A Story of Two Graves

In a cemetery located in a Civil War battlefield, you will discover an interesting sight. All of the graves but two in Jones Cemetery face East to West. But there are two graves marked by two white gravestones that face North to South. Why?

During my visit to Parker's Crossing Battlefield last summer, I asked one of the guides in the visitor center if they could explain this discrepancy. Here is their reply . . . 

You don't have to be a history buff to appreciate Reverend John Parker who died in 1864, but makes his point in eternity. Reverend Parker had a cabin located in Parker's Crossroads, in West Tennessee. Reverend Parker was a passionate unionist, fiercely opposing southern secession. However, in late 1862, after Union forces placed a cannon right in his front yard, he demanded that the Union commander remove it, saying that his house would become a target for the Confederates counter strike. The Union commander refused. After the commander's refusal to move the cannon, Dr. Parker switched sides, and supported the confederacy. 

So when he and his wife were buried in Jones cemetery, Reverend Parker's final wish was to be buried with his head facing the south and his feet to the north, so that 'when the angel Gabriel sounds his trumpet', he could rise and kick the Yankees behinds all the way back to the North!

You've got to love a man with a cause . . . 

Why Did Jesus Christ Come To The Earth?

Why did Jesus Christ come to the earth? 

He proclaimed His mission in public on a regular basis, to eliminate any doubt as to why He chose to remove Himself from perfection and take on all the weaknesses of His creation. But He also did this so that His voice was prominent in the noise of the day.  

Jesus was, among other things, concerned with where we get our information. Now this may seem odd, coming from a time before the invention of social media and such. Yet mankind has always found a way to communicate to the masses and that was no less true in the days of Jesus. We read that “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria” (Matt. 4:23–24, emphasis added).

There’s a key distinction here that we can miss. Jesus teaches—he gives instruction or advice on how to live. But he also preaches, or proclaims. Today we associate preaching with churches and telling people what to do. But preaching wasn’t used that way in Jesus’ time. It wasn’t even a religious word. It was a “news” word. Jesus went around announcing that something had happened. And it wasn’t just news; it was good news. That’s what the word gospel means. 

So what is this good news that Jesus himself proclaimed? His gospel message was simple, that the kingdom of God is now, because Jesus has brought it from Heaven to Earth through the incarnation of God to man. The good news is that all men now have access to the kingdom of God, and it is not a far off gift - it is something we can claim now. 

But Jesus didn't just desire us to claim access to the kingdom of God, He desired that we, His people, would extend the kingdom to all the earth. 

"Because He Bends Down To Listen . . . "

This is one of my favorite pictures depicting Jesus Christ. There are so many details that I love about this picture, for instance, Jesus's smile. It frames his face as approachable, friendly, open, transparent, attentive, and loyal. Then you have his closeness, his desire to be with us, to listen to us, to support us, to help us, to comfort us, to teach us, to provide us whatever strength and peace we need at that moment. And I also appreciate the action portrayed in this picture, the feeling of motion, of moving with us, not pulling us back, but accompanying us into the future, Jesus alongside us, together facing whatever challenge that lies ahead. Finally, this picture always reminds me of Psalm 116:2, "Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" (NLT) 

I recognize the difficulty in appreciating this verse but I urge you to read it again, slowly. To let it sink in that God, Creator God, All-Powerful and All-Knowing God, leans down to hear us when we pray to Him is a truth that the enemy and this world desperately work to hide from our minds and hearts. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who was so interested in you that they leaned in, eyes focused, giving you their undivided attention, totally immersed in the moment?

That is what this verse is proclaiming, that Jesus awaits our overture, longing for us to desire the intimacy with Him that He died to achieve. God never rejects a sincere, humble heart that is seeking Him with all their resources. And yes, that is also a truth from scripture. (James 4:8) 

So rest in the assurance that you are loved, that God is so interested in you that He will drop everything at the sound of your voice. That your prayers, your concerns, your joys, and your struggles are all equally welcomed by Jesus Christ. 

I pray that this picture tugs at your heart and draws you closer to God. 

Manager of the Year

He began as a minor-league player. He became a minor-league manager. He worked for Bobby Cox and Fredi Gonzalez as a third-base coach. If you’ve followed the Atlanta Braves, you’ve become familiar with Brian Gerald Snitker, manager of the 2021 World Champion team.

Before this week, the list of managers to take the Atlanta-era Braves to the Fall Classic numbered one. (Bobby Cox) But now this unassuming, baseball lifer just achieved what seemed impossible less than 30 days ago.

Which is the reason for this discussion regarding the announcement of  the 2021 MLB awards this week, awards such as Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, etc. No Atlanta Brave player or manager won or was even in serious consideration for in any of the awards given out this year despite the team winning the World Series. Which begs the question, why did Brian Snitker not warrant more consideration for NL Manager of the Year?