A Symbol of Satan or a Symbol of Christ?

     Snakes are a controversial subject. It is not at all uncommon to find people who believe with all their hearts that snakes are truly creatures from the devil and something that has deep and lasting impacts on one's spiritual life and well being. 
     I've been thinking a lot about this and decided that maybe doing a bit of research would be a good thing, so I started looking into what Scripture has to say about snakes. What I found might surprise you, since what I found was that the Bible doesn't say anything at all about snakes. It does, however, talk a fair bit about serpents, and to many people that is the same thing. The problem is that in Scripture it's not always the same thing, and seeing it as such skews the view that one may have of snakes drastically! 
      The biggest argument for the deep hatred and superstition that many Christians hold toward snakes is that it seems to have been a snake that tempted Eve in the garden of Eden. This would mean that it was a snake that God condemned to crawl on its belly, a snake that Satan used as the embodiment of himself, and a snake that is forever doomed to be an evil reminder of the terrible fall that mankind took. All the Bible story books show us pictures of a snake, sometimes wrapped around a tree branch and sometimes wrapped around a pitchfork but always filled with evil intentions. The problem with this is that in Revelation chapter 12 we see a word picture painted of the evil serpent that tempted Eve, and that picture is not of a snake but of a "great dragon." This is the only place in scripture where the serpent from Genesis chapter three is described, which means that if we are honest, and if we take the Scripture literally, we have to admit that snakes might not deserve the bad rap they've gotten as the devil's tool. 
     Another argument that is often used in reference to the inherent evilness of snakes is the strong and often negative language that is used throughout the Bible about them. Evil people are often referred to as snakes and the danger and venom that are a part of snakiness is used as an illustration in many different passages. To some, this is enough to make snakes an obvious impersonation of evil, but according to this reasoning, we also have to condemn dogs, because they are used as examples only seven fewer times than serpents are. Psalm 22:16 says: "For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet." 
     Now let's look at the flip side of this coin; what are some positives we see in Scripture regarding the serpent? In Numbers chapter 21 God was very upset with the children of Isreal and sent poisonous serpents to punish them. If they were bitten they would die UNLESS they looked upon the bronze serpent that God had Moses construct and hang on a pole in the camp. That bronze serpent was a type of Christ. John 3:14 says, "Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the desert on a pole, so must the Son of Man be lifted up on the cross." If the serpent did indeed symbolize Satan and evil, why would God choose to use it as a symbol of Christ, His Son, Our Saviour? 
      Another place that we find a serpent in Scripture is in Matthew chapter ten where Jesus commands us as Christians to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Many people who see a snake as a symbol of Satan also see doves as a symbol of Christ or the Holy Spirit. If this is true, then why would Jesus ask us to be like both in one verse?
     There is yet another issue that must be addressed; God continues to make snakes. He makes them in all shapes and sizes with all kinds of gifts, talents, venoms, uses, and practicality. There are many people who despise them, and many who find them charming and fascinating, and from what I find in Scripture neither view matters because snakes are just animals. They do not hold mystical powers, and they certainly do not all belong to the devil. If they did would God really keep creating them and allowing them to do the world of good that they do on earth in terms of keeping rodents and insects in check? 
      There is no denying that many people do deal with a very real terror of snakes. As a bonified arachnophobic I understand this completely! Snakes, spiders, insects, horses, mice, bats, dogs, and even cats; any creature that is unpredictable and quick moving has the potential to be life threatening and therefore a source of great fear. This is a natural reaction and most likely the reason that God uses serpents as examples so often throughout Scripture. Fearing something and feeling that it is inherently evil are two very different things. 
     So my friends, before you jump on the snake hating bandwagon, take a closer look at Scripture, at the nature of Christ, and at the creative genius of our Father God. He is no fool who does not cling to groundless superstitions, but he is also no fool who feels deeply his convictions and knows why he feels them. Make sure that your feelings about the inherent good or evil of an object has to do with real facts and not centuries of conditioned feelings and beliefs. Snakes, and doves, and dogs- they are animals created by God for the good of mankind and the proper running of the earth. May I gently suggest that perhaps to see them as anything borders on, superstition? 
    

Judge not that ye be not judged...

Recently I read a conversation in a group I'm a part of on face book. It was a conversation between two women who did not know each other at all. One of these ladies had posted pictures that the other lady felt were immodest and because it is a Christian group, the second lady pointed this out to the first. Given what I just said its easy to see which of these two ladies was exercising judgement on the other right? Obviously if one child of God has an issue with something another child of God does and shares that with him or her that is being judgmental. Or at least that is what the current popular opinion would say. 

Here is the thing though, the second lady in this scenario was very gentle. She did not use harsh words, she did not say anything about what was posted being 'wrong' or 'sinful' or any such thing. She did not in any way insinuate that the first lady was intending to be inappropriate. She stated her point in a very loving way, used careful wording, and made it clear that she did not want to sound harsh at all. The first lady, however, handled the situation very differently. Her words were angry. She accused the second lady of all sorts of evil and unholy intentions. She used harsh words to defend herself, when in reality she was not being attacked at all and would have known that had she read the comments with an open heart. 

So here is what is rattling around in my little brain about all of this. What if we have it all wrong? What if "Judge not that ye be not judged" does not mean "don't ever reprove or correct another Christian so that you never have to deal with reproof or correction yourself" but rather means "Do not be quick to jump to conclusions about the feelings and intentions of another person so that others will respect you and grant you the same grace." Perhaps I am being too liberal with my interpretation but it seems to me that we use the 'judge not' verse as a weapon and shield to protect ourselves from the growth that we could experience through the input of other believers in our lives. 

Let me put in a disclaimer right here: there have been times in my life that I'v been accused of judging, and times in my life that I was guilty of judging. I'm quite sure that both will happen again. But I don't want it to. I want to be an open book- a believer and follower of Jesus who takes correction with grace and holds her tongue from any words that are not healing. That is what I strive for, but have not yet attained. So please understand that Jesus is working in my heart about this, which is why I felt I needed to write about it. 

Its never easy to take correction. Its much easier to say "YOU ARE JUDGING ME, BACK OFF" than it is to listen to another person, examine our lives, and say "you are right, I see a weakness in myself." The dictionary defines the verb 'judge' like this: to form an opinion or conclusion about. Now sometimes we do that by accusing others when we should keep our opinions to ourselves. And sometimes we do that when we by deciding that the concerns others have about us are groundless. 

We make all kinds of judgements every day. We judge that someone is dirty or smelly or unsafe for our children to be around. We judge that someone is kind or gentle or a good influence on our kids. These are normal parts of life and generally don't hurt us or the ones we are 'judging' so to speak. The problem comes in when we make these conclusions and then use them to attack another person- whether that be by chastising them when we don't actually know the situation or by defending ourselves from correction by declaring another person judgmental and out of line. 

I believe, after much pondering and praying, that the bottom line is this: the verse "Judge not that ye be not judged" is addressed to each individual person. We are responsible to ensure that WE are not judging others, not that they are not judging us. We can only control our own attitudes, not the attitudes of those around us. We can love, and pray, and seek to bring restitution when Jesus lays that on our hearts. But when it comes to judging- well thats in God's hands. 

Wherever you are...

Wherever you are... You're on my mind... Last night your uncles and your dad and I went to see the holiday train... I looked around at the crowd and wondered if you were there. I watched the lights on the train cars and I cried for you. Your dad knew. We pray for you, where ever you are. We are praying that you are warm and safe and happy this Christmas. That you are with a family who will take care of you well until we are able to love you and care for you like you deserve. In Sunday school this morning your grandma was holding your little cousin and I thought of you. I wonder, will you be the kind of child that loves your grandparents so dearly? I hope so! They are wonderful people, the ones here who live close and the ones far away. They will all spoil you. They will buy you books and candy, play games with you, read you stories, give you all the love and hugs you can want... Wherever you are my darling, know you are so loved. You are prayed for every day. As I put out the nativity scenes this year I thought of you and I want you to know that I am so excited about telling you the story! I can't wait to help you learn to know the baby in the story. He grew up and He gave His life so that we would know how to love you.  I am so happy that I can tell you about that love. Wherever you are, whatever your life is like now, whether you will be here with us for only a short time or whether you will be with us forever and always, you need to know that we love you. We love you now, we will love you then, and we will love you after you are gone again from this house, be that as an adult or be that as a child gone back to another mother. So wherever you are, please hold on to hope. Please don't give up on us. We are getting to you as fast as we can! 

You give...

I'm writing a paper right now. The goal of the paper is to determine whether or not the Mennonite church as a whole truly lives out what Jesus taught. I have not come to any conclusions yet (I am still researching and not writing yet) but here is something I did find. 

When Jesus was on the mountain teaching those thousands of people for days on end, they naturally got hungry (we all know the story). The disciples did what I imagine any good Christian would do, they became concerned with how the people would be fed. They suggested sending them home. They looked at the crowds and became overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of the problem. Much, I imagine, like I do when I look at the foster system in our country. Jesus's reply to the disciples on this matter is something I've never seen before now. He said to them 

"They need not go away, you give them something to eat."

YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT. 

THEY NEED NOT GO AWAY.

The disciples, because of Jesus, had the answer. They had the sustenance. They had what the people needed. They just had to be willing to give it. 

We have the Answer. The Answer is Jesus. Nothing to big, nothing to frightful, nothing to far out of your comfort zone. They don't need to go anywhere else. You have what they need. Give it to them. 

Two White Dresses

Twice... Twice I stood at the same altar and vowed to stay true to something. Twice I knelt and was blessed by a man I deeply respect, a man who has faithfully taught the Word of God for as long as I can remember. Twice I publicly and permanently committed to things I can only keep by the grace of God. My family was there, my friends, my church... They support me, they love me, pray for me, carry me when I am too weak to walk. Was it my choice to make those vows? Yes. I battled long and hard with the decision to be baptized and join the Mennonite church. It was not a light choice for me, not a no-brainer. When Strider and I were dating I fought the demons of my past and my fears and by the grace of God, and by His intervention, I slew them and chose to spend my life with this man who rocks my world. 

Twice... Two white dresses. 

I did make those choices, but my friends I was given everything I needed to make them. Parents who love me, siblings who care deeply about my welfare, a grandmother who prays faithfully for me, a ministry whose deepest desire for me is that I serve the Lord... From little up I knew I was loved. Yes there were bumps, hurts, life shattering incidences that I wish had never happened. But still, for me, me who had those two white dresses to stand in judgement of anyone for making choices I deem as foolish or self destructive... I don't have that right. 

That is why, when I see the hurt and pain in the world, alcohol abuse, sex addiction, drug usage, whatever it may be, I pray with all my heart that God will give me the wisdom to remember my two white dresses and the fact that it is His blood that saved me from those vices and not my choices.

My Easter Rant

Keisha is asleep beside me. Barney is purring on my lap, fully contented to simply be with me. Thoughts of the love of Jesus and the incredibleness of His sacrifice are rumbling around in my brain. My heart is heavy with the pain in the world, full of the joy of knowing my sweet Saviour, and warm with the love of my family, both those I share my genes with and those whose name I will soon carry. In this bubble of cat purring and dog snoring and train whistling by outside I wish I could insulate myself. I wish I didn't have to think about the atrocities happening around me on this lovely Easter day. But if I don't think about them, if they don't touch my heart, I can do absolutely nothing to stop them. If, however, I lend a bit of my mental energy to at least some of them, perhaps I can make some small difference in this crazy world. 

So, as those of you who know me well probably already know, there is an issue I want to talk about. I'll try to keep it brief...

The issue is.... Soap. More specifically liquid soap. More specifically still liquid soap whose components are tested on animals. 

Now, before you write me off as a left wing PETA person please hear me out on this! The past two weeks or so my lab partner and I have been doing a project on the chemicals that are in our soaps... And I am horrified. Why? Because the terrible effects that the chemicals had on animals were completely discounted! 

Chemicals are placed strait up into rabbits eyes. Rats are forced to ingest obscene amounts of chemicals. And other stuff. I'm going to stop with that because you are perfectly capable of doing your own research. The government document that I eventually dug up (yes it is legit) detailed the things they did. It listed the terrible reactions the animals had to the chemicals. And then it dismissed them with: No Further Testing Recommended. Their final conclusion was that in spite of mutations, paralysis, blindness and even death, the results they saw were not indicative of what could happen to humans. 

Do you know what your largest organ is? Hint: its not your liver, intestines, heart or lungs. It is your skin. If these chemicals that are in nearly every name brand and off brand product cause disaster for animals, do you not think you could be in danger putting them on your skin? 

I propose to you some very simple changes starting with awareness. Research. LOOK what is in your shampoo, body wash and shaving cream/gel and then research it! 

I personally have simply switched to using all chemical free bar soap for everything. Shampoo, body wash, shaving cream... it works beautifully! I rinse my hair with apple cider vinegar and water as conditioner and it is shiny and smooth and I love it. 

So that is what's on my mind right now and I will tell you why. I closed my eyes and I thought about Jesus. I thought about His gentleness. I thought about how that wild young donkey let Him ride it with no problem. There is absolutely no way you will ever convince me that Jesus would put chemical into a rabbit's eye. Does that mean using chemicals tested on animals is wrong? Probably not, but if I'm completely honest I will tell you that I believe that we will each answer to God for how we handle His creation. 

So, this Easter day I leave you with this: Jesus died so that ALL may be free and live!! Can we as His children turn a blind eye to the pain around us whether it is human or animal suffering? I really think not! I'm not asking anyone to become an activist or fight to free all lab animals. What I am asking is that each of you give some thought to what you put on your body and in your hair and consider what the history of your products may be. 

Dear Person...

Dear person who wrecked our cars... There are some things I really want to say to you. I know that most likely you will never read this blog, but I need to say these things to you and on the off chance that you do someday happen upon this, I pray you will take these words to heart.

I forgive you.

I am afraid now, every time I hear a vehicle going fast my heart races and my legs move before I can even think. You see, when you lost control of your vehicle and slammed into mine, I was sleeping only a few feet away. Your lights and the roar of your engine as you came across my yard woke me even before that tremendous and sickening crash. It was one of the most frightening moments of my life.

But I forgive you.

You should know a little about us, the people whose cars you smashed. We'r two girls living here in this little house. One of us is an unemployed nursing student who was counting on that car you smashed to take her through three more years of driving sixty miles a day for school. The other is a lady who lived her life driving older vehicles and saving for a nice car. She finally was able to buy that nice car. She paid it off several months ago and was counting on not having to make car payments for a long long time. Both cars were insured... With liability. Both of us are good drivers, careful, slow, gentle on our cars. Both of us scrimp to make ends meet. So we went with minimum insurance so it was cheaper. Now we have to start all over buying new cars.

But I forgive you.

I'm angry, hurt, and sad over the loss of my car. But my dear dear Person, please please believe me when I say "I forgive you."

Here is why.... Jesus forgave me. He gave so much more for me than just a car. You have to know this, He will take care of us! His arms are around us, His hands below us, His body -the church- will not leave us helpless. And He opens His arms to you too.

I don't know if I will ever get to meet you. I really want to. I want to look into your face and tell you that no matter what is wrong in your life, no matter what made you do what you did, no matter how hard you're try to hide from the police or how successful you are... The arms of Christ are open to you. He offers you free and complete forgiveness, peace, and rest. And I want you to know this, as His daughter I truly want to be your friend.

So wherever you are, and whatever is going through your mind, I want you to know that I forgive you, I extend the love of Christ to you, and I'm praying for you every single day. The God of the universe created you- not to smash cars in the middle of the night- but to be loved by Him and to share His love with others. I truly believe that He allowed you to enter our lives so that somehow you could come to know His love.

So, person who smashed our cars, I write this letter to you, praying that you will read it and know that I truly want you to be 'person who is my friend.'