You Have A Resurrection Coming!

Good news.  Beyond Easter, is Eastertide!

Even if you are not an observer of the liturgical year -- biblically -- Easter is far more than a single day -- it's an ongoing season, and way of life -- as we continue to expect life to be birthed out of death. 

Wendall Berry refers to this as 'practicing resurrection'; Harold Bender references it as 'walking in the resurrection."  

For "...what a God we have!” Peter exclaims in 1 Peter 1, “…because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life, and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven -- and -- [a] future [that] starts now!...” (1 Peter 1:3, The Message, emphasis added).

The core of that prospect is the consumption of the 'worst of the worst' (death), by the triumph of Easter Day.  To be precise: “Death has been swallowed up in victory…”  (1 Corinthians 15:54).   Literally, the word swallow means to devour.  Thus, there’s no need to waver during Eastertide; any grave problem can be given to God and swallowed up!  Sure: it’s always in God’s time.  But in God’s time ‘the worst of the worst’ is 'gobbled up'!

A friend once asked me to offer my best advice for facing into life trauma, in three words or less. I provided just two:  'keep moving.'  For since I have a Savior who can devour my death, I have a companion who can empower my journey.

The trauma of Israel was intense, with frequent episodes of suffering.  One locale identified with suffering was the Valley of Baca.   As a Palestinian valley leading to Jerusalem, the Valley of Baca was a common travel route whenever the Israelites ‘marched to Zion.’  But the Valley of Baca continually reminded them, that Zion (e.g. Jerusalem as symbolic of restoration and glory) could not be reached without travail, for the Valley of Baca was a “…arid and inhospitable route…a toilsome pathway.” Dutch Sheets.  God’s Timing For Your Life.  Seeing the Seasons of Your Life Through God’s Eyes.  (Ventura:  Regal, 2001) 45.  No wonder then, the word Baca meant literally, “to weep”  

Yet, in spite of such sorrow, the Israelite people keep moving through the Valley of Baca, experiencing the strength of the Lord.  The Sons of Korah underscore this, in memorable words.

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs…They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion…” (Psalm 84:5-7, emphasis added).

It’s important to note “…the Hebrew word for strength is the word chayil, from the root word chuwl…”  But as Dutch Sheets goes on to note:

“Chuwl is [actually] the Old Testament word for travail or giving birth to something.  [So] when we walk by faith and persevere through the hard places, God can use these difficult times to birth (chuwl) new places of strength (chayil) in us.  Yes, they may result from travail and times and struggle…[but] when we pass through the Valley of Baca (weeping) we can make it a spring.  Our destiny is not…Baca, it is the flight of freedom and victory.  The dry, barren places in our lives can become places from which the river of life flows and new strength is born.” (emphasis added)  Dutch Sheets.  God’s Timing For Your Life.  Seeing the Seasons of Your Life Through God’s Eyes.  (Ventura:  Regal, 2001) 45. 

And so, the Israelite people keep moving, through the Valley of Baca and other arid, toilsome terrain.  For they did conclude, God would utilize difficult times to birth (chuwl) new places of strength (chavil), amid our days. 

And so the Israelites were receptive when they were rallied to persevere, nevertheless.  Prophet Isaiah was especially valiant. “…Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear, your God will come…”  (Isaiah 35: 3-4). 

Yes, God will come!  Not just for the Israelites, but for us, as well.   For difficult times, will birth new beginnings and new places of strength.  

For Eastertide reminds us, there are no dead ends in Christ.  Yes, there are long, toilsome valleys, that feel forever.  But valleys that eventually lead to Zion, and the birth of stronger, resurrected days.  

And so, strengthen feeble hands.   Steady knees that give way.  Say to a fearful heart:  be strong, do not fear.  For God will come.  

Keep moving; walk in Christ's resurrection power!

A while back, John Ortberg struggled to convey the promise of walking in Christ's resurrection power. Then a Divine promise surfaced in Orberg's heart:  'you have a resurrection coming.'  Whatever your lot – whatever your circumstance – whatever your season of life – ‘you have a resurrection coming!’   

To the elderly person whose health is frail, almost gone, you don’t have to live in fear.  You have a resurrection coming.  To the devastated husband whose wife has left him, feeling betrayed, you don’t have to feel like a loser.  You have a resurrection coming.  To the frightened parents of a depressed child who blame themselves, you don’t have to live in shame.  You have a resurrection coming.  To the anxious worker who has lost his job, devastated by unemployment, you don’t need to feel like a failure.  You have resurrection coming.  To the lonely young person, longing to be loved, you don’t have to feel ‘second best,’ living in isolation.  ‘You have a resurrection coming.’  - (John Ortberg, The World’s Greatest Step, adapted.)

And you?  You have a resurrection coming!’  Whatever your lot, whatever your circumstance, whatever your season of life, you have a resurrection coming.    For Jesus is 'spot-on':  “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33, emphasis added). 

Let Jesus overcome your world!  Wherever life is trying to bury you, let Jesus raise you!   For Paul is accurate:  “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised…Jesus from the dead will also give [you] life…” (Romans 8:11, ESV), raising you up, as well.    

Tim Keller tells of Italian cynic who doubted the 'resurrection revolution.'  In fact, he went to great lengths to guarantee he would not participate in any possible resurrection, either spiritual or literal.  Why not only did he renounce the risen Christ, he pre-arranged for a strong stone boulder to be placed over his grave inscribed with bold words:  I will not rise; I’ll stay put, dead!  But unbeknownst to the man, in the course of his burial, an acorn fell into his grave.  Well, at first nothing happened – but over time – the acorn grew and grew.   And so now, a hundred years later, the acorn is full-blown, a strong, towering tree -- that has literally split open the strong stone on the man’s grave!  – Tim Keller, adapted.

New life always prevails, splitting open the strongest stone!  And it's readily available through the risen Lord, who is not just a historic reality, but a living hope -- providing "... [a] future [that] starts now!...” (1 Peter 1:3, The Message, emphasis added). 

And so walk in that future and that hope.  For you do have a resurrection coming!

The State And The Sword

Whoa!  What a deluge of response/reaction to my last blog: 'Is Violence, Ever The Will of God?'  http://wwwpaulmundey.blogspot.com/2017/04/is-violence-ever-will-of-god.html?spref=fb   I answered in the negative -- but perceptive bible readers noted:  though scripture prohibits believers from wielding the sword -- scripture does not prohibit the State from striking out; so...the U.S. or any other nation-state is very much within Biblical boundaries to use conventional/worldly weaponry to eradicate evil.  

Right?  -- well, yes and no.

First, yes.  Romans 13 does indicate that the State (governing authorities) does "...bear the sword.." (Romans 13:4) and are "...agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer..."  (Romans 13:4).  Such mandate does not rule out a military/'violent' response by the State.

But (here's the qualified 'no') -- the metaphor of the sword, as John Toews points out, "...has many meanings in Greek literature.  It can be a symbol of authority.  For example, the police officers who accompanied Roman tax collectors were often called 'sword bearers' to legitimate the tax collecting function." (John Towes.  Romans.  The Believers Church Bible Commentary.  Scottdale:  Herald Press, 2004,  pp. 315-316)  And so as J.B. Phillips translates Romans 13:4, Phillips assumes Paul is referring to the State's policing role.  "...The officer is God’s servant for your protection. But if you are leading a wicked life you have reason to be alarmed. The “power of the law” which is vested in every legitimate officer, is no empty phrase. He is, in fact, divinely appointed to inflict God’s punishment upon evil-doers."  (Romans 13:4, Phillips).

And so, in sum, the State can wield the sword, but primarily in a defensive position - primarily with the goal of not killing criminals and evil folk -- but arresting and containing them.  In fact, recent events have confirmed, that when the police or the military do use violent, 'killing' force, it is often, counter-productive and esculating.

For example, the military's dropping of the MOAB (mother of all bombs) last week in Afganistan, resulted in definite damage:  the death of 94 militants (at last count) and the collapse of at least a portion of a strategic tunnel system.  But when one considers the cost-benefit ratio of such an intervention -- the results are less impressive.  Sure, 94 enemy causalities; sure, the collapse of strategic tunnel system -- but -- at a cost of 16 million for one MOAB -- (with development cost/s @300 million.  Not accounted for: deployment expenses, e.g. plane, crew)  (Helene Cooper and Mujib Mashalapril.  U.S. Drops ‘Mother of All Bombs’ on ISIS Caves in Afghanistan,  New York Times, April 13, 2017 --  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/world/asia/moab-mother-of-all-bombs-afghanistan.html

Conservatively speaking, that's about $170,000 per militant killed.  No wonder John Paul Vann, the often quoted Army military operative and advisor during Vietnam noted, that the best way to fight guerrillas (e.g. militants in both Vietnam and Afganistan is through a more precise intervention.

"This is a political war, and it calls for discrimination in killing. The best weapon for killing would be a knife...The worst is an airplane. The next worse is artillery...War requires careful calibration in the application of violence, lest excessive firepower kill lots of innocents and drive more recruits into the enemy’s camp..." (Max Booth.  "Sound And Fury."  The New York Times.  April 14, 2017). - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/14/opinion/sound-and-fury.html

"...Careful calibration in the application of violence..."?  Not much margin for error.  And so -- with those odds -- why not a careful calibration in the application of non-violence?

The rise of police violence seems to confirm the wisdom of this approach.  For in recent years, any number of U.S. cities have 'boiled over,' because of sharp, lethal altercations between law enforcement and citizenry.

Now please don't misunderstand: not all instances of police violence are illegitimate.  As a bearer of the 'State-sword' -- police, on occasion -- must use force, even deadly force.  But deadly force should be rare, and, of last resort.  For police officers are in actuality peace officers (an early, oft-used title), called to model another way of resolving conflict, and containing evil.  And so, Seth Stoughton purports in The Atlantic:

"[Police] officers must also be trained to think beyond the gun-belt...[shifting] from the 'frontal assault' mindset and toward an approach that emphasizes preserving the lives that officers are charged with protecting. Earlier this year [2014], officers took just that approach in Kalamazoo, Michigan, relying on tactics and communication rather than weaponry to deal with a belligerent man carrying a rifle. As a result, a 40-minute standoff ended with a handshake, not an ambulance..." (Seth Stoughton.  "How Police Training Contributes To Avoidable Deaths."  The Atlantic,, December 12, 2014.)  https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/police-gun-shooting-training-ferguson/383681/

Now any number at this juncture are murmuring:  "...that's all laudable -- but it's also so unrealistic and so naive..."  But with over 700 fatal encounters between police and citizenry in 2016 -- we must find a more humane way to corral 'the bad guys' -- without -- using the 'bad guys'' methodology (e.g. deadly force).  For as we inferred in last week's blog:  violence just fuels more violence.

But beware:  as you advocate in this direction, you will, be thought of as naive.   Even foolish.  But remember Paul's words:

"...God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are..."  (1 Corinthians 1:27-28, emphasis added).  

And so whether believers or the State -- we are called to foolishnesses -- in order to nullify 'the things that are,'  e.g. an eye for an eye mentality that, if not modified, will, in the words of Gandhi -- leave the whole world blind.

Now, again, don't misunderstand:  the State does have greater liberty than believers, to wield the Sword.  But even the State is called to wield the Sword in a manner that decreases the necessity -- and frequency -- of deadly force.

For deadly force solves nothing.  Nothing.  It just kills someone.  Someone like you -- and someone like me -- in most cases.

One of the great ironies of the State's premier sword-event -- war -- is the 'wake-up call' that occurs between enemies after the killing ceases:  they discover they haven't killed an enemy -- they've killed a human being -- just like them.

The oft-cited example is Union and Confederate soldiers reuniting in comradeship, finding their true selves, at the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the battle of Gettysburg, after the Civil War.  But a seldom cited reference is British soldiers and German citizens finding their true selves after World War I.   In fact, during the British occupation of Cologne following the 1918 WWI armistice, 700 British soldiers married German girls over the course of the next year!   And for good reason:  they discovered that the Germans were not 'bad guys,' (e.g. bad girls), after all, but folks with whom they shared a common lot.  To that end, a Scottish corporal observed:

"I have been four and a half years out here and have lived in France and Belgium and Germany and I can tell you the people I feel nearest to are these. They are honester and cleaner and somehow I feel I understand them better."  http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/422689/Meeting-the-enemy-Tales-of-extraordinary-camaraderie-between-British-and-German-soldiers

Please hear me: this is not to say there are not 'Hitlers.' There are!  There are persons incapable of any sense of relationship, who are evil, evil -- and must be halted, contained and isolated.  Period!

But the vast majority of 'the enemy' are persons very much worthy of a relationship -- rather than a sword.  Thus, the challenge, to find ways of settling conflict -- and stopping evil -- without the mass slaughter of human life.  As both believers -- and the State -- dream the foolish dream of God, that someday...

"...[Humankind] will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nations will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.  Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid..."  (Micah 4: 3-4)

Is Violence, Ever The Will Of God?

Shock and awe.  Again.  

Last Thursday, 59, incredibly sophisticated, subsonic, U.S. Tomahawk missiles zeroed in on the Al Shayrat air base in Syria, apparently 'wrecking,' a portion of the Syrian's chemical weapons operation.  

Undoubtedly, the attack fed the hunger of many, who cried we must to 'do something' in the wake of the horrific Syrian infliction of chemical weapons, on innocent, civilian victims. 

And so, the launching of 59, incredibly sophisticated, subsonic, U.S. Tomahawk missiles did something -- but did the missiles do anything consequential -- to really remedy the problem?

Probably, not.  

As the Associated Press reported on Saturday:   

"...The U.S. missile attack caused heavy damage to one of Syria's biggest and most strategic air bases...[But as defense/intelligence analyst Reed Foster observed]...'Although the strike will further weaken the overall air defense and ground attack capabilities of the (Syrian air force), it will not significantly diminish the ability of the Assad regime to conduct further chemical weapons attacks.'  [Col. Hassan Hamade, a Syrian pilot who defected in June 2012, agreed]:  "The bombardment of Shayrat will not have a major effect on military operations of the regime...No matter how extensive the damage at Shayrat, Assad has other options...[To be precise, Hamade] expects the country's third-most active, Saqqal air base, which is also located in central Syria, will fill the vacuum created by the destruction at Shayrat.   (U.S. Strike On Syrian Air Base Has Limited Impact On Assad, Associated Press, April 8, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/04/08/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria-air-bases.html

No wonder, Jesus advised:  do not return 'eye for eye,' 'tooth for tooth' (Matthew 6:38-41).  
Not only is it 'flat-out' wrong -- it is also -- terribly ineffective.  Translated:  returning violence for violence lacks efficiency; it doesn't work.  

Jim Wallis alludes to this, in a prophetic 2013 piece in Sojourners, concerning Syria,    

"Military options always have unintended consequences. 

• Entering into the tactics of war can easily bring other players and nations into the war.
• Threats of retaliation and counter-retaliation are always a consequence of military actions.
• Assad himself could respond with even more brutality, which would require another U.S. response that deepens the conflict and creates a familiar cycle of violence.
• Tomahawk missiles and other weapons are not as reliably accurate as are often suggested...One errant U.S. missile killing more Syrian civilians would be the international story, replacing the one of Assad’s alleged chemical attacks.
• The strikes...would not eliminate Assad’s [Syria's ruler) chemical weapons capacity and might not deter further attacks. Nor might they significantly hurt his military forces or cripple his political power. Rather, they could help rally more of his people around him, as often happens when countries are attacked by outside forces..."   https://sojo.net/articles/respond-how-what-were-missing-syria

In light of Wallis itemization, Paul's words in Romans 12 are instructive, providing an alternative to the 'pattern of payback.'

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written:  'It is mine to avenge, I will repay, says the Lord.  On the contrary:  'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  (Romans 12:19-21)

Pretty radical stuff.  But is it naive?

I guess nonviolence is naive if one can demonstrate that retaliation and revenge really work.  But as Jim Wallis and others (including Jesus) have documented, retaliation and revenge -- don't work.

So, what does work?  A few suggestions

Cost-Effective Containment of Evil.   According to The Fiscal Times, the cost of deploying 59 Tomahawk missiles, was $93,810.000 or 1.59 million a missile! http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2017/04/06/Heres-What-Firing-59-Tomahawk-Missiles-Syrias-Airfield-Cost.  But what if the U.S. had taken that same amount of money and deployed it toward an intervention, that had actually 'worked' -- actually containing the horrific evil of Assad (Syria's ruler)? 

There are no simple or 'guaranteed' non-violent options, but there are options.  For example:  a) new, more imaginative diplomatic negotiations, which, in the case of Syria, focus on persuading Syria's closest allies (beginning with Russia), to persuade Syria, to stop their insane method for resolving diversity and differences; b) new, more imaginative sanctions, which block or quarantine a particular country, either literally (like the blockage/quarantine of Cuba, during the Cuban missile crisis) -- or figuratively (economic sanctions) -- thus pressuring them to 'cease and dissent' evil; c) kidnapping, and thus capturing the evil head/s of an evil regime, and imprisoning them -- thus removing them from power (such as the U.S. kidnap/capture of Miguel Noriega, head of  Panama, in 1989, minus the invasion [in the case of Noriega] -- utilizing a special ops initiative/mission, etc).  

Provide A Refuge For Persons to Flee To, Away From Violence and Injustice.  It's amazing, but persons afflicted by evil find a way to flee evil, on their own initiative -- if -- they have a place to flee to.   In the case of Syria, 5 million refugees, to date, have fled that fractured/confused country, entering Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Montenegro, Austria, and Germany. But only a few have entered the U.S. (about 3,000) -- because of the reluctance of the U.S. to provide welcome.   

Along with petitioning the U.S. (on both a national and state level) to be more welcoming to victims of violence, we can also support agencies that currently welcome such folk.  In the case of the Syrian crisis, one Christian agency with a 'broad welcome mat,' offering long-term support, is Operation Mobilization.  Consider reaching out, and offering your assistance to Operation Mobilization  https://www.omusa.org/areas/country/syria -- or -- another Christian relief agency, of your choice.  

Live-Out Peace In Your Own Life And Relationships.   If 'none of the above' seems workable to you, do something, begining with a new resolve to peace-build within your own relational world.  It's always an option that can work, if you choose.  So, bury the hatchet.  Don't lick the wound.  Defuse the verbal 'missile,' in your own realm and space.    

I didn't notice until recently, but scripture infers that violence is actually evil: "The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion."  (Psalm 11:5, emphasis added);  "Have regard of your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land." (Psalm 74:20, emphasis added); "Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and destroyed forever."  (Obadiah 1:10, emphasis added).

Thus, Shane Clairborne concludes:   "Violence is evil. The violence of Assad is evil. The violence of Trump is evil. [The violence of you, of me is evil]  Jesus shows us another way. Do not repay evil with evil" [adapted].  For as Martin Luther King goes on to instruct:

"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." (emphasis added).

And so this Holy Week, focus on light and love, not retaliation and revenge.   For out of Jesus' non-violent response to the most extreme example of violence, ever -- the Cross -- came the most glorious victory, ever -- the triumph of Easter Day!

Fast, Fair, Firm

Recently, I've been a part of quite a dispute.

The particulars aren't important, but it's been a brouhaha, to say the least -- marked by discontent, confusion, and mixed message.

In discussing the turmoil with a colleague, he offered a mantra for addressing dispute and adversaries, I'd never heard before.   When things are broken, out-of-sorts -- reach out, and be: fast, fair, and firm. 

Fast

Most of us shirk when things are broken and 'out of sorts.'  Translated:  we procrastinate -- doing nothing.  But time really is 'of the essence' in problematic scenarios -- thus we dare not delay.   

In Matthew 5:25, Jesus references a legal dispute, but his coaching is applicable to any dispute: "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.  Do it while you are still with him on the way..."  (Matthew 5:25, emphasis added).

The determinant word in this text is ‘quickly’.  As Dale Bruner notes, ‘quickly’ “…stresses the urgency of social reconciliation.  Speed is the essence in Jesus’ teaching…” (Frederick Dale Bruner.  The Christbook.  A Historical/Theological Commentary.  Matthew 1-12  (Waco:  Word books, 1987) p. 180. 

Reinforcing this truth, John Miller adds:  “:..do not let charges and countercharges hang fire.  Reestablish the bond of fraternity at once.  Make friends quickly with your accuser…” (John W. Miller.  The Christian Way (Scottdale:  Herald Press, 1969) p. 49.

Sadly, most disputes are not addressed quickly; rather they are left to fester.

To fester is to grow and spread, not in a good way. When a cut gets infected it starts to fester and smell bad. Emotional wounds stink too, like when you hold on to anger or pain until it starts to fester and explodes...Things that fester have a decaying odor, and bad feelings can have a decaying effect on friendships and the heart. Letting bitter emotions fester often leads to their getting worse.   https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/fester

So, worst outcomes, come out of delay.  But we can avoid worst outcomes.  We can 'get going.'  We can go directly to our adversary: readily, and rapidly.  Matthew 18:15-20 is still the 'gold standard' for 'the going' -- coaching the advisability of witnesses (Matthew 18:16), the necessity of accountability to the Church (Matthew 18:17), and the option of moving on if all attempts at reconciliation fail (Matthew 18:17)

Fair  

Many of us have been taught that we must win at any cost.  Thus, winning becomes the ultimate goal, when things get unsettled and in dispute.  But winning doesn't settle anything; in fact, winning makes things worst. No wonder, Ernest Campbell, in a famed sermon at The Riverside Church in New York City, postulated that a resolution system based on winners is fruitless, for ultimately when I win, we lose -- as your loss fuels your retribution and a next wave of discontent.

The alternative is a system of justice, rooted in fairness, modeled by the ultimate arbitrator:  the Lord, God Almighty.  Prophet Isaiah lauds and commends God's peace-making prowess:

"...“Come, let’s climb God’s Mountain...He’ll show us the way he works so we can live the way we’re made.”...[God will] settle things fairly between nations. He’ll make things right between many peoples. They’ll turn their swords into shovels, their spears into hoes. No more will nation fight nation; they won’t play war anymore. Come...let’s live in the light of God."  (Isaiah 2:3-5, The Message, emphasis added).

God's fairness is best summarized as 'win-win.'  In other words, an outcome where no one party gets everything he or she wants - but all parties get something of what he or she wants.  According to the Stephen Covey organization, an individual or group that approaches a dispute with a win-win attitude, has three character traits

• Integrity:  sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments
• Maturity:  expressing your ideas and feelings with courage, and consideration for the idea and    feelings of others
• Abundance Mentality:  believing there is plenty for everyone.  http://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits habit4.php

I love the emphasis on an abundance mentality, for there is plenty for everyone.  Thus, I can surrender fierce for fair ... knowing ... the goal is not winning, but providing enough -- for all.  

Firm

I also love the emphasis (found above) on sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments. For working at win-win is not synonymous with weakness or being wishy-washy.

It is also not synonymous with indecisiveness -- but rather -- a commitment to move on. For a resolution of differences (albeit imperfectly, with all 'giving ground,' e.g. 'win-win') is to result in a new resolve, to advance forward.  

Last Sunday, I heard metaphor for advancing forward, I'd never encountered before. The speaker mentioned that the human anatomy is created in such a way, that we can neither pat ourselves on the back -- or -- kick ourselves -- easily.  This is by divine design, the speaker concluded, so that we are not distracted by either self-congratulatory -- or - self-flagellating behavior -- which tends to weaken our ability to move on.  

Paul alludes to the wisdom of undistracted, firm motion in Philippians 3:    

"...I do not consider myself to have “arrived”, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honour of being called by God in Christ.   (Phillippians 3:12-14, Phillips, emphasis added).

And so what are you grasping firmly?  What are you concentrating on?  What is your resolve?

Can I just say it:  living without resolve -- e.g. second-guessing ourselves, living in the past, 'licking' old wounds -- provides no life and no future.

As the story goes, Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s Secretary of War, was angered by an officer who accused him of favoritism.  Complaining to Lincoln, Lincoln advised Stanton to write the officer a sharp letter. Stanton did just that, showing the strongly worded document to the President.  “What are you going to do with it?” – Lincoln inquired.  “Why, I’m going to send it.” Lincoln just shook his head. “No, you don’t want to send that. Put it in the stove.  That’s what I do with an angry letter.  It’s a good letter, Stanton, and you had a good time writing it, didn’t you?  Now burn it and write another!”

Where do you need to burn an angry letter?   More importantly -- where you need to write a second letter -- an honest letter, but a health-full letter -- delivered personally -- that is fast, fair, firm -- in the light of God, in Christ?