أهمية العقل في حياة المسيحي

قبل عدة أشهر، استمعت الى تعليم جين ويلكن في مؤتمر للسيدات "Revive ’15" واقنعني تفسيرها عن أهمية استخدام عقولنا في مسيرتنا مع المسيح وليس فقط قلوبنا. ضمن عرض قضيتها تطرقت إلى مرقس 12: 30 والذي يتحدث عن محبة الله بعقولنا كما وتطرقت الى رسالة رومية 12: 2 التي توضح أن العقل هو المكان الذي يبدأ فيه التحول.

لن اعيد كل ما قالته الآن (يمكنكم مشاهدة رسالتها هنا).

ولكن هذه بعض من العبارات التي علقت في ذهني: 

"الطريق لتجديد مشاعرنا هو من خلال تفكيرنا. التفكير الصحيح يجب أن يقود الى الشعور الصحيح. لا يمكننا ببساطة أن نغير مشاعرنا فقط بالمشاعر، بل يجب أن نفكر حتى نشعر بشكل مختلف."

"القلب لا يستطيع أن يحب ما لا يعرفه العقل."

منذ سماع جين تتحدث أصبحت متيقظة لحالات أخرى في الكتاب المقدس التي تشير إلى العقل. إحداها في كورنثوس الأولى 14. حيث يتحدث السياق عن المواهب الروحية وبالتحديد عن موهبتي التنبؤ والتكلم بألسنة. وعند الحديث عن هذا الموضوع يؤكد بولس على أهمية العقل:

لذلكَ مَنْ يتَكلَّمُ بلِسانٍ فليُصَلِّ لكَيْ يُتَرجِمَ. أنَّهُ إنْ كُنتُ أُصَلّي بلِسانٍ، فروحي تُصَلّي، وأمّا ذِهني فهو بلا ثَمَرٍ فما هو إذًا؟ أُصَلّي بالرّوحِ، وأُصَلّي بالذِّهنِ أيضًا. أُرَتِّلُ بالرّوحِ، وأُرَتِّلُ بالذِّهنِ أيضًا (الآيات 13-15)

ثم يشرح "إذا كنت تشكر بروحك" (دون استخدام العقل) فلا يمكنك "بناء" الآخرين (الآيات 16-17) . وبالتالي فإن استخدام عقولنا ليس فقط أمر مهم وحاسم لنمونا الروحي ولكنه أيضا مهم لبناء ونمو اخوتنا واخواتنا المؤمنين.

ويكمل بولس: "أيُّها الإخوَةُ، لا تكونوا أولادًا في أذهانِكُمْ، بل كونوا أولادًا في الشَّرِّ، وأمّا في الأذهانِ فكونوا كامِلينَ" (آية 20) 

من الواضح أن عقولنا مهمة. ومع ذلك كم من مرة أهملناها في حياتنا اليومية؟ كم مرة سمحنا للكسل بالسيطرة، مفضلين التسلية والدلال بدلاً من السعي للتفاعل مع الكتاب المقدس بشكل شخصي والتصارع مع أنفسنا بالأسئلة الصعبة؟

المشاعر بنفسها وبذاتها سوف تتغير بكل تأكيد. لذلك من المهم جدا أن نبني مشاعرنا على أساس قوي من الحقيقة أو ما تسميه جين ويلكين "التفكير الصحيح ". إحدى الطرق التي يمكننا من خلالها بناء هذا الأساس هو التفاعل بشكل مدروس مع الكتاب المقدس من خلال قراءته ودراسته.

لذا بدلاً من الاكتفاء بأن نكون أطفالا في تفكيرنا أو أن نعيش علاقتنا مع يسوع المسيح فقط في عالم القلب، فلنتذكر أن الله أعطانا عقلاً وأنه أعطانا إياه لسبب. دعونا نطرح الأسئلة ونصقل فضولنا وندرب عقولنا لنرى كيف أن معرفة الله المتزايدة من خلال كلمته ستغير حياتنا.

"ولا تُشاكِلوا هذا الدَّهرَ، بل تغَيَّروا عن شَكلِكُمْ بتجديدِ أذهانِكُمْ، لتَختَبِروا ما هي إرادَةُ اللهِ: الصّالِحَةُ المَرضيَّةُ الكامِلَةُ" (رسالة رومية 12: 2)

كتب من قبل أوليفيا باشا. ترجم من قبل ميار مسلّم. تعديل حنا باشا و حنين باشا.

هذا المنشور تم نشره أولا في 2016. لرؤية النسخة الإنجليزية الأصلية إضغط هنا.

This post was first published in 2016. To see the original English version, click here.

Love Overflowing

Much has been said and written about the connection between language and culture, and while this connection is something I was loosely aware of on a cognitive level, it wasn’t until I moved to the Middle East that I began to understand it more experientially.

Arabic and English are very different languages, from sentence structure to the way words are formed and even to the direction of reading and writing. In many ways, the two could not be more different. As I’ve mentioned in another post, these differences shape (or are shaped by, depending on your argument) the very way that people think. But they also are related to the way people express their thoughts. For example, as I pointed out in yet another post, the English language and English-speaking cultures tend to be very direct, while the Arabic language and the cultures that utilize it tend to be more circular in communication. But there is another major difference between these languages/cultures: one related to the expression of emotion.

Since living in the Middle East, I’ve learned that Americans are often thought of as “soft” (as we would say in English), i.e., that we have a low tolerance for suffering and hardship and that we tend to complain about minor things. (When you compare the average life experiences of an American to those of someone from the Middle East, you begin to understand why this opinion is formed.) In other words, Americans are thought to be much more emotive than Arabs, even melodramatic, when it comes to dealing with inconvenience, suffering, or pain.

But there is another way in which Americans are much less emotive than Arabs, and that is in expressing affection—and I’m not just talking about romantic affection. I’m talking about every level of affection that can be felt by a human being. By way of example, though, here’s a humorous take on what this looks like when it comes to romantic affection:

To an English speaker, the number of words, breadth of descriptive vocabulary, and intensity of the all-caps in this example convey an over-the-top expression of affection. But to an Arabic speaker, the verbosity, descriptiveness, and intensity are all perfectly normal—normal even to the point that such expression is only mildly modified when the affection is something less than romantic, e.g., between friends.

Not long ago, my husband and I were in a men’s clothing store in our city and were being helped by the owner. Shortly after we arrived, another customer came in who obviously knew him. I wish I had had the presence of mind to record or at least write down the conversation between the two men because they went back and forth multiple times exchanging expressions of greeting before ever getting to the point of why the customer came in the store in the first place. The length alone of that introductory exchange, while completely normal in Arab cultures, is still disorienting to my American, English-speaking self, but what made the exchange, and others like it, even more disorienting were the actual words and expressions used. It’s not just a “Hi, how are you?” “Oh, hi, I’m well, how are you?” repeated over and over. It’s more like:

Man 1: “Hello, My Dear! Welcome!” [Those familiar with Arabic even a little will recognize that “my Dear” is “Habibi.”]

Man 2: “Hello, My Age! What’s new?”

Man 1: “My Eyes, praise God, all is good, My Dear. All is well?”

Man 2: “My Dear.”

Man 1: “My Heart, welcome.”

Man 2: “My Precious One. How is the family?”

Man 1: “Well, well, My Life, thank God.”

Etc.

This effusive mode of expression is not just limited to greetings, however. The Arabic equivalent of “Happy Birthday” literally translates to “Every year and you are healthy,” which is a way of wishing prolonged good health upon someone. Instead of “Congratulations,” which translates “Mabrook,” it is more common to say “Alf mabrook,” i.e., “a thousand congratulations,” (or even “alf alf alf mabrook”). When you post a picture of your meal on social media, comments are less likely to be about how delicious the food looks (which is typical for American responses) and instead are more likely to be of the “bon Appetit” variety but that literally translate to, “Health and total wellness” or “Two health.” And when that Arab equivalent of “enjoy the food” is said to you, the appropriate response literally translates to “On your heart,” which is a way of heaping the blessing back on the one offering it. And of course, it is not uncommon for each of these to be followed—or surrounded—by one or more of the “my life, my heart, my eyes, my precious one,” type of phrases.

As an American, I am not used to this overflowing expressiveness, and my manner of communication reflects that. But as much as I am unaccustomed to offering such effusive expressions, I am even more unused to receiving them. I find myself completely at a loss as to how to respond to words that to my ears seem to convey a depth of feeling only reserved for those most romantically in love with each other. A simple, “Thanks” or “You too,” never seems sufficient in the face of such outpouring, and yet I never quite know what to say, so I usually end up resorting to a smile and nod and feeling the weight of my inadequacy to reciprocate such apparent depth of emotion.

Of course, in some ways, these expressions are merely part of the culture and have just become what people say without really thinking about it. But even still, the fact that these deep and flowery phrases are part of normal communication reflects an emotiveness inherent in Arabic-speaking cultures that English-speaking cultures lack.

To be honest, at times, this cultural difference can be incredibly frustrating. It can leave me feeling awkward or like a terrible person for not feeling rushing swells of emotion at every turn. It makes me think I come across as rude or insensitive or shallow for not being easily able to roll expressions of adoration off my tongue. But in another sense, I’ve come to see that this cultural difference, like so many others, is yet another opportunity to learn more about God.

Numerous times, the Bible speaks of God delighting in those who follow Him. And in one of the most beautiful verses, we read:

“The Lord your God is in your midst,

    a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

    he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV).

 

It wasn’t until I moved to the Middle East that I began to get a glimpse of what it really must be like for God to delight in us, to rejoice over us, to exult over us. His love is not just an “I love you” kind of love. It’s a “My adoration for you cannot be quantified nor expressed merely by the written word. The death of a thousand suns can’t match the energy of My love for you. I didn’t just face death, I met and defeated death to prove my commitment to you, o beloved one, my precious child” kind of love.

 

The Creator of the Universe, the All-Powerful God, is an emotive God who is overflowing with love (not to mention being Love itself) and who expresses that love by rejoicing over us with gladness and exulting over us with loud singing. He is effusive in His expression of affection toward us. And that’s something that I think our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ can understand on a deeper level than we Americans can.

 

As I continue to adjust to communicating in a different cultural dynamic, I pray that God uses my exposure to this more emotive manner of expression to enlarge my capacity for grasping and receiving His overflowing love for me. And for my American family of faith, I pray that you likewise “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19, ESV).

PC: Mais Salfiti. Used with permission.

Perfect Justice

The concept of justice is a hot topic in America these days. From debates over the existence of systemic injustice in the justice system and what the best solutions are to injustice experienced in our society to television dramas with plot lines depicting corrupt judges, tampered juries, and unreliable witnesses, we’re inundated with miscarriages of justice both in fiction and in reality.

When you stop to think about it, it’s a marvel that true justice is ever accomplished in this world. How do we know evidence hasn’t been tampered with or planted? How do we know witnesses aren’t lying or simply misremembering what they saw? Even with the purest of motives and best of intentions, witnesses, judges, and juries are subject to the realities of living in a fallen world. Things might not be as they appear—or they might be exactly as they appear. There are times when we simply have to take someone at their word—or decide not to. We might be certain we remember exactly what happened—until we start having doubts about what we actually saw or heard.

All this uncertainty and the limitations of human perception and understanding can leave us with a fairly pessimistic view of even the best justice systems around the world. But we can find great encouragement and reassurance in the fact that human justice systems are not all there is. There is a higher system of justice, presided over by a Judge who is perfect in wisdom, perfect in knowledge, who perceives all and understands all completely.

The prophet Isaiah, living in an ancient society where injustice was pervasive, prophesied of One to come who would be altogether different in His capacities for judgment:

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,

               the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

               the Spirit of counsel and might,

               the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

               or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

               and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

               and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,

               and faithfulness the belt of his loins” (Isaiah 11:1-5, ESV).

 

In this description of Jesus Christ, notice how many qualities He has that make Him the perfect, infallible judge. He bears the Spirit of Yahweh (the relational, covenantal name for God), and this Spirit includes wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, and the fear of God (v. 2). Unlike human judges who can only go by what they observe with their limited senses, He does not judge based on sight or hearing but with perfect righteousness and equity because He knows all, even man’s very thoughts (v. 3). And not only is He characterized by righteousness, but He is faithful (v. 5). His perfect justice is not a conditional or flaky thing—it is constant and sure.

 

When compared with other parts of Scripture, there are clues in this passage that also speak to Jesus’ divinity because the same types of descriptions are used for God the Father:

 

“God is a righteous judge,

and a God who feels indignation every day” (Psalm 7:11, ESV).

 

“But the LORD sits enthroned forever;

               he has established his throne for justice,

and he judges the world with righteousness;

               he judges the peoples with uprightness” (Psalm 9:7-8, ESV).

 

“The heavens declare his righteousness,

               for God himself is judge!” (Psalm 50:6, ESV)

 

“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth” (Psalm 67:4, ESV).

 

“‘At the set time that I appoint

               I [God] will judge with equity’” (Psalm 75:2, ESV).

 

“Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity. […]

He will judge the world in righteousness,

and the peoples in his faithfulness” (Psalm 96:10, 13b, ESV).

 

“I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

               and will execute justice for the needy” (Psalm 140:12, ESV).

 

“But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause” (Jeremiah 11:20, ESV).

 

“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,” (1 Peter 1:17, ESV).

 

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23, ESV).

 

That last verse is speaking of Jesus, God the Son, entrusting himself to God the Father. As I’ve discussed in another post, one of the most amazing things about Jesus’ behavior during His unjust trial and execution is that He had the self-control to endure all the injustice when He had the power to stop it. As Peter said, He did not retaliate or make threats; He knew that God was a just judge. He knew that God saw His complete innocence, and He also understood that in willingly taking on the sin of the whole world He would experience punishment at the hand of the Father but that the Father would ultimately give Him vindication in the Resurrection and Ascension and would punish those who were unjustly accusing and sentencing Him if they did not repent. He didn’t have to avenge Himself because He knew the Father was completely Just.

 

Just as Jesus “entrust[ed] himself to him who judges justly,” so too can we find peace and consolation when we experience injustice in this world because we know that the matter is ultimately in God’s hands. No one who wrongs us can escape His notice. Even if they seem to be getting away with it here on earth, they stand before a Perfect Judge, one who says, ““Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” (Romans 12:19, ESV). We don’t have to plot our own revenge. We don’t have to live thinking that evil deeds will never come to light. This can give us great comfort, especially when we feel helpless to bring about justice in this world. We can be sure that God always renders an accurate, just, perfect judgment, correctly identifying the evildoer and exonerating the innocent.

 

But of course, when it comes to standing before a holy God, none of us is truly innocent. We all fall short of His righteous standard (see Romans 3:23). And in this case, His perfect Judgment should make us tremble if we think that we in any way can pretend to be unguilty before Him. All our faults, our rebellions, our shortcomings are laid bare under His gaze, and our only hope for pardon is in Jesus. Because God is perfectly just, He cannot let the guilty go free without a consequence being paid. But because Jesus took the consequence for us, experiencing the full wrath of the Just God against our sin, which He took on Himself, all of us who turn from our rebellion and believe in what He did on our behalf can experience full pardon from God. The demands of justice have been met in full, and because of that, God in His perfect judgment can offer us the verdict of abundant life in His presence forevermore.

 

Praise God that He in all His fullness—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is impartial, faithful, righteous, equitable, perfect in wisdom and knowledge and understanding, always rendering perfect judgment. He cannot be bribed or mistaken or prejudiced. He sees and hears and knows all completely. What a beautiful, wonderful, marvelous God!

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

.لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا

PC: Eric Eanes. Used with permission.

الحياة بعد الفصح

هل فكرت يوماً كيف كان حال التلاميذ باليوم الذي تلى الفصح؟ الكتاب المقدس لا يخبرنا بذلك، ولكن يمكننا أن نتصور ذلك باستخدام فكر واعٍ ومستنير. إذا قلنا أن يوم الأحد الذي تلى صلب المسيح "قد كان يوماً مليئا بالأحداث!" فقط فسيكون ذلك قليلاً. فقد بدأ في وقت مبكر جداً من الصباح عندما اكتشفت مجموعة من النساء القبر الفارغ، وسمعن من ملاك أن يسوع قد قام من بين الأموات! (متى 28: 1-6 ، مرقس 16: 1-6، لوقا 24 :1-7). فخرجن راكضات ليخبرن التلاميذ، وكما يمكن لك أن تتصور لم يصدقهن البعض، فذهب بطرس ويوحنا سريعاً إلى القبر ليروا بأنفسهم وبالطبع وجدوه فارغاً ( مرقس 16: 11، لوقا 24: 11، يوحنا 20: 3-10). ظهر يسوع لمريم في البستان، فرأته بعينيها! (يوحنا 20: 11-17) و بعد ذلك قابلاه تلميذان – غير مدركين أنه هو – وهما يتحدثان بطريقهم إلى عمواس وعندما أدركا من الذي يتحدث إليهما، اختفى عنهما، فرجعا إلى القدس ليخبرا التلاميذ (لوقا 24: 13-34). في المساء وقف يسوع بنفسه في وسط التلاميذ فيما هم مجتمعين وأخبرهم بأن يستعدوا فهناك مزيداً من الأمور سوف تحدث (لوقا 24: 36-48). الآن يمكنك  أن تقول "يا له من يوم!".

إذا مررت يوماً بحدث عظيم في حياتك، صادم بشكل سلبي أو مبهر بشكل إيجابي، فإنك لن تقدر أن تستوعب هول ما حدث إلا بعد مرور فترة من الزمن ومن الممكن أن تبدأ بفهم تأثير الحدث من اليوم التالي. في حالة التلاميذ، قد كان يوم الجمعة صادماً وموجعاً، أما السبت فقد كان محبِطاً ، والأحد مفرحاً ومبهجاً، فمن الطبيعي أن  يكون حالهم اليوم التالي للفصح متخبطاً، وغير متزن عاطفياً. 

لا يمكنني أن أتخيل مشاعرهم وأفكارهم والتي بدأت باستيعاب فكرة أن يسوع حي، فكل ما رجوه وتأملوا به اعتقدوا بأنه كان، لفترة، عبثاً (لوقا 24: 21) الآن فقط أُثبت عكسه بقدرة الله الفائقة في القيامة. أضف إلى ذلك إدراكهم بأنهم لم يفهموا حقيقةً ما الذي كان يسوع يقصده حين أخبرهم عن قيامته بعد الموت (يوحنا 20: 9). من المؤكد أنهم كانوا يتأرجحون بين شعور الابتهاج والاحراج. وسريعاً بعد تعافيهم من زخم أحداث ذلك اليوم، بدؤوا أخيراً باستيعاب حقيقة قيامة المسيح وتداعيات هذا الحدث العظيم على حياتهم. فإذا كانت صرخة الجمعة "لماذا؟" و أنين إحباط السبت "ماذا الآن؟" وتهليلة الأحد "لقد قامّ" فإن الاثنين هو استغراق مفعم بالأمل  ب "إذاً الآن ماذا الآن؟". 

الأيام التي تلت الفصح تكَشّفت الكثير من الأمور. لقد قابل يسوع التلاميذ ليزيل شكوك توما (يوحنا 20: 24-29)، وليرسلهم للعالم (مرقس 16: 15)، ليشهدوا صعوده للسماء (أعمال الرسل 1: 6-11)، وليستقبلوا حلول  الروح القدس المعزي عليهم (أعمال الرسل 2: 1-3). ولكن لم يكن أي من ذلك قد حدث بأول يوم بعد الفصح، بل كانوا جالسين في حيرة مما قد شهدوا واختبروا وأيضاً في فهم جديد وعميق للكلمة التي أعلن يسوع عنها اليهم.

أما نحن، وبعد مرور ٢٠٠٠ عام، فقد احتفلنا بقيامة المسيح، بنصره على الخطية والموت. نعلم ما حدث بعد يوم الأحد، ونعيش في ضوء القيامة. ولكن، أدعوك أن تقف للحظة في مكان التلاميذ، وأن تتأمل من جديد، بعين جديدة، في عظمة ما حدث في ذلك اليوم، وما زال يحدث.

لنتأمل بتعجب – للحظات – خطة الله وكشفه المقصود لها خلال التاريخ، من أول وعد قدمه الله لآدم وحواء (تكوين 3: 15) إلى أن أعلن عن البشارة للرعاة قرب بيت لحم (لوقا 2: 8-14). ولنبتهج بمعرفتنا بأن هذه القصة الحقيقية التي أرادها الله لنا مستمرة من الماضي إلى الحاضر سوف تمتد للمستقبل أيضاً. 

حياة يسوع وموته وقيامته لم تكن نهاية القصة، بل كانت نقطة التحول للتاريخ البشري، الله سيكمل كتابة قصته وإعلانه عن ذاته لنا من خلال كلمته ومن خلال الروح القدس ليكمل عمله فينا. إذاً اليوم، بعد الفصح، لقد مررنا بالحزن وبالصمت وأخيراً بالفرح، دعونا نتعمق بالتفكير الذي يقود للعمل. أن نتعمق بفكرة أن رواية الله شاملة للعالم. بالنعمة لدينا الفرصة أن نكون جزءاً منها وبحقيقة أن المسيح حي الآن في هذه اللحظة وبأن هذه الحقيقة لديها انعكاسات على حياتنا نحن شخصياً.

كيف لنا الآن أن نعيش في ضوء القيامة؟ يمكنني الإجابة عن هذا السؤال ولكن سأترك السؤال مفتوحاً لتفكر به ملياً.  لمساعدتك على البحث عن الإجابة سأعطيك بعض النقاط  للتفكير بها. 

كيف أثرت قيامة يسوع على علاقتك بالله؟ وكيف أثرت على علاقتك بالأشخاص الآخرين؟ كيف أثرت على طريقة تواصلك بالله؟ ما معنى القيامة بالنسبة للخوف؟ للحزن؟ للمواظبة؟ للثقة؟ للجرأة؟ للتعاطف؟ وللفرح؟ وبينما أنت تفكر بهذه الأسئلة. لا تتوان عن ترك تعليق بالأسفل عما يدور بذهنك إما بإدراك منعش أو بتذكير مفيد.

يسوع قام، هو ليس حدث من الماضي بل هو حي الآن يدعوك أن تعيش الحياة لمجده. أُصلي أن تدخل بعمق لهذه الحياة وأن تستوعب فعلاً عمق انعكاسات قيامة المسيح على حياتك، لأنه كما تبين لنا، الحياة بعد الفصح هي الأفضل.

كتب من قبل أوليفيا باشا. ترجم من قبل ميس سلفيتي. تعديل من قبل حنين باشا.

هذا المنشور تم نشره أولا في 2020. لرؤية النسخة الإنجليزية الأصلية إضغط هنا.

This post was first published in 2020. To see the original English version, click here.

Anneliese Billings :المصدر

سمح بالنشر

Fickle Faith, Gracious God

Yesterday, churches in the West celebrated Palm Sunday, while Eastern churches are preparing to celebrate this coming Sunday. Regardless of which day it is celebrated, the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is striking for its stark contrast with the succeeding events. It has always been astounding to me how the same people who adoringly declared, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” could just a few days later venomously demand, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” (John 12:13; 19:15, ESV)

We know most of the Jewish religious leaders were never enamored with Jesus, so their desire for His death is no surprise as we read the biblical account. But the crowds that had followed Jesus are another matter. They had appeared to have faith in Him, to at the very least be pleased with His actions and amazed by the miracles He performed, recognizing that He had an uncommon authority. The miracles drew people in, and as John tells us, the crowds in Jerusalem laying palm branches beneath Jesus’ feet were gathering to praise Him because they had heard how He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 12:17-18).

Such a great act was sure to inspire excitement and awe, and it is no wonder that the people called out blessings on Jesus as He passed by. What is a wonder, though, is how their seemingly convinced declarations of Jesus as King, the Son of David, and the one who comes in the name of Lord (Matthew 21:9, Luke 19:38, John 12:13) could so quickly die out, not fizzling into silence but morphing into an ugly roar of just the opposite. How could people move from adoration to betrayal so quickly?

When we look in the Old Testament, we see this behavior was not so new after all. Take Aaron, for instance. Appointed by God as Moses’ mouthpiece and right-hand-man in leading the entire Israelite people out of Egypt, he witnessed the miracles of the plagues and the Red Sea’s parting and stood before the people alongside Moses as a fellow representative of God Himself. And yet what did he do? He built a literal idol and told the people to worship it when they got impatient for Moses’ return from his meeting with God on the mountain (Exodus 32). What in the world.

And Gideon, the unassuming man chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from their Midianite oppressors, in the same breath as deferring to God’s leadership rather than taking power for himself, asked the people to give him gold earrings so he could make an ephod that the people then worshiped (Judges 8:22-27). Again—what in the world? Did we learn nothing from Aaron?

With these two examples of faith that strayed, we see the fickleness of the human heart. And it is this fickleness that we see on display again in the New Testament with the crowds that followed Jesus, crowds who had rejoiced at His coming yet were so easily swayed by the chief priests to demand His execution (see Mark 15:11-15). But it was not only the random crowds that displayed such fickleness.

Even Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers, who had so confidently asserted that he would go so far as to die with Jesus, denied Him three times mere hours after making such a promise. Yet even in the face of Peter’s fear and fickle faith, Jesus was gracious to Him, giving him assurance even before he strayed into sin that he would be restored and that he had an important purpose in the Kingdom of God (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62). He would go on to be one of the strongest leaders in the early Church and to contribute to the very Word of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, Aaron, rather than being cast off by God for his betrayal, was forgiven and installed as the first High Priest, the only one permitted to enter the Holy of Holies and stand in the manifest presence of God. And Gideon, despite encouraging communal idolatry even as Aaron had, went on to be listed among the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11. For Peter, Aaron, Gideon, and so many others in the Bible, their straying was not the end of their story.

We don’t know the identities of all the members of the crowd who went from praising to condemning Jesus, but it is not unreasonable to believe that some of them later became convicted of the truth by the Holy Spirit and repented, exchanging their fickle faith for a true and abiding one that praised Jesus for who He is and not just what He does. Although we don’t know the individual testimonies of most of the hundreds of believers in the early Church, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to think that some of them were among those who began to follow Jesus for shallow reasons, only wanting the physical things He could give them, and then turned their backs on Him at the Cross. Their wavering was not the end of their story.

We often look at cases like Saul/Paul and marvel at the grace of God in taking someone who had always been an avowed enemy of Jesus and turning him into a devoted follower, but it’s easy to forget that the grace of God is just as remarkable in taking someone with merely situational, conditional faith and giving them the anchored faith that saves or taking someone from shallow, wavering belief into the depths of solid faith. God’s mercy and grace are bigger than any fickleness we can display.

So as we reflect on Palm Sunday and the short-lived praise of the Jerusalem crowds, may we examine our own hearts, putting our faith under a microscope and realizing that we are no better than they. Recognizing the weakness of our flesh and our proneness to wander, may we earnestly pray with the man in Mark 9:24, “‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” And when we find our faith faltering or we stumble into sin, may we find encouragement in the marvelous grace of God that does not cast us away for our fickleness but rather draws us near, restores us, and strengthens us by His Spirit for His glory and our good.

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا.

PC: Cyndi Hackett. Used with permission.

Sweet Sleep

One of the most common pieces of advice I’ve received since becoming pregnant is, “Sleep as much as you can now!” And that’s one piece of advice I’m happy to follow, because I love sleep. As a child, like most other children, I hated taking naps, but sometime during college I saw the light and realized just what a gift it is to be well-rested.

I guess it’s not so much that I love the sleep itself as it is that I don’t love how I feel when I don’t have enough of it. My brain doesn’t work as well, so I’m less productive and less able to focus on things I need to do. My temper becomes shorter, so I’m more likely to snap at other people. Stressors seem more unmanageable, so I’m more likely to get panicked over things that wouldn’t phase me otherwise. My body doesn’t have the chance to make enough lymph, so I’m more prone to getting sick or staying sick longer. My level of overall fatigue increases, so I’m less likely to spend time in the Bible and in prayer and more susceptible to temptation. All of these things are why the phrase rings true that “sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.”[1]

In a society where self-sufficiency is praised, it can be difficult to acknowledge that we are not all-powerful. We have limits. We were designed to need rest, and God created the amazing process of sleep to restore and refresh our bodies, minds, and spirits. We close our eyes, and while we are essentially dead to the world, our bodies are at work basically recharging themselves so that when we awake we are ready to face the hours ahead. It’s pretty amazing when you stop to think about it. Not only does sleep help give us physical and mental energy, but it also helps us spiritually as we are better able to be alert, ready both to avoid and/or fight temptation and to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading throughout the day.

The Bible itself has plenty to say about sleep. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah, when running for his life, took two naps along with eating and drinking the sustenance God provided for him. David recognized that sleep was a gift from God in Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (ESV), and his son Solomon did the same: “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2, ESV). And then there’s all the times that God used sleep to communicate with people through dreams, e.g. Abram (Genesis 15), Jacob (Genesis 28), Joseph (Genesis 37), Pharoah (Genesis 41), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31), Joseph (Matthew 1), etc. Even Jesus slept (Matthew 8, Mark 4, Luke 8). We also see how the absence of sleep is portrayed as a negative thing; when people are distressed or in danger, they are not able to sleep (see Daniel 2, Daniel 6, Esther 6).

Of course, as with most good things, the abuse of sleep can turn it into a not-so-good thing. Scripture is also filled with warnings against slothfulness (see Proverbs 6:9-10, 10:5, and 20:13, to name a few). And Jesus chided His disciples for sleeping when they should have been awake (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22). But in our fast-paced, productivity-worshiping culture, our danger seems to be not resting enough instead of resting too much. We like to pretend that we’re the Energizer Bunny, with an energy source that can never be depleted. Far from prioritizing rest, we run ourselves ragged until our bodies start to falter and ultimately sickness forces us to slow down.

I used to feel guilty for taking naps when there were so many things on my to-do list, but I finally realized that spending an hour or two sleeping wasn’t a waste of time. Instead, I found that when I had enough sleep, I was better able to tackle those things I needed to do, better able to write, better able to be there for friends who needed to talk, better able to maintain a peaceful mindset, and better able to practice the Fruit of the Spirit. Taking care of our bodies is important, and it goes hand in hand with taking care of our souls.

Another benefit of sleep is that it causes us to recognize the nature of our relationship to God. First, it shows us that we are completely dependent on Him. We don’t tell our hearts to keep beating or our lungs to keep breathing while we’re conked out. He is the One who sustains us while we sleep and allows us to wake up.

But sleep also shows us that we are not God and that God is completely greater than us. While there are times in the Bible where God is referred to as “sleeping” (e.g., Psalm 44:23, “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!” [ESV]), these are figures of speech referring to times where it seems that God is asleep because it seems that He is not active or not paying attention. But we know that God is self-sustaining and has no need to refresh or recharge. “Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4, ESV). No mockery can be made of Him as was made of Baal in 1 Kings 18 when Elijah suggested Baal might not be hearing his followers because he was asleep. God is always awake and always alert. “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah 40:28, ESV).

So while we sleep and while we’re awake, we can be confident that God is ever watching and never drowsy. We never have to try to keep ourselves awake to make sure He’s paying attention, like a passenger trying to keep the driver from falling asleep. We never have to exhaust ourselves trying to run on fumes when we weren’t created to live that way. We can be grateful for the way God designed our bodies, for the way He connected the physical and spiritual within us, and for the sweet gift of sleep He has given us. And we can worship Him for His creativity and perfect design of us and for His greatness by which He is able to exist without ever needing to sleep. What a tender, kind, and mighty God we serve!

PC: Jane Morris. Used with permission.

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[1] I’ve heard this phrase from several pastors and authors, so I’m not sure to whom the original credit goes.

الله ذاته بأمر جديد

بالتأكيد أن كلمة الله عامةً رائعة وخصيصاً إشعياء وهو أحد الأسفار المفضلة لدي وذلك لوجود العديد من الجواهر المخبئة بين صفحاته بانتظار التنقيب عنها. نجد إحدى تلك الجواهر في الإصحاح 43. أذكر جيداً أول مرة ترسّخت فيها الآيتان 18 و19 من هذا الإصحاح في ذهني. كنت قد قرأت سفر إشعياء عدة مرات، لكن في أحد أيام المدرسة الثانوية، شارك أحدهم هذه الآيات ككلمات وضعها الله على قلبه خلال مرحلة تغيير في حياته، ومنذ ذلك الحين بقيت هذه الكلمات عالقة في ذهني.

ومنذ ذلك الوقت، كلما مررت بهذه الفقرة أثناء قراءتي لإشعياء، أفكر بتلك الشهادة. لكن قبل بضعة أسابيع، وبينما كنت أقرأ الإصحاح من جديد، لفت انتباهي سياق الآيات، ولاحظت عناصر لم أرها من قبل. لنقرأ أولاً إشعياء 43: 16 - 21: 

16 هكَذَا يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الْجَاعِلُ فِي الْبَحْرِ طَرِيقًا وَفِي الْمِيَاهِ الْقَوِيَّةِ مَسْلَكًا.

17 الْمُخْرِجُ الْمَرْكَبَةَ وَالْفَرَسَ، الْجَيْشَ وَالْعِزَّ. يَضْطَجِعُونَ مَعًا لاَ يَقُومُونَ. قَدْ خَمِدُوا. كَفَتِيلَةٍ انْطَفَأُوا.

18 «لاَ تَذْكُرُوا الأَوَّلِيَّاتِ، وَالْقَدِيمَاتُ لاَ تَتَأَمَّلُوا بِهَا.

19 هأَنَذَا صَانِعٌ أَمْرًا جَدِيدًا. الآنَ يَنْبُتُ. أَلاَ تَعْرِفُونَهُ؟ أَجْعَلُ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ طَرِيقًا، فِي الْقَفْرِ أَنْهَارًا.

20 يُمَجِّدُنِي حَيَوَانُ الصَّحْرَاءِ، الذِّئَابُ وَبَنَاتُ النَّعَامِ، لأَنِّي جَعَلْتُ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ مَاءً، أَنْهَارًا فِي الْقَفْرِ، لأَسْقِيَ شَعْبِي مُخْتَارِي.

21 هذَا الشَّعْبُ جَبَلْتُهُ لِنَفْسِي. يُحَدِّثُ بِتَسْبِيحِي.

ما شدّ انتباهي في هذا المقطع هو أمر الرب "لا تذكروا". ففي عدة أحيان في العهد القديم، يقول الرب لشعبه أن يتذكر. أن يتذكر كيف أخرجه من أرض مصر، أن يتذكر وصاياه التي أعطاه أياها وكيف قاده في البرية. لكن هنا، يقول الرب لشعبه أن ينسى، فهذا الأمر فريد من نوعه في الكتاب المقدس لذلك يستحق أن نتعمق به.

إن أمر النسيان لم يُكتب بشكل منفصل بل يقع بين شيئين وهما وصف ما قد فعله الرب والوعد بما سيفعله. نرى في الآية 16 وصفاً لله – اسمه يهوه إله العهد هذا هو – "الْجَاعِلُ فِي الْبَحْرِ طَرِيقًا وَفِي الْمِيَاهِ الْقَوِيَّةِ مَسْلَكًا". ويتبن أن الآية التالية تلمّح إلى حادثة عبور بني إسرائيل البحر الأحمر، حين جفّف الله الطريق لهم وغرق جيش فرعون (الآية 17). عادة، عند رؤيتنا لآيات مثل هذه نرى الرب يقول لشعبه أن يتذكر هذه الأحداث، لكن بدلاً من ذلك يقول الرب "لاَ تَذْكُرُوا الأَوَّلِيَّاتِ، .... هأَنَذَا صَانِعٌ أَمْرًا جَدِيدًا." (18-19).ويستجدي السؤال، ما هو هذا الأمر الجديد ؟ لنستمر بالقراءة. 

"فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ طَرِيقًا، فِي الْقَفْرِ أَنْهَارًا." (الآية 20). 

فهذا هو الأمر الجديد، لكن هل ترى التماثل بين الأمر القديم (الأوليات المذكورة في آية 16) والأمر الجديد (المذكور في آية 19)؟ هناك مقابلة ومقارنة في أعمال الله ووصفها:

• في الآية 16: "طريق في البحر" بينما في الآية 19: "طريق في البرية"

• في الآية 16: يجفف الماء، بينما في في الآية 19: يُوجد ماء حيث لا يوجد.

كلاهما يضم نفس العناصر من المياه والأرض الجافة وأن الرب صانعاً للطريق. فلماذا يطلب الرب من شعبه أن ينسى الأوليات التي بينت قوته بشكل كبير؟ ربما ليتعلم شعبه ونحن أيضاً أن ندرك بأنه مع كون الله يعمل دائماً إلا أنه لا يعمل دائماً بالطريقة ذاتها. ففي بعض الأحيان تكون المشكلة هي المياه وهو يحمينا من الغرق وفي أحيان أخرى نتعذب من الجفاف وهو يحمينا من الموت ظمئاً. في بعض الأحيان يمنحنا أرضاً ثابتة لنمشي عليها وفي أحيان أخرى يعطينا أنهار مياه منعشة. 

نحن كثيراً ما نتمسّك بذكريات تدخلات الله الماضية لدرجة أننا نفشل في رؤية تدخله الجديد. نتوقّع منه أن يتصرّف بنفس الطريقة، وعندما لا يحدث ذلك، نشعر بالإحباط أو نشك. لكن عدم تشابه الطريق لما كان عليه سابقاً لا يعني عدم وجوده. الله هو ذاته، و يصنع الطريق دائماً، لكن أحياناً هذا الطريق يأتي بصورة لم نتخيلها، وأحياناً نبحث عن مسار يقودنا خارج ظروفنا غير مدركين بأن ما نحتاجه هو نهر في وسطها. فأحياناً تركيزنا على ما سبق يجعلنا لا نرى الأمر الجديد الذي يفعله الرب في حياتنا. 

مهما كان ما نواجهه، الله هو ذاته اليوم كما كان عليه دائماً، مما يعني أنه يعمل لأنه إله حي. 

"هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبُ جَبَلْتُهُ لِنَفْسِي. يُحَدِّثُ بِتَسْبِيحِي". (إشعياء 43: 21)

هو الإله ذاته، يعمل أمراً جديداً. فلنطلب أن تُفتح أعيننا لنرى ذلك، وأن نحيا حياة تُعلن مجده.

كتب من قبل أوليفيا. ترجم من قبل سديم.  تعديل من قبل حنين باشا.

هذا المنشور تم نشره أولا في 2019. لرؤية النسخة الإنجليزية الأصلية إضغط هنا. 

This post was first published in 2019. To see the original English version, click here.