Pastor Corners from the Past

The Food is Free
by Chris Foreman, ~ November 9, 2007

I am always on the lookout for earthly stories that illustrate eternal truths. One of my favorite illustrative stories involves my wife's dear mother.

My mother-in-law emigrated to America in 1978. She flew on a large jet plane from Seoul to Seattle. She brought very little cash because the ticket was expensive and she brought expensive gifts. Her small amount of money was pinned to the inside her clothes for safe keeping. Flying was a totally new experience for her. The airplane was new to her, the toilets were new to her, the service was new and the customs were new.

After a couple hours in the air, the stewards began passing out peanuts and drinks. Everybody was getting their share, but my mother-in-law didn't have any extra money so she declined the snacks. Instead she took an apple out of her carry-on bag and ate that. A few more hours passed and the stewards were asking passengers what kind of in-flight meal they wanted: chicken, lasagna, or seafood? She was unsure about what to say. Language was part of the problem. She was very hungry by now, but indicated to the steward through gestures that she would not be eating. She really suffered when the meals were delivered. The sight of the person on her right gobbling down seafood was too much to bear. The smell of roasted chicken in the cabin was torturing. As she took out a second apple to munch, other passengers looked on in puzzlement.

My wife and I met her at the Airport. After shouts, hugs and tears, my wife asked about the flight. She responded that the flight was OK, but that she was very hungry because she didn't have money to buy meals. They chatted more about the meal situation. Finally my wife said "but the meals were free. You already paid for them. It was included in the price of your ticket". My mother-in-law took a deep breath and changed the subject. We all three went to an airport McDonald's and she ate her very first Happy Meal. (Maybe she had two of them).

This story illustrates the Grace of God. It is available to us for free. All we have to do is accept it. Some people may travel to the ends of their lives without knowing that the nourishment of God is free for the asking, and that it has already been paid for with a price.

Minstries, Diversions, and Disciplines
by Chris Foreman, ~ October 4, 2007

A few Sundays ago when I was at Baker's Square, someone asked me, "Chris, do you have any hobbies"? I thought a little bit and then I responded, "No, I don't have hobbies, I have ministries." As I spoke those words, I realized that this response sounded a bit pompous. After mulling it over a few days, I determined that the activities of my life could be categorized as: "ministries", "diversions", and "disciplines".

Ministry is at the center of what I do. At this moment in my life, everything is really flowing together. I take joy in the rhythm of weekly sermons. I look forward to returning to my friends in Africa. I take pleasure in teaching students from my Greek Bible. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because of the life with which God has blessed me. I am in my church office seven days a week - for at least a few hours - not because I'm required to be there, but because it's in my heart to be about my Father's business.

I would call "diversions" those things that I enjoy doing that are not ministry related. I don't watch much TV and seldom go to movies. I do spend time reading the newspaper and working the puzzles. That's fun. I just acquired three canaries and their songs entertain me when I'm home. I enjoy visits with my family and phone conversations with my two sons. But truly, I love to fill my days with God's work. What could be better?

There are a few things that I do on a regular basis that require discipline. I try to exercise five times a week: three mornings at 24-hour Nautilus and two evenings on one-hour runs. Sometimes I get lazy and find excuses not to exercise. Under this category of discipline, I would also place the morning devotions that I share with Kim. We are on our second cycle through a regime of daily Bible reading. This time of Bible study and prayer is an important start to our day.

So, do I have hobbies? Not like I used to. Maybe the older I get, the more I realize that I am indeed running a race. "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" [Hebrews 12:1-2]

Remembering Nine-Eleven
by Chris Foreman, September 10, 2007 (originally on September 20, 2001)

How can I begin to express my feelings over the events that happened last week? Words cannot capture the full spectrum of emotion and thought.

I woke up as usual about 7 o'clock on Tuesday morning. I was still sleepy when I turned on the kitchen radio. I heard something about airliners smashing into the world trade center in New York City. At first I thought that it might be a joke of some sort, or maybe advertising for a new disaster movie. When I realized that it was for real, I felt a desire to go back to bed. If I woke up a second time, perhaps this Tuesday morning would begin differently.

I continued to listen to the news. After a few moments, my wife joined me in the kitchen and I broke the news to her . She responded with "What! Are you sure?". Then we listened to the news together. I was a hour late for work and when I arrived my co-worker was sitting at her computer terminal but her attention was directed to a small TV. Tears were in her eyes. We watched TV and talked for a while. It did not seem to be a day for working, so I went back home.

Over next few days, I felt numb and sick. I can remember feeling the same way just after my mother died. Last week's trauma was different because most people I met shared this same numbing sickness. The four people in my family reacted differently to this crisis. Since last Wednesday morning, I have flown the American flag from my 2nd floor balcony. I turn on the news but only for a few minutes. I know that the constant news of suffering would cause nothing but suffering in me.

My serious-minded older son has been in daily prayer with his religious brothers at a Dominican priory. My happy-go-lucky younger son volunteered for the first time to give blood. This from a young man who has been fearful of needles his whole life. My Korean-born wife watched television, read the newspaper and listened to a sermon in church. She tells me that for the first time in 27 years she feels more like an American than like a Korean. These are strange times indeed.

On Thursday, I received e-mails from my two college friends in Rwanda. Each of them expressed sorrow and offered sympathy for the terrible events that took place in my country. This is also strange to me. It was just in July that I traveled across the world to preach reconciliation and peace to this African country torn apart by war and massive death. How could I have guessed that my two Rwandan friends would me preaching to me about peace and reconciliation in America?

I have read the newspaper for many years. I have always been amused but troubled by the way Americans report on disasters: "During this flood in the Philippines, 100 people died, including 3 Americans" or "This airplane went down in Egypt killing all aboard, including one American". What? Are American lives more precious than foreign lives? Are Americans so important they must be reported separately? While I was focused on my American newspaper, my wife was reading the news in Korean. She interrupted my reading to tell me that out of the thousands killed in New York City maybe forty were Korean. American newspapers are no different than newspapers in Korea. They all focus on fatalities of their own national people. This time we Americans are on the other side of the news. And the news in America is very very grim indeed. To quote Thomas Paine, "These are times that try men's souls".

Another Love Chapter, with apologies to Saint Paul
by Chris A Foreman ~ August19, 2007

Mr. Edward Wilbur never spoke with the tongue of men and angels, but he did have love. He did enjoy the music of sounding brass and clanging cymbals, but he never spoke that way.

Ed never displayed a gift of prophecy, never revealed mysteries or profound knowledge. I don't remember him ever removing mountains. But he did have love, and he was SOMETHING.

Ed did bestow much of his goods to feed the poor, and he did sacrifice his body daily. And he did have love, and that love profited him greatly - and all those around him.

His love suffered long and was kind; it did not envy; did not parade itself, and was not puffed up.

The Ed-kind-of-love bore all things, believed all things, hoped all things, and endured all things. I, personally, never saw Ed's love fail.

Now we know that where there are prophecies, they will fail; where there are tongues, they will cease; and where there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

When Ed was still a part of us he knew only in part. But now that he is with the Father, the partial is done away.

You see, when Ed was alive it was like he saw in a mirror, dimly. But now he sees face to face. Once he knew in part, but now that he is in heaven, Ed knows just as he also is known.

Look around you. You will see people of great faith, hope, and love, these three. But Mr. Ed Wilbur demonstrated the greatest of these, because he showed us all the true meaning of love.

Drought and Famine
by Chris A Foreman ~ July 23, 2007

I read it again in the newspaper. There is a famine in the horn of Africa. The news company Reuters reports, “Drought conditions across the Horn of Africa are likely to persist until at least early April, threatening further loss of life and livestock. At least one hundred people and tens of thousands of livestock have already died in East Africa due to a drought afflicting Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania and Burundi.” Western aid organizations are sending millions of dollars to combat this famine.

I became aware of this distinction when I read about a serious drought in southeastern Oklahoma. Statistics show that this part of the United States receives an average of 51 inches of rainfall a year. The 24 inches of rain recorded in 2005 made it the driest since 1921. Today there is a persistent drought in mid-America, but there is no famine. Nobody is dying from malnutrition. The same is true for Europe, which experienced a very dry summer. People used to die in Europe due to drought and famine, but no more. Why is this? I think the answer is good government.

My frequent visits to Africa have opened my eyes to the waste and corruption that exists in most African governments. The ruling party in Nairobi, Kenya, operates a fleet of one hundred official limousines. These government cars never seem to run out of gas as they drive around the capitol city. But there are no asphalt roads that lead north into the drought-stricken areas. Why have they never been built? Nairobi is also headquarters to dozens of aid organizations, yet within a few hundred miles, people are dying for lack of aid. How can so many aid-workers accomplish so little?

I don’t have a solution to this famine problem. When I see people starving, my impulse is to send them aid. Suffering is still suffering whether the victim lives in a country with good government or bad government. And yet, western nations must hold drought-stricken nations accountable for their own famines. This cycle of drought and famine is no surprise to this part of the world. It happens as regular as clockwork. But it does break my heart that so many people in the world are suffering from malnutrition. The short-term solution may be to send in aid, but the long-term solution is to reform governments.

The Dance of Marriage
by Chris A Foreman ~ June 23, 2007

The ancient Greek sage Socrates considered marriage to be a winning proposition for any man. Once he was asked if it was good for a man to marry. Socrates responded, "By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher."

Cast Your Bread upon the Water
by Chris A Foreman ~ May 7, 2007

There are many sayings and proverbs that I grew up with and did not understand. One of them is this: "cast your bread upon the waters and after many days you shall find it again". This is the wisdom of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. But what does it mean? One popular interpretation says that we should be generous in our charitable giving. After a long time, the kindness of our charity may return to us. I think that my wife and I just encountered a "bread upon the water" experience.

About seventeen years ago we were new to the Bay Area and living in a rented house. We were doing all we could to save money to buy our own home. One strategy was to put money into a Korean savings club. Every month, dozens of participants put money into a common pool. One person is chosen by lottery to withdraw all the cash. This is a risky business and depends upon honesty and trust. This Korean-style bank works just fine if everyone stays involved and does not default after they have withdrawn their money. We were doing this about once a year. The first two worked just fine. We ended up withdrawing more money than we put in. However, on the third try we lost big time. One of the club ladies was a family friend from San Jose. She lost her business and could not pay what she owed us. We told her, "Look after business and pay us when you are able." Considering all three Keys as a group we came out even. We did buy our home in 1992.

In the meanwhile we have been involved in missionary work in Africa. One of the pastors we work with in Rwanda is Pastor Paul. He was driving an old beat-up Toyota sedan to help the people of his church. The dirt roads in the African countryside constantly wear at his car. Dust chokes the filters and potholes break the tires. Just as we were leaving Rwanda in 2003, Pastor Paul's car finally stopped and would not start. The car was dead for a whole year.

When we returned to Africa in 2004, Pastor Paul's Toyota was running again. It had been working for just a few weeks. Paul told us that some master mechanic in Kigali was finally able to repair it for him. I joked and said, "Let's call this car Lazarus, since it was raised from the dead". Pastor Paul laughed. After we returned to America, the car broke down once again. This time Lazarus does not appear to be repairable. Last September, I boldly told Paul in an e-mail that I would begin a "Lazarus Fund" to replace his car. Our fund-raising goal was $5000.

Life as a pastor in Africa or in America is not a money-making venture. Our own financial situation has been tight lately. Airline tickets have become more expensive and donations are down. A few weeks ago, I finally emailed Pastor Paul in Rwanda and told him the bad news: we will not be able to help him buy a replacement car for Lazarus.

Two days after this disappointing email, we received a letter in the mail. It was from the business lady in San Jose. We had not heard from her in years. She told us that her finances were finally in order. She enclosed check for $6825.50. "Cast your bread upon the waters and after many days you shall find it". Sometimes you find it just in time. Pastor Paul, go pick out a replacement car!

Biting the Hand
by Chris A Foreman ~ May 27, 2007

I introduced myself as a pastor and missionary to Rwanda. My sermon was short, because my audience was hungry. When the message ended, I walked down the aisle greeting people: “How are you?” Most people greeted in return: “I’m great. Thanks for coming”.

One young man caught me off guard. I said, “How are you?” He said “Rwanda, huh? Did you know that three priests in Rwanda were convicted of genocide?” I said, “Yes, many Christians were involved in the genocide in Rwanda.” Then with a sneer in his voice, he let go with a long tirade against Christians.

First he spoke about the Crusades and all the people who were killed by Christians. I confessed that this was a dark spot in Christian history, and then I asked him if he could identify the three biggest murderers of the 20th century. He seemed reluctant to respond, so I asked him about Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung. Each of these atheists killed millions of people. My logic did not faze him.

He continued with his rant. He quoted the sixth commandment “Thou shalt not kill” and then went on about all the people killed in scripture. I tried to reason with him from the Bible, but he would have none of it. As G.K. Chesterton said, "It is generally the man who is not ready to argue, who is ready to sneer."

When I said that as Christians we are called to follow Christ and not follow Christians, one person sitting beside him said, “Amen, that’s what Billy Graham said”. I finally asked, “And why are you here this evening”? He sputtered some words of disgust. I said, “You’re here because you are receiving a free meal, right?” He became defensive.

As I left him I said, “This Open Door Mission is operated by Christians. Their mission is to reach out to the poor in Oakland and provide meals. Why are you biting the hand that’s feeding you?” For once he was quiet. ~ There are none so blind as those who will not see.

Give me a Sign, Lord
by Chris A Foreman ~ April 9, 2007

My favorite part of the newspaper has always been the comic section. I appreciate the comics because irony has always appealed to me. Irony is a form of speech in which the real meaning is contradicted by the words used. Irony involves the perception that things are not what they seem. The "Give me a sign, Lord" that appears below appealed to my sense of irony when I was seeking a sign.

'B.C.' cartoonist Johnny Hart dies at 76

ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) - Cartoonist Johnny Hart, whose award-winning B.C. comic strip appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers worldwide, has died. He was 76.

Hart died Saturday while working at his home in Endicott. "He had a stroke," his wife, Bobby, said Sunday. "He died at his storyboard."

B.C., populated by prehistoric cavemen and dinosaurs, was launched in 1958 and eventually appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers with an audience of 100 million, according to Creators Syndicate Inc., which distributes it.

"He was generally regarded as one of the best cartoonists we've ever had," Hart's friend Mell Lazarus, creator of the Momma and Miss Peach comic strips, said from his California home. "He was totally original. B.C broke ground and led the way for a number of imitators, none of which ever came close."

The B.C. strip published on Easter in 2001 drew protests from Jewish groups and led several newspapers to drop the strip. See below:

Critics said it implied that Christianity supersedes Judaism. Hart said he intended the strip as a tribute to both faiths.

I have read that both B.C. and the Wizard of Id will continue to run in syndication. I hope so. The proclamation of the Gospel takes place in many guises, even disguised as an ironic comic strip.

Passion about The Passion of the Christ
by Chris A Foreman ~ April 2, 2007

In 2004, I saw the movie The Passion of the Christ for the first time. As compelling as this movie was, I have found public reaction to the movie even more compelling. I have read dozens of articles, movie reviews, letters to editors, and web logs which demonstrated tremendous passion for The Passion of the Christ.

This is what I have found most amazing about the wide spectrum of reaction to this movie: It was all predicted two thousand years ago by the Apostles Peter and Paul! Don't be surprised if some reviewers are offended or scandalized. Don't be disturbed if some critics see The Passion of the Christ as foolishness or fable. Be encouraged. Their scoffing is a fulfillment of the very Scripture that they reject. How many of these responses do you recognize?

Response 1. "The Passion of the Christ is anti-Semitic." This accusation surprises many Christians. After all, the hero of the movie was a Jew named Jesus. I think that the Apostle Paul got it exactly right. In 1 Corinthians 1:23, he explains that Christ-crucified is a "stumbling block" to the Jews. This word "stumbling block" is a translation of the Greek "skandalon", which has the obvious connotation of "scandalous". The cross of Christ as presented in The Passion of the Christ is not so much "anti-Semitic" but "anti-establishment". I could not detect racial or ethic bias against Jews. Rather the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone and a block of stumbling to practicing Jews. Presenting Jesus of Nazareth as the Jewish Messiah and Only Begotten Son of God continues to be a scandal in the eyes of many Jewish critics.

Response 2. "The Passion of the Christ is a ridiculous melodrama." Also in 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul explains that Christ-crucified is "foolishness" to the Greeks. Unlike the Jews who where scandalized by the cross, non-believers and pagans were both amused and repelled. I read a movie review from a college academic who laughed at the suggestion that one person could take on the sins of the world. One social columnist joked that she visited the ladies room and missed a gruesome part, but then she added that the entire movie was a gross out. Indeed, the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who perish.

Response 3. "The Passion of the Christ is just a re-telling of a mistaken myth". One writer commented to the San Francisco Chronicle that the Passion story was fictional and similar in nature to Helen of Troy. Another critic said we must watch the movie with the same eye we would watch the Hercules and Xena TV series. Two thousand years ago, Simon Peter wrote that we should expect false prophets. He tells his readers that the cross of Christ is not based on "cunningly devised fables" but on "eyewitnesses" accounts. (2 Peter 1:16)

Response 4. "The Passion of the Christ misrepresents the true message of Christianity which is love". Some critics write that the suffering and blood of Christ offends their religious sensibility. Many who call themselves Christian deny the deity of Christ and hold that Jesus was a righteous sage who suffered needlessly. To these post-Christian Christians, the Word of God has no exclusive claim to truth. Peter tells us that to these who stumble at the word, the cross of Christ is a "rock of offence" (1 Peter 2:7-8). Religious leaders were the most offended in the time of Jesus. Why am I not surprised that so many religious leaders are offended today?

My response. "The Passion of the Christ is a gut-wrenching spiritual journey through the final hours in the life of Christ". I could nit-pick many of the details: The movie is too "Catholic" with many non-canonical scenes. A Jesus in that tortured condition could not have possibly walked to Calvary, and much more.

I cannot say that I "enjoyed" the movie, but as one called by Christ, The Passion of the Christ demonstrated to me once again "the power and wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:23). Jesus suffered all this for me.

I do believe that this movie can be an effective outreach tool, especially as a beckoning call to those raised in the church. For those who carry intellectual objections to the Gospel, this movie may bypass the head and goes straight to the heart. At bottom this motion picture is a devotional tribute by Mel Gibson. Without devotion to its central figure, much of its impact and appeal is lost.

Following our Hearts by Chris A Foreman ~ March 18, 2007

Thirty-three years ago I followed my heart. The events from those days seem to be from a distant planet.

Following our hearts, we both lost our jobs. I was a 23-year old Peace Corps Volunteer teaching in middle school. Miss Kim was 22 years old and in her first year of teaching at a neighboring school. At first, I invited her to study English with me in a tea room. The pretense of English lessons only lasted a few days. Study was soon replaced with flirting, talking and laughing. As I look back, I marvel at how the two of us could enjoy so many hours in such a little tea room. Word got back to her school that Miss Kim was dating an American. Her principal forced her to sign a letter of resignation. Miss Kim returned to Seoul. I requested that the Peace Corps find me a position in Seoul so that I could join her. But this was not possible and I too left my job and moved to Seoul.

Following our hearts, we went against the advice of everyone we knew. Miss Kim’s eleven college friends told her not to marry this “big nose American guy”. Her mother and sisters were shocked at first, but finally accepting. My buddies in the Peace Corps warned against the marriage. When we went to the American Embassy to apply for a license, we had to endure a lecture telling us that American boys should not marry Korean girls. We came from different cultures and only knew each other for only three months. The odds were stacked against success in our marriage.

Following our hearts, we were married in a small Seoul church on March 23rd, 1974. Thirty-three years later, her wedding gown and my gray suit still hang side-by-side in storage. Our two sons are out in the world and pursuing their dreams.

Do I have some regrets in life? Certainly. Have there been disappointments? Too many to name. But I’m glad that long ago I lost my job, ignored the advice of friends and followed my heart.

On the day of our 33rd wedding anniversary, Kim and I plan to be in Manhattan, sharing a meal with our two sons. I plan to look upon our two offspring eating and laughing with us and share with them memories of a time when we followed our hearts.

Fountains and Eternity  by Chris A Foreman ~ March 5, 2007

Just recently there was a clothing sale at Macy's.  I accompanied my wife to the shopping mall, but because it was pleasant day, I decided to sit on an outside bench near a large fountain.  I sat for several minutes gazing at the fountain.   After a while, I began to question myself, "why am I transfixed by the sight of water flowing down the side of rock?"  Since I had nothing better to do, I let my mind wander down that path of philosophical inquiry. 

The first idea that I encountered along this path was that fire is very much like water.  Like a water fountain, a camp fire also captures my gaze.  This idea was strange to me since fire and water are opposites.  Water quenches a burning fire and fire under a water pot causes the water boil away.   These two elements of water and fire are completly different!   So why do both the sight of a water fountain and the sight of a camp fire capture and hold my attention?

As I meditated upon this, I concluded that flowing water and burning fire share an attribute that attracts my gaze:  they are both ever-changing yet they stay the same.  The water in a fountain splashes, sparkles, makes bubbles, and makes noise.  Yet, for all this exuberant activity it accomplishes nothing.  It stays the same.  The flames in a fire burn, create light of different colors, make smoke, and make popping sounds.  Yet, after all this entertainment, nothing is accomplished.  The only reason I lit the fire was to watch it burn into ashes. 

Next, I thought about eternity.  Maybe human eyes are attracted to water fountains and camp fires, because we glympse in them an aspect of the eternal: something that is ever-changing, yet always the same.  At this point, I recalled a line of poetry written by Dante Alighieri in The Divine Comedy - Paradiso.   Near the end of this story in Canto 31, Dante is parting company with the lovely Beatrice.  He says, "she so far away  smiled as it seemed and looked once more at me, then unto the Eternal fountain turned". 

The medieval Christian view held that souls in paradise would spend eternity caught up in a state of complete enjoyment gazing at the divine essence.  They called this gaze "the Beatific Vision of God".  In The Divine Comedy, Dante portrays Beatrice as taking her eyes off of him and returning them to the Eternal Fountain – an object that is always changing / never changing. 

Still in meditation, I looked away from the fountain and saw my beautiful wife walking toward me with a shopping bag of new clothes.  My own Beatrice had enjoyed the last half hour and approached me with a smile.  She asked me what I had been doing.  I told her "I was thinking about eternity".  She quipped, "I haven't been shopping that long – only 30 minutes, not eternity."  I laughed, returned my eyes to the eternal fountain, then walked away to enjoy God's here-and-now.