtful questions and valuable input made the evening a pleasure.

This morning (Thursday) I visited a new Catholic University in the area called John Paul the Great, since it is located just a few miles from my residence. Dr. Michael Barber, Professor of Theology, gave me a personal tour. The school’s mission has been shaped by the so called “New Evangelization” of Pope John Paul II (some of you may have read my Christianity Today article titled “Catholics Come Home?” which touched upon the movement). Before leaving, I provided copies of Holy Ground to faculty members.

Goodbyes are always tough, especially when you’re saying them to close friends. This was so when the MacKenzie’s drove me to the airport this afternoon. It’s nice to know that in Christ such occasions are only temporary.

Thanks to all of you who have been following these posts, lifting me in prayer, making me laugh with your humorous commentary.  I have received many such messages, some of which from far-way places like Germany, Italy, England, India, and various states across the country.

Finally, praise God that he chooses to use Mr. Magoos to accomplish his purposes.  What can we say except to echo the Psalmist’s anthem, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Psalm 115:1).

Ralph MacKenzie, pictured below, has been my host, theological consultant, chauffer, chef, and good buddy. You may recall that Ralph coauthored a book with Norm Geisler titled Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences. With his doctrinal acumen and exceedingly affable personality, Ralph, with his lovely wife, Donna, are the unsung heroes of our San Diego visit.  The MacKenzie’s loving support has profoundly enriched the last week of ministry.

Since I’m on the topic of expressing gratitude to friends, I must also thank my buddy Jimmy (pictured below) and his dear wife Julia who hosted me in Los Angeles. Jimmy and I go back to our College days at Moody where we started an open air preaching ministry. Together, we comprised a minority group on campus of Sicilian evangelicals (just the two of us). After serving in France for several years, Jim is now doing a Master of Divinity. Any friend who gives you his bed while he and his wife sleep on an air mattress is a friend indeed.

This evening (Wednesday) I delivered a presentation at First Church in San Diego, after having visited with pastors at two dynamic churches: The Rock and Maranatha.  Highlights and photos are forthcoming.

I intend to post a summary tomorrow of the overall trip. In the meantime, let me express heartfelt thanks to all of you for your prayerful support and encouragement! 

Today’s meeting with pastors was a delight. It started, like most days, with a visit the office to catch up on email and to post updates on the blog. Thankfully, the office is located every two blocks, as pictured below.

Angela returned home last night. A week away from the kids was long enough. Thankfully, she didn’t get bumped from the flight as she did on her trip here. She called this morning having received hugs and kisses from three excited little boys.

In the evening before the sunset, looking out from the top of Mount Soledad (pictured below), I read Psalm 121, thanking God for his sovereign grace:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip– he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you– the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm– he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”