Leaving the “Third Person” God…

In language, you can refer to someone in “third person.”  Gary Underwood is now referring to himself in third person.  When you talk “about” someone all the time, without any direct address to that person – you are referring to them in “third person.”

Gary likes football.  Gary is finally writing a blog.  Jennie likes to make healthy salads.  Luke is playing with race cars.  Each sentence there refers to these Underwoods in third person.

When you start talking TO someone, language takes on a whole different level.  It’s direct.  It’s personal.  It’s actual communication between you and that person.

Ask me a direct question, like, “Hey Gary, why are you writing a blog?”  That sentence addresses me, means something to me, and might even warrant a response.  This direct-talk, usually including words like “you” – this is called second person.  Talking to someone in the “second person” is addressing them directly.  Keeping the communication open, personal, current, and interactive.

By now, an appropriate 2nd-person retort would be, “Thanks, Gary, for the refresher course on the painfully obvious!  Does your high school English teacher read your blog?”

Well, I wonder if most people only deal with God on a “third person” level.  If they acknowledge Him, it’s not direct.  They’ll use his name and make statements about who God is, what God does, and how God might be to blame for their circumstances.

Even the well-intentioned believers fall into the “third-person” only talk about God.  It’s a pitfall of well-intentioned theology – we learn ABOUT God, but never interact with God.

This week, I’m studying Mark 3:13-19.  Jesus takes his friends to a mountainside retreat.  Mark tells us that Jesus chooses “those he wanted…” Lists each one of them personally, by name.  Mark further explains that Jesus called them here so that “they could be with him.”

Jesus is saying, “I want 2nd-person relationships.  You and me.  Let’s hang out.  Let’s get to know each other.  Let’s talk.  Listen to me.  I’m always listening to you.  I’m interested in your life – past, present, and future.”

The Bible presents a personal God.  He walks with Adam in the garden in Genesis 1.  He talks directly and intimately to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and countless others.  He sends prophet after prophet – speaking directly to His kids.  Ultimately, God sends His Son, gives him the name “Emmanuel,” which means…

God.  With.  Us.

God who we respect as “Him” – wants to be called “You!”  God in the second-person!

Whether you are new to faith, seeking God, or have “been a Christian all your life…”  It’s time to get back to your 2nd-person connection with God.  Ask Him direct questions.  Tell Him what’s on your mind, heart, schedule, checkbook, physical, family – open your life to Him again.

All those times we talk “about” God, and He’s right there in the room.  All-present!  If God was a mere mortal sitting in the room, we’d think it completely rude and uncool to talk about Him impersonally and never directly communicate.  It’s what David says in Psalm 16:8 – “I have set the Lord always before me” – He’s always here!

Those who merely talk about God like He’s some subject to be studied… (and I’m guilty too!)… we are all missing the point. Even to study the third-person God (in a Bible Study or theology class) without prayer and seeking Him personally is doing God – and your study – a disservice!

When you read a verse or a chapter, remember that God is communicating to you in that moment.  Think about what you’re reading.  Think about the circumstances and the main point or what it means, but don’t forget to ask God to show you what He wants you to see and hear in that very moment!

Jesus didn’t come to teach us how to study, how to be clones of someone else, or how to explain the mysteries of life.

Jesus came to be “with us” in so many ways.  He’s all about a second-person, personal relationship with YOU.

In my own life (In the first-person, now), I am learning to do more talking WITH God than ABOUT God.

What about you?

Making Sense of Halloween…

This Sunday is Halloween.  October 31.

As a kid, all this meant was a chance to get enormous amounts of free candy.  I got to run around the neighborhood with my friends and be silly.  We got to dump out our candy and trade favorites.  We rejoiced with the Snickers and mourned over the Mallow Cups.  Every year, some house gave out apples or unknown bags of stuff that swiftly found their way to the trash.

As a side note, we always liked the houses that gave out “name” candy.  Don’t try to be original and give out Charleston Chew or Bit-O-Honeys.  Nobody wants that.

Every neighborhood has a family (or ten) that goes “all out” for Halloween.  I mean, they really get into the scary aspect of it all.  They try to scare kids.  They play haunting music.  They dress up like witches and spook people.  Their costumes involve blood.  They remind us that this “holiday” has an evil side, a darker history, and a spiritual battle at play.

As a believer in God and Jesus Christ, I always want to be aware of the spiritual realities.

Good and evil – that’s a real battle.

Angels and demons – they really do exist.

The devil?  Yep, he’s real and he’s the true enemy of God and of all mankind.

And here is October 31st, placed spiritually and on the calendar – in the midst of a battle.

Since it’s very beginning, there has been a battle, back-and-forth, about how and why to celebrate this fall holiday.  To some, it was indeed a “holy day” to honor the saints.  To others, it has been about worshiping false gods and casting spells and celebrating evil spirits.

The History Channel posts a solid, thorough article about the history of Halloween.  I’d encourage you to read it – think it through – why and how you “celebrate” this upcoming Halloween.

A few things I can say for sure…

(1) Jesus isn’t scared or threatened by evil, Satan, ghosts, spells, witches, or the like.  When he walked this earth, the demons trembled and cried out to Jesus for mercy.  He cast out demons and offered help to the spiritually-oppressed.  He brought light into a world of darkness, and offered help to people in the midst of spiritual battle.

(2) If Jesus isn’t scared by these things, then neither am I.  Nothing can separate us – believers – from the love of God.  Jesus’ death and resurrection has rendered the evil powers as helpless against Him.  Yes, they try to intimidate, steal, kill, destroy, and “haunt,” but it is all a part of their demise in a battle that they know they are losing.

(3) That being said, do not mess around with the evil side of Halloween.  It’s not “just a game.”  At any level, a concern, curiosity, or pursuit of spiritual darkness is a bad idea.  If you invite demonic ideas into your mind, your house, your family, your neighborhood – at best, that’s a horrible decision.  The Bible says that if you resist the devil, he will flee… but if you invite him over, he has ways of wrecking a life, a child, a marriage, a family, a faith, a career – this is not a game.

(4) Kids need protection, guidance, and encouragement toward the “good”! – My first Halloween costume was as “Superman.”  Rather than hide our kids from the realities here… I suppose my choice is to teach them right from wrong, guide them in the discovery of truth and the love of God, and protect them from others who “aren’t quite there yet.”  In other words, our family is choosing to participate in the “fun and good side” of Halloween, dressing up in a fun costume and getting free candy and seeing our neighbors as they all come out on Sunday night.

Protection – Obviously, we’ll walk around the neighborhood with our kids.  Every year, some teenagers (and younger) wear bloody or violent costumes, and I’m not letting them intimidate my children.  At the same time, I know that the kids in those scary costumes are NOT the enemy, and that they NEED to see families that are safe and not intimidated by their “shenanigans.”

Guidance – Naturally, our kids will ask about witches, ghosts, goblins, evil spells, and (gasp) spiders!  They do that all year, let alone on October 31.  They do that when we read about Satan or demons in the Bible.  Some snake starts talking in Genesis 3, folks!  We dare not shelter our kids from the realities of life… and we dare not miss the opportunities to process, explain, talk with them about the disturbing things we see or hear.  Obviously, all within reason and pray for wisdom as parents, but we’re not just going to let our kids run the neighborhood without our care, direction, presence, and involvement.

Encouragement – Yes.  We’ll encourage our kids to love the good and avoid the bad.  More than this, we’ll require it.  We haven’t had any issues with this yet, but of course one day the peer pressure and all that.  I think it’s great that some parents choose to do “alternatives” to Halloween like fall events at the nursing home, church, or Christian schools.  Especially to be in environments where they are encouraged to seek the good, to be good, to focus on the good… you know.

Rabbit-trail Alert – At the very least, it’s bad form to let your kids devour candy at a record pace.  Bad for their teeth, their stomachs, their metabolism – you name it!  It’s probably a good parenting “technique” to set some boundaries in the area of sugar.  Okay, now back to the majors…

(5) Jesus calls me to love my neighbors.  I know that for sure.  I also know that there’s ONE NIGHT a year when all of my neighbors – and their families – are out in the streets, walking around, and even passing through our driveway.  For me, turning off the porch light and locking the front door, that’s not an option.

I’ve got no interest or responsibility to “judge” my neighbor.  But I do have interest and responsibility to love them.

I want to be like the man who came to save sinners like us.  Who had dinner with the “sinners” in public.  Who was always approachable.  Who didn’t run and hide, even from the demon-possessed.

(6) Do what you want on Halloween – As long as you’ve thought it through (and even prayed it through…), you’re going to do what you want to do.  Just be aware of the issues, the people, the ideas and dangers involved.

But as for me and my house… we will serve the Lord.  Christ has given us victory over sin, death, evil, and fear.  He is the Light of the world!

He also wants us to shine His Light in our world… even on “dark nights” like Halloween!