MY SPEECH – MAY IT PRAISE YOU

"My speech – may it praise you without flaw:
may my heart love you, King of Heaven and of earth."
This prayer from 12th Century Ireland shows that in any epoch, watching the tongue is crucial.

James’ letter says much the same thing, but from the negative perspective: “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).

The next time you find yourself on the verge of letting go with some restless evil full of deadly poison, no matter how much you think old so-and-so deserves it, I’d like for you to try something if you would.

Look at whomever you’d like to give a piece of your mind, and see them through the eyes of compassion. If you do, if you truly do, I think you’ll find your anger melts away with the compassion of Christ. You can probably still get your point across, but by taking a path of compassion that heals and doesn’t hurt.

We’re going to explore “compassion” more in the near future, but for now try seeing others through compassion’s eyes. It’s a noble plan.


"A noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands"

THANK YOU STEPHEN LAWHEAD

I grew up in the age of astronauts landing on the moon and first-run episodes of Star Trek. And while my enthusiasm for space and that final frontier has never abated, my heart is continuously stirred by the age-old stories of knights and daring-dos: of staring down the gullet of a fire-breathing dragon with only your wits and a sword. Of noble women and men putting everything on the line out of loyalty to a righteous ideal.

Even as I write this, the very thought of such noble deeds make my heart beat a little faster.

Few authors have fully captured the nuances, depth, and “reality” of nobility as Stephen R. Lawhead. His books kindled a fire in me many years ago and frankly, he cannot write fast enough to curb my appetite.

Stephen Lawhead is a best-selling author, largely in the fantasy genre. He also has an uncanny ability to slide biblical principles in under the radar so his works are equally popular in both the Christian and secular marketplaces. He weaves fiction together with history and culture, stitched together with elegantly believable characters, to create a artfully crafted and colorful tapestry.

Yes, if you cannot tell, I like his work. But Stephen Lawhead has accomplished far more than to merely entertain me. As I read, and re-read his texts, he was planting a hunger in me, a yearning for nobility in my daily life. I didn’t know it at the time. I had no idea he was covertly conspiring with the Holy Spirit to mold me.

But he did.

Here’s a sample:

I have seen a land shining with goodness where each man protects his brother’s dignity as readily as his own, where war and want have ceased and all races live under the same law of love and honor.

I have seen a land bright with truth, where a man’s word is his pledge and falsehood is banished, where children sleep safe in their mother’s arms and never know fear or pain.

I have seen a land where kings extend their hands in justice rather than reach for the sword; where mercy, kindness, and compassion flow like deep water over the land, and men revere virtue, revere truth, revere beauty, above comfort, pleasure, or selfish gain. A land where peace reigns in the hearts of men; where faith blazes like a beacon from every hill and love like a fire from every hearth; where the True God is worshiped and his ways acclaimed by all.*

I still feel a tug in my soul when I read that.

Thank you, Stephen Lawhead. You, along with J. R.. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and others have added such richness to my life, my family—and most of all—to my faith.


"A noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands"

*Arthur: the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead, ©1989, Crossway Books, p.136

ALL THAT IS GOLD

From Noble Plans: Chapter Two

The very notion of everyday people owning anything gold would have been inconceivable not too long ago. In a season where home ownership is an American ideal, we forget that in mother-Europe, landowners were few and serfs or peasants who worked the land were esteemed the disposable and renewable resource. Property, gold, silver, rubies, and diamonds, the very symbols of royalty have, like so many other things in our modern culture, lost much of their intrinsic value by virtue of becoming commonplace—so commonplace that TV networks run round-the-clock sales.

Regretfully, commonness has also overcome holiness. It has been diluted to the point that it bears little semblance to what it once did . . . .

. . . There is a constant call on God’s people for holiness. That does not mean worship only or service only, though those are crucial and worthy aspects of the life of the faithful. It means exactly what it meant in the age of the Bible: the consecration and separation of a Holy Bride for a Holy Bridegroom, the King of all the earth. Our modern distance from regal devices and sovereign rule do not give us leave to do as they did in the days before God established His temple in Jerusalem. “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). Proverbs tells us, “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts (Prov 21:2, italics mine).

How would you be, if he, that is the top of judgment,
should but judge you as you are?
O, think on that;
and mercy then will breathe within your lips,
like man new made.
–William Shakespeare


"A noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands"

[Photo: St. Edward's Crown]

NOBLE PLANS – THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

Behold, a king will reign righteously, And princes will rule justly.

And each will be like a refuge from the wind, And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.

Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen.

And the mind of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

No longer will the fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness, To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty.

As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes To destroy the afflicted with slander, Even though the needy one speaks what is right.

But the noble man devises noble plans; And by noble plans he stands.

(Isaiah 32:1-8, NASB)

CHIVALRY - IS IT DEAD?

Chivalry – a definition:
“Chivalry was the knight's code of behavior. The code of chivalry grew with the songs of the minstrels in the 1000's and 1100's. Their poems show that a true knight had faith and a deep love of the Christian religion. He defended the church and was ready to die for it. He loved the land of his birth, and gave generously to all. His strength served to protect women and the feeble. A knight championed right against injustice and evil, and never surrendered or flinched in the face of the enemy.”*

Certainly this is how we choose to remember chivalry. It is the ideal, the much-romanticized principles that fill our bookshelves and imaginations. It represents the best, our hopes, and the glory we all wish for ourselves, for our politicians, and our world.


Chivalry - the historical truth:
“In real life, a knight did not always resemble the ideal knight of the minstrels. His code of honor and loyalty was sometimes applied only to members of his own class, and he often acted brutally toward people of low birth. The violent life of the Middle Ages made it difficult to prevent violations of the code. Even dedicated knights were also soldiers interested in conquest and plunder. A knight who was proved guilty of cowardice or other serious misconduct was disgraced by having his sword and his spurs broken. However, ‘serious misconduct’ usually meant violations against other knights and their families.”*

So what is the application to life today, a millennium removed from those “songs of the minstrels?”

The ideal of chivalry is infused throughout our culture—it’s inescapable. But it did not evolve in a vacuum. Its foundation is grounded in a biblical faith. And like the ideal of chivalry, the biblical expression entails a deep love of and faith in God (Matt 22:37) and a giving spirit (1 Tim 6:18). We are commanded to care for the widow and orphan (Jas 1:27), to champion justice (Deut 16:20), and to resist evil (Jas 4:7).

Do you meet the measure of chivalry’s ideal? Or are you more like the real-life knight of history?—a thug merely masquerading as a believer? If the latter, then you need a noble plan by which you can stand. If the former, then stand by your plan safe in the knowledge that you are perusing a regal life.

*WorldBook 2004, Contributor: Joel T. Rosenthal, Ph.D., Professor of History, State University of New York, Stony Brook.


"A noble man devises noble plans and by noble plans he stands"

IN THE "IMAGE OF GOD"

From the Introduction of
Noble Plans: Living as Heir to the King

Christians talk about being the “King’s kids” and title vacation Bible school programs by the same name. Believers wonder what it will be like reigning and ruling with the King of kings when the Messiah comes to His throne. Catholics and Protestants alike call our heavenly Father “King,” acknowledging at least in principle if not in practice, His boundless sovereignty. Yet why do so many miss the mark when it comes to living life in accord with our spiritual and scriptural
royal lineage?

I believe that there is within each and every person, both inside and out the community of the redeemed, a deep and residing passion for personal nobility; a nobleness mirrored in the One in whose image we were created. Every person on earth, as the Scriptures tell us, is created in the “image” of God—the Lord of the universe—and as such, we have implanted within our core the image of nobility, a resemblance of the Sovereign Creator. If the Almighty God, Supreme Ruler of the universe and King of all the earth is the image reflected in us, then by default, we have within our souls the potential for a most royal bearing.

"The noble man devises noble plans and by noble plans he stand"

Protect & Defend Movie Week

This week on the Disney XD channel is called the "Protect & Defend Movie Week," with film greats such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Eragon (2006), and The Incredibles (2004).

I enjoy all three films. They're filled with overcoming great odds, believing in something greater than yourself, and the most popular theme of all time – good versus evil. I don't think I'm alone in my appreciation. Millions upon millions of men, women, and children went to the cinema and bought DVD or digital copies.

Films are an important part of our pop culture, but they reveal a lot more. Each of these movies, for instance, is about simple folk reaching beyond themselves to discover a fantastically noble person inside. Each of these movies demonstrates moments of choosing to do the right thing despite the potential, personal loss. And each give the viewer an all around "good feeling" inside.

A couple of years ago, in a conversation with singer, songwriter, and author Michael Card, he told me that his mentor, Dr. William Lane believed that every Hollywood film has a messianic theme. Since that time with Michael, I've thought long and hard about that as I watch movies to conclude that he is right. Despite our cultural rejection of Christ and the Bible, there remains an avid hunger for a redeemer . . . and it shows in our blockbuster films.

Next time you go to the movies, as you munch on that popcorn and take in the silver screen, keep an eye open for that messianic character up there who saves the day, or makes the ultimate sacrifice. And when someone asks you what you thought of the movie, you'll have a new way to share your faith. Now that's a noble plan!

"The noble man devises noble plans and by noble plans he stand"