The truth is we all need professional help in different areas of life at different times.  That fact has become increasingly clearer to me as I get older.  Maintaining a home has made me appreciate experts who know how to fix electrical, plumbing and heating systems.  A financial whiz I am not, which makes me grateful for those professionals who help me make wise investments.  Recovering from a broken leg has compelled me to seek help from professionals in orthopedics and physical therapy. 

Unfortunately, it is more acceptable to get professional help in some areas of life than others.  Your buddy might boast about the great tip his investment counselor pitched that resulted in a home run.  But he might not boast so eagerly to coworkers that he and his wife are pursuing marriage counseling.  And what would you do if you wanted spiritual counsel for questions you have about God, heaven, or meaning in life? 

Consider how many areas of life tend to get overlooked yet need some professional help.  One often overlooked area is the spiritual or religious segment.  Most of us would not consider ourselves theologians or “experts,” but we do have some pretty important questions.  The funny thing is that many theologians, scholars, philosophers, and thoughtful people have given attention to almost any question you or I can come up with and have addressed it somehow.

As big and challenging as some of those spiritual questions may seem, taking the first step is the most important.  “To be utterly lost in the woods is unfortunate.  To be absolutely unconcerned about it is unreasonable.  Yet so many people who spend weeks mastering a new video game, months learning a tennis serve, or years perfecting a golf swing will not invest a few days, or even a matter of hours, in the effort to understand better some of the deeper questions about life.” writes Thomas Morris.  If you could ask God one question, what would it be?  Why not start there and see what the “professionals” have to say.  Suffice it to say, we could all use some professional help. 

Each January the president of the United States gives the state of the union address.  This speech describes the current situation in our country and world, and outlines a vision and plan for the future.  With that in mind let’s assess the condition of the human race and call it the state of humanity address. 

On the positive side, we have made significant technological advances which have greatly affected our quality of life with spectacular advances in health care, communications, and transportation, just to mention a few.  Yet with all of our technological advances there remain many nagging questions about how we are really doing as a people.  Why, if we are constantly changing, learning, and evolving, do we still struggle with basic problems like racism, human rights, and war?  Why can’t nations and peoples within nations get along?  There are by some counts 56 wars being raged right now.  In the last century alone more people were killed by their own governments than have been killed in all the previous wars throughout history. 

Let’s also consider the difficulties that advancements in technology have brought.  Medical advances with all their benefits have raised ethical dilemmas that are almost unimaginable.  Living in the nuclear age has enabled us to build weapons of mass destruction and cause people all over the world to live in daily fear of an attack or accident.  We are now able to do things that we don’t know weather we ought to.  Technological advances often bring an equal ability to cause harm. 
If humanity is so good then why do people do so many bad things?  Why do people intentionally murder one another?  Why are there people dying of starvation every day when there is the ability to feed them?  Why do we call it “ethnic cleansing” when whole groups of people are slaughtered?  What kind of person intentionally creates a computer virus?  Shouldn’t we have progressed beyond the point of having to deal with these kinds of problems by now?

On a more personal level, how are we doing individually?  If lying, cheating, and stealing are wrong, then why is there so much of it?  Why do we each fall short of our own moral standards?  Are people basically good and getting better or are we experiencing these kinds of enduring problems because we have a fundamental flaw and are in need of serious help?  One cultural critic put it this way, “We may be smart, but we are not all that good.”  Selfishness, pride, violence, impurity all seem to flow out of a person from deep within. 

The purpose of the annual state of the union address is to identify current realities and look to the future to make changes.  The question is what the true nature of the human condition is and who can help solve our problem?  Here’s to 2007.
 

The beginning of a new year is also a good time to look ahead and yes, even make some resolutions. New years resolutions are often viewed as an exercise in futility. After all, we have all made resolutions and not been able to keep them for the entire year. Even if that is true, it is not a good reason to keep from setting goals and seeking to develop yourself in the months ahead. With that in mind, let me be so bold as to suggest a couple of good resolutions for 2007 regarding ultimate pursuits.

Resolution #1: Ask more questions. The beauty of little children is that they question everything. The reason they learn so quickly is for just the same reason. Don’t assume that you know it all. Start with your spiritual beliefs and convictions. Ask yourself why you believe what you believe? Do you have good reasons to hold those beliefs? This could be a little uncomfortable, but you may find that you have a lot to learn in the process. You will be encouraged if you discover that you have a solid foundation for your beliefs. You will be better off if you realize that your beliefs are not true and get a fresh start in building a stronger foundation. It is amazing how much can be learned by simply asking the right questions.

Resolution #2: Seek answers that are true. Don’t just ask questions for the sake of discussion, ask them for the purpose of getting to the bottom line, the truth; professors expect this, so does the business world, why shouldn’t your goal be the same in the spiritual area? What is true about God? How does that truth relate to my existence? How can I live a meaningful life? Do you think those answers are impossible to find? Don’t jump to that conclusion to quickly, remember resolution #1. Let the evidence lead where it may. The worst that could happen is that you realize that you are alone in the cosmos. The best of possibilities is that you discover that God has been active in history and can be known. Don’t settle for answers that don’t satisfy your mind and heart and that only scratch the surface. Most people would rather simply be comfortable than question their beliefs and expend energy to find the truth. Wouldn’t you rather discover the truth than be comfortably ignorant?

Who knows what this year will hold for you. Why not make it an exciting year of discovery and personal growth? Ask yourself, “how sure am I that my spiritual beliefs are true?” If they are not true you may have a lot to loose. If they are true, they can withstand any form of testing you can apply. January is a great time to get a fresh start in your pursuit of truth.

How many times have you heard that message? Maybe you even use a statement like that for your voice mail message. The next time you get a message like that one, use the opportunity to engage in a philosophical thought exercise. Consider the possible meanings of the phrase “as soon as possible.” Does it mean returning the call at the precise moment the message was received, or simply in the order it was received? Maybe it means: “You might get a call after I come up for air and catch up on all the other urgent issues in my life.” I try to imagine my friends frantically dialing the phone upon hearing my message and getting back to me A.S.A.P.

Of course, the phrase “as soon as possible” is typically used in an existentially relative sort of way. Calls are usually returned based on where the caller ranks on an unspoken priority list. Telemarketers don’t stand a chance. Who ever returns their calls? The boss calling to see if you can work next weekend: Message? What message? Your wife or husband? The local radio station calling to say they picked your name for the $1,000 cash giveaway and you have 20 minutes to call back to claim your prize?

You can learn a lot about a person by what they say on their voice mail message. The no nonsense people say, “You know what to do when you hear the beep.” The co-dependent person says, “Please leave a message and I will do whatever you ask if it will make you like me.” The pessimist says, “You can leave a message if you want, but don’t hold your breath for a call back; it probably isn’t going to happen.”

The point is that calls get returned based upon how interested one is in the message and how strong the relationship is with the caller. So, in the bigger scheme of things, what you do with every voice mail message is a microcosmic picture of how you view life. OK, maybe that is going a bit too far, but it does say something about what you think is important. How quickly would you return any of the following voice mail messages: a call from the CEO who wants to discuss the open VP position? The governor’s assistant with an invitation to a reception for a visiting dignitary? Jesus Christ and something about the meaning of life?

The next time you get a voice mail prompt that says, “… and I will call you back as soon as possible…,” leave a message telling the person to relax, to get back to you whenever is convenient, and to think about the philosophical implications of the message.

Fortunately for me I was just visiting. In my role as chaplain for the Sheriff’s Office I was given a very complete tour through the entire facility. When we approached a locked set of doors, after a few moments, there was the comforting click of a lock being released. Someone high up in the command center acknowledged our presence and granted permission to continue in or out.

“Most of the people that come in here are pretty good people who are having a really bad day” was the observation of a seasoned deputy who had checked enough people in over nearly two decades to know. I would have thought that someone who has booked all kinds of people into the jail might have a more cynical view of humanity. Instead the thin line that separates those who reside there from those who can leave is often just a few bad choices. Someone who drank too much and thought they would be fine getting behind the wheel to go home. Someone else let their anger take control of them and took it out on their spouse. Another crossed over in desperation to feed a habit that was driving their life.

Driving away and looking at the jail from the outside I was struck by a couple of thoughts. First, it would be pretty easy to end up in jail; all of us are just one poor decision away. Second, how do the deputies that work in that environment deal with all of the questions that must arise in their own hearts and minds as a result of the situations they deal with every day? Most of us are confronted by the harsh realities of life occasionally; they deal with them every day.

On another level I wondered, does God see us in a similar light? Does he see men and women who are generally pretty good, but because of some bad choices find themselves imprisoned by their consequences? Is he interested in bringing about real change, rehabilitation, and setting people free? Does he treat us with dignity and respect no matter what we have done? Is God more concerned with setting people free or making sure they pay a penalty? My time in jail today showed me that it is run by compassionate people who have not lost sight of the fact that inmates are human beings and not just criminals. Maybe God is like that also. If Jesus Christ can be trusted it appears that God is more concerned with “setting the captives free”.

“Maybe it would help to consider the importance of this year from the perspective of the end. What change will you regret most if you don’t make it 12 months from now? … Would you be more motivated if you knew that you only had 12 months to live? What role would God play in it if that were the case?”

One of the comments I received asked me to answer the question about what role God would play for myself. Of course I realized immediately that it is easier to ask questions than it is to answer them, but let me try.

If I had a full 12 months to live however I chose and knew that on December 31, 2006, without any pain or disease, my time would be up, what role would God play in my life that year?

First of all I would ask God for his help and direction. I am convinced that he not only exists, but is involved in our lives so I would ask him how I should live and then listen and look for answers and direction. If the Bible is essentially his communication with us then I can have confidence when I read in it that he rewards those who seek him and that he will answer me when I ask.

Second, I would get my focus off of the day to day issues and concentrate on the big picture and eternity. If there is some kind of existence after this life then knowing I would be experiencing it soon would make me want learn more about what it will be like. I would also want to know how my days on earth do or don’t affect that aspect of life. Jesus Christ spoke a lot about eternity and heaven. That would seem to be a good place to start.

Third, I would engage in less small talk and cultivate more significant conversations. I get tired of “Hi, how are you doing?” The shortness of my time and sense of urgency would help me to let my guard down and listen more carefully. Maybe conversations would go something like this, “Hi, how are you?” “Great, I have 245 days to live, how about you?”

Fourth, I would be less hurried and more intentional. I would stop trying to accomplish as much as possible and spend my time on that which is most important (which takes me back to the first thing I mentioned).

What role would God play if I had only 12 months to live? It would be all about God. An ancient Hebrew writer, in a prayer to God summarized the situation pretty well when he wrote, “So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” I think I will give it a try, thanks for asking.

Why is it that some resolutions are kept while others are discarded or simply forgotten even before the glitter of the New Year begins to dim? I suppose that one reason is that it can be more fashionable to make resolutions for change than it is to fulfill them. Certainly it is easier to make a resolution than it is to see it through.

But for those who are quite sincere in wanting to see those goals become a reality, what will make the difference? May I suggest that the resolutions that are kept are done so by those who are desperate? Desperation will drive a person to any measure of action. It is chic to resolve to lose 20 pounds and become a more slender you, but most health club memberships paid for in January are still awaiting activation in February. On the other hand, when a visit to the doctor reveals “off the chart” cholesterol readings along with arteries that are barely passable and the physician prescribes a radical change in diet and exercise, change usually occurs immediately. The difference is the level of desperation. Think about the last significant change you made in your life. What moved you to action? What finally got you off the dime? Why did you finally decide to “just do it”? Was it because your sense of desperation reached a critical level?

Some of the more important questions in life are just as fashionable for people to dabble in. Questions of meaning and purpose, death, eternity and God are interesting to consider when it is convenient and an answer would be nice as long as it doesn’t interfere with some “must see TV”. Then again, when the pink slip arrives or the diagnosis is “6 months or less” the questions take on a new urgency. Do circumstances have to reach that level before we get desperate? I don’t think so. So let me suggest that a great resolution for the New Year is to resolve to be desperate. I know it is hard to work up some desperation. Maybe it would help to consider the importance of this year from the perspective of the end. What change will you regret most if you don’t make it 12 months from now? Is it a relationship; an issue that needs to be dealt with; or a change in priorities that needs to be seen in your daily calendar? Would you be more motivated if you knew that you only had 12 months to live? What role would God play in it if that were the case?

Happy New Year and here is a toast to resolving to be desperate this year!