Month: March 2022

“And here come the L.A. Rams!”

The soon to be crowned 2022 Super Bowl champions paraded out of their locker room as a previously recorded video introduced the starting offensive, defensive, and special teams. After each player introduced themself, they named the college they attended. Whether it was the television network or the NFL, the decision was made to communicate this information to the millions of people viewing the annual contest. It made sense since this was a moment they all worked for their entire lives. Other identifying information like hometown or age was secondary. Most people would only be interested to know their athletic pedigree, which coaches helped to train and mold them. 

When the Apostle Paul introduced himself to the readers of his letters, he could have presented his credentials as an esteemed member of the Pharisees, one of the ruling classes in Jewish society of that day. He could have stated that he was trained by Gamaliel, a leading Rabbi and well respected by all. Like knowing the college the professional football players attended, these would have all been important background information for any reader to know. Instead, Paul chose to introduce himself as slave and an apostle.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 

Romans 1:1 (NLT)

When Paul introduced himself, all he was interested in communicating to his readers was his relationship to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He could not have chosen a more humble or demeaning title. There were over sixty million slaves throughout the Roman empire and slaves were considered property, not a person. By further identifying himself as an apostle, he was defining his identity to be entirely subjugated to the authority and commission of Jesus Christ, whom he had personally seen. Only an apostle could claim this title. 

Paul wanted everyone to know that he was a slave to Jesus Christ and commissioned by God to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. Professional athletes may identify themselves by the coaches and schools that trained them. Paul identified himself by the God who saved him.

Praise God!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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My wife and I were meeting with the neurosurgeon who just completed a ten hour operation on our daughter. “Good news, we got the entire tumor removed with minimal bleeding.”

My wife and I hugged the surgeon. “Thank you so much! We are so relieved!

“You’re welcome! The post-op MRI looked good, no residual tumor. We did have to sacrifice the right olfactory nerve because the tumor was wrapped around it but don’t worry, she will probably only have a very slight deficit in smelling and tasting.”

I nodded and blurted, “Oh well, she won’t be a sommelier!”

Our surgeon flashed a bemused smile. “Oh, she likes wine?”

I laughed. “No, I do!”

“I do as well! Don’t worry, she can still be a sommelier!”

We all laughed and hugged each other again. It was a sorely needed moment of levity. It was the first time my wife and I laughed during this very tense week for our family. Five months earlier, we learned that our daughter had a rare brain tumor. It would require three complicated courses of treatment over six months. Once the tumor had been reduced in size, the neurosurgeon would then surgically remove any residual tumor. The first course of treatment was uneventful. Two months later, she underwent the second round of treatment. Hours after the treatment, the tumor began to bleed. Assessing the situation, the neurosurgeon recommended that he operate immediately. We agreed and what followed was a surgery that took far longer than was initially planned since the timeline had been significantly moved forward. During these tense hours, my wife and I prayed, joined by family, friends, and church members. God in His grace and mercy, guided the surgeon and his team to a successful outcome. One week later, our daughter was home and healthy. We celebrated with my wife’s sister who graciously flew in from Vancouver, Canada, to assist us. 

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 

James 5:13 (NLT)

When his wife, Joy, underwent cancer treatments, the great Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, wrote to a friend, “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

In spite of the roller coaster ride of emotions that our family experienced that week, we all trusted God to do the best for us, but we did wonder how painful His best may be. In His sovereign will, God is holding each of us-tenderly, so that we may cry; firmly, so that we do not despair. 

Amen.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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“Son, when I started my dental practice, there were already three other dentists in this town. People told me I was crazy to open an office but my mother reassured me. She told me to treat my patients like my own family. ‘Take care of your patients and they will take care of you.’ I never forgot that and opened my office. It was difficult but eventually we started to get busy. My patients are my family. It will be the same for you. Whatever kind of doctor you end up being, treat your patients like your own family members. If you do that, you will be successful.”

I was in medical school when my father gave me that advice. Everyday his words still reverberate through my mind as I diagnose my cases, consult with other physicians, or speak to my patients. There is a much broader application of my father’s sage words. Whenever I encounter a successful business, there is always a familial aura. Social media reviews of popular restaurants will often gush with the phrase, “They treat me like family!” It is the sense of community with the same shared values and expectations that bring and bind people together.

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. 

Acts 4:32-35 (NLT)

The Bible gives us a beautiful example of what it means to treat others like family. In the nascent Church, there was no formal organization, no guidebooks, and no treasury. They were solely focused upon sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit united them in heart and mind and they pooled their financial resources to support and nurture their new family in Christ. 

This was a special time in the history of the Church and there are important lessons for us today. Whether it is with our financial resources or the utilization of our skills and talents, all Christian believers should be willing to freely give to support those in need within the Body of Jesus Christ.

Treating others like family. My father echoed the same Truth that the Holy Spirit impressed upon the Christian Church. We are family because God has adopted us His sons and daughters through faith and belief in Jesus Christ.

Amen!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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“Let’s grab lunch!”

When I was a resident, I attended a national pathology conference held in a major American city. In attendance were several of my co-residents and I made plans to have lunch with one of them. During our meal, our conversation soon turned to her childhood. She grew up in this city where the conference was being held. Historically, it was known for its racial tension. I had previously visited her city and noted the divide before and now. As we discussed the issues that plagued the city, she provided a different perspective. She was an African-American and attended a school that was predominately African-American. She surprised me by describing the racism that existed within her school. She described one episode when she was in elementary school.

“We had a production of ‘Snow White’. The lead and best roles always went to the light skinned black girls. I wanted the role but I was told I was too dark.”

“Wow! So you had to deal with racism from outside and within your own community?”

She nodded and sighed as I shook my head. Sadly, this type of racism occurs within many races and cultures. As a Japanese-American, I was chagrined to learn from my eight grade Japanese language teacher that some native Japanese held a similar disparaging view of Okinawan-Japanese.

We are barraged by social media and the popular press screaming for inclusiveness and demonizing various racial and cultural groups for their past transgressions and alleged continued grievances. Yet, shouldn’t we hear an equally loud chorus when these same racist and exclusive attitudes are directed inward upon one’s own people?

We should embrace diversity and do everything to break down the barriers that hinder or disenfranchise any group by the color of their skin, socioeconomic status, or cultural upbringing. What happens when the barriers are erected within one’s own people? It dramatically illustrates our problem is deeper than our skin color, it is a problem of the heart. 

And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” 

Mark 7:20-23 (NLT)

We cannot change society only with social programs, laws, and awareness campaigns.  It is not the external changes alone, the most powerful change needs to come from within us. Jesus Christ taught this when He spoke to His followers. Our lives need to embrace the life transforming change that only God can enact. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we need to be salt and light to a dying world. The late evangelist Ravi Zacharias eloquently wrote, “A Christian in society is like salt to water-society can never absorb one without being changed itself. “

Amen.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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