"It'll be hard not to cry"

In an episode of the animated TV show “Justice League” entitled “Hereafter”, Superman sacrifices himself to save his Justice League teammates.  At least he is thought be dead.  In part 2 of the story, it is revealed that he wasn’t killed at all; he was actually thrust centuries into the future.  (This is a detail I hesitate to bring up, as it takes a lot of the emotional punch out of it, but if I don’t, someone may get stuck on the idea that they killed off Superman).

A large portion of part 1 of “Hereafter” is an emotionally gripping tale of mourning the loss of a beloved superhero.  At one point, the Justice League even contemplate whether or not they can even continue as a superhero group at all, without Superman.  But to this day, the scene that always makes me cry is the funeral scene.  One of the Justice League members named J’onn J’onzz (A.K.A. Martian Manhunter) spoke these hauntingly beautiful and articulate words of tribute to Superman:

“Though we gather here today bound together in sorrow and loss, we share a precious gift.  We are all of us privileged to live a life that has been touched by Superman.  The Man of Steel possessed many extraordinary gifts, and he shared them with us freely.  None of these gifts were more remarkable than his ability to discern what needed to be done, and his unfailing courage in doing it, whatever the personal cost.  Let us all strive to accept his gift, and pass it along, as an ongoing tribute to Kal-El of Krypton; the immigrant from the stars who taught us all how to be heroes.”

I bring this up because I have a ‘remembrance decal’ on my car window that reads, “In loving memory: Dad ‘Superman’ 1954-2015.”  Jerry Bauer, the one I get to call “Dad” was not perfect or sinless, by any means.  I’m not suggesting that he was.  The Bible even says that no one can honestly make the claim of sinless perfection (1 John 1:8).  Nobody is perfect, at least until Heaven, because there is no sin there!  However, my dad’s example continues to inspire me even to this day.

 

J’onn J’onzz spoke of an “ongoing tribute” to Superman in that quote.  Likewise, my father has been in Heaven for 5 years now, but I want to honor him by participating in my own “ongoing tribute”.  I want to do this by following Dad’s example of humility, unselfishness, faith, and devotion to family in my own life.

 

In conclusion, in part 2 of the episode “Hereafter”, Superman is able to return home.  The reunion with his fellow superhero cohorts is another gripping moment.  The Flash tries to conceal his emotions by saying, “There’s something in my eye.”  “Yeah,” Green Lantern replies.  “Tears.”  Similarly, one day I will see my dad again in Heaven!  A group called the Shepherds sum up my thoughts on that reunion.  While I love the actual song too, the title of their song alone is apt: “It’ll be hard not to cry”.

Kevin

"In the day of trouble, He will keep me safe"

Many years ago, my parents and I were members of a Baptist church.  I looked forward to going to this church because I knew the pastor was going to have a dynamic sermon ready; and I knew he was going to preach it with passion, eloquence, and clarity.  But it wasn’t that this pastor was a gifted communicator that made him special.  Nor was it that he was a snappy dresser decked out in immaculate, well-tailored suits.  The thing that made him special was his character, integrity, and transparency.

For instance, I had never heard a pastor speak of how inadequate he felt to do what God had called him to do.  He often said without the power and enabling of God, he would never be able to fulfill his life mission.  For seven years, I sat under the teaching of this man of God.  But then, like a thief in the night, this pastor was surprisingly killed in a car accident.  A few days back – July 25 to be exact – marks the eighteenth anniversary of when this bittersweet episode occurred.  It was 2002 when Pastor Rick Ferguson went home to be with the Lord.

Some people are reading this and you are thinking, “OK, so a pastor died years ago.  I understand that it’s a part of your life story; and I understand that it’s the anniversary of that event.  But so what?  What relevance does the passing of a pastor from the past have for me today?”  I have two important answers for that question.

#1: The storms of life can pummel us, but God is a mighty stronghold

I’ve been a Christian since I was a boy, and one of the things I’ve learned is the storms of life arise and mercilessly pummel you.  In 2002, a church congregation was plunged into a storm: the unexpected passing of a pastor.  In 2020, the world has been plunged into a storm: the unexpected outbreak of covid-19.  Jesus said to His closest followers, “In this world, you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).  He didn’t promise that His followers would be famous, rich, and free of problems; to the contrary, He promised them tribulation and suffering.

Further, the Bible tells us that God is a mighty stronghold.  At church on Sunday, Psalm 27 was quoted.  I love the certainty of verse 1: “The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”  Verse 5 also caught my attention: “For in the day of trouble, He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle.”  There are other strongholds, to be sure.  In fact, the word itself often has a negative connotation.  But the truth is, nothing provides the safety, comfort, rest, security, and satisfaction found in God!

#2: Even in the chaos, God is in control

The Bible tells us over and over that God is in control.  For instance, Ephesians 1 says that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (verse 11).  He wasn’t surprised by a car accident in 2002 that turned a church congregation’s world upside-down (see Psalm 139:16).  And the covid-19 pandemic didn’t somehow thwart God’s plans in 2020.  There is mystery in this, of course; our finite brains can’t grasp it, but I put my trust in God’s sovereign will.

In conclusion, I recently learned that Rebecca St. James, one of my heroes, released music for the first time since 2011.  In the midst of all of this chaos, this is an amazing gift!  One of her songs – from her new album called “Dawn” – is entitled, “The Battle is the Lord’s” it begins with these words: “Why so heavy, oh my soul?  Did you forget who’s in control?  If He calls the wind and waves to still, He holds you now and always will.”

Kevin    

The wages of unforgiveness

Way back in the early days of this blog (January of 2011 to be exact) I wrote on the subject of forgiveness.  My dad remarked on that particular blog by commenting how difficult it is to practice forgiveness.  How it is easier to speak of forgiveness than to actually do it.  Of course, he was right.  However, I want you to know this about my dad: he was hurt on several occasions.  I’m not going to elaborate on the details because there’s no point in doing so.  But in those episodes in his life, my dad could have held on to the anger, but he didn’t.  He chose another path: the route of forgiveness.

Jeff Dunn and Adam Palmer have an outstanding excerpt on this subject.  In their book, “The Soul of Spider-Man”, they remark on both the virtues of forgiveness and the perils of unforgiveness (themes covered in the film Spider-Man 3).  They write,

“We like holding onto anger; bitter herbs taste sweet at first...Bitterness grips us firmly and affects every area of our lives.  If bitterness is the root, what will the fruit of the tree be like?  An apple tree has apple tree roots.  It produces juicy apples, good to eat.  But if the roots are bitter, the fruit of that tree will be bitter.  In other words, if you allow anger to take root, all areas of your life will eventually taste bitter.”

I’ll never forget the sermon from a pastor from yesteryear.  He spoke of how the tentacles of bitterness will begin to grow and take over every facet of life.  Be it emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and even physically.  At one point, he describes the person who can’t even enjoy the pleasure of eating a scrumptious meal because the person he is bitter toward “won’t permit me to enjoy its taste.”

What is the prescription for such a condition?  In that blog in 2011, I stated that the Bible says forgiveness is the response we are to have whenever we are hurt. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  That verse has been poignant for me in my life.  Since God has forgiven me the enormous sin debt I owed Him; how could I possibly withhold forgiveness to others?  Since He was the One who took the first step to initiating a friendship, reconciliation, and fellowship with Him, how could I not “forgive as the Lord forgave [me]”?

Kevin

“To err is human; to forgive, divine” – Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

Mourning the loss of the creator of an iconic sitcom

It was a few weeks ago now that a Hollywood legend passed away.  Carl Reiner died; he was 98.  Reiner created and produced the beloved sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show”.  I am certainly on the list of people who love the show, and the same goes for both my mom and dad.  It is because of Reiner’s genius in crafting this iconic show that the news of his passing hit me rather hard emotionally (the fact that he actually passed away on my birthday didn’t help, either).

The Bible says, “A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).  Laughter is like medicine; it is therapeutic.  In these days we live in, too often they are somber, serious, and heavy; I submit that we all need such medicine.  Thus, I find it an enduring treasure to watch “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, which never would have existed had it not been for Carl Reiner.  The world lost an immense talent, and I want to express my deepest condolences to his family.  He is survived by a daughter, two sons (including Rob Reiner, Archie Bunker’s son-in-law from “All in the Family”) and five grandchildren.  His wife, Estelle, passed away in 2008.

(Information from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/arts/television/carl-reiner-dead.html)

This same resource puts it very well when describing Carl Reiner.  It states, “Mr. Reiner was a gifted comic actor; but he spent most of his career slightly out of the spotlight – writing, directing, and letting others get the laughs.”  This is certainly true for “The Dick Van Dyke Show”.

For example, in the show, Carl Reiner only appeared on camera sporadically.  He would show up from time to time as a random character at a dinner party or a narcissist painter (in the classic episode “October Eve” who painted Rob Petrie’s wife, Laura, “as he saw her”), but primarily Reiner stayed behind the scenes during the show’s 5-year run.  In fact, for years the part of Alan Brady – Rob Petrie’s boss – would appear occasionally, but like the character of Wilson from the show “Home Improvement” you could never fully see his face.  That is, until the 4th season when we finally saw that it was Carl Reiner all along.

Once again, my dad loved “The Dick Van Dyke Show”; he knew the value of laughter.  As I begin to wrap this up, I want to highlight an episode from the 4th season.  In an episode entitled “My Home Sweet Home is your Home” Rob recalls the story of how he and his friend Jerry Helper both tried to buy the same house.  The unique aspect of the house, and the episode, was the basement had a massive rock in it!

At one point in the episode, Rob and Laura mull over whether to go ahead and get the house even with a big rock in the basement.  Rob says, “Outside of the rock, and the price, and the closest, and the narrow garage, it’s almost perfect.”  It’s a great line, and it makes me think of my dad.  Sometimes, Dad would construct a similarly long list of negative items together like that, to get a laugh.  He might have said something like, “My head is pounding, my shoulder hurts, and so does my back.  But other than that, I’m doing great!”  A merry heart, one that laughs often, really is like a good medicine.

Kevin

"Where does my help come from?"

July is one of the most bittersweet months of the year for me.  It was 5 years ago when my dad unexpectedly passed away.  It is bittersweet because, on the one hand, the Bible says for the Christian, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  Thus, my dad has been enjoying what is unspeakable joy and bliss in Heaven.  Conversely, there is pain for the loved ones left behind here on Earth.  I miss him; it hurts to be without him.

For today’s blog, I want to quote from a song by TobyMac called “See the Light”.  I do this for a few reasons: one is because the song has the phrase “keep on keeping on” in it; this is a phrase that my dad used in his sign-off as a Christian radio announcer.  But secondly, it helps me give words to my feelings at this particular juncture of my life.  Check out these words of the song:

“I know this road is getting hard, I heard you say it’s overwhelming…well, I’m here to remind you, it [doesn’t] matter where you come from, I know we can get through this.  It might feel like it’s been so long, but we keep on keeping on.  It might feel like an uphill climb, always some kind of battle, but you’ve got more than you on your side.  And we [are going to] see the light.”  Later on, this lyric is given: “So, go on and lift your hands up, to where your help is coming from.”

Psalm 63:4 says, “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” I don’t recall the pastor’s name, but I once heard a preacher declare that when you lift your hands, you are non-verbally communicating that you are surrendering.  If a mugger comes at me with a gun, and asks for my wallet, I’m going to lift up my hands and do what he asks!  In other words, I’m going to surrender.  The same principle applies to lifting hands to God.  Incidentally, I continue to learn that surrendering to God isn’t just a one-time thing; it’s daily, and even hourly.

In conclusion, the TobyMac song speaks of “where your help is coming from.”  And this makes me think of Psalm 121:1; which says, “I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.”  If I didn’t have this help, hope, and assurance, I would be completely sunk.  Ultimately, I have no power, strength, and sufficiency in and of myself; my help is from the Lord!  Without Him, I am nothing!

Kevin