Bye, Bye Bully

Tuesday 10/29/19 4:49 AM

Yesterday I had my first physical therapy appointment following my hip replacement surgery nine days ago. The outcome was way better than I had expected. I was able to walk unassisted down the hallway at my appointment. My physical therapist was very pleased with my progress and has given me permission to walk around the house without either cane or walker. The only pain I had was in the muscles of my leg, with no discomfort whatsoever in my hip. I was given a few more exercises designed to strengthen the muscles around the hip that I can work on at home. The prescription I got from Dr. Tiberi was for 2 therapy sessions per week for 8 weeks. Given the progress I’ve already made, the therapist thought I should be able to be done with the physical therapy after only 4 weeks. All of this was extremely great news and I am grateful to Jaci for the good care she is providing and I am also grateful to God for the healing he has given me through this whole process.

My psalm for the week is Psalm 139. David begins the psalm by showing God’s intimacy with him, how God perceives his thoughts and is familiar with all his ways. Verse 5 caught my attention this morning as I reflect on the healing God has given me over the past ten days. “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand on me.” I’ve felt God’s presence throughout the whole process of my hip replacement, from the leading up to it all the way through it, I have had a strong feeling of God being behind me and before me, assuring me that he was with me throughout.

My reading also included Zephaniah 3. I am embarrassed by the broader Christian church in the United States today who seem to think that political power and our current President, Donald Trump, are the key to making our nation great again. President Trump often sounds like a schoolyard bully, calling his detractors petty names and belittling all those who disagree with his way of thinking and acting. His supporters spew hatred and vitriol toward anyone who criticizes him and say things that, to me, are divisive and hateful. Zephaniah 3 begins with a description of God’s people in Jerusalem, and their leaders. “Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.” It seems like this describes the political climate in our society pretty accurately.

After that sharp criticism of God’s people, the tone of Zephaniah changes and he describes what God will do to restore his people. “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. … On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.” It seems like many modern evangelical Christians are arrogant, feeling they know the right way and have the idea that, if only everyone else in society would follow them, everything would be hunky-dory. It is possible they do know the right way, but Christ did not come into our world with an attitude of an arrogant bully. He came as a suffering servant. The description Zephaniah gives of a restored creation includes the removal of the arrogant boasters, leaving only the meek and humble as a remnant. In that restored world there is no room for arrogance and pride.

Our society also feeds on fear, with twenty-four-hour news programs fueling our fears with videos of natural disasters, mass shootings, inflated crime statistics, etc., which are often shown to be an inaccurate portrayal of the facts. In the restored creation Zephaniah describes, no one will tell lies or be deceitful and no one will make the people afraid. It seems to me the Christians in our society should strive for this type of society by lovingly serving others, speaking the truth with humility, and alleviating fears with quiet reassurance rather than fighting against those with whom they differ using the same bullying and fearmongering techniques.

At my church we are going through a transition. Many of the members have left for other churches for various reasons. There are many in our church who want to return to the good old days when things seemed better. One of the last descriptions Zephaniah gives of the restored people of God is this: “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and a reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.” As a church it is easy to look back to what we think were the good old days, and long for their return. God is looking forward to a time when those who have been injured by an unjust world, who have been exiled from society, or suffered shame can be drawn together within God’s people and experience the loving community we all like to call home. As a church we need to enfold those who are hurting, those who have suffered unjustly, and those who have been rejected by others and show them love and compassion. Then we will be the restored people of God, a family drawn from every nation and tribe. Bye bye, bully.