It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

Have you ever noticed how awkward and painful goodbyes can be? I moved last week, so I said a lot of goodbyes to a lot of people. Some of those people were close to me; some were mere acquaintances—but none of the goodbyes were easy. Leaving people, especially if you know you're never going to see them again, is such an odd experience.

God made people to be social, to live in communities; so we spend a lot of our time getting to know others and building relationships. We're always asking questions about people, getting to know them better, investing in them—from people as close to us as our family members to those as distant to us as the person we've just met sitting next to us on an airplane.

Then you have to say goodbye, and all that investment is down the tubes.

You've developed a friendship, and it's hard when that friendship ends. We've all felt it. There's the agony of losing someone to death whom you've known your entire life; and there's the slight twinge of regret at not being able to see a co-worker again. No matter how big or small the relationship, there's always pain at the end of it.

I had a buddy in college who was thinking about this as he was saying goodbye to everyone he knew right before graduation. He said that he thought this pain he was feeling every time he said goodbye was a sign that God never intended it to be this way. God originally wanted people to be in community for all time, a never-ending group of friendships that continued on for eternity.

Unfortunately Adam ruined that for everyone, and he caused the first and most painful relationship separation in history—the separation between God and us. That is the disconnected relationship that all these separated relationships point back to. When you feel that ache of pain the next time you say a goodbye, you're feeling an echo of what must have been the most excruciating relationship break in the history of the world.

The beauty in it is that no goodbye is permanent among Christians. God didn't let the relationship break that Adam caused keep us separated from Him forever. He sacrificed His Son so that we could regain that lost relationship with Him and enjoy it for all eternity. Not only that, but we can enjoy the relationships we've already started to develop with our fellow Christians here on earth.

Real Dads of Genius

I have an awesome dad. He's a man who likes a good chair and a good book. He's a man who loves his sports, especially when the Gators are playing. He's a leader in the church and a respected businessman in the community. God has gifted him with a great deal of wisdom and authenticity, two things that I absolutely love about him. Ever since I can remember, I have always looked up to him and wanted to be like him.

But one of the cool things about God is that he created every dad a little different. There are things all the good ones have in common (faithful, responsible, etc.), but each father out there is his own man and has his own style of fatherhood.

I want to salute all the different types of Christian dads out there in honor of Father's Day this Sunday. In the style of the "Real Men of Genius" commercials, here are New Man's "Real Dads of Genius":

1. We salute you, Mr. Wild at Heart Outdoorsman

The thought of a vacation without a campfire is like a salad without the dressing to you. You would rather rough it through a hurricane with only a compass and a knife than bear the thought of staying in a hotel. Only you could find a way to turn a walk through the park into a spiritual lesson. You see the glory of God through His creation, and you are going to joyfully share that view with your family, even if it kills them. A mountain hike here, a fishing trip there: you won't stop until every square foot of God's green earth has been explored. So here's to you, O navigator of the woods; we hope this Father's Day takes you outside, the place where you truly feel close to God.

2. We salute you, Mr. Armchair Theologian

You've read nearly every book on Christianity that has been written, and you can quote them, too. It doesn't matter if you have to get up at 5:30 in the morning, you're going to get your two chapters in today. Only you can find new spiritual revelations in the Bible by learning the ancient Greek word for "foot." You feel close to God when you learn new things about Him, and you gladly dispense that knowledge and wisdom to your family. When someone has a question, you have an answer, even if it takes you 20 minutes to explain it. So here's to you, O inhabiter of the recliner; we hope this Father's Day finds you with the smell of fresh book-binding and a good lamp.

3. We salute you, Mr. Amateur Sports Coach

You've coached every team your kids have been part of, even if you've never heard of the sport. No experience with lacrosse? No problem. That's the one with the webbed sticks, right? Only you could find a way to teach kids a lesson after receiving a 40-point blowout in basketball. Your passion for sports is rivaled only by your passion for your children, and you are going to share these moments with them, regardless of how embarrassed they get. Everyone can see that your heart is in the right place, even if your players aren't. So here's to you, O stalker of the sidelines, we hope this Father's Day finds you teaching your kids that it's not about wins and losses; it's about how you play the game.

Blessing to all of you dads out there as you juggle your job, marriage, children and other responsibilities. I really hope you have a great day this Sunday. You deserve it.

The Big Vacation in the Sky

So I'm moving in a week and a half. This means that for the foreseeable future my life will be consumed by boxes. I will be hunting for boxes, taping up boxes, packing boxes, stacking boxes, asking random passersby on the street if they know where more boxes are, and finally moving all those boxes onto a massive boxy vehicle that no one in his right mind should let me drive.

Why all the boxes you ask? Because my wife and I are pack rats. This means we have objects that we will willingly pack up and move, and the only time we will see those objects again is the next time we pack up and move. (What? You expect us to throw out a perfectly good wire even though we have no idea what it plugs into? We might need that!) While this makes the moving experience more time-consuming, it also makes it a lot more fun because we rediscover those things we have kept even with a remote sense of sentimental value.

Looking back over yearbooks, old ticket stubs and forgotten picture frames made me realize how many people I've known whom I will never see again. It's a sad thought, unless the person was a Christian. If he or she was, it should be a joyful thought because I know I am are going to see this person in heaven.

Heaven is one of those subjects that I feel gets totally underplayed by Christians in America (and I myself am completely guilty). We are so busy and so focused on what's going on right now that we are missing out on the fact that we have a guaranteed paradise awaiting us at the end.

Think about how much you look forward to a good vacation. You plan it, make preparations, think about it when you get bored at work, and talk about it excitedly with the people you are going with. Now imagine that you are going on the best possible vacation that exists, that it will literally never end, and that every Christian you've ever known is going to be there partying with you. That's heaven. It's like a honeymoon and a retirement and an awesome family reunion all wrapped up in one.

We should be celebrating this every day. We should be so joyful that we have this to look forward to. We should be planning for it and making preparations. Compared to it, everything else in life pales. All our cars, houses and toys look completely lame because we can't bring them with us.

Here's what C.S. Lewis says on the subject in "The Weight of Glory," his classic essay: "Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Try to remember the big vacation in the sky awaiting you at the end as you walk through this week. Don't forget about how awesome it's going to be. If we can learn to live in light of it, we will make different decisions. We will spend our money differently. We will look at struggles differently. We will talk to people differently because we will want to look for every opportunity to invite them on our vacation. And we will certainly live life more joyfully.

Now, if I could only find some more boxes ...

Obama's Speech Fails to Focus on Middle Eastern Christians

President Obama gave what many media outlets are calling a "historic" speech in Cairo earlier today. Designed to make a fresh start with the estranged Islamic population in the Middle East, Obama played to his rhetorical strength, crafting an articulate and balanced speech that tackled a number of big international issues. He straddled the line between conciliation and force with carefully chosen words, and initial reaction from moderate Muslims was positive. The president waxed eloquent on Israelis and Palestinians, Iraqis and Afghanis, Iranians and Hamas.

But the one issue he didn't hit hard was the issue most pressing to many Christians in the area: human rights, particularly religious freedom. One of the most underreported stories regarding the Middle East is the recent growth of Christianity. Although they are still an extreme minority, the number of believers in the Muslim world is going up, despite stringent laws preventing conversion. In Iran alone, official estimates are that 300,000 Christians live in the country, but missionaries say the true number is significantly higher. It's a testimony to the power of God and the dedication of local missionaries that the gospel is growing in one of the countries most dedicated to its eradication.

It's wonderful that Obama is looking to rebuild America's image in this part of the world, and a higher view of our country can certainly have a positive impact on Christian efforts in the region. But the lack of attention to human rights was striking. The speech took place in Cairo, a country that has consistently been called out by international human rights organizations for its treatment of Christians and women. Many of these countries, such as Saudi Arabia, openly outlaw and intimidate Christians, yet where were the calls for peace and justice?

In a recent article from Charisma, Paul Estabrooks, minister-at-large for international Christian rights organization Open Doors, said: "America is perceived, especially in the Muslim world, as representative of Christianity. I think, frankly, they expect him to speak out about the rights of religious minorities in their countries. Even though I agree he would need to do it very diplomatically and carefully because he isn't in a position to tell them how to run their country, certainly he can speak out on behalf of the Christian community, for our brothers and sisters in those lands."

Sadly, Obama missed this opportunity. Though some good may come out of his speech, ultimately, if it doesn't help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, it will be a wasted effort.