Power is out at our house

Power is out at our house, went out some time early this morning.   We awoke to the computer battery backup screaming at us. It's pretty normal.

For some reason our water tank is also empty.  That must mean that we have some kind of leak.  We just spent a small fortune repairing our well….so, who knows?

Almost 20 years ago, we were not adequately warned about this missionary reality.   Most days involve some kind of unexpected twist; power outage, no water, an hour-long line at the bank, a new beggar with a more convincing tale, internet inexplicably down, flat tires, friends with disastrous marital problems, dengue fever, robbery and road blocks for campaigning.  19 years later, nothing is simple.

In the middle of the mess, I often forget the privilege of sharing the love of Christ and the beauty of His gospel.  It’s so easy to fall into a life of complaining and complacency.  If you add a dose of loneliness or self-pity you can become completely paralyzed. Or I can.

My only solution could be thankfulness and generosity.  I could look around and see the wonderful way that God has provided and the ministry opportunities that we have been given.  I could praise God for the crazy difficulties that are somehow forcing me to mature a little.

I could passionately minister to the fledgling flock and give of myself with reckless abandon.  I could be generous without constantly being cynical. The love of Christ compels us…me.

Hey…the power is back on….water comes out of the faucet…Thank you,  Jesus….I wonder where the leak is….?

Forgive?

Nothing happens without forgiveness.  You cannot maintain a single human relationship without the continuous flow of forgiveness.

The same should be emphasized with regards to our relationship with God.  How could we maintain some resemblance of fellowship without the continuous flow of grace and mercy?  

Our relationship with God begins from a place of sin and the absence of relationship.  Resolution comes from the compassion of God, shown through the passion of Christ, His death on the cross and the victory of His resurrection. On the basis of this gospel He offers forgiveness, a cancelling of debt and the subsequent freedom.

So we are faced with a crisis of the will: A decision to be made, a loss to be suffered.  Should we seek our own form of justice and revenge?  Should we seek compensation for those harsh words and unfair treatment?  Certainly, Jesus could not have realistically expected us to “turn the other cheek”, to allow someone to get away with their sin.

Matthew 18:32 and 33 shouts at us all, “You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’”

Enough said.

Agustin and Maria…

Yesterday, we met Agustin and Maria…

A concerned neighbor came by the coffee shop a couple of days ago.  She was concerned about the living conditions of an elderly couple living near her street.  They are both in their 90s and live without any source of income.

This lovely lady was simply trying to get them one of our Ecocinas, the efficiency wood-burning stoves.  She was right; it is a great solution for a few of their problems.  So, we innocently agreed to visit the elderly pair to investigate their situation.  We were not prepared for the despair.

Doña Maria and Don Agustin are not really a couple.  More than a decade ago, he allowed her to come and live in his home since she had nowhere to go.  She helps take care of him.  He has been in a wheel chair since childhood, a victim of polio.   She was well known on the streets as a seller of cheese and cream.  She is adorable.  They both are…

Their roof does not really deserve the name.  It probably only slows down most of the water that enters every part of their home.  There are roots growing down from the dirt that has accumulated on the teja roof.  It feels like a cave.  There are catholic relics hanging on the walls along with the spider webs and trash bags.  Their floor is so wet and dirty that I am not sure if it is cement or simply the ground.

Their cooking fire was cold.  Dona Maria tried to convince me that she had cooked something during the day, but the evidence betrayed her.  I saw no evidence to suggest that they had eaten.

So, here’s the thing, I thought that I recognized his face, with his overwhelming beard.  His twisted hands made me think of something that I had seen before.   During the conversation with his neighbor, I realized that I had seen his face on an emotional video that someone posted a year ago.  He was THE Don Agustin, the guy who is making a helicopter out of throw-aways.

Later in the day, my friend, Noel, who grew up in that neighborhood, told me that everyone in that barrio had learned to ride a bike because Don Agustin had made a wooden bicycle several decades ago.  He also remembers earlier attempts at the helicopter.

I am convinced that we have to do something.  We must improve their living situations, their health and welfare.  Certainly, a community can pour a concrete floor and put on a new roof...provide some food and care.  The compassion of Christ must move us….

Check out the documentary made about Don Agustin:

http://vimeo.com/35545694

Missionary Vaccines

I confess.  I read Wikipedia looking for a simple definition.  I quote, “Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material (a vaccine) to stimulate an individual's immune system to develop adaptive immunity”.

If you wonder how my brain translates that, here are my own words, “if you give the body a little bit of something dangerous it will figure out a way to defend itself.  That way, you avoid the real thing.”

I think that short-term mission trips can sometimes act like vaccines.

When trips are done well, they stimulate discipleship relationships; they challenge a deeper walk with Christ and an increasing investment in the spread of God’s Kingdom throughout the world. They challenge current world views and bring about an awareness of the majority world.  They burst bubbles and challenge the selfishness of the human heart.

Kathee and I were dating when we went on our first trip to Central America in 1989 (enjoy the pic). The realities of rural Guatemala broke our hearts and showed us a field of ministry that we had not imagined.   Since 1994, we have been missionaries living and ministering here in Siguatepeque, Honduras.  Our hearts still break for the spiritual, emotional and physical needs around us.

When short-term trips are done in a mediocre way, Christian tourism, they may very well serve as vaccines against the real thing. We all long for real mission, real life-moving, life-changing purpose.  When we get a little taste, it should stimulate hunger for a greater life and move us to a greater purpose and commitment. 

However, when a mission trip is superficial it can have the opposite effect.   The travelling spectator may see this missionary life from a distance and assume that perception is reality.  No need to be challenged or changed.  The status quo is just fine.

However, you may need a booster shot each year to keep the dangerous stuff from really taking hold!

Brats?

Have you ever spotted spoiled brats?  The cereal aisle at your local Wal-Mart is their natural habitat.  The parental choice of healthy over sugary brings out their rage, hissing and showing of teeth, their violence revealing their savage hearts.

What happens when a child receives everything that he / she wants at exactly the moment that they want it?  What happens when the need for care and provision is replaced by a sense of rights and privileges?  What would happen to you if God, your Father, gave you everything you desired at the push of His button?  Brats are the most miserable humans in the world.

In response to their pleading, Jesus taught His disciples to pray.  They must have witnessed the richness of His relationship with the Father and desired the same intimacy.

Immediately following His model, the “Lord’s Prayer”, He shared the short parable of the persistent friend (Luke 11).  Who knew that impertinence was a valuable characteristic in the Kingdom of God?

God is not asleep and he is not reluctant to provide for your needs, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.  He is, however, more concerned with the maturity of your character than with the realization of momentary comfort or pleasure. 

He will most certainly answer prayer and come and inhabit the human heart with His supernatural presence.  What could be more important or more necessary?  What could possibly express more clearly the love and compassion of our Father? 

 "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

So, the attitude of prayer is very important.  God is my Father.  He longs to provide that which I really need.  He longs to see me grow and mature.  He also longs for intimacy and knows that He alone can fulfill our deepest longings.  So, He values impertinence, the type of insistence that will knock the door down desperate to know Him more intimately. 

He is our Father.  We can be “bold” in His presence.  We can express our hearts, our confusion and our desires knowing that He accepts us completely.

But, He is a loving and wise Father, who knows better than to spoil His children and so for many answers we wait….growing and maturing, becoming the children who not only know their Father, but honor Him through the character molding and revealing moments of every day.

The Hardened Heart

The seed is wonderful and miraculous, absolutely perfect.  It is sown by the master gardener, the maker Himself.  It has the capacity to break through the soil and create infinite results of transformation and beauty.  But the fruit depends upon the condition of the soil, the willingness of the human heart to be infiltrated and changed.

Jesus ‘parable of the Sower is the key to understanding the transformation power of His Kingdom. Since the word of God is perfect and life-giving, the sole variable is the sinful heart.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.”  How did the path become hard, impenetrable? Could it be that it has been walked upon for many years, developing a tough surface that protects it from threat and pain? Have we ever considered the difficulties that others experience, the atrocities and the torture that shape the psyche?

Our defensive reactions to the proclamation of the Gospel may seem justified and even honorable, but they may simply make the ground harder.  What would it take to soften a heart that has been battered and beaten by years of deceit and abuse?

Jesus says that the hardened heart will not receive the word of God and the good news will quickly be erased from memory, no time to contemplate the beauty of Christ. The body of believers, the church, exists to be a permanent reminder of the grace of God, a safe community of peace and healing. Would acceptance and friendship help to “break up the fallow ground”?

Certainly, beating our swords and weapons into plowshares is a result of end-times fulfillment, but wouldn't it be helpful to skip ahead and stop using our weapons against people who are struggling and find creative ways to love them and allow God to create marvelous fruit in their hearts?

At the very least let’s not be so quick to shake the dust off of our feet and move on…

The guy really should have known better.  He was a teacher of the law.  He should have recognized Jesus as the authority, the Word Himself.  But, he chose to question Jesus about the requirements for eternal life.  It would seem like a teacher of the law would have already worked through that issue. But, that’s the way it is with religions. They always leave you wondering if you are in or out.

Without warning, Jesus throws the question back at him, “What have you read? What does the word say?  What has God demanded? What is the foundational truth that you religious folks recite several times every day? Is it not clear?” The lawyer stutters through the traditional response and somehow realizes that he has painted himself into a corner.  What must have been racing through his mind?  Did he really think that he loved God with the all-encompassing passion that He deserves and demands?  How arrogant would it be to assume such a standard or settle for such mediocrity?   So, he must skip this part and jump straight to the horizontal relationships.  “Do I love my neighbor? Now, that’s a better question. Of course I love my friends and family. They love me in return, but what about all those other people?  Some are quite rude and hateful.  Some don’t think like I do or look like I do.  Do I really have to love them?” 

So, in his panic, he creates a diversion.  “Jesus”, he says, “just who really is my neighbor?” That is quite the loaded question that reveals too much of the human heart.  “My arrogance and ignorance lead me to believe that I love the sovereign creator of the universe in an adequate manner, so let’s just skip that part of the exam and go straight to my real concern.  Whom can I hate?  Certainly I don’t need to love everybody?”

So Jesus tells a little story, a beautiful story that we have unfortunately used as an example for helping one another.  The story that we have titled “The Good Samaritan” is not a feel-good event.  It is an immaculate indictment against the sinfulness of the human heart.  There is not a single human being (apart from Christ) who could ever love his neighbor to the extent that the Samaritan sacrificed.  The story was perfectly designed to show the teacher of the law that he had missed the point.  He was incapable of loving both God and man.

Without God’s personal indwelling, you and I will never be able to attempt to love God with any kind of real passion, nor will we serve our neighbors with full-out commitment.  Jesus, the great story-teller, creates for us a painful story that reveals the darkness of our sinful hearts and points us to saving faith in Him.  (Luke 10)

Be careful how you hear...

 “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We’re not keeping secrets; we’re telling them. We’re not hiding things; we’re bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don’t become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.” Luke 8:16-18 (The Message)

As a church we are working our way through the parables of Jesus. What strikes me as ironic is how familiar they are as little snippets and how startling and demanding they are with their full meaning.

Jesus was and is a brilliant story teller, teacher, a craftsman of words and phrase.  Makes sense that John the Apostle would use the philosophical word "logos" to describe Him. "In the beginning was the Word"....the order and reasoning of the universe...the meaning that under-girds it all.

So immediately following the parable of the Sower...which by the way is the key to understanding much of Jesus' teaching, He speaks about lighting a lamp and the absurdity of hiding it.

If you want to grasp Jesus' teaching and His miracles, change your lenses and try to see everything through the long-term plan of preparing His disciples for future ministry.  He was whispering in their ears...but He would soon expect them to shout it all from the rooftops.

Which brings us to the parable of the lamp.  Who would light a lamp with the idea of hiding it?  Certainly, God would not.  His investment in you, the truth He has shared, the grace He has lavished, the salvation He has poured upon you....would they not all be for some greater global purpose?

"Take heed therefore how you hear"....was the old English version of saying.."don't be stingy with the truth and grace that you have heard and experienced." Spread it around.  Shine your light so that others can keep from stumbling around and stubbing their toes....or falling off a cliff. Don't you want to help them find their way to Christ, the source of truth and life? 

Can we not see that God has long-term ministry plans that will produce eternal results?  "You are the light of the world..."

GREETINGS FROM HONDURAS - JULY 2013

Dear friends,

Our prayer is that this note finds you enjoying Christ’s richest blessings!

Please pray with us:

CELebración:  Please continue to pray with us for our new church plant. We have experienced many blessings as well as many challenges. We would like to ask you to specifically pray for our church body and the many spiritual strongholds. Pray also for the many new opportunities that we have to minister to our community through ComuniCaFé.

ComuniCafé:  As a church, we are encouraged by the opportunity to serve our community by providing this healthy place for the development of quality relationships. Please pray that we will serve with the same attitude as Christ, helping others to know Him.

Educafé is a new ministry seeking to help answer a few of the educational problems present throughout Honduras. Currently, only 40% of 6th graders have access to continued studies. There are no GED programs available, so it is truly a blessing to know that we are making available the opportunity for adults to attain a higher education.

Children’s Education:  Both Abi and Lizzy will be taking high school classes online. (Abi - 12th and Lizzy - 9th). Please pray about this financial investment of $4000 for the upcoming year. Daniel will continue to study through Liberty University online and Hannah will continue in North Carolina. Hannah just began a new job and is apartment hunting. Please pray for wisdom and God’s provision.

Film-making experience: Daniel was able to travel to Birmingham during the months of May and June. He had the opportunity to gain valuable experience as a production assistant during the filming of a feature film.
We are grateful as God continues to direct.

Parents: Kathee is currently in North Carolina helping with her parents. Please pray for both Jim and Ann Slaughter as Jim battles with the ever-progressing cruelty of Alzheimer’s and Ann’s battle with multiple health issues. Please pray that Kathee can minister in a way that shows the love of Christ. Please pray also for Tim’s parents, Joe and Dot Hagler, as Joe continues to recuperate from multiple heart problems and Dot recuperates from a broken foot.

Furlough: Many of you have asked when we will be returning to the states to visit. Well….we hope to be able to come as a family next summer, but to be frank the devastating financial commitment makes us very hesitant. Please pray for God’s wisdom, His provision and His timing.

Please let us hear from you…sometimes we feel a long way from family and friends. Please look us up on facebook and check out what is happening with family and ministry.
          https://www.facebook.com/comunicafe.siguatepeque      https://www.facebook.com/kathee.hagler           https://www.facebook.com/timhagler

In Him,
Tim & Kathee

Tim, Kathee, Hannah, Daniel, Abigail & Elizabeth
Cell: 011 (504) 99-21-21-29     tkhagler@yahoo.com

Apartado 49, Siguatepeque, Comayagua. Honduras

World Reach ▪ P.O. Box 26155, Birmingham, AL 35260-0155
Tel: 205.979.2400 ▪ info@world–reach.org ▪ website: world-reach.org

Ritual Inertia

¹⁹ And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.”

Do you ever put off making change-inducing decisions?  It is so much easier to allow things to continue the way they are.  Scientists have tagged this phenomenon as inertia; something about a body in motion continuing in straight-line motion until some outside force comes in and forces a change.  That guy with the ball will keep running straight to the end zone until someone from the other team makes the sacrificial effort to step up and make a violent tackle. 

The same holds true for something that is just sitting there, motionless.  It will not move until someone or something forces it to move.  That teenage boy will remain practically motionless for hours until his mother’s voice breaks into his PlayStation world.  As numbness sets in, only the danger of serious consequences can provoke movement.   An object at rest is resistant to change. It can potentially remain at rest indefinitely.

Is this not true for the church? Do we really believe in the validity of our rituals and traditions or has inertia simply maintained us on our current path? Is our current behavior stimulated from biblical Spirit-filled motivation or are we simply coasting in the same old ruts?

Have we considered the biblical responsibility of determining what it means to follow Jesus Christ today; this decade, century, millennium? ……

Do you have time for a party?

¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

We just celebrated the second anniversary of our new church plant.  It is difficult for me to believe that it has been two years….really?

A great deal has taken place over the last two years, some of which has been extremely encouraging and uplifting, while other happenings have been tedious and discouraging.  Neither of them has changed my love for the church.  The church is beautiful, absolutely radiant.

Certainly, when I use the term, I am referring to the biblical understanding of the chosen and called out group of diverse people, hopelessly lost, but wonderfully found in the sovereignty and mercy of our all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving creator; the lovely bride redeemed and cleansed by the enamored divine husband. The church is a wonder.

However, I am disturbed by my own tendency to revert to images that involve steeples and candles at the mention of the word, but I am determined to fight these false images in my own heart and mind in order to embrace a relational understanding that invokes passion for God Himself, as well as His most treasured creation.  Even in our most hopeless of situations and conduct, our beloved redeemer finds us in our hiding and recreates something wonderful. Certainly, this truth creates undying passion for His person and sacrificial commitment to His desires and mission.

Our anniversary celebration, although simple, proved to be significant for me.  I looked around at a packed house, encouraged and challenged by the number of youth.  Honduras, as a nation, is one of the youngest in the world, with more than 50% under the age of 18.  I would say that our group was more like 80% young.  After a meal of tamales, arroz con pollo and the celebratory cupcake, we discussed our hopes for the future. 

This morning, while working through the church dream lists from each of the dinner tables, I was impressed by the combination of vision and silliness. 

As church leadership, it is always a good idea to listen to the hopes and dreams of others.  It can be inspiring, but most of all revealing.  While trying to decipher the Spanglish, I am aware of some misinterpretations regarding the nature of church, as well as misunderstandings about our own particular vision and philosophy of ministry.  This is helpful and necessary. 

We are often unaware of the beliefs and opinions around us. We assume that attendance implies a certain level of understanding and agreement and there is no other way to affirm or correct that assumption. We need to ask the right questions and carefully listen to responses.

As the anniversary meal finished with the normal chatter, babies crying and spilled Coca-cola, we entered into a celebration of the Lord’s supper.  The attempt to create new church traditions is difficult, yet overwhelmingly necessary. 

The Lord ’s Supper is always powerful for me, but I have come to realize that we all may have strayed too far away from the Biblical model.  How do that little piece of bread and that tiny cup of grape juice begin to pattern the millenniums of traditional Passover celebrations?  We have somehow reduced the most significant Biblical anniversary party into a melodramatic ritual tacked onto the end of an overstuffed worship service.  How have we wandered so far away from the remembrance of salvation mixed with wonderful food and the extended family atmosphere?  How can we observe in 10 minutes what takes an Orthodox Jewish family 4 or 5 hours?  How could we possibly instantaneously grasp the historical significance of the liberation from Egypt and the parallel with our own new-found freedom?

As a testimony to the complicated nature of our church experience, we would find it completely impossible to fit the historical Biblical celebration into our scheduled format.  The early church would have had no problem enjoying this party and they would have anticipated these festivities all year long. 

So, if our church style is too complicated for a party, what must we change?

Murder and Relationships?

Our town, here in Honduras, has been shaken by scandalous news.  An adolescent girl and her teenage boyfriend crafted a horrible plot to murder the girl’s mother. 

A few months earlier, in the mother’s wisdom, she had discovered that the relationship was harming her 15 year-old daughter’s character and had determined to end the budding relationship.  The story is now gaining international fame for the simple reason that the youngsters were committed to their plan and a few days ago left the girl’s mother in a pool of blood on her living room floor.  Unbelievable stories were concocted to cover up the truth, but like the character from Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the guilt of homicide was overwhelming and the young girl confessed to her family and the authorities.

This story achieves relevance to the church discussion on a personal level.  We were part of the same local church body with this family for about 3 or 4 years.  The sweet little girl spent the night in my home!

How can a person attend regular church functions and listen to an infinite quantity of biblical teaching and make this catastrophic murderous decision?  I am concerned that no one will ask these questions and that church as a local group of believers will continue to play religion as usual while the society goes to hell in a hand basket around us.

Here is part of our dilemma.  We have bought into the modern notion that propositional truth will logically solve our problems. As a matter of fact, didn’t Jesus say that the “truth would set us free”?   Well, the detail that we somehow miss in that overused and misunderstood passage is that Jesus was actually talking about Himself.  Jesus is the “truth” and a relationship with Him will set us free from all that can bind and enslave us.

Although propositional truth is necessary and even formulas can prove to be helpful, the human dilemma longs for deep meaningful relationships.  You can attend endless meticulously planned church services and listen to a million homiletically correct sermons while emotionally and spiritually starving to death, longing for a friend. 

Why do we, the church of Jesus Christ, fill our lives with such elaborate religious activity and miss the fundamental needs of the people around us? 

What would happen if the church invested more time, energy and resources in the formation of quality relationships? Would we not find it more beneficial to be able to know our brothers and sisters well?  Could we not find sensitive and creative solutions to real life problems?  

I wonder if we would be able to apply the proverbial “10-step process to a prosperous life” while our neighbor literally cries on our shoulder.  We would probably find it more practical and helpful to simply cry as well, showing our love and compassion by sharing in the grief.

Perhaps that is what scares us.  As long as the Bible lesson is theoretical, we can claim understanding while falsely assuming spiritual growth and maturity.  Is it possible to really understanding a Biblical truth that we have never attempted to apply?  Are we lazy or do we secretly doubt that these truths will actually work when applied to today’s complexity?

You ever wonder what Jesus did with His disciples for three years? You might think that is an irrelevant question, but I am convinced that it is the secret to discipleship….

You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 

                                                                                        Matthew 23:24

Have you ever tasted camel? Something tells me that it's not like chicken. I am not going to ask you whether or not you have tried to swallow one. We have all done that.

Several years ago, a good friend from California was volunteering here in Siguatepeque. He was on an extremely tight budget, Peace Corps range of money.  So, he was obliged to rent a small living space downtown.  Actually, it was a shared bedroom in the back of the house.  Calling it an apartment would be Santa Claus type generosity.  He shared the bedroom with a young Honduran man who showed no shame in borrowing his underwear and deodorant, without asking of course.

As the story unfolds, my friend spent his days teaching in a two room public school and his evenings playing with a passel of children that somehow belonged to the household as well.  As my friend practiced his developing Spanish, he learned that this was not the only home that was occupied by his way-passed-middle-aged landlord.  As the children explained, he had two other households, each with their own mother and accompanying set of numerous children. Even more startling was the fact that everyone seemed to know and no-one seemed to care. "Let me get this straight", I said to my friend, "all three women know about each other? The kids know? The whole community knows?" "Yeah", he said, "and nobody gives a flip. He splits his time up between the three houses and all three women play the role of the adoring wives and everybody pretends that everything is okay and normal. He is kind of seen as being the benevolent provider."

A few months later, I learned that one of the "wives" was actually a faithful attendee of our church. That would explain the terrified look on her face every time that we tried to serve her the Lord's Supper. Her superstitious understanding probably made her believe that the communion Welch’s grape juice was going to mysteriously turn to poison because she had participated "in a manner unworthy".  

It’s a sad commentary on what the church has inadvertently yet emphatically taught.  Somehow, we have taken a straightforward passage of scripture, I Corinthians 11, which is a warning about excluding people from the fellowship of eating the communion meals together, mainly the poor, and we have used it as an excuse to exclude people from communion, in my context, usually the poor.

Whether it was superstition or religiosity, she knew that she could not afford to be sick over a ceremony. Many church goers do not participate in the beautiful reminder of our Lord’s sacrifice because they are simply afraid.

So, she chose to remain at the underprivileged church status.   She would never be able to be baptized because she would never be able to marry so she would never participate in this celebration.  What a mess we have made! 

Meanwhile, my friend is counting his underwear every day and wondering if that ominous hair on the deodorant is his.  One day, as he is walking through the center of town, just past the Catholic Church, he notices the handmade sign at the movie theatre that announces the one and only movie option and it is amazingly something Disney.  This is a rare occurrence.  The film option is usually something about demon vampires dragging villagers back to Hades.

He knows that the sound system in that theatre is horrible and cartoons are dubbed directly to Spanish. Both details assure my friend that he will understand none of the film, but he has grander plans.

Since there are lots of little bitty kids running around his "apartment", he figures that this is the perfect time to generously invite all of them to the movies, a place none of them have ever been.

The kids were ecstatic with the news, but there was one little catch. They would need to secure permission from their benevolent father or grandfather or uncle, whatever he was. That's when it all got tricky and illuminating.

There is great freedom and boldness in innocence or naiveté. This allowed my young friend to stride right up to the patriarch and state his proposal. "Hey, there is a great little cartoon playing at the cine and I am taking all of the little kids. It will be my treat at no cost to anyone else." His silly grin turned to dismay as he listened to the angered and determined response. "We are a Christian family and we don't go to the movies, ever."

So, let's get this straight.  Mister "I'm shackled up with three different women" is giving us a morality lesson. So, even though he has never married any of these women and he continues his life of blatant sexual immorality, he has somehow gained some moral high ground by excluding the cinema from his personal list of acceptable places. How easily can selective legalism whitewash the putrid rotting interior?

My heart continues to ache with the deceptive nature of the human heart. Hyperbole helps us to see the hypocrisy of this particular case, but how sensitive am I to my own camel swallowing? What are the moral trivialities swimming around in my heart and mind that dominate my behavior? Is it possible that I have replaced following Jesus with the legalistic adherence to the norms of my tiny subculture?

For most of my public ministry, I have been concerned about the working of the local church.   As a missionary here in Honduras, I can see that the current evangelical church environment is dominated by the importance of church attendance. Did you show up or not? That’s the most important thing.  Present a pretty façade. Get a haircut. Press your shirt. Dress the girls in pretty dresses and pretend to pay attention as the preacher rambles on about the importance of showing up.

How many church leaders are secretly beating their children and their wives while presenting a united front?  How many cheat in their business or refuse to pay the sales tax? 

As I examine my own heart, I wonder why I have shown little compassion for the people around me.  What about alleviating poverty and the complexities of justice?  Don’t smoke. Don’t drink. Don’t cuss. Don’t go to movies. Close your eyes to the neighbor who is starving to death. Swallow a camel.