Stars and Faith

He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name. (Amos 5:8 ESV)

Stars and Faith

One summer, as a part of a Boy Scout Merit Badge, I memorized the names and locations of the 50 brightest stars. I suppose if I had ever been lost in the woods, I would have a valuable resource!

A few years ago, while investigating some astronomical concepts, I found that the 50 stars that I had memorized had not changed! They remained the 50 brightest stars, and they remained in the same locations!

I was not really surprised.

But Amos understood my excitement.

Those stars are from my short-lived perspective, unchanging. Those stars are a part of the cycle of day and night, light and dark, winter and summer. Those stars are regular, reliable, predictable, and familiar.

The Lord made them.

The things that I make usually are recognizable as mine, often taking on my characteristics.

And what the Lord made has His characteristics. He, like His stars, is regular, reliable, predictable, and familiar, too.

When we feel unsettled, unstable, and insecure, look up at the stars. The same stars that Adam saw. The same stars that Abraham saw. The same stars that Amos saw. The same stars that Paul saw. The same stars that Martin Luther saw. The same stars that George Washington saw. The same stars that Robert Burns saw. The same stars I saw as a lad. The same stars I saw yesterday. The same stars I will likely see tomorrow.

The Lord made them.

Take the faith God grants us.

History and Love

Things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (Psalm 78:3,4 ESV)

History and Love

One of my fondest memories is of my grandfather telling the story of his adventures during World War II. From the laughter of galley shenanigans to the terror of approaching Pacific Island beaches in the dead of night, he told me history, and it was not dull. He also told me about the kinds of bushes he had grown successfully. And it was not dull. He also told me of his office work, he called it, “pushing pencils.” And it was not dull.

Some of his stories were obviously more thrilling than others. Some of his stories were obviously more useful than others. Some of his stories were more understandable than others. But his stories were never dull.

Because the stories were about a man I loved. The stories were told by a man who loved me. The stories were usually, just because of the relationship between us, about love.

This Psalm also declares that the study of history is not dull. Because the stories of his history were stories of His God.

My love of Scotland drives my appreciation for Robert Burns. My growing (slowly) love of poetry fuels my interest in Burns’ writings. My love for my civilization pushes me to share his work with my community.

Of course, the Psalmist is talking about an even richer history than Scotland’s. He is talking about the history we find in Scripture. And that history, more than any other history, is about love. That history is written through love. That history is written for love.

Because that history is all about Jesus. Every book of the Bible… every chapter of every book… every verse of every chapter… is all about Jesus.

His love is on every page.

Take the love God grants us.

History and Faith

Things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done (Psalm 78:3,4 ESV)

History and Faith

Faith is founded in God’s actions in the past. We study the past, history, to allow faith to have fertile soil.

Sometimes that soil is a complicated mix of minerals, nutrients, and waste. But mixed together, the soil of history is rich, profound, and valuable.

This week, Jubilee is celebrating Robert Burns Day. Burns was an 18th Century Scottish poet. He lived a wild, often lawless life. He sowed his oats freely and drank his large quantities of whiskey straight. He rejected authority, particularly the authority of the kirk.

But surprisingly, Presbyterians love Robert Burns. Pressies love Burns for at least two reasons.

First, his unrighteous choices and actions remind us of our own sinfulness. We could be just as wild… in fact we are. Perhaps not with Burns’ particular rebellions. But our purposeful push-back against God is no different than His. We, like Burns, are poster-children for the need of redemption, found only in faith in Christ Jesus.

So Burns’ life is a part of the gospel story. A part that we need to be reminded of.

Second, as a part of the gospel, Burns’ art was both earthy and majestic. His poetry (you might recall Love is Like a Red, Red Rose, or Auld Lange Syne) captures 18th century Scottish sentiments, culture, and heart. He was deft in his use of metaphor, allegory, and visual descriptions. In his poems, Burns displays our need for humility, patience, reality, and even love.

Burns’ beautiful poems are a reminder that God reveals the majestic in the mundane, mines value from the broken, and transforms human fallen nature into the fantastic.

When we, therefore, notice the mundane, the broken, and the fallen… we can believe that these are not obstacles to God. But raw materials for wonder.

Maybe you do not like Burns’ lifestyle or his poetry. If not, I understand. But find someone from yesteryear to read, study, and appreciate. In such are the soil of faith.

Take the faith God grants us.

Wind and Love

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Matthew 6:3 ESV)

Wind and Love

Wind is powerful. But all we see is the effect, not the wind itself.

Wind is not a blow hard, even when it blows hard. Wind does its job.

Wind does not claim credit, even when it moves the turbine, moves the dunes, and moves the ocean waves. Wind does its job.

Wind does not attempt to win popularity contests. Wind does not ask to be remembered in statues, or memorials, or holidays. Wind does its job.

Wind is a lot like love.

Love does not draw attention to itself, even when it changes the world. Love does its job.

Love does not claim credit, even when it changes hearts, changes motivations, and changes lives. Love does its job.

Love does not act to be popular. Love does not ask to be remembered. Love does its job.

Love is a lot like wind.

When we love, whether we love God or mankind, be like the wind. Behind the scenes. Doing the unnoticed necessary. If the right hand, do not draw the left hand’s notice. If the left hand, do not draw the right hand’s notice.

Love like God, in fact.

Behind the sunrise, not printing His name on it. Behind the peace, not printing His name on it. Behind the provision, not printing His name on it.

Take the love God grants us.

Wind and Hope

Who has gathered the wind in his fists? (Proverbs 30:4 ESV)

Wind and Hope

Agur, in the book of Proverbs, has figured out that we humans at times feel helpless. As he describes his awareness of his lack of control, power, and knowledge, it is easy to imagine that Agur might be writing from today in Wichita, Kansas instead of writing in the ancient Middle East.

We wonder, today, if we really can do anything to hurt or help our environment. We wonder, today, if we can change the minds of our confused neighbors. We wonder, today, if we can plan for retirement. We wonder, today, if we can affordably affect our health. We wonder, today, if we can help our crying children. We wonder, today, if our votes actually matter.

Helpless.

Agur tells us though, that there is One who holds the wind in His fists!

He describes the Holy One, Jahweh, the One True God in these terms:

Who has ascended to heaven and come down?

Who has gathered the wind in his fists?

Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is his son’s name?

Surely you know! (Proverbs 30:4)

When you feel helpless, cling to the One who holds the wind…

Take the hope God grants us.

Wind and Faith

So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts… And the Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. (Exodus 10:13,19 ESV)

Wind and Faith

I once listened to a group of high school science students and teachers trying to describe wind. The answers were astonishingly all over the place. No one suggested MY obviously true answer: Wind is the breath of dragons, giants, and leviathans attempting to move a huge beach ball in a game of Monster Soccer.

Few of us actually DO understand the wind… and if we have had to endure a tornado, hurricane, or a South Dakota spring, we are a bit apprehensive of it.

When we do not understand something, it can be a cause of concern, worry, or mistrust.

The Egyptians and the Israelites learned something about wind, though. Exodus 10 describes two winds from opposite directions, with opposite purposes. Without Moses’ commentary, the weather must have been very confusing. But the lesson is clear. The wind is God’s tool.

The Egyptians had reason, therefore, to be afraid… but the Israelites had reason to be excited. God was at work. Behind the scenes… invisible, but not with invisible effects.

What wind is in our lives this week? Maybe you feel the wind of political change. Maybe you feel the wind of financial upheaval. Maybe you feel the wind God’s spirit driving you to stop sinning. Maybe you feel the Wind of God pressing you into His loving arms.

Whatever your wind… remember Exodus and God’s control. It is His wind.

Take the faith God grants us.

How-to-Change-the-World and Love

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. (II Corinthians 2:14 ESV)

How-to-Change-the-World and Love

I stopped playing chess for a while because I was tired of not winning. I did not care about the sharpening of my mind, the community, the mathematical intricacies, or the joy of the game itself. I discovered that all I cared about was the result. And it ruined the game for me.

But recently I have enjoyed playing again. I discovered that chess is not about winning.

Neither is life.

The triumphal procession that Paul describes here is not the spiritual form of the celebration at the end of Star Wars. While it sounds exciting to have the saints and angels cheering us on as we receive our ‘well-done’ medals, victory in Christ is a different thing. It is actually a better thing.

The fragrance of the knowledge of Him that spreads though us to the world is love itself. His love for His beloved enables us to love Him. His love for His beloved enables us to love others.

And THAT is what changes the world.

There is cheering going on… but it is aimed at the love-bringer. There is praising going on… but it is aimed at our Savior. There is a victory parade, but at its beginning, middle, and end that parade involves us putting our meager crowns at JESUS’ feet. (Revelation 4:10)

Christ’s changes the world and we are along for the ride. Not a simpering, silly, bland love. But a gracious, sacrificial, purposeful, powerful love.

Take the Love God grants us.

How-to-Change-the-World and Hope

Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV)

How-to-Change-the-World and Hope

I worked sometimes for the local radio station in Lemmon, South Dakota. By the time I greeted the audience, the play list for the day was arranged. Often even days ahead.

Occasionally, on other days, the radio announcers would ask for requests. And I found it fun to call in… knowing the upcoming schedule… and request a song that was coming up soon.

The best way to get your requests met is to ask for what you know is coming. Especially when what is coming is grand!

At the risk of sounding like a fortune teller, here is a prediction of coming events. Jesus is going to win.

It is even more guaranteed than the playlist on KBJM.

When we pray, then, why not pray for what you know is going to happen? Pray that the Kingdom of God will expand. (Matthew 6:10) Pray that the gospel will go out, and not return void. (Isaiah 55:11) Pray that every knee will bow! And that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Praying for what we know is going to happen can be easy. It is also exciting. It is also a source of hope.

Take the hope God grants us.

How-to-Change-the-World and Faith

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9 ESV)

How-to-Change-the-World and Faith

Right off the top of my head I can think of three times that God turned the world upside down. First, the children of Israel were slaves. They were controlled by the most powerful nation in the Middle East of that day, Egypt. The slavery of the Israelites was well established, being the norm for hundreds of years. The Israelites were untrained in rebellion, subversion, and tactics. But God turned the world upside down. God freed them. God gave them land.

Second, Christianity was new, floundering, and in hiding. Caught in a crossfire of empire-protection and organized-religion, an articulate, knowledgeable, and able organizer, Saul, was attacking Christians left and right. And they were dying. From their perspective, they were in danger of dying out. But God turned the world upside down. God converted the main enemy. God invigorated the fearful. God grew the church.

Third, many centuries later, the Church was floundering. Scripture had been replaced by false doctrines. Grace was nearly forgotten. The faithful seemed insignificant. But God turned the world upside down. God’s Spirit moved once more. God’s truth was re-embraced, re-understood, and renewed. Not only to the remnant become the majority, but in the years that followed, the Church as the bride of Christ was blushingly beautiful once again.

Today, maybe even particularly this week, you might think you have reason to despair. Perhaps enslaved to the State… Perhaps your Christian community is comparatively floundering… Perhaps the truths of God’s sovereignty, God’s grace, and God’s mercy are faded and being forgotten.

But God is very good at turning the world upside down. In addition to these three, think about the creation of the universe from nothing. Think about the revivals during the days of Samuel, Hezekiah, and Josiah. Think about the personal world-changing of barren Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Samson's mother.

He has done it before. Believe He can do it again!

Take the faith God grants us.

Prayer and Love

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (Luke 6:27,28 ESV)

Prayer and Love

I admit that I like the idea of praying strong, angry, vengeful prayers. You know the kind that I mean. “Dear All-Powerful God! Destroy my (and Yours, I guess) enemies! BASH them! Shame them! Hurt them!”

We find this kind of prayer in the Psalms, for instance. (e.g. Psalms 69 and 109)

The problem with those imprecatory prayers, though, is first, that only God knows who His enemies are. While certainly folk, institutions, and nations can be identified as acting in a way clearly opposed to God’s will… so can most of our actions. Only God knows who His enemies are. God clearly DOES have enemies! But our definition does not necessarily match God’s deeper understanding.

The second problem with imprecatory prayers is that Jesus gives us this difficult command. Love those who hate us, curse us, and abuse us. Love our enemies.

I saw a meme this morning. It asked us to pray that our unrighteous leaders be caught, shamed, ruined, and removed from power. I understood the frustration, anger, and pain that led to that meme.

But I disagree with it.

What if instead we really prayed for those unrighteous leaders, in love? What if we really tried to desire the best for those who have acted in ways that display hate towards us? What if we desired the best for those who have cursed us? What if we desired the best for those who have abused us?

What would that ‘best’ be?

It is a pretty simple thing. Do we believe in the power of the gospel? What a grand thing it would be if those who oppose God and His work fell in love with Him!

Praying that our enemies be destroyed is not praying in love.

Praying that the rebellious hearts of our enemies be transformed is. Praying that His apparent enemies be stymied by a shocking and glorious transformation (exactly as has happened in OUR lives!) into citizens of Christ’s Kingdom is. Praying that God’s enemies be utterly and completely defeated because they are no longer His enemies is.

Prayer and love are necessary partners.

Take the love God grants us.

Prayer and Hope

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6 ESV)

Prayer and Hope

I recently heard a story from a friend who attended university far from her family and home. Further, she was required to park her car quite a long distance from her classes. The walk was long, along a deserted, lonely, and unfamiliar road.

Normally, we might expect her to be anxious.

But she had an amazing piece of technology that we take for granted. She had a cell phone. As she journeyed through unsafe territory, she talked to her mother. Not necessarily about the things going ‘bump’ in the night… but simply talking, listening, laughing.

And anxiety turned into peace. Anxiety turned into comfort. Anxiety turned into hope.

We have super cell phone connection to God.

Prayer does not bring hope merely because we anticipate He might answer our prayers in the way we expect. Prayer also brings hope because when we pray we are talking to our Heavenly Father. His presence in our praying relieves anxiety. His presence in our praying reminds us of the Almighty Lord of Heaven and Earth. His presence in our praying offers hope.

Take the hope God grants us.

Prayer and Faith

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)

Prayer and Faith

Most of us end our prayers with, “in Jesus’ name, Amen.” And when we consider our reasons, we usually think about the fact that His Spirit intercedes for us when we pray, changing our faulty words to exactly the right ones. (Hebrews 7:25) Or we realize that Jesus as our older brother enables us to confidently approach the throne of God in prayer. (Hebrews 4:16) Or maybe we just say the words to remind us of our savior.

But there is a richer reason.

James declares that of all the prayers in the universe, the prayers uttered by a righteous person are the most effective. Other translations correctly add nuances of, “effects much,” “is powerful and works,” or even, “is something powerful to be reckoned with.”

And no one is as righteous as Jesus.

By attaching our prayers to Him, the One in whom we believe, His righteousness helps our prayers. His righteousness, just like in our justification and sanctification, is powerful.

Our faith connects us to Christ’s righteousness even here.

Pray in His name!

Take the faith God grants us.

Pets and Love

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. (Proverbs 12:10 ESV)

Pets and Love

It is a little strange to claim that having regard for animals is a thing of righteousness. But maybe it is not so strange.

My first pet, a dog named Kelly, was my buddy. He adored me. He obeyed me. He looked at me with his deep eyes and warmed my soul. And while I liked him a lot… while I took care of him, even at some expense… while I sacrificed time and energy for him… I am not sure that what I had towards Kelly was Love, in the Biblical sense.

My next pet, a guinea pig named Herbie, was not my buddy. He sort of adored me, or at least liked it when I petted him. He never obeyed me. He looked at me with his shallow eyes and blinked. I did not like him… but I did take care of him… and sacrificed time and energy for him… and I am sure that what I felt towards Herbie was not Love, in any sense.

But the regard I had for both animals teaches me something about Love. My pets were MY pets. They existed for me, not the other way around. And yet I was (usually) kind, thoughtful, concerned, and affectionate towards them.

My ability to have that regard towards both Herbie AND Kelly is a result of God’s image in me, focused and expanded by the Holy Spirit’s enlarging of my heart through Christ Jesus.

Almighty God has regard for His creation.

The conquering God/man Christ Jesus has regard for His people.

Christ’s bride, the church, has regard for the unfortunate, broken, lost folk of the world.

Do you see the pattern?

Not only is the writer of this proverb saying that having regard for animals is an indicator of character, but God’s people, made righteous through the work of Christ, are able to emulate God in this characteristic.

Take the love God grants us.

Pets and Hope

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison…

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:7-8, 17-18 ESV)

Pets and Hope

We once had a dog named, ‘Ding’ that we finally gave up on. He misbehaved, he was stubborn, too energetic, and either too smart or too stupid. When Ding started to growl at our young children it was the last straw.

We could not tame Ding.

Our failure does not contradict James’ statement about the taming of animals. While we failed to tame Ding, dogs like Ding have indeed been tamed. “Every kind of beast” has been tamed. Even difficult dogs.

But do not misunderstand James statement about our tongues. James is not saying, “our language is even worse than difficult animals! Shame on you! There is no hope for you!!!” Instead, James is saying that our language, our words, our tongues are beyond our skills, efforts, or willpower to tame.

But later in the paragraph, He tell us how even our tongues canbe tamed.

The methodology that tames tongues is found through a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That is what wisdom is. That relationship gives rise to pure instead of foul language. That relationship leads to peaceable and gentle people instead of harsh language. That relationship leads to reasonable, merciful, and good conversations instead of thoughtless, cruel, and evil language. That relationship leads to good fruit, impartial judgements, and sincerity instead of tragedy, injustice, and fake communication.

Sometimes we despair of taming our tongues, just like Ding.

But there is hope in our Redeemer, our Sanctifier, and our patient friend.

Take the hope God grants us.

Pets and Faith

You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. (Deuteronomy 14:21 ESV)

Pets and Faith

When God finished creating animals, both wild and domesticated, He saw that His creation was very good. (Genesis 1:25) Logically, this indicates that as much as God ‘likes’ majestic lions, elegant giraffes, efficient water buffaloes, and intriguing platypuses, He also ‘likes’ our pets.

He created them, and enables our relationship with them, because He considered them good for us.

The breadth and depth of God’s compassion for His creation, now broken by Adam’s sin, is shown profoundly in this odd commandment from Deuteronomy 14. Why should God command that a young goat not be boiled in its mother’s milk?

Some have considered that God had health concerns, perhaps similar to concerns about the germs that commonly inhibit pork… but biology has shown this is not likely to be the case. Some have proposed that some sort of symbolic matter regarding the sacrificial system was behind God’s command… but if so, there is no further scriptural evidence for this. Some have wondered if God was issuing commands to demonstrate His authority even over simple dietary matters… but this seems trite.

I believe and hope that God is instead richly displaying compassion.

The picture of a mother goat’s precious offspring being prepared in the milk that is intended to sustain that young animal puts the ‘sad’ in sadistic.

Scientifically… it does not matter. Objectively… it seems unimportant. Logically… why should anyone care about a soulless goat and her food-purposed baby?

But God shows compassion. For those who might observe, for those who like goats, for those with tender hearts, yes. But even for the goat herself.

That teaches us about God’s compassion. It encourages us that He has compassion for us, too. It shows us that God cares for every part of His creation.

The death of the divine Christ on the cross for us,much more lowly humans, is the result of similar Godly compassion. The same God who cares about baby goats obviously cares for His people too.

We need compassion, and God has shown that He has compassion to spare. Believe it.

Take the faith God grants us.

The News and Love

Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, (I Chronicles 12:32 ESV)

The News and Love

You probably do not know much about Arthur St. Clair. But I do. I know about him because for some reason, I like him. Most famously, St. Clair was the seventh President of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. He was a farmer, a Justice of the Peace, and a governor of Ohio Territory. He also served unsuccessfully as a General in the War for American Independence, and led American troops in 1792, overseeing the worst defeat of American Forces in our history.

I am not really sure why I like him.

But since I do… I know about him. We are willing and eager to learn about those we like, appreciate, and especially love.

When David was crowned king of all Israel, the book of Chronicles listed attributes of the people who gathered to his banner. The men of Issachar understood the times, we read.

It seems to me that this statement indicates their love of God. They understood the times, because they loved God and wanted to understand what He does in the world.

And so we can gather the News, even when it is unpleasant. Because in the News we can see the hand of God.

At times it is difficult, confusing, or frustrating. But God’s ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) And our love for God can be found in our study, comprehension, and understanding of the times.

Take the love God grants us.

The News and Hope

…Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:4-5 ESV)

The News and Hope

It is easier to interpret the Bible than it is to interpret current events. Luke describes Jesus’ explanation for a tragedy that took place in Jerusalem. He could interpret events, knowing exactly what was really happening, because Jesus was God Himself. It is more difficult for us to do such interpretation.

But our ability to interpret the News will improve as long as two other things happen. First, to interpret the News, we first need to know God’s revealed, clear, sufficient Word. The more we know His Word, the more we have a foundation to interpret today’s events. The more we know His Word, the more we comprehend His love, His mercy, His justice, and His holiness. The more we know His Word, the more we will understand His actions.

Second, to interpret the News, we first need to believeGod’s revealed, clear, sufficient Word. Interpreting the News is easier when we are interpreting the actions of Someone we know, trust, love, and to Whom we submit.

If we desire the world to make more sense, our hope is found both in knowing about God, and knowing God.

Take the hope God grants us.

The News and Faith

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16,17 ESV)

The News and Faith

We expect The News to be correctly informing us. We should accept and understand bias, (no news is truly fair and unbiased) but we expect honesty and accuracy. And we are often disappointed.

But perhaps we should not be disappointed. Because The News is by its nature not primarily interested in honesty or accuracy. The News is interested in selling information.

But the pricks, jolts, and upheavals caused when we discovery inaccuracy in The News can be a spiritually useful thing. Rather than merely fume, smolder, and complain, the dishonesty and inaccuracy of The News can be a goad.

We have a news-giver that is honest, accurate, personal, encouraging, and challenging.

We have God’s Word.

So when our hearts yearn for better News, remember that we have plenty. God’s Word has proved itself reliable, gripping, and necessary. It is believable.

Take the faith God grants us.

Starting Over and Love

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (II Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Starting Over and Love

Evil Mr. Potter did not let George Bailey start over. The Emperor Palpatine did not let Luke Skywalker start over. George W. Bush did not let Al Gore start over. Wile E. Coyote would not have let the Roadrunner start over. The Continental Congress did not let the government of King George III start over. The Ohio State University football team did not let Clemson start over.

A prerequisite of starting over is love.

Parents let children start over. Friends let friends start over. Good employers let good employees start over.

But only as shades and imitations of the one real chance to start over.

Because of Christ’s love, His people are new creations. Because of Christ’s love, the old rebellious ways of His people have passed away. Because of Christ’s love, the new has come.

I need to start over. You probably do, too.

Take the love God grants you.