Category: Uncategorized

I AM AN AGNOSTIC CHRISTIAN

george gaffga2 Comments

The above statement is true because there is so much about which I am uncertain. I am a devoted follower of Jesus.  But, since Jesus’ time and teaching, so much dogma, interpretation and differences in thinking have made my head spin. I want to know God more deeply. I am curious about so much. I know that curiosity killed the cat, which is sad news for cat lovers, but that curiosity only leads me deeper into the love of God.

Some people outside Christianity may be curious, skeptical, or cynical. It doesn’t help when Christians say’ It’s a mystery, just believe, or all God’s will. No, not for me. I’ve seen and heard too much in this world NOT to ask questions. I believe that asking leads to receiving and seeking leads to finding and finding the depths of God’s will and life are on my bucket list.

Here’s a large sampling of my questions:

*Why is there such a violent image of God in the Old Testament compared to the loving Jesus in the New Testament?

*Why is there such suffering in our world when we clearly see Jesus heal suffering, and diseases and cast out the demonic? Is it God’s will that we suffer?

*What about heaven and hell? 

*Are our lives predetermined by God?

*Are the other religions wrong? Why do we think that a stated belief in Jesus is the only way to salvation?

*Is the Bible without error? Where did that doctrine even come from? Or is there a difference between inerrant (without error) and ‘inspired’? 

*Is there a possibility of purgatory after death? (purification)

*Does God ever stop trying to bring people into a relationship with himself, even after death?

*Are there things God cannot do unilaterally? 

*What about people who could not come to faith in this life? Will there be an opportunity after death?

*What about the devil? Was he defeated? Why is he still roaming around?

*What about the violence done in Jesus’ name? Was it ever morally right?

*Is our life a blueprint or a work in progress?

*Can gay marriage be within God’s plan at this point in time?

*The judgment. What is it really and how does judgment square with the love of God that keeps no record of wrongs and forgives the worst offenders like those who killed Jesus?

*Is there such a thing as luck, bad luck, or chance?

*Won’t God reconcile this whole creation back to himself at the end?

There is much more but my last question is this: Will I be judged for writing all this?

Yes, I am an agnostic follower of Jesus desiring to discover the God who loves me and, I believe, all creation. 

But as the old monk, Anselm, wrote –  “faith seeks understanding” and to understand is my goal.

Don’t be afraid to be curious or even skeptical. God loves that about us. That’s how relationships work.

THE CRUX OF THE MATTER

george gaffgaLeave a comment

Our God is not a God of forceful power but a Lord of Love, influencing, not coercing. There is no greater power than that of love as proven by Christ on the Cross (‘crux’ in Latin). The world’s power is oppressive, violent, and threatening. It is manipulative. 

Not so with the Christ of the Cross. It is through love, and even weakness and humiliation that Christ defeats evil. 

Consider the temptation of Christ by Satan in the wilderness (Luke 4). All the world’s kingdoms would belong to Christ if only he would submit his loyalty to Satan. 

Such temptations and subsequent loyalties still go on today. Countries are at war with words and weapons to gain kingdoms, territories, and islands. Rulers of nations want self-aggrandizing power, recognition, and the financial gain that goes with it. 

People are willing to sell their souls to the devil for the power they desire, a power over others. Not so with Jesus. (Read Stephen King’s ‘Needful Things’ to see the power of evil.)

Those loyal to the God of love will receive a kingdom – the Kingdom of God, where love and sacrifice are the power that can effect change. 

I share with you the Evangelical Confession of 2024. You can look it up in its entirety. It speaks to our time and faith.

Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction

In this moment of social conflict and political division, we confess the following Christian  convictions:

ONE: We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.

We affirm that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the only head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11). We reaffirm our dedication to his Gospel which stands apart from any partisan agenda. God is clear that he will not share his glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8). Our worship belongs to him alone (Exodus 20:3-4), because our true hope is not in any party, leader, movement, or nation, but in the promise of Christ’s return when he will renew the world and reign over all things (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

https://www.evangelicalconfession2024.com/

As Lent approaches let’s look at the Christ of the Cross and discover again the beauty of God’s love in the most ugly of deaths. Oh, how He loves you and me, as the song goes.

IMAGINE

george gaffga1 Comment

I have a new appreciation for John Lennon’s song “Imagine.” At one time, I thought it was irreligious, an anthem against faith by the guy who said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. (He may have been right at the time.) 

But I have read the words anew. Here are the lyrics. (1971)

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky

Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today… Aha-ah…

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too

Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace… You…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world… You…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

As I read these words they speak to me of the Kingdom of God here on earth, as we pray for in the Lord’s prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Recall Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount when he speaks of life here on earth being lived well in God’s will. He says it’s all about hearing his words and putting them into practice in daily life, a life that will be better for the doing (see Matthew 7:24-27). ‘Live for today’ is Jesus’ message, do not ‘worry about tomorrow’. We don’t need to think about heaven or hell. Besides, heaven is not somewhere ‘up there’. It’s where the will of God is being done right here and now. 

At one time I was offended by Lennon’s words telling us to imagine no religion but as I think more deeply I believe he’s right. I think of Nazi Germany during the time of Hitler –  the majority of churches supported Hitler. Religious people continued to worship, practicing their ceremonies and rituals. They chose not to consider the horrors of the Nazi regime. In fact, many Christians in those days believed Nazism to be in some sense a Christian movement. [The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 by Richard Steigmann-Gall: Cambridge University Press, 2003)

Religion today has doctrines, dogmas, rules, and regulations while neglecting the weightier matters of justice, charity, and faithfulness. That’s what Jesus said to the Pharisees (see Matthew 23) who were so good at practicing their piety without love. 

Theologian and pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, spoke against Hitler. He was eventually imprisoned and executed for his resistance to the Nazis. Bonhoeffer even took part in a conspiracy to rid the world of Hitler. From his prison cell in 1944 he wrote the following to his friend:

“What is bothering me incessantly is the question (of) what Christianity really is, or indeed who Christ really is, for us today. The time when people could be told everything by means of words, whether theological or pious, is over, and so is the time of inwardness and conscience–and that means the time of religion in general. We are moving toward a completely religionless time; people as they are now simply cannot be religious anymore. Even those who honestly describe themselves as ‘religious’ do not in the least act up to it, and so they presumably mean something quite different by ‘religious’.” (Letters and Papers from Prison)

‘No religion” is not a bad idea. Following Jesus is the best idea.

I also imagine a world of peace. My hope is diminished these days, but I know that Jesus is the prince of peace. I know that Satan is weakened to the point of being defeated. And I know that multitudes on this earth are seeking God’s will and God’s peace.

Some say we wait until we get into heaven, where God’s will is effective all the time, but I am thankful for people who see that image now, who can imagine, now, a world that is better. That’s what God wants. 

Yes, like Lennon, I can be a ‘dreamer’; but I hope God takes pleasure in our dreams of a better world, a better country, a better neighborhood, a better household, and better relationships. 

God is THE God of love.

So I’m going with John in his song lyrics. This reminds me of another John, the Gospel writer and disciple of Jesus who records Jesus’ words in John 10:  “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”  (NLT) That means for you and me and this world. 

Let’s join with Jesus and his friend John, in making that imagining a reality for as many as possible.

THE PRESSURE’S OFF

george gaffgaLeave a comment

Early on in my faith life, I was pretty intense about getting people ‘saved’ so they would go to heaven when they died. When I would meet people my first thought was, ‘I wonder if he or she is a Christian?’ Were they ‘saved’? Had they accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?

That’s a lot of responsibility and pressure. I had heard along my journey that I was to make people believers, as Jesus instructed in the great commission in Matthew 28. Actually, Jesus said ‘make disciples’ – a big difference. Jesus wants us to discover those who have responded to the love of God and help them to hear and do what Jesus instructed, as he states in Matthew 7.

So now I am learning to love people and find ways to let them know God loves them. At times I say ‘I will pray for you’. That’s good news for many people. And when I feel a bit bolder I will pray on the spot for them.

I am reading the parable of the sower and the seeds, which is found in Matthew 13. The sower could be either Jesus or God, but notice how the sower goes about his work. He scatters seed (God’s word) all over the place. Willy nilly, you might say. What’s with that? Why not put the seed only in good soil? Any wise farmer would do that. This farmer is sowing with abandon.

While writing this I am also reading a book about parables by Dallas Willard. Willard always has wisdom regarding life in Jesus. He reminded me that the Good News is about living right here and now with God, not getting into heaven. The good news is about God’s love, sin forgiveness, and character transformation. 

So I am learning not to exert my views on others but rather to love them, to scatter the seed with abandon. God’s word WILL grow. That word of love has power within it like the seed.

So let’s find all kinds of places to sow God’s love. Lay it and leave it. Let God do what God does best, grow God’s word into life. 

The pressure’s off. And besides, it’s not a pressure God placed on us. As we receive God’s love we naturally share it with others. But that’s another parable.

ON BEING GOOD TO YOURSELF

george gaffgaLeave a comment

My therapist often tells me I am too often unkind to myself. He’s right. More often than not I take shame and guilt into myself. I can always think of things I should have done differently. At times I think I am failing God somehow. Situations I’ve gotten myself into tend to weigh on me. 

So here’s the story: One day, I was getting my hair cut when my stylist asked me what New Year’s resolutions I had made. I responded, “None.” After thinking for a moment, I told her I had decided to be kinder to myself. She began to cry. 

She told me that she needed that. I said, ‘God doesn’t do shame and guilt. God is love and wants us to know his love.’ She continued to weep, fortunately not dropping her tears on my newly shaped hair. She had ‘gotten herself’ into some unfortunate circumstances and was feeling the burden within her. I told her I would pray for her and….more tears. I then prayed for her and told her to embrace God’s love. She responded that she wanted to be more grateful in this life.

As I left the salon I realized I needed to take seriously for myself what I told this young woman. I cannot wallow in Pig Stink like the Prodigal Son that Jesus spoke about in Luke 15. No, God wants better for us. God wants us to flourish, not flounder. 

So every day of my existence I am going to be grateful for how much God loves me. Shame, self-doubt, and guilt are tools of evil turning us against ourselves instead of letting us gratefully receive God’s embrace of love.

There’s my NEW YEAR pledge. I choose love (God’s love).  For me and yes, for others. 

When The Heart Cries, “Why, O God?”

george gaffgaLeave a comment

My wife and I have a dear young friend, Christine, who is battling cancer- for herself and her daughter. After surgeries and PET Scans, the news is still frightening. Christine is a faithful but weary believer who knows how to care for others and finds it hard to think that maybe, just maybe, God isn’t caring for her. She asks the question that never goes away.

Hear the cry of her heart in in own words;

“I’m sitting in the hospital injected with radioactive dye for next 90 minutes and then they’ll start my PET scan.

I’m trying to figure out why my prayers haven’t been answered , and I keep getting struck down with bad news, and I’m struggling to not be mad at God for allowing me to have to endure all of this.  I’m trying to go back to accepting that he allowed me to wake up today, and to find these issues so I can get treated, but that doesn’t seem like enough and I’m angry with him, so I want to know how to feel that love from him again instead of the pain and suffering that keeps occurring.

Just why, when you try and do everything right and everything your supposed to that he continues to allow more suffering.

Christine ”

So we sit in silence like Job’s friends, leaving space for the grief, despair, questions, and search for God. 

And I’m afraid we are tempted like Job’s friends to eventually give her advice, Bible readings, platitudes, and some good books to read.

What Christine needs is people who understand the search, the silence and a glimmer of hope in the God who loves her.

What she needs is our solidarity with her and our prayers. 

Please pray for Christine and her family. Let’s knock on heaven’s door.

JOY

george gaffgaLeave a comment

Today I discover the joy of God inside me. Yes, even with the anxieties of election results. Even amid divisiveness among our citizens and particularly among Christians. And where is there joy? I’m glad you asked. Because joy (by which I mean love, peace, life, and, even happiness) I’m discovering is God’s gift of himself in me. It’s not from external circumstances. I do not need to react with anxiety, anger, or even fear. Joy abides, lives, and dwells in me. It’s the indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

It’s like the old song: “I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”.

My life is not lived in reaction but in gratitude to God. Paul writes it in Philippians 4:

                             “Rejoice in the Lord, always.”

I want my life to be lived in light of Christ’s life and in cooperation with his life influencing and leading me. Too often, circumstances and people dictate my inner response. Instead, I am making an effort to access the God-life within me. I’m going to the source, to the fountainhead, the motherlode. 

If Christ dwells in me as the hope of glory – of whom or what do I need to be afraid?  I am living with and for him in everything I do. I am finding meaning from within, past all the negative voices or even my selfish thoughts. 

Let’s look at Paul’s writing again in Philippians 4.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (NIV )

In the words of people like Richard Rohr, Rob Bell and others:

HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB.

Amen

FORGIVENESS IS LOVE AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE

george gaffgaLeave a comment

I’ve always been intrigued by a line from THE SHACK. In the book, God says to Mack (about the man who killed his daughter), “For you to forgive this man is to release him to me and allow me to redeem him.” p. 224

Recall this from John 20:

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Reformed Christians try to minimize the Roman Catholic interpretation of this verse which seems to indicate that undue power is given to the community to actually forgive one another’s sins. And this, I believe, is what it truly means. God’s activity of love is connected to ours. It’s perhaps mystical and mysterious but it’s the reality of Kingdom Life.

In the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6, Jesus says if we don’t forgive another their sins or debts or trespasses (depending on your tradition) then God won’t forgive us. In Mark 11:25 Jesus says that when we are praying and remember that we have anything against another we must forgive that person so that God may also forgive us. Pretty powerful statements. 

These are clear explanations that our forgiveness, an act of grace for another, is connected spiritually to God’s life in us. We are connecting, joining with God’s grace, God’s love. 

Paul’s words: “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col. 3:3) “Forgiving one another even as Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Or even the dire warning of the story of the unforgiving debtor in Matthew 18:21-35.

Yes, forgiveness does mean in some situations that there is repentance on the part of the one who does the harm, but not always. From the cross, Jesus prayed that his Father would forgive those who were killing him (Luke 23:34). When Stephen was being stoned he called upon the Lord not to hold that sin against those who were executing him (Acts 7:60).

But now we move to the greatest reason of all for forgiving others: SPIRITUAL WARFARE AGAINST EVIL.

That’s right. Satan is evil and accuses us of sin. Jesus’ death takes that accusation away.  “He forgave us all our sins,  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:14)

Here’s a great article to understand this better than I can explain:

‘Much of our confusion and misery in life is due to our underestimating (or ignoring altogether) the enemy of our souls. Some of us rarely think of Satan and his demons, and if we do, we often downplay their power and influence. Surely, we could overestimate Satan (and many do), but in our day, especially in the West, it seems like he gets less attention and resistance than he deserves.

While the devil is already defeated and his end is sure, he is still “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31), and he still leads “the cosmic powers over this present darkness” and “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). And he rules and corrupts through deception. “There is no truth in him,” Jesus warns. “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). So, the apostle Paul warns, we must be careful lest we “be outwitted by Satan” or be found “ignorant of his designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11).’

What may surprise us is what in particular prevents us from being outwitted by Satan. Paul writes, “What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:10–11) Do you want to know what Satan’s schemes are? He wants you to hold a grudge. He wants you to believe vengeance is yours, and not God’s. Forgiveness outwits Satan, and forgiveness subverts his wickedness.’

Marshall Segal -President & CEO, Desiring God

Do you see what Paul is saying? Each act of forgiveness is cooperation with Christ to overcome evil, personally and cosmically. Satan wants us to devour each other with pride, judgment, accusation, and grudges. That is the way of the world and evil. God wants us to overcome evil with good. So says Paul in Romans 12:21. And God is part of that process. “He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

And forgiveness is hard, one of the hardest things we will ever do. Yes, it means suffering on our part. Yes, it means carrying a cross and being willing to die to ourselves, our egos, and the ways of the world. But it is so worth it in the great scheme of living life with God. 

Sure psychologists say that forgiveness is beneficial to our health. Great. But it’s Kingdom Life. It’s the way of God. It’s what God has done for us in Christ. It matters eternally. It brings us closer to God. It is helpful in God’s reconciling the world to himself. It is to the glory of God. Amen.

A LETTER FROM SPRINGFIELD, OHIO

george gaffgaLeave a comment

I wrote to one of the pastors in Springfield to express my support for him and the Haitian people. The following is part of his response, “Pray for peace and for the safety of Pastors who are speaking out. Lots of white supremacy activists in town stirring things up.“

And that’s the truth. Please pray.

The Haitian People Need Us

george gaffga7 Comments

For 40 years I have been involved with Haiti and its wonderful people who have tried their best to overcome burdens placed on them by foreign governments and their own dictators. Some have been lucky enough to escape the hardship and violence 

I am saddened and angry that Haitian people are vilified by leaders of our own nation.

Certainly, the immigration system needs reforming but what is not needed are racist innuendos, rumors, and lies. The Haitian people are our neighbors, friends, brothers, and sisters in faith. How can we treat them so badly? Christian leaders need to speak out against those who would speak racist tropes against our friends. In what scenario would Jesus ever side with racism of such magnitude?  Below is the impact of such vitriol on the Springfield Community.

“Their community is reeling — confused, frustrated, hurt — from false accusations that they are eating their neighbor’s cats and dogs. The now viral and highly politicized rumors are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance,  and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.

“Jesus is with us in truth, and the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets and geese in Springfield,” said the Rev. Carl Ruby, preaching at Central Christian Church. He invited community members to join his congregation in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumors leveled against their Haitian neighbors.” -Associated Press Release.

Our leaders are turning us against each other in the name of political expediency. 

Why are so many Haitian people coming to Springfield, Ohio? Not long ago the population was dwindling until some companies moved into the area. There was a workforce shortage and word was passed on to Haitians in various communities in the U.S. They came here to work and worship within the communities. And more money is being given to Springfield to help with any effects of a population increase.

Here’s what one pastor said, “We are united. It is time for good to stand for good,” she said. “This time the city of Springfield, Haitian people, asked the Lord to stay together to fight for good … America is a great loving country, and American people care for people – it doesn’t matter if they are Haitian. We’re against lies.”

My wife and I have supported a young woman in Port-au-Prince Haiti who is training to be a nurse. We have helped her apply for a visa to come here because every day she lives in fear of violence. Now she has reason to fear that our country won’t accept her. Please don’t let our country be such a place.

I am saddened to live in such a good nation where lies and racism are endangering people who have come here looking for a better, safer life. So please stand up for those who have been mistreated by unjust people.

Please, dear God, forgive me and us for the attitudes that have driven our nation to such a divide.

Ways to help: 

  1. Contact your state representatives on behalf of the Haitian people.
  2. Contact churches in Springfield to show your support.
  3. Fly a Haitian flag at your house
  4. Pray for God’s peace in our country
  5. Contact local churches near you that support Haiti missions.
  6. Send this blog to others
  7. Express your support through comments on the blog
  8. Yes, support better immigration policies
  9. Go online to look for ways to help Haitian immigrants 
  10. Read comments from Ohio governor https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gop-gov-dewine-defends-haitian-immigrants-springfield-work/story?id=113690058
  11. Get to know Haitian neighbors