The People Doth Protest

Last December, while reading through a magazine article full of predictions for the coming year, I don’t recall any of the prognosticators foreseeing the political protests and civil unrest that has unfolded across the world these last two months. Of course, no one can anticipate every possible future event, but it seems that many of the persistent demonstrations – and the success of them – have caught some world leaders by surprise. A populist uprising in Tunisia deposed the authoritarian President, Abidine ben Ali, who had ruled for 24 years. In Egypt, protests against President Mubarak’s system of governance eventually resulted in his resignation. Neighbor to Tunisia and Egypt, Libya has descended into civil war, a tragic development of demonstrations against Colonel Gaddafi. Elsewhere in the world, protests – and rumors of protests – are under way in such places as Bahrain, Yemen, Djibouti, Iran, and China. In Wisconsin even, state employees are vehemently protesting proposed changes to their benefits and employment agreements.

It was against this backdrop – this apparent spirit of intransigence sweeping the globe – that I read recently of the events in Numbers 16 commonly called “Korah’s Rebellion.” But before Korah and his fellow protestors enter the scene, there is an intriguing account of a man caught gathering wood on the Sabbath. The man was taken into custody and, after word came down from above, publicly executed. As I read through this account, I found myself coming to the man’s defense: So he was gathering wood. You’re not supposed to work on the Sabbath, but what if he had a good reason? What if his children were cold or he had just received some unexpected guests? I realized however, that although the man’s motives are not disclosed to us, God knew the man’s heart and the complete circumstances of the situation. Furthermore, Sabbath desecration was a capital offense (Ex 31:15), so although the punishment struck me as severe, God’s sense of justice – and love – dictated that it be the necessary outcome.

Perhaps we are given a hint into the man’s motives in the following verses. Immediately after the man’s execution, God instructs Moses to have the people wear tassels on their garments as a reminder of His commandments and that they “not follow after their own heart and their own eyes.” In fact, there are three reasons given: 1) to remember God’s commandments, 2) by remembering, to keep the commandments, and 3) to be holy. Indeed, the temptation to do what is right in our own eyes necessitates frequent reminders of what is right in God’s eyes.

Enter Korah and his comrades. In a scene reminiscent of some large-scale intervention, Korah and 250 national leaders confronted Moses about his perceived abuse of authority. He needn’t exalt himself, they argued, because “all the congregation are holy, every one of them.” Perhaps they thought the wood gathering man’s punishment was unnecessary. Perhaps their pride was wounded by having to wear those silly tassels on the corners of their garments. We don’t really know, except that their grievances mounted, and so they protested.

We all know the end of the story – Korah and his colleagues were consumed by the earth and Moses was vindicated. Their protests were in vain, and the voice of Moses retained as much, if not more, authority than before. May God save us from following in their footsteps and being so distracted by what we perceive to be injustices that we fail to remember God and keep His commandments.

So what should our posture be, in these days of discord and division? Consider the words of Jesus: blessed are the peacemakers. Note that no such blessing is reserved for those who protest, demonstrate, or overthrow governments. Certainly, there is a big difference between standing up for righteousness and mob-driven demonstrations, but personally, I don’t wish to have any part in the spirits of protestation and rebellion causing so many to rise up in various parts of the world. May each of us find the grace to view and respond to the situations we encounter in life from God’s perspective and therein find the means to be peacemakers instead of protesters.

What is Love?

As those of you who are regular users of the Holiday Countdown iPhone app are no doubt already aware, a major American holiday is rapidly approaching on the calendar. This February 14, countless couples will celebrate Valentine’s Day with flowers, confections, and greeting cards. I, and many others, used to refer to this day as Singles Awareness Day, but for various reasons, I no longer find that necessary. How interesting it is that although nothing is known of the ancient martyrs from whom the holiday received its name, we have come to have a day devoted entirely to the celebration of love and affection. The executives at the Hallmark Corporation must be especially grateful.

“Love” is perhaps the most used, and abused, epithet in the English language. I’m sure we’ve all heard people speak of their undying love for a particular brand of shampoo, the latest technological gadget, or even sports teams. While I usually wouldn’t wish to evaluate the merits of the object of anyone’s affections (Hey, I love salads!), I think we’ll find that a consideration of the nature of true love will reveal a more significant degree of commitment is present.

My working definition of love (modified from Dave Murray) is thus: Love is the commitment of my will, energy, and resources to your needs and best interests, regardless of the cost to me. It means that love does not evaluate the worthiness of its recipients, or attach conditions to its liberality. It means that love is not a feeling, dependent upon transient emotions, but a decision and a conscious act of the will. Upon further examination, I can’t honestly say that I feel this way about a plate of lettuce greens and vegetables. But I can say, by God’s grace, that I have made this commitment to my family and those whom God brings into my experience.

A review of several verses from I Corinthians 13 yields some valuable insights. The most impressive oratory, without love, is mere cacophony. Faith and prophesy are powerless when offered from a loveless heart. Generosity, absent love, results in emptiness. Love is kind and patient, unselfish and longsuffering. Love is always supportive and loyal, hopeful and trusting. Love doesn’t keep score, or rejoice in evil. Love never fails!

As we aspire to emulate such lofty concepts, remember the example of our Divine Redeemer. We were in need – a serious need of existential proportions. Were this need not met, we would be finished. But Jesus saw, and had compassion; He devoted His will and available resources to meeting our need, even though it cost Him everything – His status, His position, and ultimately, His life. That is love, and more than anything else Valentine’s Day might recognize, it’s worth celebrating. May the same Spirit of love that drove our Savior to the cross be in us as we interact with our families, friends, and colleagues, and as we intercede for a world in need of redemption.

Notice

My church publishes a weekly newsletter, and during the next six months, it will be my turn to write half the articles. So, about every other week, I'll be posting my columns on these pages as well.