Murder In God's House

The name Thomas Becket may not be familiar to you but he is part of a fascinating and gruesome story that culminated in his death in the Canterbury Cathedral.

The year is 1155 and Thomas Becket was on the fast track to riches and power. Henry II, King of England, had just promoted him to the role of Chancellor and he had become one of the King's trusted advisers. In 1162, Theobald, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury died. Henry saw this as his chance to promote one of his own men to this powerful position and so he selected his Chancellor, Thomas Becket.

I think it is important to this story to realize that Thomas Becket was not born into royalty, he was the son of a merchant. His talents and work ethic had enabled him to the reach the position of Chancellor to the King and all the power, riches, and fame that this position included. This is a man who owed his king all that he had. His loyalty was expected after his rapid rise to power.

Dead Man's Hand

Who didn't love playing Cowboys and Indians when they were young? My brother and I would spend hours with our friends, hiding behind trees and rocks or finding the perfect hiding place, (which would then prove to be so boring that you had to announce your presence to someone!) but the goal remained the same - kill before being killed.

It's funny to try to describe to children of this generation how we used to take sticks, divide into teams, pick a side (Cowboys or Indians) and then proceed to hunt each other down by shooting the other person with our wooden branch.

Let me stop here and emphasize the honesty aspect in this game for those who have had no real experience playing this game. No one wanted to play with someone who never admitted they had been shot. The ethics of the game relied on the sportsmanship of all who were playing. It was a very precise way of determining the character of the neighborhood kids who were participating. And this proved to be an handy metric for our future relationships . . .

On Seeing

Of that which I can see, I long to see no more.

Of that which I cannot see, I crave to see more clearly.

Of that which I can only imagine, I pray that it becomes my reality soon.

Ephesians 3:20

God Showing Off

In the book of Romans there is a powerful statement about God's glory, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

This verse is preceded by a warning about the wrath of God against people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. "Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them." (Romans 1:19) This theme of God revealing Himself through creation is echoed in Psalm 8, "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established, what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them." (Psalm 8:3-4)

It is vital for us to realize that God's creation is not identical with God. God reveals Himself through the physical world where He communicates things about Himself that humans would not otherwise be able to discover.