God says to love Who??

When I was younger I was a conservative Republican. I was even a delegate at the Republican State Convention in the early eighties.

I ask myself why conservatism leaves such a bad taste in my mouth now. Is it the total lack of love I see in their policies? Oh, they justify everything they espouse and wrap it up in the flag and Christianity. Slap on bumper stickers that read “God, guns and country”. Yea I am sure God is impressed.

Lately they have been in a rabid rage at the underage Hispanics fleeing Central America and crossing the border as illegals. 

They justify their anger and cries of "throw them back" by proclaiming these kids have broken the law and some of them are from gangs in Central America.

Yea I know that boy in the red shirt is obviously a killer gang member.

Do you really think parents would send their children off if they were not afraid for the lives of the children? Do you really think God puts National borders above feeding the hungry and caring for the poor? Read the Old Testament Prophets and see how often God commands to care and feed the immigrant and calls down judgment on the wealthy for not feeding and clothing the poor.

As for the excuse for sending them all back immediately because these kids have broken our immigration laws I remember Jesus saying if someone takes your cloak give him your coat also, that doesn't sound to me like others obeying laws has anything to do with how we treat them. So yea, at the end of time I don’t want Jesus to say to me, “I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was naked and you gave me no clothes. I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.”

Love those emergency foil blankets the youths are sleeping under.

 And I will ask Lord when did I see you hungry or thirsty or naked or sick and in prison? I have a feeling Jesus might say, “are you serious. Your wealthy nation had children streaming here to share the bounty I gave you and you selfishly kept it all for yourself. Away from me, you evildoer I never knew you.”

There was a police chief in a small town. Some of the upstanding citizens and members of his church didn't think he was doing his job arresting illegal immigrants. One day as he was sitting in his office four of the men from his congregation came through his door. Two of them had a Hispanic woman by the arms. They crowded around his desk and Sam, an elder in his church said “listen Chief, this woman came and asked me for a job. She has no ID of any kind and I am sure she is not legal. Now what are you going to do about it?”

The chief looked over at the man on the far right and asked, “Jerry, last week when I clocked you at 76 miles an hour on the highway south of town, all I did was tell you to slow it down and keep it under the speed limit. 21 miles an hour over the speed limit and I should have taken your license. That would have made it pretty tough for you to keep your job as a salesman wouldn’t it?”

The he looked at the man on the left, “Dave, when you fixed the plumbing in my house last year you asked if I would pay you in cash. I wonder, did you report that income to the IRs when you filed your taxes.”

Next the chief looked at the man holding the left arm of the woman. “Ralph, remember that car you sold last year. We all saw that thing smoking as it went down the street until the day before you sold it. Did you have any oil in the oil pan or was it all STP so you could tell that poor kid you sold it to that it didn’t use any oil?”

“Well Sam” said the chief as he looked at the church elder holding the right arm of the woman. “I know you are a righteous man and a leader of the church. Do these three men with you know that your oldest son’s birthday is only 6 months after your wedding anniversary?”

“Now gentlemen what was it you wanted me to do with this woman?”

The 4 of them left in a rage. I guess they didn’t understand grace. (John 8:3-11)

Celebrating Diane

22 years ago today, my youngest sister, Diane (Joy Bandstra), was killed in a car accident. She was 21 years old and was planning to complete her senior year at Dordt College majoring in elementary education. Sometimes I wonder...what would Diane be doing now? Would she be a wife and a mom? Would she still be teaching? Would she live nearby or a long ways away?

Diane loved life. She was vibrant, fun, loving. She got involved in everything.

Our oldest son was only 3 when she died. She absolutely loved Joshua and some of my fondest memories are of her playing with him.

Diane with Joshua.

She loved people without judgement and her sudden death impacted many young people causing them to renew their relationship with God.

She loved music and was an incredible vocalist. She was always singing; while mowing the lawn, around the house, in churches, schools and solos for Dordt College.

Above all, Diane loved God. This was evident in her life and in her conversations. It was evident in her Bible.

Even today, we hear stories about Diane. Recently, our family received the gift of another memory. In memory of her today, I would like to share a portion of this letter.

This comes from one of Diane's former professors at Dordt College:
The incident took place on a ten-day Rep Theatre tour, and the event illustrates a number of Diane's traits that made her a charming, engaging person. Our group that year comprised about twelve students and myself. 
  
We had left Dordt shortly after the May graduation ceremony concluded, traveling in a fifteen-passenger college van, and pulling a large tandem-axle trailer that contained our sets, lighting equipment, sound system, tools, and luggage. Whereas I don’t recall our first performance sites (we may have performed in Pella, the Chicago area, and possibly in Wisconsin), the incident took place mid-tour in southwestern Canada.  

 A typical performance would include driving to a Christian high school; setting up the sets, lighting equipment, and sound equipment that evening; and staying in hosts’ homes or a motel that night. Early the next morning, we would perform a show, do acting and makeup workshops, strike the set, pack up, and hustle to the next site where we would repeat all those activities. Occasionally we had a free day for a little sightseeing, but most days included one or two shows plus travel. In brief, the rhythm was demanding, and each person had to know his or her job, and do it well. We could not afford packing or loading mistakes, errors running cables, misplaced tools, or forgotten luggage. But throughout this regiment, Diane was a trooper, whether the task was lugging equipment, illustrating makeup techniques, or performing with style and grace. She did it all, and she did it well. 

One day, we had done a show in Ancaster, and we were on the jam-packed 401 (Queen’s Expressway), heading for a performance the following day at Toronto Christian High School.  Our schedule was tight because we needed to reach the school and set up before the school staff left the building. In normal driving conditions, that would have been very doable. But what we experienced—four or six lanes of bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-creep traffic—made travel dangerous, tense, and uncomfortable on this very hot afternoon when the van’s air conditioner proved inadequate. The Canadian (or Ontario) government had recently instituted the GST tax, which Canadian truckers had to pay for their fuel, but U.S. truckers did not have to pay,  thereby making Canadian truckers less competitive in their own country. As a result, many were frustrated, and some were angry—angry enough to create the mother-of-all traffic jams on this blistering afternoon on the 401. As you might imagine, the jam and heat made some other travelers frustrated and/or angry as well.  

On a number of occasions, in this hot and tense atmosphere, traffic stopped altogether, one or more drivers got out of their trucks, walked over to another truck, and visited with its driver. On one lengthy stop, to cope with the heat and boredom, the Rep group had opened the van’s windows, passenger door, and rear doors. Some were stretched out on the seats, others had legs or torsos protruding out of the windows or doors, and a few were sitting on the trailer hitch or on top of the van.  And that’s when it happened: I heard this clear, wren-like voice sing out a fresh, playful, carefree melody that danced through the tension and heat. If I recall correctly, Diane was on top of the van, and first she sang alone. Then, one-by-one, other students joined in, and soon they filled the hot air with joyful music. As they sang, the truckers around us stopped talking, watched, and listened. When this impromptu mini-concert concluded, the truckers applauded, and the tension seemed to have lifted. Then they got back in their vehicles, the Rep group got in ours, and soon we were all moving again, slowly, but uplifted and moving. 

While I remember other good things about that trip, about Diane’s work in Rep Theatre that semester, or about the conversations that we had regarding course selections and career plans, that memory personifies the others. Diane loved God, loved her family, and sought to live obediently. One of the ways she did that was by using her creativity, spontaneity, and strong will to sing joy into the lives of others. Whereas I had the privilege of working with many wonderful students during my 1977-1992 tenure at Dordt, Diane continues to stand out as one of the best. Along with you, I still miss her. 

Texas

The world seems to be moving faster and faster. 

This pictures was taken as we drove though Houston.

This picture was taken in Dallas. So much traffic they are building the roads higher and higher. All the world is in a hurry

Sometimes I need to learn to just slow down and enjoy life and all the gifts God has given to me. The tower above is on the hill above Hot Springs Arkansas. Sharon and I climbed to the top, 19 flights of stairs. We went up the stairs the slow way instead of taking the elevator.

 The view from the top was worth the climb.

You could look over the mountains for miles.

We found a road in Arkansas that wound through he Ozark mountains.

They were serious about the 10 miles an hour. The road had hairpin curves and steep slopes.

We spent some time on the beach on Padre Island.

There was no one within a quarter mile of us. That is my kind of beach.

The waves were great. 

                                      

It sort of felt like you had reached the end of the world.

This is a 2 lane highway in Texas. The speed limit is 15 miles an hour.

It is on the beach by Aransas. The road is just sand and there were times we were starting to spin out just as though we were driving in snow. By the end of 6 miles we were more than ready to be back on pavement.

To get back on the mainland we had to take the ferry.

I was once again learning to slow down.

I know embarrassing picture, but it is my version of a slow down and see God in creation vacation. God gave us a Sabbath to rest. Sometimes in our hectic fast paced world there is a need to slow down and rest. 

I had to add this picture. Breakfast in a Texas hotel is not complete with out a Texas shaped waffle. I tried to stick the fork in right where we were that morning.

Empty Church

Sharon and I were driving north from Texas last week. We stopped in a city in Oklahoma on Saturday night. Sunday morning I spent some time on the internet looking for a church to attend. We drove up to the church about 10 minutes before the service was to start and we noticed there were not many cars in the parking lot.

It was a beautiful church building. They had built a new building in 2001. thirteen years ago this congregation got the financing together and built a new church for them to grow into. They built a Sanctuary in the middle. A fellowship hall on the right and an education wing on the left.It was a beautiful and functional church.

 We walked into the church and there was a sign on the doors to the sanctuary, "Service in the fellowship hall". Beside Sharon and me there was a total of 26 people in church that morning. 2001 they built this church and I am guessing the cost was north of $2,000,000. Now 26 people with an average age of over 70 attend the services. They have an interim pastor and I did not get an answer to what happened. 13 years ago a church confident of their future and now its days are numbered. 

I found it a little scary. A congregation can shrink and disappear so fast. It made me think about what makes a congregation alive and growing. When it comes right down to it, a church grows only when the Spirit of God is at work. It's not about me and it's not about you, its' about God.