OCTOBER, 2009
REFLECTION
The following Scripture is from the
Gospel according to Mark, Chapter 7,
verses 31-37: “Jesus left the district of
Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the
Sea of Galilee, into the district of the
Decapolis. And people brought to him
a deaf man who had a speech
impediment and begged him to lay his
hand on him. He took him off by
himself away from the crowd. He put
his finger into the man’s ears and,
spitting, touched his tongue; then he
looked up to heaven and groaned, and
said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ – that is, ‘Be
opened!’ – and immediately the man’s
ears were opened, his speech
impediment was removed, and he spoke
plainly. He ordered them not to tell
anyone. But the more he ordered them
not to, the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and
they said, ‘He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute
speak.’” There is much symbolic
richness for us here, so let’s explore
the passage in more detail and make
some important applications for our
spiritual life. First, notice that the
afflicted man asked for help with his
speech impediment. But that
impediment was a symptom of a
deeper problem: He was deaf, and
this resulted in his difficulty with
speech. And so it is with us. When we
complain that we are not able to
explain, enunciate, or even really
understand our faith, it is not a speech
problem – it is a hearing problem.
Second, note the sentence, “He took
him off by himself away from the
crowd.” Let’s be honest with
ourselves: How frequently do I go
away from the crowd, find a place and
time of silence, and commune quietly
with Jesus? Unless that happens on a
regular basis, we simply cannot hear
God, we cannot discern His will for us,
we wind up walking according to our
own desires and miss out on all that
He has for us. Third, do we even
recognize that we are deaf? No
matter where we are in our spiritual
journey, no matter how close we
believe we are to God – and thank
God for that – there is always a higher
and deeper place that God wants to
lead us to. Think about it: When we
became Christians, when we were
filled with sanctifying grace, we were
invited to share in the divine life of the
Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit
– even now during life on earth. As
Paul wrote, “We are caught up into the
heavenlies.” We know by God’s
revelation of Himself and by faith that
God is infinite, totally holy, living
Love, omnipresent, omniscient and
the source of all creation and all of
life. We will spend all of eternity in
heaven, if the Lord grants the
fulfillment of this ultimate life goal,
adoring and worshiping Him and
plumbing ever more deeply into the
1
mysteries and richness of His divine
life. And for all eternity we will never
completely comprehend it all, we will
never stop growing – for His is God
and we are His beloved creatures. So,
if that is true in heaven, it is certainly
true on earth. In fact, we can say
without exaggeration that the primary
purpose of our life on earth is to
consistently, daily grow in relationship
with the Lord, in knowledge of Him,
and in finding His perfect will for us.
If that is our goal, and if we work
toward it with passion every day, we
will find a peace that surpasses all
understanding, we will grow regularly
in sensitivity toward the needs of
others with a growing servant’s heart,
and every act, word and thought –
indeed, every breath – becomes a
living prayer of praise and of
intercession for the world. If we do
not admit our deafness, if we so focus
on the activities and responsibilities of
daily life that we do not take time,
every day, to commune with God –
through Scripture and through just
being quiet in His presence – then we
will miss out on the fullness of what
God wants for us and what He wants
to do in our lives. Regardless of past
failures, now is the moment to refocus,
to rededicate, and to build
communication with God into our
daily lives – not just on Sundays, or
other times when we enter a church –
but as the most important activity of
every single day. Let’s close this
Reflection with another Scripture,
from Isaiah 35, verses 4-7: “Thus says
the Lord: Say to those whose hearts
are frightened: Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God, he comes with
vindication; with divine recompense he
comes to save you. Then will the eyes
of the blind be opened, the ears of the
deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap
like a stag, then the tongue of the mute
will sing. Streams will burst forth in
the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The
burning sands will become pools, and
the thirsty ground, springs of water.”
He yearns so deeply to tell us of
Himself, to show us Himself, to bring
us into every deeper union with Him!
A 4TH CENTURY READING
John Chrysostom was born in 349
and died in 407. He became the
Bishop of Constantinople and was
a gifted writer and speaker. On
two occasions he was forced into
exile, by the imperial court and by
his enemies. “Chrysostom” means
“Golden Mouth.” The following is
one of his sermons: “The waters
have risen and severe storms are
upon us, but we do not fear
drowning, for we stand firmly
upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it
cannot break the rock. Let the
waves rise, they cannot sink the
boat of Jesus. What are we to
fear? Death? ‘Life to me means
Christ, and death is gain.’ Exile?
‘The earth and its fullness belong
to the Lord.’ The confiscation of
our goods? ‘We brought nothing
into this world, and we shall
surely take nothing from it.’ I
have only contempt for the world’s
threats. I find its blessings
laughable. I have no fear of
poverty, no desire for wealth. I am
not afraid of death no do I long to
live, except for your good. I
concentrate therefore on the
2
present situation, and I urge you,
my friends, to have confidence.
Do you not hear the Lord saying,
‘Where two or three are gathered
in my name, there I am in their
midst’? Will he be absent, then,
when so many people united in
love are gathered together? I have
his promise; I am surely not going
to rely on my own strength! I have
what he has written; that is my
staff, my security, my peaceful
harbor. Let the world be in
upheaval. I hold to his promise
and read his message; that is my
protecting wall and garrison.
What message? ‘Know that I am
with you always, until the end of
the world!’ If Christ is with me,
whom shall I fear? Though the
waves and the sea and the anger of
princes are roused against me, they
are less to me than a spider’s web.
Indeed, unless you, my brothers,
had detained me, I would have left
this very day. For I always say:
‘Lord, your will be done;’ not what
this fellow or that would have me
do, but what you want me to do.
That is my strong tower, my
immovable rock, my staff that
never gives way. If God wants
something, let it be done! If he
wants me to stay here, I am
grateful. But wherever he wants
me to be, I am no less grateful.
Yet where I am, there you are, too,
and where you are, I am. For we
are a single body, and the body
cannot be separated from the head
nor the head from the body.
Distance separates us, but love
unites us, and death itself cannot
divide us. For though my body
die, my soul will live and be
mindful of my people. You are
my fellow citizens, my fathers, my
brothers, my sons, my limbs, my
body. You are my light, sweeter to
me than the visible light. For what
can the rays of the sun bestow on
me that is comparable to your
love? The sun’s light is useful in
my earthly life, but your love is
fashioning a crown for me in the
life to come.”
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Sarah Palin: Before it got to the other
side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and
dressed it, and had chicken burgers
for lunch. Barack Obama: The
chicken crossed the road because it
was time for a change! The chicken
wanted change! John McCain: My
friends, that chicken crossed the road
because he recognized the need to
engage in cooperation and dialogue
with all the chickens on the other side
of the road. Hillary Clinton: When I
was First Lady, I personally helped
that little chicken to cross the road.
This experience makes me uniquely
qualified to ensure from Day One that
every chicken in this country gets the
chance it deserves to cross the road.
But then, this isn’t really about me.
George W. Bush: We don’t really
care why the chicken crossed the road.
We just want to know if the chicken is
on our side of the road or not. The
chicken is either against us, or for us.
3
There is no middle ground here. Dick
Cheney: Where’s my gun? Colin
Powell: Now, to the left of the screen,
you can clearly see the satellite image
of the chicken crossing the road. Bill
Clinton: I did not cross the road with
that chicken. What is your definition
of chicken? Al Gore: I invented the
chicken. John Kerry: Although I
voted to let the chicken cross the road,
I am now against it. It was the wrong
road to cross, and I was misled about
the chicken’s intentions. I am not for
it now and will remain against it. Al
Sharpton: Why are all of the chickens
white? We need some black chickens.
Dr. Phil: The problem we have here is
that this chicken doesn’t realize that
he must first deal with the problem on
this side of the road before it goes
after the problem on the other side of
the road. What we need to do is help
him realize how stupid he’s acting by
not taking on his current problems
before adding new problems. Oprah:
Well, I understand that the chicken is
having problems, which is why he
wants to cross the road so badly. So,
instead of having the chicken learn
from his mistakes and take falls, I’m
going to give this chicken a car so that
he can just drive across the road and
not live his life like the rest of the
chickens. Nancy Grace: That chicken
crossed the road because he’s guilty!
You can see it in his eyes and in the
way he walks. Pat Buchanan: To
steal the job of a decent, hardworking
American. Dr. Seuss: Did the chicken
cross the road? Did he cross it with a
toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the
road, but why it crossed I’ve not been
told. Grandpa: In my day we didn’t
ask why the chicken crossed the road.
Somebody told us the chicken crossed
the road, and that was good enough.
Barbara Walters: In a few moments,
we will be listening to the chicken tell,
for the first time, the heart-warming
story of how it experienced a serious
case of molting and went on to
accomplish its lifelong dream of
crossing the road. Aristotle: It is the
nature of chickens to cross the road.
Bill Gates: I have just released
“eChicken2009,” which will not only
cross roads but will lay eggs, file your
important documents and balance
your checkbook. Internet Explorer is
an integral part of “eChicken2009.”
This new platform is much more
stable and will never crash or need to
be rebooted. Albert Einstein: Did the
chicken really cross the road, or did
the road move beneath the chicken?
Colonel Sanders: Did I miss one?
STORY
“Sixteen years ago I learned this
lesson. I learned it in the back of a
New York City taxi cab. Here’s
what happened: I hopped in a taxi,
and we took off for Grand Central
Station. We were driving in the
right lane when, all of a sudden, a
black car jumped out of a parking
space right in front of us. My taxi
driver slammed on his breaks,
skidded, and missed the other car’s
back end by just inches! The
driver of the other car, the guy
who almost caused a big accident,
whipped his head around and he
started yelling obscenities at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and
waved at the guy. I mean, he was
being friendly. So I said, ‘Why
did you just do that? This guy
almost ruined your car and sent us
4
to the hospital!’ And this is when
my taxi driver told me what I now
call ‘The Law of the Garbage
Truck.’ ‘Many people,’ he said,
‘are like garbage trucks. They run
around, fill of garbage, full of
frustration, full of anger and full of
disappointment. As their garbage
piles up, they need a place to dump
it. And if you let them, they’ll
dump it on you. When someone
wants to dump on you, don’t take
it personally. Just smile, wish
them well, and move on. You’ll
be happy you did.’ So, this was it:
‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’
I started thinking about how often
I let garbage trucks run right over
me, and how often I take their
garbage and spread it to other
people – at work, at home, on the
streets. That was the day I said
that I was not going to do it
anymore. Well, now I see
“Garbage Trucks” in a different
light. I see the load they are
carrying, I see them coming to
drop it off. And, like my taxi
driver, I don’t make it a personal
thing; I just smile, wave, wish
them well, and I move on. Good
parents know that they have to
welcome their children home from
school with hugs and kisses.
Leaders and spouses and all people
with servants’ hearts know that
they have to be fully present and at
their best for the people they care
about. The bottom line is that such
people do not let Garbage Trucks
take over their day. What about
you? What would happen in your
lives, starting today, if you let
more Garbage Trucks pass you by?
You would be happier and more at
peace. Life is too short to wake up
in the morning with regrets, so:
Love the people who treat you
right, but also love the people who
don’t.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“I’ve never made a fortune and it’s
probably too late now, but I don’t
worry about that much ‘cause I’m
happy anyhow. And as I go along
life’s way I’m reaping better than I
sow; I’m drinking from my saucer
‘cause my cup has overflowed. I
haven’t got a lot of riches and
sometimes the going’s tough, but
I’ve got loving ones around me
and that makes me rich enough. I
thank God for His blessings and
the mercies He’s bestowed; I’m
drinking from my saucer ‘cause
my cup has overflowed. Oh, I
remember times when things went
wrong and my faith wore
somewhat thin, but all at once the
dark clouds broke and the sun
peeped through again. So, Lord,
help me not to gripe about the
tough rows that I’ve hoed; I’m
drinking from my saucer ‘cause
my cup has overflowed. If God
gives me strength and courage
when the way grows steep and
rough, I’ll not ask for other
blessings ‘cause I’m already
5
blessed enough. And may I never
be too busy to help others bear
their loads; then I’ll keep drinking
from my saucer ‘cause my cup has
overflowed.”
PRAYER MOBILIZATION
Please pray for: The end of
corruption among leaders and a
return to the heart and soul of our
nation as our founding fathers
envisioned it…The ending of
abortion, including a change in
heart in President Obama and his
advisors…The preservation of the
sanctity of marriage, defined as
between one man and one
woman…All churches and
ministries in our region…Gregory
Thompson and Asleep kNOw
More ministry as it works for our
children and for pro-life issues…
The SDC Foundation and its
ministries and services to the
region…All the sick and dying…
All the lost, they all come to the
knowledge of the Truth…All UP
Team members and supporters, for
the strength to carry on and in
thanksgiving for their
faithfulness…Unity among all
Christians…The end of drug and
alcohol abuse and domestic and
sexual violence…In thanksgiving
for all of our blessings.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
The following is from my recently
published book, “Reflections: The
Challenge and Excitement of the
Committed Christian Life:”
Reflection 21: “Go to Hell!” “Have
you ever said that to someone, or
thought that about someone? It is a
common enough exclamation in our
society, and usually when people say it
they do not literally mean it or even
think about what it means; it is just a
way to tell someone to bug off, a way
to dismiss someone. But it is,
nevertheless, a horrible statement to
make…I am going to make a very
bold – and very true – statement: Any
Christian who wishes eternal hell for
another human being, regardless of
what that person has done, is guilty of
a terrible sin. It is absolutely contrary
to the Christian life to harbor
unforgiveness and to wish harm to
another person. There are simply no
exceptions to this, so if you as a reader
are unwilling to forgive someone –
anyone – you need to stop right now
and seek God and ask for His pardon
– and then you need to show your
sincerity by forgiving…When we do
refuse to forgive, we are haughtily
saying in effect that even though we
are glad to be forgiven (by God) we do
not choose to do the same for others…
Forgive everyone, specifically, and
right now; don’t put it off, just do it.
Eternity is hanging in the balance.
And no ‘Go to hell!’ Say instead, ‘Go
to heaven!’ (This book, along with my
other newly published book,
“Christian…Catholic…and Praising
Jesus” is available from
Authorhouse.com.)
God bless you. Peace to you and
yours. Bob Burton
bburt98@aol.com; (417) 331-1028
6
7