Friday, June 30, 2023

CP 297 The Flag, The Voice and the Lobbyists

CP 297 The Flag, the Voice and the Lobbyists Greeting friends. Back in 2019 I wrote a personal reflection about the Australian Flag, in particular about how I have come to see it as an excluding / exclusive symbol rather than an including / inclusive one, in regard to all my indigenous brothers and sisters in this ‘Great South Land’. Much of what I wrote then is vibrantly relevant to the current VOICE debate. Most indigenous people have long wanted to be genuinely ‘heard’ – not in a condescending way – but truly listened to and heard. I invite you to read my screed, which is reprinted below. One comment before you do. A frequently and loudly declared fear about the Voice concerns the belief of some that the Voice will bestow a power to the indigenous people to change the Constitution to suit themselves. Not so of course. Only the whole Australian people can do that. What I would point out to you is that a huge number of organisations and groups already have their own personal voices in the Federal Parliament and those voices can be very loud. They are the Consultants and Lobbyists. Much of their power is exercised in secret. There are close to 1000 Lobbyists registered with the Government although most observers think the true figure is triple that. Many of the thousands of ‘Consultants’ have their offices within the politicians’ offices. Again, most are perfectly legitimate but there is also a dark side to the efforts of some. PWC comes to mind. Just as bad is the fact that some politicians have become a Voice for the lobbyists. Think names like Obeid, Macdonald, and a host of others in our news this week. Let’s be gracious. Let the voice of the invisible and marginalised be heard. Yes! ********************* “I am a proud Australian. I am proud to be an Australian. I may have been born in the Netherlands but I have never regretted, even for a moment, the decision of my parents to bring me here over 66 years ago. I loved my Australian childhood. I loved the footy and the cricket, the river and all the other outdoor stuff. I connected with Anzac day even as a child at primary school. I loved the story of Simpson and his donkey, I rejoiced in the cleverness of the strategic withdrawal from Anzac Cove. I always knew there was a cost to the Great War. I still do. On the one hand, Mr Wilson, who lived in the street behind ours, who supplied most of the beer bottles we sold to the bottle-O each year, had lost a leg in that war and self-medicated with alcohol. On the other hand, the enormity of the statistics about Australian soldiers in WW1 still stuns me. Out of a population of just under 5 million, more than 400,000 men and women went to fight in our name. Of these, 60,000 never came home. Around 156,000 were injured. Even as a young person I wondered what was in their hearts and the hearts of those here at home in the years that followed. The history of the 2nd world war brought more pride in my Australia. The Rats of Tobruk stories lifted me. The bravery of the Aussies on the Kokoda Track inspired me. The suffering at Changi and on the Burma railway not only appalled me but somehow became my own. However, my Aussie identity was about much more than war. ‘We’ conquered the bush, ‘we’ developed the wool and wheat industries, ‘we’ took on the Poms and the Windies and, more often than not, ‘we’ won. We all loved Steele Rudd, Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson. Ned Kelly became ‘our’ legendary figure. Australian history became my favourite subject. It still is. We live in the lucky country with wealth for toil, and boundless plains to share. It is gift and joy to live in this vast timeless land. As I grew older that pride blossomed at sporting events, especially when we began to sing the anthem as a crowd. It was not so much an Ocker thing as it was the sense of privilege that I lived in this country. There is a spirit about us Australians which is noticeably and notably different from elsewhere. It’s about the freedom to be who I am, to do what I do, to move when I want to move, and never have to kowtow to any authoritarian types or snobbish elites. It’s about the respect we have for the common man and woman, the integrity, the mutual support, the courage and the compassion. This is not just about sporting prowess. It is a growing reality in all walks of our lives, regardless of how much we grumble about the tall poppy syndrome. We have matured more than we know, and we celebrate Aussies doing well in whatever field we happen to work and play. Inevitably all of my pride and joy in being an Aussie expressed itself in the flag. It became the important visual symbol which captured this spirit of joyful inspiration. I came to own my own flag, to fly it and to display it, especially on Anzac day and Australia Day, and at international events like the Olympics. And then something changed. It began ever so slowly, probably from the time we drove around Oz on long-service leave in 1995 and observed something of the continuing aboriginal communities. There was a shift in the way I came to see Australia. There were no doubt many subtle influences of which I was not aware. However a number of ‘awakenings’ caused a conscious rethink to gather a head of steam. The first happened during 2006 when I took three of my grandchildren to the Museum near Hyde Park in Sydney. We were there for a dinosaur exhibition. We moved on to the museum’s Indigenous exhibition. I was standing next to one of the boys looking at one of those distressing photos taken in the WA Kimberly in the early 1900’s of aboriginal men chained together from neck-collar to neck-collar. I’d seen it before. My grandson hadn’t and his response cut through me: ‘That’s not right!’ The second awakening happened soon afterwards in Hyde Park itself. We lived nearby. One day, walking through the Park I ventured sideways to have a look at the statue erected to honour the memory of Captain James Cook. The inscription reads, ‘Discovered these territories 1770.’ In an instant I finally got a grasp of the evil behind the dismissal and invisibility of the original inhabitants of this great land that has blessed me so. The third ‘game changer’ was stumbling onto the extraordinary research work of a team from the University of Newcastle about documentable frontier mass killings of indigenous people since 1788. Reading this research on numerous atrocities was shocking, humbling, anger-inspiring and depressing, all at same time. Our wealth and abundance in this luckiest of countries is built on the convenient myth of the empty land. (If my memory serves me well, this despicable myth – Terra Nullius – arose from a decree issued by a Victorian Governor during the 1800’s.) There were many more moments, but the fourth awakening, which has turned me into a campaigner who doesn’t know how to campaign, was a headline in the Sydney Morning Herald on January 22, 2018. Here it is: FIRST FLEET ’GOOD’ FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS, TONY ABBOTT SAYS. All comment is superfluous. Four days after reading that unbelievable headline, on Australia Day, I once again flew my Australian Flag at home. The very next day one of my neighbours made a statement by flying the Indigenous Flag in front of his home. Part of his history is indigenous. We then had a companionable conversation during which it irrevocably dawned on me that those who identify with that indigenous flag, who see in it the connection with ‘their’ history, their sense of the sacred, their hopes and dreams, would hardly have reason to think with joy about ‘the colours’ of the Union Jack. Consider what Lieutenant Cook wrote in his journal while the Endeavour was anchored in Botany Bay in late April, 1770. ‘I hoisted the colours and in the Name of His Majesty King George took possession of the whole eastern coast…’ I understand why so many first nations people of this land see January 26 as ‘Invasion Day’, but I believe the disaster which befell them should be dated from Cook’s actions in Botany Bay in April, 1770. And disaster it was. ’We’ subsequently dismissed any sense the indigenous population had of home and homeland, ‘we’ treated their sacred world with contempt, ‘we’ rendered them invisible and therefore dismissable, and thereby ‘we’ took away all cause for hope. And then, as they reeled in their lostness, ‘we’ declared them ‘hopeless’. Here’s a truth about me about which I am utterly remorseful. I was racist in my beliefs. Surely still am in subtle ways I just don’t recognise. Also, I was trained to be so, by teaching and by communal osmosis. I repent. Australia has a crucial remembrance day coming up in just over a year – the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival. We therefore have a wonderfully open window of opportunity to do some serious soul-searching of what it means to be an Australian in a humble, honest, gracious and inclusive way. There has recently been strong agitation to rethink the words of the national anthem. It is just as important, if not more so, to reconsider the flag from the viewpoint of indigenous Australians. The flag must include them too. That’s the reason I asked a friend to commission a personal flag for me to fly outside my home on significant days. It’s the regular flag with the British ensign in the top left corner with the Indigenous flag in the bottom left corner. That recognisable indigenous symbol is located on the bottom corner where it highlights that the people it represents are foundational in our Australian community. It speaks strongly to the inadequacy of what we have now, but I believe it points us to the possibilities of the future.” Fred Veerhuis, Woonona, NSW. March 2019

Wednesday, December 07, 2022

CP 296 Day 8 - A sunset conversation

CP 296 Day 8 – A sunset conversation Gabriel: My God and Lord, all the angels are outraged at what the humans have done today. Your glorious name has been dishonoured and your perfect will has been scorned. All my fellow angels are asking what they can do to bring you comfort? We are ready to serve as you desire. The Lord God: Thank you Gabriel. It has been a sad day. But I declare to you now that this dishonouring of my name will be overturned. What has happened today cannot stand! I will not accept this abomination in my creation. This evil will be undone. Whatever is required to turn back this wickedness, whatever it takes, we will do. Gabriel: Holy Lord, the humans have surrendered the glorious dominion with which you blessed them. Your image in them is now so defiled that it is barely recognizable at all. This could not have happened if you had not given the humans free will and a free choice. The Lord God: Gabriel, it could be no other way. I fashioned the man and woman in my own image to have joyful and free fellowship with me. It was always a risk, but there is no joy in the friendship of puppets. I cannot seek worship and fellowship from souls that are as robots. The humans had to be allowed the possibility of turning away from me. If they are to live in my presence, if they are to be with me, it must be their free choice to worship and honour me. Michael: God and Lord, we cannot understand how the man and the woman, whom you created to bless with your perfect communion, could do this evil thing and treat your holy loving heart with such contempt? Their actions have brought a darkness over the creation. Do you wish us to destroy them? The Lord God: Michael, it is true that this is an evil day. However, it is not my will, nor is it in my heart, to remove them completely from my care. Even though their actions are a rejection of me I want them back. I will forgive them and restore them. Yes, I want them back! Michael: We know that behind this evil thing that has happened against you there is Lucifer, who also challenged your glory and your will. Surely now you will to bring him to account. All those angels you have placed under my charge stand ready to do battle for vengeance on your behalf. We await your orders. The Lord God: Michael, Lucifer will suffer my wrath. We will deal with him at the right time and destroy the basis for all the power he has. It will happen in a way that he cannot expect or plan for. Michael: Do you mean, Lord, that you already have a plan for him? The Lord God: Yes Michael, I do. However, there is much to do before he will experience the fullness of my wrath. I will reduce him to the point of complete powerlessness. His impotence will be his final – and worst - eternal punishment. But first, we will reverse what was done. Sometime later… a more intimate conversation The Son: Father, this situation calls for deep thought. If we are to succeed with our goal to overturn what Adam and Eve have done, surely someone will need to go from here to the earth. The Father: My Son you are right. We made Adam in our image but he has been rebelliously unfaithful to me. He chose to believe the lie of the great liar. The one we send on our behalf must be ever-obedient while he is there. He must be holy, and prove himself by remaining holy in the face of any and all attacks from that murderer and deceiver. The Spirit: Yes Father, I see both the wisdom and necessity in what you say. Perfect faithfulness to you and to your word will be essential for whichever servant undertakes this mission in your name. The Son: Yes, Spirit, you are right. Whoever goes must go as a servant, a servant who breathes with a heart of unrelenting humility and love. Father, Adam was the shining star among all we created. There was nothing humble about his abject surrender to the temptation of selfish ambition and pride. We created him in your image, but it remains true that he was created. The creature grasped upwards to be equal with us. The mission of our servant will be lowly and lonely. Father: Of course. For that very reason the servant we send must be fully human. His call will be to confront the evil one in the same nature as Adam. That means it will not be possible to gift him with the majesty, knowledge and powers that we ourselves have at our disposal. The Spirit: Then his mission will be very difficult. The man Adam was quickly overcome by the guile of the tempter. Our servant will have to be tempted in every way and yet not sin. The Son: Difficult certainly. Our servant will need to guard his heart with great care. But not impossible. It can be done provided our servant listens to you Father and draws all the strength and knowledge he will need from every word you speak. He must rely on you at all times. That will be the only way he can live on Adam’s behalf the life that Adam failed to live. The Father: That is correct. What causes me to tremble is that a perfectly obedient and faithful life, on its own, is not enough. More is required. Much more. The Spirit: Father, I know you are saddened by the events of this day, but I sense a deep reluctance about what will be commanded of the servant. The Father: O my Spirit, we understand each other very well. I have said that it is my will to forgive the humans their mortal sin, and then restore my image in them. For that to happen my servant must not only live a perfect life on behalf of the humans but he must also willingly draw their sin into himself. Not only that. Since the humans are now subject to death the Redeemer must therefore also die a worthy death on their behalf. It will not be enough to confront sin and death. The one I send must embrace sin and death. That will be the only way the power of sin and death, and the power of the evil one, can be destroyed. It is the only possible way Adam and Eve, or any of their offspring, can ever again live with me. The Spirit: Father, I shudder at what you have just said. The one we send will go to live and die as a substitute for the couple and their offspring. He will be called to go without the personal possession of any of our majesty or powers. His acceptance of his task must be free and he will be called to be utterly reliant on us, and faithful and obedient to us. He will undertake a noble work in your name. Yet even now, I sense that you have still another word to speak. The Father: Yes, there is still one more thing. We already know it will be necessary for my servant to give his life in exchange for many. One human could give his life for another human. That is the value of a life. But my servant’s life must cover the value of all human lives. In other words, the one who goes in my name must also share in my divine nature. That is the only way our servant’s life can be the ransom price for Adam and his descendants. [In an instant all movement in the heaven ceases. A holy silent awe permeates the heavens. Within the silence there is intense grief. There is also a swelling hope. It is a time of raw love. The Spirit engages the Father and the Son with comfort and wisdom. The Son receives what the Spirit is giving and beholds the face of the Father. The Father too draws in the grace of the Spirit and looks with unfathomable love on his beloved Son. The silence continues. The whole company of heaven holds its breath…] Finally the Father speaks: ‘Whom shall I send?’ It is the Son who responds: ‘Here am I! Send me.’ ************************************************************************** The mindset of Christ Jesus: ‘Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…’ Philippians 2:6-9 ************************************************************************* ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16 RSV ‘A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD - 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.’ Isaiah 11:1-3 ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ John 1:14 ‘And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’ 2 Corinthians 3:18 Fred Veerhuis

Tuesday, November 08, 2022

CrossPurposes 295 Have you thought like this? Psalm 32:8 The other day a friend sent me the text below as a word of encouragement. A word from The Lord for you today. ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.’ (Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬)‬‬‬‬‬‬ I was pretty amazed because it was the third time I’d had it on my screen in the last two weeks. I felt I should reply immediately. Here’s my response, slightly lengthened since. It’s my own peculiar confession of what I believe and teach. “Hey big fella, I have a question for you. I wonder if you can you see the ‘empty’ Jesus of Philippians 2 'taking on' this verse, as a personal call of the Father on his life? Can you imagine him still a boy, wondering about its meaning as he heard it read in the synagogue? Can you ‘see’ the Spirit bringing this text to mind when he was 12 years old as he discussed the scriptures with the elders in the Temple? Did he hear it as he cut and hammered in the carpenter’s shop? And was it repeated with impact on the eve of his Baptism by John in the Jordan River? And did the Spirit remind him of this text as he returned from his wilderness struggle with the tempter? ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.’ (Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬)‬‬‬‬‬‬ Can you follow him, through his entire ministry, on behalf of Israel and the world… always reachable, always teachable, always listening, always learning? Morning by morning, day by day, ever faithful to obey what he was taught and told. With amazing holy love, completing on Israel's behalf - and ours - what Israel never did do or could do. For surely, in his never-failing trust of this promise, he was fulfilling the first and greatest commandment: • I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods. • Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. • You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only him. In the lived perfection of his trust and obedience, he fulfilled the law, the prophets, and the psalms, even when taught and instructed to go the way of the cross and the tomb! ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.’ (Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬)‬‬‬‬‬‬ The Messiah is my Saviour, my redeemer. His obedience to death brought to an end the covenant of Sinai. The law had achieved its purpose. His sacrificial death ended Satan’s dominion over death. The primary gift of the Cross, the forgiveness of sin, has destroyed Satan’s power to accuse and condemn. Christ’s obedience ushered in the New Covenant of grace and truth. This was all confirmed by his Resurrection! His steadfast obedience means there is a way for all of us where there had been no way! All of that means NOW that we also, embraced in Christ and with heavenly freedom, have the ears, the heart and the power to hear the speaking of the Lord, day by day, through his Word and through the Spirit. And, I declare again, none of it would be possible for us, or available to us, if he had not first lived the truth of it as Messiah. His text is now my text.We can follow hi and live it and trust this pomise, just as he did, but only because he did it first ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.’ May your walk with him be blessed as you go on his way.” Fred

Thursday, October 07, 2021

CP 294 An Imaginary Tale

 

CP 294 An Imaginary Tale

Part One

Imagine that you are a poor itinerant worker and you have managed to find permanent employment on a large estate. Your employer is a stern man, but he is also fair and honest. Since you do not have a house of your own, he undertakes to provide a cottage for you on the estate but it will be made available to you under strict conditions. He instructs his lawyer to draw up a formal agreement which sets out the conditions you both agree to.

On his part, he makes the dwelling available as long as you are working for him. He will pay all insurances, and any Government levies and taxes. He also undertakes to pay for any regular or necessary maintenance on the property.

On your part, the monthly rent must be paid on time without fail. You will be responsible for keeping the cottage clean and in good order at all times. You will also be required to pay for the cost of electricity, water and sewage services. You are permitted to make use of the garden and orchard. No pets are allowed inside the house under any circumstances.

When the lawyer has drawn up the Lease Agreement, he presents it to the owner and both parties sign it in the presence of witnesses. It is now a binding agreement between you.

Fifteen years later…

Imagine now that you have been living on the estate for fifteen years. By and large you have managed to fulfil the terms of your agreement. You have worked hard and always done your best. You have learned so much. In your private time you have kept the cottage neat and tidy and you garden has given you joy. There is no doubt you have been blessed here. You have almost always worked on estate projects with Joshua, the son of the owner. There is a sense of delight when you are in his company. In recent years you and Joshua have celebrated birthdays together, often in your employer’s own home. You know your place but sometimes it seems as though even your employer has forgotten that you are not a member of the family.

One day, you are going about your duties when you see the estate lawyer arriving in his black Mercedes. Ten minutes later the ageless estate manager, whose name is Sophie, comes to you and tells you that you are urgently required at a meeting in the owner’s office. You are nervous, and a fleeting thought flashes through your mind that maybe the owner is intending to terminate your agreement.

When you and Sophie enter the office, the owner and the lawyer are in serious conversation. You notice a number of official-looking documents on the desk. The owner indicates you should sit. The atmosphere is strange, and you feel awkward. Then Joshua also enters the room, with a solemn look on his face, and sits next to you. His father picks up a document from his desk and turns toward you. He is the first to speak, and he says something that you could never have expected and which shocks you to the core.

‘Frederick, in the last few weeks, I have had extensive conversations with Joshua about your future. I have come to a decision which may surprise you.’ He pauses. ‘I want to adopt you as my own son.’

What? You are speechless. You shake your head as if to clean your ears, because you cannot possibly have heard what you thought you had heard. You look back at him and he looks steadily at you and repeats what he said.

‘Frederick, I want to adopt you as my own son.’

Now you are truly confused. How could this possibly be? You turn to Joshua, as if to ask a question, and he says quietly, ‘Freddy, this was my idea. I want a brother. I want you to be my brother.’ His father addresses you again. ‘Frederick, I mean it. I want to formally adopt you. I want you as my second son. Here in my hand are the official deeds which will be registered with the authorities.’

You are overwhelmed, but you hear surprising love and joy in their voices. They know they have shocked you. Never in your wildest dreams could you have imagined such a thing. You feel totally unworthy of what they are proposing. You begin to weep. Joshua taps you gently on the shoulder. ‘Freddy, will you please be my brother? I love you like a brother. I want you to be my brother.’ Now you can hardly speak because you cannot think. You tell them you have heard what they have said but that you need time to think. You rush out of the room. By the time you get to your front gate you are a blubbering mess.

One month later…

Once again you are in the estate office and the owner is behind the desk. It has been a month of conflicting thoughts and emotional turmoil. Your comfortable little world has been turned upside down, and you yourself have been turned inside out. Once again Joshua, Sophie and the estate lawyer are present. Once again there are documents on the office desk. Once again Joshua’s father asks his question. ‘Frederick, will you agree to be my son? Will you allow me to adopt you?’ And without further ado, but with an almost unbelieving humble heart, you say, ‘yes’. You both sign on the dotted line, and your signature is witnessed by Joshua and Sophie. Your brother hugs you, and everybody, including the lawyer, has tears in the eyes. Your father says, ‘Now, my son, there are two more items of business.’ He picks up another document from his desk…

Stop Now! Take time! What do you think will happen next?

*********************************************************************************

An Imaginary Tale – Part Two

What happens next

Father picks up another document from his desk. He speaks. ‘My son, this is the Lease Agreement which we signed fifteen years ago. We won’t be needing this anymore. It’s obsolete.’ He proceeds to rip it into pieces, all of which he throws into the waste bin.

You think to yourself, ‘What on earth or in heaven does that mean? Gosh, maybe I won’t have to pay rent anymore.’ A skip of delight bounces across your heart as a new thought occurs to you. Your new father might even want to give you the cottage. It would be wonderful to have this comfortable retreat as your own home. However, your father’s next words make clear that he has no plans to do that. He says, ‘Frederick, could you please give me back the key to the cottage?’ With a tinge of sadness, you take it from your pocket and give it to him.

The third document

Now your father picks up the third document. You’re looking at him, wondering what is coming next. How many more surprises can there be? He sees the question flash across your face. He says, ‘Don’t worry son, I don’t need your signature on this document. This is my Will and Testament. It has my signature on it, and Joshua and Sophie have witnessed it. Joshua has personally sealed it for me. This document is the declaration that you are now a joint-heir with Joshua of everything I have. My estate is now your estate. My house is now your house. My treasures are now your treasures. My servants are now your servants. Everything you can see around you is the inheritance you share with Joshua. It is there for you to use and enjoy.’

Then he reaches into the right-hand draw of his desk, finds what he is looking for, and hands you the biggest key you have ever seen. He says, ‘Son, take this. It’s your key to our home. It opens the front door.’

You faint.

Two hours later

You are waking from what seems to have been a deep asleep. You know you are at home. You feel wonderfully comfortable and comforted in a way you have never ever known. You open your eyes. ‘Wait! I’m not in my cottage. Where am I?’  You take in your surroundings. You have been asleep in a huge bed in the largest room you have ever seen. It is beautifully decorated in bright and joyful colours. The afternoon sun is streaming through the window. Strangely, you feel you belong here.

You hear the sound of a gentle cough. You turn and your eyes light on your father, sitting quietly by the bed. He smiles. ‘How are you Freddy? We were a bit worried about you.’ He grins. ‘You fainted when I gave you your own house key. Joshua has been sitting with you for the last couple of hours but I told him I want a private word with you myself. I suppose you are a bit overwhelmed. By the way, this is your room. Joshua’s room is next door.’

Now it is your turn to smile. Suddenly, from deep inside, you realise there is an awkward thing you must do, a word you must say, and now is the time. Timidly and sheepishly, you say, ‘D..d..d..dad?’ Then more words come slowly. ‘I… I… can hardly believe… what you have done for me. I don’t deserve this. I’m really overwhelmed. And I feel a bit scared too. I… I… don’t know how to live in a place like this. It’s so big, much bigger than anything I’ve ever known. I feel free, but I don’t know what that means. Dad, why have you done this for me?’

‘Ah,’ says dad, ‘Joshua told me you would ask that. Freddy, I’ve adopted you because I love you. No more, no less. I love you. And if you ask Joshua the same question, he’ll say the same thing. Ever since you turned up he has only wanted the best for you. He has been passionate about having you in the family. He’s been on about it for ages and ages.’

‘Dad, can I ask you a question? What do you want me to do for you? I’m happy to do anything you ask, but is there one thing above all others you want from me?’

‘Freddy, before I answer that question, I want to ask you a question. What is happening in your heart? What is the voice in your heart telling you to do?

‘That’s easy, dad. That voice inside me wants to tell the world what a good, good father you are.’

‘Thank you, Freddy. I hoped you would say that. Now I can answer your question. All I want is for you to love me. That’s what will make me happy. Nothing more, nothing less.’ He pauses. ‘Freddy, do you know how to love me?’ The look on my face tells him I’m not sure. Father continues. Actually Freddy, that’s the reason why I wanted to have this little talk with you. You want to make me happy so I’m singing and full of joy? It’s easy. All you have to do is love Joshua with everything you’ve got. Love him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. That’s it, Freddy. When you respect Joshua, you are respecting me. When you honour Joshua, you honour me. I’m blessed when you bless Joshua. That’s how I will know you love me. It’s simple really. Love Joshua and I am loved!’

For the whole time dad has been speaking, something has been happening within me. It feels like there’s a bubbling spring inside me, looking for a way out. I want to jump and sing and shout.

A knock on the door

Just then there is a gentle tap on the door. Joshua pops his head in. ‘Hey dad, are you finished? I want to talk to Freddy myself.’ Dad winks at you. ‘Yes, Joshua, I’ve said everything I want to say. Come on in. I’ll see you later Freddy.’ Joshua sits himself in the same seat dad used.

‘Oh, Freddy, Freddy, how are you? I can see you are much better. It all a bit much I suppose. Anyway, I’ve been so excited today. My heart is singing. You’re my brother! The whole household is buzzing. Freddy, I’m so happy!’

His enthusiasm is humbling. You take a moment to think. ‘Joshua, what you’ve done… what has happened to me… it’s hard to get my head around it. I’m just amazed. I want to thank you and at the same time I’ll never be able to thank you enough. But I want to ask you something? I know you love me because it was you who got me here. So what do you want me to do?’

‘Oh, Freddy, there’s only one thing I want from you. I’m just like our dad. I know it sounds silly but we love to be loved!’

‘Well, I can understand that. But how will I know how to love you?’

Joshua takes his time to answer you. ‘Freddy, I know you trust me, and I know you believe in me. So how do I know you are loving me? It’s simple, really. I know you are loving me when you love and look after other people the way I’ve loved and looked after you. Actually Freddy, I’ve been watching you and I’ve seen you already doing that. But tell me, when dad was talking to you, did you feel anything happening inside?’

‘Oh, yes. How did you know? It was strange. It was like I was being filled up with happiness or joy. Even right now I can’t wait to get up to dance and sing.’

There’s a twinkle in his eye. ‘That’s dad’s doing. He’s worked out a way of putting his own spirit inside people like you. His heart is so full of love that it tumbles out of him into the people around him. But I guess you didn’t see that side of him too much before today.’

You have one more question for your brother. ‘Joshua, I think you know that I have no idea how to live like you do. I know how to live in the cottage. I got used to that. But Father’s house is just so big… so spacious… it’s challenging. How can I learn to live here? How do I work out how to live like a son?’

Joshua smiles one of his best smiles. ‘Freddy, you ask the best questions. Again, the answer is simple. Stay close to me. Follow me around. Learn from me. Be with me as much as you can. Do what I do. I’ll show you how. And then he drops his voice as if he doesn’t want to be overheard. ‘And if you get stuck, just ask Sophie. I know you don’t see her around much. She has a habit of staying out of sight, but when you need her she’s always there. She’s wise. Sophie always knows what to do. She’s always ready to give you whatever you need. You can ask her.’ He chuckles. ‘You know, in her heart of hearts she’s a teacher. She loves to be asked!’

From downstairs there comes the boom of the great gong near the front door. Joshua says, ‘Goodness gracious me. How time flies. We had better get moving. Your home-coming feast starts in 15 minutes.’                      (Copyright Fred Veerhuis 7/10/2021)

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An Imaginary Tale – Part Three

A poor - yet important - parable

Yes, the parable is inadequate

I assume, if you have read this whole imaginary tale, that you realize that my story is a type of parable of the salvation story of the New Testament. I freely admit that is an inadequate story for two reasons.

First, the picture I have painted of Frederick isn’t at all true. He was never that good. The real Frederick was happy to live in the cottage but among other things he was a thief and a liar. Away from the estate he would often badmouth Joshua and his father as greedy and even unfair. Not only that, but away from the estate, he kept company with some very unpleasant people who despised the owner and his family. The rent for the cottage was often paid late, and sometimes not at all. Frederick was also lazy. He made sure the outside of the cottage and the garden were generally presentable, but often the inside of the cottage resembled a pigsty. The reality is that Frederick deserved nothing, not even some reward for good behavior.

The second reason my story could be assessed as a failure is that there is no indication of the sacrifice the Father and Son have made through Jesus’ life to the cross and into the tomb. The resurrection isn’t mentioned either! Frederick’s acceptance and adoption could not have happened without that action of holy love. But all that said, my story carries some powerful truths.

Still, a very important parable

When I sat down to write the An imaginary Tale I had one aim in mind, and only one. I wanted to launch an assault on one particular Bible teaching which is embedded in the heads and hearts of almost all Christians I know, and it should not be there. This teaching needs to uprooted and evicted, and thrown on the manure heap alongside the Apostle Paul’s dung heap. (Philippians 3:8) The teaching is in us because it was taught into us, and it has a powerful religious hold over us. We believe it, we are enslaved to it, and it contaminates the whole way we see our relationship with our heavenly Father and his glorious Son. It prevents us from living in the fullness of our inheritance as adopted children of our heavenly Father. It is a teaching which erodes hope and steals joy. I must explain.

Think of your computer. It does what it does according to the way it is programmed. It will not respond or process contrary to the way it is programmed. Someone has put the necessary data together in a particular way, and it is that format which pre-sets the way the computer works. In the same way, our Christian upbringing, the traditions we have been exposed to, and all the teaching we have received, has created a control tape which determines how we understand the call to live the heavenly kingdom life.

So what is the teaching which so many Christians hold in the minds of their hearts which is so destructive of their confidence, joy and hope?

The torn-up Lease Agreement

When you read the story/parable, what was your reaction when the Father ripped up the Lease Agreement and threw all of the scraps into the waste basket? Think carefully about this. Frederick was leaving the cottage and being moved into the Father’s own home. Through his adoption he was no longer a servant. He had become a son, with all the privileges of a son. Sons and daughters live in the Father’s house. Was the Father right to destroy the Lease Agreement? Of course he was. It no longer applied. As the Father said to Frederick, adoption had made it obsolete. The Lease Agreement was between the Owner and his servant. It had to be discarded.

If the Lease Agreement was obsolete then so were the conditions attached to it. Within the Father’s house the adopted son was no longer bound in any way by the previous tenancy rules. This is the fundamental issue. Is the son going to live under Cottage rules or his Father’s House rules? In Christian terms, do the sons and daughters of the Father live under the Sinai Covenant commandments or under the new commandments of the New Covenant?

Cottage Rules or Father’s House Rules?

I believe many Christians are convinced that they should still live by the strict Cottage Rules, even in the Father’s House. Many Christians do believe they are called to live by the Ten Commandments even though they are embraced by the New Covenant. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Apostle John, in his Gospel, reveals the Father’s House commands which Jesus taught. There are just two:

First, there is an occasion when the Cottage Rules’ experts ask Jesus, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (John 6:28-29) One chapter earlier, Jesus had told those same Cottage Rules experts that the whole point of his coming was that, ‘all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.’ (John 5:23) More than 75 times in his Gospel, whether he is recording Jesus’ own words, or writing Apostolic truth, John is insistent: In the Father’s House, the first Command is to believe in, trust and honour the Son because that’s the way to love and honour the Father. (Don’t believe Fred. Believe the Scripture writers! For a start, check John 1:12, 3:16, 3:36 and 20:31. Also Colossians 1:3-5 and 1 Thessalonians 1:3)

There is something about human nature which always leans toward living in the cottage. We are infected with the world’s view that acceptance is gained by performance. We are taught a similar thing when our Christian teachers turn the Father’s ‘Yes!’ into ‘Yes, but…’ 

With all my heart I pray that the Spirit of Jesus would open your heart and mind to the new reality that under the New Covenant, there is only one truth which sways the Father. He asks, ‘What are you doing with my Son? How are you responding to my Son? Is your hope anchored on my Son and what he has done for you?’ That which the Father seeks is called faith, and that faith is a gift freely given to us by the Father’s grace. (Once again, don’t believe Fred. Believe the scripture writers. Check Ephesians 2:8-10 and 1 Corinthians 12:3) Your heavenly Father is blessed when your faith is totally in Christ. Amazingly, he freely gives to us the very faith in Christ Jesus that he requires. That is how Jesus the Christ is the only way to the Father, the only truth which is unshakeable, and the only fountain of life which is eternal. 

Secondly, on the night before he died, Jesus issued a second new commandment to his disciples. A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’ (John 13:34) It is worth noting that no more than a minute later, Jesus told the disciples that he was going away to prepare rooms for them in his Father’s House!

Sinai demanded, ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ If you love your neighbour perfectly, the way you love yourself, the blessing will be yours. Jesus commanded, ‘Love one another as I have loved you’. Think of Calvary and the Cross, and the Lamb who died for the sins of all people. The blessing of perfect love comes before any loving on our part. First you are blessed by love. Then you can love from within with his freely given love.

[The root of our problem with the Cottage Rules is that we have been led to believe that Jesus taught that the Sinai Commandments were to be the commandments for his disciples. (Luke 10:25-29, Mark 12:28-33 and Matthew 22:34-40) This is not correct. It is true that in each of the Gospel accounts Jesus acknowledges the commandments of the Law. But he came to fulfil that Law so that we could live under Grace. John in his Gospel could not be clearer: ‘The law was given through Moses: grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’ (John 1:17)]

The two new commandments apply to those who are adopted into the Father’s House. The Ten Commandments of the Sinai Covenant do not apply to those who live in and from the Father’s House. Those who choose to live in the Cottage place themselves under the Sinai Covenant and therefore the Ten Commandments do apply to them. Go back, and re-read the Imaginary Tale. You will see that the two New Commandments, one issued by the Father, and the other issued by the Son, make the Ten Commandments irrelevant in the Father’s House. (But don’t believe me. Believe the scripture writers.)

Look at these truths in a different way. The Ten Commandments issued through Moses are commands of Law. Blessing comes if they are obeyed. The two commands issued through the Father and the Son are commands of Grace. Blessing comes through Jesus Christ’s obedience and death, and within that blessing is the freedom and power to continue believing and trusting in Christ. Without any prior effort or merit on our part, the blessing of the holy love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ is poured into our hearts, and from the richness of that blessing we are able to love freely as Christ first loved us.

John in his first letter, could not say everything I have said in less words:

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.’ (1 John 3:21-23)

                                                                                            (Fred Veerhuis 7/10/2021)