Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday July 15, 2008

I am always looking for fresh ideas, at least ideas that are fresh to me, in my quest to be one of the Lord's agents in bringing about a deeper understanding what it really means to be human and to thus accomplish God's purpose during our life span. That I use the scripture is abundantly evident.

That I find defining statements in the writings of others, statement in line with scripture is also abundantly evident. Such is today's statement from "The Philosophy of Civilization" by the eminent Dr. Albert Schweitzer:

"Humanitarianism consists in never sacrificing a human being to a purpose."

That organizations founded with a humanitarian purpose and others founded primarily to make a profit, are alike in that they grind to hamburger the individual within either group as incidental to the accomplishment of the stated goals, is glaringly obvious. It matters not whether the organization is secular or religious in nature.

The demands of each kind of organization are of such a nature that health is cast aside in the mad rush to show a profit, either for the stock holders or the ego satisfaction of a pastor, or other guru is a sad and bolded black mark against institutions religious. A father or mother can fall into the same trap in the manner in which they push the children toward excellence. Balance is the key word in all human endeavors and the valid occasions when balance is cast to the winds should be far and few between.

Tennyson's poem "The Charge of The Light Brigade" is a sad tale of the idiotic sacrifice of valiant soldiers to the whim and egocentrism of petty Generals. History is replete with such horrendous actions.

In the calling which the Lord extended to me in the long ago, I was vaguely aware of the well intentioned practice of the sacrifice of the family to the imagined greater purpose of the ministry. Leaders who had totally neglected the family were held out as grand examples of truly loving Jesus. One man bragged that he loved Jesus so much he had missed his mother's funeral, the graduation service of his children and had been on the road for Jesus for the last eight months without the company of his wife. Thankfully my pastor at the time, Dr. Tom Wallace, set me straight on the order of a minister's responsibility to God, to his family and then to the calling.

Over the years of my ministry I have enjoyed many hours and events of true joy by being present at the events of my family's life. And, truth be known, if I had to do over again, I would do it even more so!

During the current political campaign the term, "He/she was thrown under the bus" had filled the media. I agree with Schweitzer, we do not sacrifice fellow human beings for a purpose.

Our generation is at the leading edge of the bitter harvest of having sacrificed a mother's nurture in the pursuit of bigger and more, the ever lustrous glittering lifestyle.

Joyce is currently preparing a review of Macel Falwell's book, "Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy" for the September issue of Larry Lilly's Journal. She gets really ticked at me because each time she looks for the book, I am caught reading it. I heard Joyce praying early this morning, asking the Lord to help her to be patient with her brain challenged hubby. She knows how to deeply hurt. In the book, Jeannie, the lone daughter in the Falwell family, tells of one of her birthdays: "Daddy's secretary had made a scheduling mistake and booked Dad for a meeting at the White House. When Dad discovered this, he looked at me and said, 'Jeannie, I have never missed one of your birthdays and I'm not going to start now.'" Jerry called and cancelled the meeting.

I shamefacedly admit that I did not have that level of commitment, but, if I could do it again….

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.

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