Celebrity Charity

Frank

Oh, to make millions (or hundreds of millions in some cases) for playing a game I love. I often wonder how all that money really gets spent. A woman from Las Vegas recently won the lottery in Texas… for the fourth time. Since her first win in 1993, she has won over $20 million. Yet no one knows anything about her. She doesn’t publicise herself or leverage her riches for fame. Contrast that with multi-millionaire athletes and their entourages, their mansions and fast cars.

But thankfully they do give back. Dwayne Wade bought his mom, an ordained minister, a church building. Derrek Lee started a foundation related to a retinal disease suffered by his daughter. Of course those examples are personal, and family related. Others give to their roots, inner city programs that helped them start out in life or the local communities that helped to raise them. As the ESPN article on Lee notes, we don’t pick the charity, often the charity picks us.

Which brings me to LeBron James. Tonight’s over-hyped made-for-TV-drama dubbed “The Decision” is going to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Jim Gray, who will be interviewing King James, was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning when this first came to my attention (not the press conference itself, how could you miss that?). He mentioned that he thought it was great (while taking credit for the idea) and that it would affect “hundreds if not thousands of kids across the country.” I’m not really sure how. James’ handlers had to buy the hour of air-time on ESPN and I doubt ESPN is giving up much of their advertising dollars. There’s no indication this is a telethon that one can call in to pledge. If anything the hour of television (really, how long does it take to say, “I’m going to Miami”?) might raise awareness for the Boys and Girls Club. Will donations naturally follow?

There’s no doubt that LeBron is set to rake in a record amount of salary- or at least close to, given the constraints of the NBA salary-cap. Would it satisfy his ego to have a generic press-conference and then donate a majority of his salary to his cause? If he is fully invested in benefiting the community, crediting the Boys and Girls Club for keeping him off the streets in his youth, then why not make it a personal cause and give as much as he can? I’m sure he gives already, but how much more money does he really need?

Of course, I can’t project my morals on someone else and I don’t know all the circumstances of his lifestyle and how much it costs to maintain it. But presently my family is sacrificing vacations and luxuries to get out of debt. We put aside money for months to support my church and foreign missions which just finished its big annual drive. If I could make millions doing what I love, I’d be giving millions to the causes I love. I don’t need luxury. Comfort would be nice, but not required. And I would have a clear conscience giving to those in greater need. Oh, to make millions playing a game I love.

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Celebrity Charity

Frank

Oh, to make millions (or hundreds of millions in some cases) for playing a game I love. I often wonder how all that money really gets spent. A woman from Las Vegas recently won the lottery in Texas… for the fourth time. Since her first win in 1993, she has won over $20 million. Yet no one knows anything about her. She doesn’t publicise herself or leverage her riches for fame. Contrast that with multi-millionaire athletes and their entourages, their mansions and fast cars.

But thankfully they do give back. Dwayne Wade bought his mom, an ordained minister, a church building. Derrek Lee started a foundation related to a retinal disease suffered by his daughter. Of course those examples are personal, and family related. Others give to their roots, inner city programs that helped them start out in life or the local communities that helped to raise them. As the ESPN article on Lee notes, we don’t pick the charity, often the charity picks us.

Which brings me to LeBron James. Tonight’s over-hyped made-for-TV-drama dubbed “The Decision” is going to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Jim Gray, who will be interviewing King James, was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning when this first came to my attention (not the press conference itself, how could you miss that?). He mentioned that he thought it was great (while taking credit for the idea) and that it would affect “hundreds if not thousands of kids across the country.” I’m not really sure how. James’ handlers had to buy the hour of air-time on ESPN and I doubt ESPN is giving up much of their advertising dollars. There’s no indication this is a telethon that one can call in to pledge. If anything the hour of television (really, how long does it take to say, “I’m going to Miami”?) might raise awareness for the Boys and Girls Club. Will donations naturally follow?

There’s no doubt that LeBron is set to rake in a record amount of salary- or at least close to, given the constraints of the NBA salary-cap. Would it satisfy his ego to have a generic press-conference and then donate a majority of his salary to his cause? If he is fully invested in benefiting the community, crediting the Boys and Girls Club for keeping him off the streets in his youth, then why not make it a personal cause and give as much as he can? I’m sure he gives already, but how much more money does he really need?

Of course, I can’t project my morals on someone else and I don’t know all the circumstances of his lifestyle and how much it costs to maintain it. But presently my family is sacrificing vacations and luxuries to get out of debt. We put aside money for months to support my church and foreign missions which just finished its big annual drive. If I could make millions doing what I love, I’d be giving millions to the causes I love. I don’t need luxury. Comfort would be nice, but not required. And I would have a clear conscience giving to those in greater need. Oh, to make millions playing a game I love.

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Is Patriotism an Idol?

Frank

My “question of the week” is late coming, just getting back into routine after a weekend spent camping. But the question in the title has been resonating in the back of my mind since I read these blogs from Relevant and Sojourners before I left on Friday. A counter-argument, so to speak, was posted at SoJo this morning.

So I’m throwing the question out to you, the reader. Is patriotism an idol?

Some additional thoughts from past blog posts can be found here, here, and here. And for some humor, check out JesusNeedsNewPR’s Jesus Pictures of the Day.

Please keep the debate respectful.

Weekend Reading, 3 July

Frank

A lot of church-themed blogs and articles this week to reflect on. Sometimes it hurts to look at ourselves in the mirror, but we need to take these honest looks at ourselves.

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16)

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25)

  • Do you ever find yourself in a conversation and it just “feels like church“? Jezamama urges us to open our doors to the dregs.
  • If you’re not afraid to be judged as a dreg, maybe you’ll be judged by whether or not you’re wearing pantyhose. At least Matthew Paul Turner’s mom used to feel that way.
  • If you’re not a dreg, and you don’t wear pantyhose, chances are you worship differently than I do. I’ll try not to judge, but will you feel comfortable in my church?
  • Jon Acuff has a theory for why Christians are so mean online. Maybe it relates to the same reasons we’re so judgemental in the links above?
  • Jake Meador speculates part of the problem is that we’ve become engulfed in our culture rather than create a “viable alternative” to the world around us.
  • Jay Guin longs for a post-denominational church uniting to serve in Christ.
  • Churches in Atlanta are actually doing just that as Church Marketing Sucks points out. Unfortunately it’s only for one weekend.

Have a happy 4th of July weekend. Celebrate your freedoms and remember that those freedoms include the freedom to worship.

Flashback Friday: 4th of July

Frank

***Originally posted for the 4th of July, 2007. Enjoy your freedoms this weekend. I’ll be enjoying mine camping and worshiping the God of Creation.***

Last Sunday for communion I shared about freedom and what that means to us as Christians. I was inspired after talking with one of my friends who was concerned about the lack of “true worship” in our church and reminded me that God freed the Israelites from Egypt specifically so that they could worship him. So freedom and worship go hand in hand. The wheels in my head started turning and out came this:

Wednesday is the fourth of July. A day to celebrate the birth of our country and the freedoms we have. But how does that relate to us, this morning, as we’re gathered to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? First of all, we’ve heard from this podium before, in fact I’m sure I’ve even said it myself from up here, that we should be grateful to God that we have the freedom to gather together to worship him without fear of death, injury, or persecution. We are guaranteed the freedom to worship publicly. But we’re also given the freedom to worship as we choose. And that’s a part that I think is often forgotten. If you look at the history of this country many of those who first settled here did so so that they could worship they way they wanted to: Quakers, Puritans, Catholics, and others all came to this land because they were required to worship a certain way where they came from and were persecuted for not doing so. So today we have the freedom to worship however we want to. This freedom enabled the different Great Awakening periods as well as the Restoration Movement that we owe our history to. So without this part of our freedom, we may have been able to worship publicly, but it’s unlikely we’d be worshiping in this church.

But this isn’t a patriotic rant or an historical lesson. I’m here worship our Lord through communion. Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus. And that’s where I want to turn our attention. God has consistently used the freedom of his people for worship. Mishach, Shadrach, and Abendigo were thrown in the fire for not worshiping how they were told. And then saved so that they could freely worship the one true God. The Jews in exile with both Ezra and Nehemiah were freed so that they could worship God in Jerusalem by rebuilding the temple and then rebuilding the wall. And probably most explicitly, God freed the Jews in Egypt so they could worship him freely. In Exodus 7:16, when Moses was confronting Pharaoh, God instructed Moses to say, “The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert.” And that reason did not change as Moses continued to confront him through all the plagues.

It is no different for us today following Jesus. Jesus died so that we would be freed from the slavery of our sin. But he also died to free us from the religious tradition that ruled his day. Just because our country allows us to worship however we like, doesn’t mean we should. Paul said not to use our freedom as an excuse to indulge in sin. In the same way, we can’t use our freedom to worship as an excuse to make up our own traditions, our own rules, or bind old traditions to others arbitrarily. Please turn to John 4. Starting in verse 19, we read…

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:19:26)

To worship in spirit and in truth. That’s what Jesus died for and what we need to reflect upon when we celebrate our freedom. Are we worshiping in spirit and in truth? With the hundreds of denominations that exist today, I’d argue that we’re not. With the countless traditions, expectations, and doctrines that continue to divide, I am certain that we’re not. This morning I want to call us to a higher standard, to worship our Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

So I left it hanging. What does it mean to worship in Spirit and Truth? Does it mean ecumenism, seeker-friendly services, Power Point slides, instrumental music or a-capella, emerging churches, speaking in tongues, etc, etc? I’ll leave it to you the reader to search this out for yourself. Let me know what you find.

Flashback Friday: 4th of July

Frank

***Originally posted for the 4th of July, 2007. Enjoy your freedoms this weekend. I’ll be enjoying mine camping and worshiping the God of Creation.***

Last Sunday for communion I shared about freedom and what that means to us as Christians. I was inspired after talking with one of my friends who was concerned about the lack of “true worship” in our church and reminded me that God freed the Israelites from Egypt specifically so that they could worship him. So freedom and worship go hand in hand. The wheels in my head started turning and out came this:

Wednesday is the fourth of July. A day to celebrate the birth of our country and the freedoms we have. But how does that relate to us, this morning, as we’re gathered to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? First of all, we’ve heard from this podium before, in fact I’m sure I’ve even said it myself from up here, that we should be grateful to God that we have the freedom to gather together to worship him without fear of death, injury, or persecution. We are guaranteed the freedom to worship publicly. But we’re also given the freedom to worship as we choose. And that’s a part that I think is often forgotten. If you look at the history of this country many of those who first settled here did so so that they could worship they way they wanted to: Quakers, Puritans, Catholics, and others all came to this land because they were required to worship a certain way where they came from and were persecuted for not doing so. So today we have the freedom to worship however we want to. This freedom enabled the different Great Awakening periods as well as the Restoration Movement that we owe our history to. So without this part of our freedom, we may have been able to worship publicly, but it’s unlikely we’d be worshiping in this church.

But this isn’t a patriotic rant or an historical lesson. I’m here worship our Lord through communion. Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus. And that’s where I want to turn our attention. God has consistently used the freedom of his people for worship. Mishach, Shadrach, and Abendigo were thrown in the fire for not worshiping how they were told. And then saved so that they could freely worship the one true God. The Jews in exile with both Ezra and Nehemiah were freed so that they could worship God in Jerusalem by rebuilding the temple and then rebuilding the wall. And probably most explicitly, God freed the Jews in Egypt so they could worship him freely. In Exodus 7:16, when Moses was confronting Pharaoh, God instructed Moses to say, “The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert.” And that reason did not change as Moses continued to confront him through all the plagues.

It is no different for us today following Jesus. Jesus died so that we would be freed from the slavery of our sin. But he also died to free us from the religious tradition that ruled his day. Just because our country allows us to worship however we like, doesn’t mean we should. Paul said not to use our freedom as an excuse to indulge in sin. In the same way, we can’t use our freedom to worship as an excuse to make up our own traditions, our own rules, or bind old traditions to others arbitrarily. Please turn to John 4. Starting in verse 19, we read…

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:19:26)

To worship in spirit and in truth. That’s what Jesus died for and what we need to reflect upon when we celebrate our freedom. Are we worshiping in spirit and in truth? With the hundreds of denominations that exist today, I’d argue that we’re not. With the countless traditions, expectations, and doctrines that continue to divide, I am certain that we’re not. This morning I want to call us to a higher standard, to worship our Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

So I left it hanging. What does it mean to worship in Spirit and Truth? Does it mean ecumenism, seeker-friendly services, Power Point slides, instrumental music or a-capella, emerging churches, speaking in tongues, etc, etc? I’ll leave it to you the reader to search this out for yourself. Let me know what you find.

The Stones Cry Out

Frank

Tuesday I used the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile as a metaphor for building on the solid ground of Jesus. Truth is, I didn’t have to use those examples; there have been plenty to choose from. This year alone, there have been eight earthquakes of Magnitude 6 or higher, claiming almost a quarter of a million lives. In 2009 there were 52, killing over 1700 (the difference in casualties was that many of these were deep ocean and 90% of this year’s fatalities were from the Haiti quake alone). These numbers have led many to believe that the End is nigh, that Christ’s return is imminent.

There’s good Biblical reason for such fears. A search in BibleGateway for earthquake yields 17 results in the NIV, and all but the exceptions of the LORD’s appearance to Elijah, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and Peter’s escape from prison involve God’s coming wrath. Some examples:

“The LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.” (Isaiah 29:6)

“Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.”(Revelation 16:18)

However, before Jesus warned us that “[n]ation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven,” he also cautioned us “do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” (Luke 21:9-11) While it is in our nature to speculate, Jesus also reminds us that “No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 25:36)

The access to instant information afforded us by the Internet brings events to our attention that might otherwise go unnoticed. For example, this week it was reported that an April earthquake in Baja California moved the city of Calexico two and a half feet. I was in Boston last week and arrived right after an earthquake hit in Ottawa. The 5.0 earthquake was felt throughout New England. I come from earthquake country and when I think of the Northeast, the last thing I think about is an earthquake. Yet Ottawa experiences earthquakes of similar magnitude every “four or five years” and several hundred small earthquakes along the Logan faultline in Quebec strike every year.

Maybe we’re too sensitive to the news that’s reported. There’s no shortage of “wars and rumors of wars” that’s for sure. And with Hurricane Katrina still fresh in our minds, we’re aware of every hurricane predicted and tracked. In fact, as I type this ‘Alex’ has been downgraded from a hurricane to just a tropical storm even though three lives have already been lost and thousands evacuated. Is any of this unusual though?

Of the 15 largest earthquakes in the last century, four have been this decade. Yet with the exception of the 1920s and 1980s, there have been roughly 10 earthquakes 8.0 or larger each decade since the turn of the last century. Yes, the first decade of the 21st Century saw more than most with 13, but it’s not necessarily out of the norm. (The earthquake data at usgs.gov is a lot of fun to pour through if you’re a data nerd like me)

So I’m not concerned. Yes, I live in earthquake country and am looking forward to my ocean-front property when the Big One hits, but other than earthquake drills and keeping a disaster kit handy, there’s not much else I can do. Spiritually, I need to keep oil in my lamp as Jesus instructs and live as though he is returning today. But I find comfort in Elijah’s experience:

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12)

The Stones Cry Out

Frank

Tuesday I used the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile as a metaphor for building on the solid ground of Jesus. Truth is, I didn’t have to use those examples; there have been plenty to choose from. This year alone, there have been eight earthquakes of Magnitude 6 or higher, claiming almost a quarter of a million lives. In 2009 there were 52, killing over 1700 (the difference in casualties was that many of these were deep ocean and 90% of this year’s fatalities were from the Haiti quake alone). These numbers have led many to believe that the End is nigh, that Christ’s return is imminent.

There’s good Biblical reason for such fears. A search in BibleGateway for earthquake yields 17 results in the NIV, and all but the exceptions of the LORD’s appearance to Elijah, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and Peter’s escape from prison involve God’s coming wrath. Some examples:

“The LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.” (Isaiah 29:6)

“Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.”(Revelation 16:18)

However, before Jesus warned us that “[n]ation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven,” he also cautioned us “do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” (Luke 21:9-11) While it is in our nature to speculate, Jesus also reminds us that “No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 25:36)

The access to instant information afforded us by the Internet brings events to our attention that might otherwise go unnoticed. For example, this week it was reported that an April earthquake in Baja California moved the city of Calexico two and a half feet. I was in Boston last week and arrived right after an earthquake hit in Ottawa. The 5.0 earthquake was felt throughout New England. I come from earthquake country and when I think of the Northeast, the last thing I think about is an earthquake. Yet Ottawa experiences earthquakes of similar magnitude every “four or five years” and several hundred small earthquakes along the Logan faultline in Quebec strike every year.

Maybe we’re too sensitive to the news that’s reported. There’s no shortage of “wars and rumors of wars” that’s for sure. And with Hurricane Katrina still fresh in our minds, we’re aware of every hurricane predicted and tracked. In fact, as I type this ‘Alex’ has been downgraded from a hurricane to just a tropical storm even though three lives have already been lost and thousands evacuated. Is any of this unusual though?

Of the 15 largest earthquakes in the last century, four have been this decade. Yet with the exception of the 1920s and 1980s, there have been roughly 10 earthquakes 8.0 or larger each decade since the turn of the last century. Yes, the first decade of the 21st Century saw more than most with 13, but it’s not necessarily out of the norm. (The earthquake data at usgs.gov is a lot of fun to pour through if you’re a data nerd like me)

So I’m not concerned. Yes, I live in earthquake country and am looking forward to my ocean-front property when the Big One hits, but other than earthquake drills and keeping a disaster kit handy, there’s not much else I can do. Spiritually, I need to keep oil in my lamp as Jesus instructs and live as though he is returning today. But I find comfort in Elijah’s experience:

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12)

Earthquake-proof

Frank

It is a study in contrasts that I’m sure kept civil, structural, and architectural engineering students busy this last semester- the two major earthquakes that struck Haiti and Chile earlier this year. It’s not hard to remember both of these tragic events, the utter devastation in Haiti and the tsunamis in Chile. Millions were donated for relief, headlines were made by those who gave up everything to serve. Add the fact that both of these occurred a month apart and many believed that this was it, that Christ’s return was imminent.

But look past the emotional response. Look past the headlines that caught all of our attention. Look at the details. The Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7 (for comparison, the famous Northridge earthquake was only 6.7) and the earthquake off the coast of Chile was 8.8. While those numbers look close, because of the way the scale is set the Chilean earthquake was nearly 500 times as powerful as Haiti’s. There were an estimated 230,000 casualties from the Haitian earthquake compared to only 521 in Chile and elsewhere along the South American Pacific coast.
Yes, you read that right, roughly 200,000 more casualties for an earthquake almost 500 times less powerful. Let that sink in and you’re bound to ask, “why?” Location is part of it- the Chilean quake was off the coast versus near Haiti’s capital. But even with the resulting tsunamis, the death count would have been expected to be higher. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami claimed nearly the same number of lives as the earthquake in Haiti. (Though even there, location- how far off the coast- played an important role) But location doesn’t tell the whole story.

Early reporting of the earthquake in Chile noted that because of frequent seismic activity, Chileans knew how to respond to the earthquake and much of the infrastructure was modernized to be earthquake-proofed. But earthquakes in Haiti are not rare, so the personal response should have been similar. The key difference then was infrastructure. Sadly it’s no secret that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. And that the earthquake epicenter was near a densely populated area, it becomes obvious why there was such a difference in casualties. When it comes right to it, buildings in Chile were simply built stronger.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.“ (Luke 6:46-49)

The Three Little Pigs teaches us that what we build with determines whether we can stand up to the big bad wolf. But Christ teaches us that it is more important what we build on. When thinking about strength, I could not help but reflect on Jesus. My strength is worthless if I’m not relying on His. He is my rock and my foundation. I’m comforted to know that so long as I build on Him as a foundation, I may be shaken but I will not fall. An infrastructure built on Christ is earthquake-proof.

This post is part of Bridget Chumbley’s Blog Carnival. This week’s topic is “strength“. Head on over there to read other insightful posts from a diverse array of bloggers.

Earthquake-proof

Frank

It is a study in contrasts that I’m sure kept civil, structural, and architectural engineering students busy this last semester- the two major earthquakes that struck Haiti and Chile earlier this year. It’s not hard to remember both of these tragic events, the utter devastation in Haiti and the tsunamis in Chile. Millions were donated for relief, headlines were made by those who gave up everything to serve. Add the fact that both of these occurred a month apart and many believed that this was it, that Christ’s return was imminent.

But look past the emotional response. Look past the headlines that caught all of our attention. Look at the details. The Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7 (for comparison, the famous Northridge earthquake was only 6.7) and the earthquake off the coast of Chile was 8.8. While those numbers look close, because of the way the scale is set the Chilean earthquake was nearly 500 times as powerful as Haiti’s. There were an estimated 230,000 casualties from the Haitian earthquake compared to only 521 in Chile and elsewhere along the South American Pacific coast.
Yes, you read that right, roughly 200,000 more casualties for an earthquake almost 500 times less powerful. Let that sink in and you’re bound to ask, “why?” Location is part of it- the Chilean quake was off the coast versus near Haiti’s capital. But even with the resulting tsunamis, the death count would have been expected to be higher. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami claimed nearly the same number of lives as the earthquake in Haiti. (Though even there, location- how far off the coast- played an important role) But location doesn’t tell the whole story.

Early reporting of the earthquake in Chile noted that because of frequent seismic activity, Chileans knew how to respond to the earthquake and much of the infrastructure was modernized to be earthquake-proofed. But earthquakes in Haiti are not rare, so the personal response should have been similar. The key difference then was infrastructure. Sadly it’s no secret that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. And that the earthquake epicenter was near a densely populated area, it becomes obvious why there was such a difference in casualties. When it comes right to it, buildings in Chile were simply built stronger.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.“ (Luke 6:46-49)

The Three Little Pigs teaches us that what we build with determines whether we can stand up to the big bad wolf. But Christ teaches us that it is more important what we build on. When thinking about strength, I could not help but reflect on Jesus. My strength is worthless if I’m not relying on His. He is my rock and my foundation. I’m comforted to know that so long as I build on Him as a foundation, I may be shaken but I will not fall. An infrastructure built on Christ is earthquake-proof.

This post is part of Bridget Chumbley’s Blog Carnival. This week’s topic is “strength“. Head on over there to read other insightful posts from a diverse array of bloggers.