David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

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In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

  • God at Work

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    Acts 19:11-22

    And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

    21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

    Church Ceiling | Bucharest, Bulgaria | April 2024

    Tom is an outstanding, dedicated, and successful servant of Christ. The church he serves is growing spiritually and numerically. The ministries he guides and supports are touching people’s hearts and changing people’s lives. The attention and accolades he receives are turned immediately toward God. “I am a clay vessel,” he says. “God is the one who is at work. I am his instrument.” Tom doesn’t care whether he gets the credit for any success as long as God gets the glory.

    Robert is an up-and-coming church leader. He is on the front page of his church’s national newspaper. He is invited to event after event. He is sought after as a speaker, and envied by many in his church denomination. There is never a need to search for him. He manages to find the limelight wherever he goes. He’s happy to be recognized and receive the kudos for any successful ministry effort. He’ll also look for any trick or ploy to gain an advantage.

    Tom is like Paul. Robert is like the sons of Sceva. Paul was completely dedicated to the work of God’s mission. Sceva’s sons were dedicated to using Paul’s fame and power to make a name for themselves.

    On other occasions Paul would meet opposition, and even failure. Whether being stoned and left for dead, imprisoned, or ignored or opposed, Paul knew what it was like to struggle. But he never had to face it because he was pretending to be someone else, or borrowing someone else’s fame. And Paul didn’t fade into ignomy when he met opposition. Sceva’s sons run out of the house naked and wounded, never to be heard from again.

    When someone’s skill and competence is not complemented by their character, dangerous things happen. If character is lacking, competent people can do great harm. God shaped Paul’s character through his suffering and hardships. We can keep this in mind whenever we meet challenges and difficulties of any kind. God is at work not only in the times of glory and success, but also when we face trials and tribulations. For our good and the good of others.

  • Today’s Psalms for May 5, 2024

    Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

    Psalm 5:1-3

    Give ear to my words, O Lord;
        consider my groaning.
    2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
        my King and my God,
        for to you do I pray.
    3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
        in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

    Psalm 35:27-28

    Let those who delight in my righteousness
        shout for joy and be glad
        and say evermore,
    “Great is the Lord,
        who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
    28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
        and of your praise all the day long.

    Psalm 65:1-8

    Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
        and to you shall vows be performed.
    2 O you who hear prayer,
        to you shall all flesh come.
    3 When iniquities prevail against me,
        you atone for our transgressions.
    4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
        to dwell in your courts!
    We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
        the holiness of your temple!

    5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
        O God of our salvation,
    the hope of all the ends of the earth
        and of the farthest seas;
    6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
        being girded with might;
    7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
        the roaring of their waves,
        the tumult of the peoples,
    8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
    You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

    Psalm 95:1-7

    Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
        let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
    2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
        let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
    3 For the Lord is a great God,
        and a great King above all gods.
    4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
        the heights of the mountains are his also.
    5 The sea is his, for he made it,
        and his hands formed the dry land.

    6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
        let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
    7 For he is our God,
        and we are the people of his pasture,
        and the sheep of his hand.

    Psalm 125

    Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
        which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
    2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
        so the Lord surrounds his people,
        from this time forth and forevermore.
    3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
        on the land allotted to the righteous,
    lest the righteous stretch out
        their hands to do wrong.
    4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
        and to those who are upright in their hearts!
    5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
        the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
        Peace be upon Israel!

    English Standard Version (ESV)
    The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
    Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

  • The Kingdom of God Part 2

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    Acts 19:1-10

    And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

    8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

    Church Ceiling | Bucharest, Bulgaria | April 2024

    I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord.

    Jesus has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.

    Jesus did this so that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

    This is because Jesus is risen from the dead. He lives and reigns to all eternity.

    This is most certainly true.

    – Based on the explanation to the Second Article of the Apostle’s Creed in Luther’s Small Catechism

    The rule and reign of God is established by a hard fought and won battle. The forces of evil aligned against Jesus, God’s Son. The Jewish religious leaders conspired with Roman government officials to put Jesus to death. Satan himself tempted Jesus in an effort to thwart his mission to seek and save the lost, establish his true kingdom in a broken world. Even the world participated, darkness shrouding the  earth during the crucifixion of Jesus.

    And for a time the world, Satan, and Jesus’ enemies thought they had won. Life could go on apart from Jesus’ interference and God’s meddling.

    But when Jesus rose from the dead, he proved that he had won. Life had overcome death. Justice had prevailed over corruption, brutality, hatred, and sin. This is the means of our salvation. This is the foundation of Jesus’ kingdom, his rule and reign.

    We live under Christ in his rule and reign of grace and truth. His is the way of life and salvation, glory and joy. Jesus is Lord because he is Redeemer. When I was lost, he found me. When I was ensnared by sin, he forgave me. When I was dead he made me alive. When I was blind, he gave me sight. He did all this so that I may live under him in his rule and reign.

    We live in the rule and reign of Christ now. By grace. Through faith. It is not now by sight. But one day we will live there by sight. Faith will be vindicated. Hope will be fulfilled. Love will hold us together with him. An eternal glorious day!

  • Validation

    Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

    Acts 19:1-10

    And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

    8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

    Flowers on Crumbling Balcony | Bucharest, Bulgaria | April 2024

    I bought a “Rolex” watch in Beijing, China many years ago. I paid $5.00 for it. I knew it wasn’t the real thing, even though it looked like the real thing. It never has run. I took a photo of a beautiful flower on the table at dinner on that same trip. It looked real enough to me. And it was real. It just happened to be made of silk.

    The real thing when it comes to baptism is twofold. First it is the plain and simple words by which Jesus instituted baptism, “in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Perhaps it goes without saying that those words would be different in each different language. Spanish: “en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo.” German: “m Namen des Vaters und des Sohnes und des heiligen Geistes.” Greek: “εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος.”

    I mention this because there is another aspect of true Christian baptism that bears considering. There are those so-called churches which may use similar words and even baptize people with those words, but whose confession denies the truth of who Jesus really is, or which denies the Trinity as the true expression of God’s majestic nature. The confession of the gathering of believers is of vital importance to true and authentic baptism.

    It would be so good if there was a validating sign showing that a baptism was true and authentic – like there was in Paul’s day. In that case, it was a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This was likely speaking in tongues, or some other outward manifestation. It is significant that these are recorded in Acts when the Gospel message breaks new territory. The manifestation seems to be for the sake of the Gospel itself, not to prove the faith of the person being baptized.

    This is an echo of Acts 2:43, “ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.” These signs and wonders validate the ministry and mission of the Early Church. 

    Today the validation is not in the pastor’s character who baptizes, nor even the name of the church in which one is baptized. (Don’t get me started by saying, “I was baptized Lutheran.” That’s simply not true.) The validity of baptism is found in the Words used and the confession of the Gospel held by the community of believers where one is being baptized.

    Lutherans acknowledge any baptism with water – by pouring, sprinkling, or immersing – in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. These words, combined with water place us into a community of grace and truth in which God is glorified and sinners are saved. There’s no better validation than that.

  • Baptism

    Acts 19:1-10

    And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

    8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

    Zagorsk Monastery Baptistry | Near Moscow, Russia | February 1993

    I recall very few baptisms. But two stick out in my mind. My own baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” when I was 8 years old is most important. The second memorable baptism was of our fourth-born son, at the Neonatal ICU. A styrofoam cup. Diane, Stephen, and me. There are others I can call to mind, but I don’t know the names of all whom I have baptized, nor did I keep my own personal record of baptisms as some pastors do.

    But I do know that when someone is baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, something very important happens. God’s gifts are sealed to the believing person. God’s name is attached with many Bible promises to an infant who is baptized. Sins are forgiven. We are united with Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are born again by the washing of water with the Word. (cf. Acts 2:38-39; Romans 6:1-6; Ephesians 5:25-26; 1 Peter 3:21)

    In Corinth, some people didn’t even know there was a Holy Spirit. They were baptized into John’s baptism – one of repentance in anticipation of the coming Savior. Jesus had come now, and his command was clear: “Make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

    I have been privileged to baptize many people, and rejoice in the work of God through water and the Word. I pray that those who have been baptized remain faithful to Christ, and enjoy the eternal blessings of God’s mercy and grace, in Jesus’ name, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

  • The Symphony of God’s Love

    Acts 18:18-28

    After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

    Woven Fence | Bucharest, Romania | April 2024

    When I received the Call to serve as pastor at St. John, in Cypress, I urgently and prayerfully sought to know the will of God. I loved the people at Holy Cross. Ministry was going well there. But the Call to Cypress was very compelling. There was an obvious need for me at St. John. I was torn and unable to discern what was God’s will in that case.

    So I ended up writing two letters. One said I was staying at Holy Cross. The other said I was accepting the Call to St. John. When I showed the letters to Diane, she confirmed what I had concluded. We were moving to Cypress.

    It wasn’t an easy or lightly-taken decision. I believe I could have stayed at Holy Cross and enjoyed God’s blessings there. But I could really understand Paul’s words to the Ephesians when he said, “I will return to you if God wills.” I didn’t intend to return to Holy Cross per se, but I felt that God had shaped my decision to move to Cypress.

    We are able often to understand what the will of God is when looking back on the past. The pieces come together. We have that aha moment when we see how God has orchestrated life. We see how God’s bigger picture is played out in the little decisions we make as we seek to live out Jesus’ prayer, “Thy will be done.”

    Jesus prayed that prayer under intense circumstances as he faced his coming suffering and death. He taught us all to pray that prayer regularly, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer. We also pray, in that prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” Our best decision-making process will always put those two together: God’s mission and God’s will are a symphony of his love for us and all people.

  • Serious Dedication, Joyous Connections, & the Will of God

    Acts 18:18-28

    After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

    22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

    24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

    Church Building in Village Museum | Bucharest, Romania | April 2024

    I’ve fasted two times in my life – at least in any halfway serious sense of the word. Once I was praying for people to come to our special Christmas Eve services at the church I was serving at the time. We had a bountifully-wonderful attendance that evening. The other notable time was on a prayer retreat. I discovered that for me, the fasting itself seemed to yield little spiritual breakthrough. But as I came out of the fast, God opened my mind to new insights that I had not anticipated.

    For purely spiritual reasons I ought to fast more often. This practice is long-standing in the Christian church. Jesus himself fasted for forty days and nights. David fasted and prayed for his newborn child who was ill. Daniel fasted in a manner, eating only vegetables in preparation for serving the king. Richard Foster has written a brief article on fasting that you might find insightful and edifying.

    Paul seems to have been on some sort of fast, and ending it he shaves his head. In other words, for a period of time he must have sought understanding, insight, special help from God, and had made a vow not to cut his hair until the time had passed. Luke simply makes the offhand remark that Paul cut his hair because he had made a vow.

    I don’t believe you or I earn any extra credit for fasting, praying, or any other spiritual discipline. But I do believe that such focused and dedicated practices can sharpen our spiritual vision, and help us keep in mind our need for God, his grace, help, guidance, and favor. It doesn’t earn any of those things, but it would certainly be good that we recognize our need for all of them.

  • Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth

    Acts 18:12-17

    But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

    Stained Glass in the Cathedral of the Assumption | Kalocsa, Hungary | April 2024

    Few people today worry whether we or anyone else are worshiping God according to the law. But this was the concern of the Jews in Paul’s day – in a pagan culture, no less. They accused him saying that he was persuading people to worship God contrary to the law. Aside from the so-called Worship Wars those kinds of accusations seem distant and unimportant.

    Sadly, however, there are those who engage in such arguments even in our own tribe. Questions about contemporary and traditional worship come to mind. In my ministry I’ve always stressed that these are preferences. We can worship God in Spirit and in Truth in a highly liturgical service, or in a very contemporary setting. We can also – sadly – fail the Spirit and Truth test in either mode of worship. The mode carries the message, or it doesn’t. The people engage from the heart or they don’t. The truth is foundational or not.

    There are those who say one mode or another is the only proper manner of worship fall dangerously close to a Roman Catholic understanding of the 16th century (hopefully not taught today!), that the mere saying of the right words is all that matters. It’s called, ex opere operato, a Latin phrase meaning “by the work of the work.” Just say the words. Just do the thing. No one has to engage. They just have to be present.

    Jesus says we should worship God in Spirit and in Truth. I see the Trinity there” God, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus who is the Truth incarnate. We don’t make our worship acceptable by any means. But when in faith we call upon God, gathering in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and his truth is foundational, the worship we offer and the sacraments we celebrate are truly God-pleasing. He is glorified. We are edified. Thank God for those who serve us in this manner!

  • It’s Not Just Ours

    Acts 18:12-17

    But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

    Red Rose | Belgrade, Serbia | April 2024

    Lots of people seem to believe that the truth of God is entirely subjective. Like Gallio. For him, the questions surrounding Paul’s behavior and the charges brought against him were none of his business. It was a matter of their laws, words, and names, not his. They were a non-issue as far as he was concerned.

    We’ve been traveling through eastern Europe these past few days and especially when it comes to Serbia and Croatia, the matters about names and laws are still very much alive. There are reminders everywhere about the war just before the turn of the century. A tower with bomb holes still in it. A hotel gutted and abandoned. Urban decay everywhere you look. Memorials to both survivors of the communist aggressors as well as the Serbian fighters. People here are living with a constant reminder that they must not forget the past. And there is a long and storied past in these parts of the world – dating back century upon century.

    Most of us find it curious but somewhat distant. It’s time to let go, we think. Yes, there have been atrocities and abuses. We should not think it was nothing. And we should guard ourselves from falling prey to the evil designs of evil men.

    Even more important, though, are the truths of God. We have our church buildings, ornate crosses, or Christian decorations at Christmas and Easter. These are reminders of an eternal truth of God’s redemption, grace, and love. They are good – not to be despised. But the greater truth – that is not just our truth – is that God’s love is given to be shared. His truth is the foundation of a life lived in service to one another. His love is the power for our acts of grace and kindness toward others.

    This is true for all people.

  • Mindfulness

    Acts 18:12-17

    But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

    Highest Praise | Belgrade, Serbia | April 2024

    Diane and I are trying to be more mindful. It’s so easy just to lay our phone down without thinking, walk away, and forget where we laid it. No problem, really, when we’re at home, and can use find my phone to locate it. But when we are not mindful of one another, or someone in need of our help, that’s another mater.

    Gallio is in a position to intervene in the treatment of Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler, but he pays no attention. Not my circus. Not my monkeys. That’s clearly his attitude. And the innocent ruler is beaten with none to intervene. Paul will stay some time there, but will eventually leave for Antioch. Nothing more is said of Sosthenes, But I’m reminded of the idea that if no one speaks up, evil goes unpunished and continues on its course.

    Thank God for those who speak up. I’m thinking of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I’m thinking of Anne Frank. I’m thinking of Peter, Paul, Martin Luther, and others who have not kept quiet. They were mindful of injustice, deceptive promises, and false beliefs. They did not turn away mindlessly.

    They were reflecting the character and nature of God. Jesus said that not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father’s knowledge (cf. Matthew 10:29). And this promise: “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?” (Hebrews 2:6).

    So is God mindful. So should we be.