Tag Archives: Bible

by | April 6, 2025 · 9:29 am

What kind of person do you want to be?

Charge to Kawthoolei Hope Theological Seminary graduates (March 30, 2025)

Graduates, congratulations! You’ve successfully completed your degree. And we’re here today to celebrate your great accomplishment. At the same time, as you probably know, graduation ceremonies are also called commencements. And that’s because, we are not only celebrating what you’ve achieved. We’re also marking the beginning of a new chapter in your life.  

After graduation, you are going to move from a time of academic learning to a new period for productive service in the Kingdom of God. With your education, you are now better prepared to move into positions of leadership, service or ministry—whether it is back in Kawthoolei and Burma or here in Thailand or somewhere else in the world. Wherever you go, you can be sure that you have important things to do and valuable contributions to make.

So, with your future in mind, I’m going to ask you three questions to help you go forward into this next chapter: Who are you? Who do you want to become? And how are you going to become that person?

Let’s take each of these three questions one at a time.

  1. Who are you?

All your lives, someone else has told you who you are. Your parents, your friends, the church, your teachers, and even your enemies. You’re a son or daughter. You’re Karen, Karenni, Chin, or some other ethnic group from Burma. All this is true, but who are you at the core of your being? Who are you in God’s eyes?

One of the things I’ve struggled with in my life is guilt and shame. Some of it is my own fault. I feel guilty about things I have done that I shouldn’t have done. Like sinning, disobeying God, hurting other people, and things like that. I also feel guilty about things I should have done but didn’t do. Like reaching out to someone who needed my help, or being more generous or sacrificial with my time and resources. I know nobody is perfect, but sometimes it’s hard to accept that I fall so short of the man, the husband, the father, the friend, the neighbor, that God wants me to be.

Shame is even more painful. According to psychologists, guilt is feeling bad about something I’ve done wrong. Shame is feeling like I am wrong. Whatever is wrong with me is unacceptable, and maybe unforgiveable. And when shame gets too intense, it becomes toxic. It poisons our minds. And the result is either, we just give up trying to be good. Or, we try and try and try to be as good as possible, or to accomplish as much as possible, or to impress other people as much as possible, trying to make ourselves feel better.

The only problem with trying to overcome shame by trying so hard is that it doesn’t work. Other people might be fooled, but we’re not fooled. We think we know the truth about ourselves: We’re bad, and there’s no hope for us. That’s what they call toxic shame.

Thank God, one day I attended a seminar on shame that set me free. The teacher explained that there is only one cure for toxic shame and that is the love and grace of God. I had to believe that God saw everything that was wrong with me, including all my sin, failures, and shortcomings. But he still loved me. Through Jesus, he forgave me. And what he wanted more than anything else was for me to believe him and to love him in return.

In that moment, I suddenly remembered the day my first son was born. I shared this story with some of you during the seminar last week. The nurse put my newborn son into my arms and without thinking I heard myself say to him, “No matter what you do in your life, I will always love you.” Remembering that moment in the middle of the seminar made me think, “If I could feel this much love for my son, how much more could my Creator love me!”

Two years later, my brother-in-law came up to me one day with a very strange question. He asked me, “Tim, who are you?” At first, I was taken aback. How am I supposed to answer a question like that? He knew me very well. I’m a man, a husband, a father, a minister, a teacher, an American. What kind of answer was he looking for? I said a quick silent prayer, because I knew this question was very important to him for some reason, and I wanted God’s help. Then, suddenly the answer came to me. Who am I? I am loved. That’s who I am.

2. My second question, as you enter this new chapter in your life, is who do you want to become?

Some of you already have plans and commitments. Some of you are still uncertain about what you’re going to do after graduation and how God is calling you. But apart from whatever role you’re going to play in your family, church, school, or community, who does God want you to become?

According to the Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 2:10, if you have put your faith in God’s grace, as we have been talking about tonight, you are now “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do.” In other words, the person God wants you to become is the person God is already creating you to be. 

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul said that God’s calling is not to try to impress other people with your religiosity, accomplishments, status, cleverness, skills, or anything else like that. Rather, he said, in effect, none of that matters, because “what counts is a new creation” (Gal. 6:15b). What he meant was that through Christ’s presence in your heart and mind, you now can become more and more like him (Rom 8:29). Through the filling and leading of the Holy Spirit, you can discern all the good work that God intends for you to do. In other words, the person God wants you to become is not more full of yourself. It’s to become more full of Jesus.

It’s that simple. I didn’t easy, I just said simple. God’s vision for you is to become more and more like Jesus Christ in your heart, mind, and behavior—that’s what makes you a new creation. And with Christ at the center of your life, you will draw on your education, intelligence, skills, personality, and opportunities to do all the good works that intends for you to do.   

3. This leads us to our third question: How are you going to become this person—the new Christ-like creation that God has called you to become?

By now, you know that it is not easy to think and act like Jesus. Every one of us has to deal with temptations, human weakness, forces of evil, and so many other limitations and challenges. Sometimes, we feel confused and unsure of how to best serve God’s purposes.

Fortunately, there is an answer. And we find it in Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

In chapter one he calls the Philippian Christians “partners together with him in the Gospel” (1:5). As believers in Jesus Christ, loved by God, and saved from their sins, the Philippians devoted their lives to serving Christ and the Gospel. However, Paul, the founder of their church, had been arrested. He was being persecuted, and now they were facing persecution. They were scared and intimidated by their enemies. They started fighting among themselves.

So, the Apostle Paul writes them a letter both to remind them who they were and who God was calling them to be. And along the way, he explains how they can faithfully live out their calling.

He says many things, but I want to focus on the most important reason that they should have confidence going forward with their faith and calling. In chapter one he simply says, “He who began a good work in you is faithful, he will complete it.” (Phil. 1:6) Then, in the next chapter, he wrote, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to do what pleases Him” (Phil 2:13).

The answer to our third question, how can we hope to become the people God has called us to be is simply this: God is the one who will do it.

Your job is to keep submitting yourself to God and to keep listening for the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. You must cooperate with the Spirit and work as hard as you can to do the good works God puts before you to do. But God is the one who can transform your heart and mind and make you more and more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the one who enables you to become the person God is calling you to be.

Looking back on my life, I can see that I never could have planned all the things that I’ve done or learned or accomplished on my own. I had many more weaknesses and limitations than I realized. And I made many mistakes as well.

But God has been very gracious to me and has led me all along the way. Through all the ups and downs, and despite my many failures and weaknesses, God taught me many things. I was humbled by my failures, but I learned from them. And through so many trials, God kept calling me back to himself and encouraging me to not give up.

And so I’ve learned, for me to fulfill my calling and to become the person God has called me to be, the most important thing is maintaining a close relationship with God. I must keep humbling myself, listening to others, asking for help when I need it, and keeping my eyes on Jesus. I am far from perfect, and sometimes I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next. But I trust God to complete the good work that he began in my life. I trust God to lead and guide me, and to make my life fruitful. And then I keep moving forward as best I can. 

Today, I’ve raised three questions for you to think about as you start the next chapter of your life: Who are you? Who do you want to become? And, how are you going to become the person God is calling you to be? You must answer these questions for yourself, but God’s answers are these:

Who are you? You are a dearly loved child of your Creator God. Your Father in heaven wants you to rest in his love and to know, love, and serve him in return.

Who does he want you to become? God wants you to become more and more like his Son, Jesus, and to use you to shine Christ’s light and love into this broken world through your good deeds and words of comfort, encouragement, and hope.

How are you going to become more like Christ? Only through the work of the Holy Spirit. You must set as your highest priority maintaining a close relationship with God by listening and cooperating with the Spirit in every way possible.

No one can do these things for you. We travel through life in community, but every great leader in the Bible, from Abraham to Moses, David, the prophets, Mary, Elizabeth, Jesus, Paul and all the apostles had their own personal relationship with God. And so my charge to you today is this: Seek God with your whole heart, mind, and strength and put the Lord first in every aspect of your life.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. —2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. Amen.

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by | February 25, 2025 · 11:11 pm

The Light of Day

Why keeping our eyes on Jesus is so helpful

What do you think? Is the sun rising or setting in this photo? Without context, it’s not always so easy to tell the time of day.

Likewise, when darkness casts a thick shadow over our personal lives, or over our country and so many other places around the world, we may feel confused and uncertain about what’s really happening. What does all this turmoil, violence, and destruction mean for us and the people we care about? Is the light we’ve been depending on going to keep shining, get brighter, or God-forbid, go out altogether?

Personally, I’ve been going through all the stages of grief lately (shock, bargaining, anger, depression–but not yet acceptance) over the cataclysmic changes in my own country and all the upheaval and fallout globally. As I’ve written about before, I especially feel a lot of empathy for my students, colleagues, and friends trying to cope with ongoing, unimaginable oppression, abuse, and hardship in their war-torn contexts—especially those trying to survive in Eastern Congo, Myanmar, and along the Thai-Myanmar border, where I am serving now.

But this blog post is not about social and political problems, or even empathy for those who are suffering the most in our lives or around the world. It’s about how you and I can cope with the prevalence of darkness in our lives, especially when the light appears to be dimming in so many places for so many reasons for so many people. At times, I am tempted to despair. And you may be, too.

But I don’t. Despair, that is. And here’s the reason why.

The Apostle John wrote about him in the Bible, when he said:

“In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:4-5, NRSV).

John was speaking, of course, about the incarnation of God in the form of Jesus Christ. He was saying that Son of God came into this world to shine the light of God into our darkness. Despite appearances to the contrary at times, our Creator is good and does care for us. Regardless of how bleak our circumstances or how unloving or hurtful others may be, in Jesus, there is light. There is love. And there is hope.

The key is to know where to look for the light and how to let the light of Jesus shine more brightly in our hearts and minds. You may have your own way of drawing on the light of God, but in my experience, if I want more of God, I have to reach out to him as a matter of intentionality and discipline. I have to pay attention to what’s beautiful, good, and inspiring in creation and in my family and among my friends. I must surround myself with others who can encourage me with their experiences with God, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ who remind me that I’m not alone and that God does answer prayers. And then what probably helps me the most is getting outside myself to do something loving and kind for somebody else. When I help lighten the burdens of others or simply show up to encourage them in their distress, I often feel better. I intend to be a conduit of God’s love to them, but I wind up experiencing God’s love for me in the process. And the light in my life gets brighter for me as well as for them.

These are dark days for many people. Perhaps for you, too. But do not assume that the light in your life is about to go out. Suffering may be an unavoidable part of human experience, and great losses are inevitable for all of us in this life. However, John’s word of hope remains true: “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

May Jesus be the Light of your day today and shine more and more brightly in your heart and mind in the days ahead.

With love always,
Dr. Tim

Photo: Sun rising in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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by | February 13, 2025 · 7:04 pm

Do the Good Thing

“[God] has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, NIV).

These are really tough times for so many people, for so many reasons, in so many places globally. In addition to the violence, oppression, and exploitation destroying lives in Myanmar and Eastern Congo, where I teach and minister, an abrupt U.S. foreign aid freeze is wreaking havoc among humanitarian organizations and producing fear and despair in millions worldwide. As you probably know by now, hospitals, clinics, food and medicine distribution, and many other critical services have already been shut down, and the world’s suffering is rapidly multiplying.

But all this is an old story. And it’s one I don’t want to get lost in. What I mean is the story of humanity’s selfishness, cruelty and neglect of the needy is as old as time. We have no choice about living in the world as it is, but I for one don’t want to let all the evil and suffering crush me or turn me into an angry, bitter, cynical person myself.

Running away, hiding, closing our ears, fuming incessantly, hating, or striking out with rage aren’t the answers. Those responses belong to our fight, flight, and freeze instincts. They’re normal reactions, which are sometimes helpful under certain circumstances (for example when the internally displaced people in Myanmar instinctively run for cover when they hear military jets flying overhead). But long term, thoughtful action rather than instinctive reaction does more good. Instead of being consumed by negativity and powerlessness, biblical writers teach us to stay focused on the good that is within our power to do, and then do it. Every day. As best we can according to the opportunities, abilities, and resources available to us.

The prophet Micah lived in a society where the rich were violent, exploitative, and oppressive (e.g., 2:1-2; 6:10-12). Those in power were manipulating the judicial system to favor themselves and subvert justice (e.g. 3:11; 7:3). And, unsurprisingly, the result was societal breakdown and widespread suffering among the most vulnerable and weak (e.g., 3:1-3; 7:1-6).

Micah’s response to these societal ills was to speak truth to power. He rebuked those who were in a position to do good but instead used their advantage selfishly and harmfully. In no uncertain terms, he called the powerful, the rich, and the unscrupulous religious ministers to repent and renew their commitment to living by godly values. What is the good thing that the LORD requires? Micah asks rhetorically. You should already know, he answers: “To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8).  

Micah was written to call the powerful and privileged to repentance, but his ethics and standards are for everyone—including those of us who might be incensed by the seeming heartlessness and self-serving behavior of others. Everything we do should be measured against God’s standard of justice, mercy, and humbly walking with God. In other words, every time we’re tempted to judge, dismiss, push away, harden our hearts toward someone else, accuse, blame, lash out, or self-righteously justify ourselves at the expense of others, we should ask ourselves, “Am I being fair?” “Is this a situation in which God would want me to be merciful?” “Is my attitude humble and godly?” Or as Jesus would ask, “Am I acting out of love for my neighbor?” (Matt. 22:37-40; Mark 12:29).

Of course, when we try to apply this simple formula today, things can get complicated very fast. We live in a complex world with so many layers of competing needs, dysfunction, corruption, misinformation, partial truths, limited resources, and forces well beyond our control. Yet, we have to try.

Embracing godly values is what keeps us grounded in what is right, good, and true, so that we don’t get sucked into negativity or forget that we are called to put into practice what we preach to others. Walking humbly with our God is what reminds us that none of us is without sin. Every one of us has been the beneficiary of God’s grace and mercy, and God expects us to pass on what we have received freely.

At a time when there is so much human need and suffering, and so much chaos and turmoil within the United States, the world does not need any more self-righteous, judgmental religious people, or worse, those who are inflicting harm on others in God’s name. Nor do we accomplish anything by putting our heads in the sand or running away from the current crisis, or by throwing up our hands in helplessness. No, the enormity of the needs in the world and the magnitude of distress in America demand that each of us do something, something good, for the sake of others. Something that passes the Micah 6:8 test and fulfills Jesus’ command that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

The only truly good people are those who do good, as God defines goodness. So, let’s not be defeated by evil but join ranks with those who overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21).

Photo: Tham Hin Refugee Camp, Thailand. The tattered poster on the board promotes a UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) program, which is just one of many resources for impoverished refugees that has been defunded the United States administration. The hospitals in this and six other refugee camps have also been forced to close their doors due to the freeze.

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by | June 14, 2024 · 7:54 am

To Speak Up or Not?

What Jesus’s example teaches us about integrity and courage

Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, depicted in the Chartres Cathedral

Sometimes what other people think, say, or do is very upsetting to me. But I don’t always know how to handle the situation. Should I say something? Should I ignore them? Do I dare risk their criticism or some other kind of backlash? I want to have the courage to speak up, but I don’t want to say or do something that I will regret later.

When I reflect on some disastrous interactions I’ve had in the past, I realize that some situations are just too fraught to speak openly. When I counsel my students in war-torn Myanmar, I have to remember that they might be imprisoned or killed for saying the wrong thing in public. In the family or at church, I want my voice to be heard, but I sure don’t want to alienate or cause irreparable damage unnecessarily. 

Recently, while searching for how to handle a situation that was disturbing me, I had the opportunity to pray with these discernment questions in the Chartres Cathedral. As I looked around at the stained-glass windows and sculptures of Jesus’ life ministry, I suddenly realized something. Now I know why the well-known guideline, “What would Jesus do?” isn’t always helpful. Jesus didn’t have just one way of responding to people with whom he disagreed or who were saying or doing something he found offensive. The context mattered, as did the person with whom he was interacting.

Sometimes Jesus spoke up, and other times he remained silent. Sometimes he was confrontational and spoke harshly, other times, he was gentle and kind. Sometimes he spoke with words, other times he let his actions speak for him. But no matter how he responded, he made his choices wisely and courageously, always in keeping with God’s values and priorities, whether he spoke up or not.  

  1. Jesus spoke up when moved by compassion. For example, on one Sabbath, Jesus wanted to heal a man with a shriveled hand, but the religious leaders forbade any “work” on the Sabbath. So, Jesus “asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored” (Mark 3:4-5). Sometimes, we have to speak up when those around us (e.g., leaders, friends, family) forget that God values justice and mercy above our human-made rules and regulations (Micah 6:8).
  2. Jesus was clever in his choice of words when it was too dangerous to speak directly. One time, the leaders tried to trap him in his words by asking him if Jews should pay taxes to the Roman government. Jesus saw through their hypocrisy, and cleverly answered by saying “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17). By doing so, he could sidestep the trap being laid for him without compromising his integrity. Sometimes, we have to be smart about what choose to say when others want to harm us.
  3. Jesus spoke up when his followers might have been confused or misled by their religious leaders. Once, while teaching, he said, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Matt. 23:2-3, NIV). Sometimes, we have to speak up when our leaders are betraying godly values by their behavior for the sake of those who are at risk of following their bad example.
  4. Jesus knew how to skillfully defuse volatile situations by speaking the truth while avoiding direct confrontation with dangerous people. In the well-known story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus both circumvents the trap set for him by the religious leaders and protects a vulnerable person at the same time. Jesus said, “‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one…. Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again’” (John 8:6-11). Sometimes, we have to calculate the risks of speaking directly and find creative ways to speak and live by our faith and values.
After his arrest, Jesus evades the questions of the religious leaders,
curtly responds to Pilate, and completely refuses to answer Herod (Luke 23).
  1. Jesus remained silent when he knew there was nothing to be gained by speaking up. After Jesus had been arrested, “the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer” (Mark 14:60-61). Likewise, when he was brought before King Herod, he refused to answer his questions (Luke 23:9). Sometimes, silence is the best response to people who aren’t looking for the truth or who are just looking for an excuse to condemn or hurt you.
  2. Jesus spoke up most loudly by his actions, with or without words. Jesus once said of himself, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). And that’s how he lived, day after day. And that’s why he was willing to sacrifice all for the sake of those who put their faith in him. Sometimes, action, not words, is our most powerful way to “speak up”. How we love others is how we best reflect the light of Jesus Christ in contexts full of darkness and evil.

Discerning how and when to speak up often isn’t easy. In the situation that led me to seek God’s wisdom so earnestly while in France, the answer eventually came. I had to speak up. I am bending over backwards to do so in the most constructive way, but I could not let my fear of judgment or rejection make me hide or pretend that I was fine with what was happening. I still don’t know how it is all going to turn out, but I feel peaceful and confident that I did (and am doing) the right thing by speaking up.

May God give you the wisdom you need to discern where, when, and how you need to speak up in your life, and then courage and strength to do with integrity.

In the Chartres Cathedral, Jesus is seated on the great throne of Judgement in the West rose window, holding out his nail pierced hands. God has appointed him to be our Judge (2 Tim. 4:1), but he judges as one who bled and died to save those who put their faith in him.

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by | March 27, 2024 · 4:11 am

Don’t Forget to Stay Grounded

Karen refugees from Burma, living in Mae Sot, Thailand

When the winds blew and the waves crashed over their little boat on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus’ disciples panicked. Jesus was sleeping. Was he going to do anything to save them? Did he even care? In desperation, they woke him, crying out, “Lord, save us. We’re going to drown!”

But from Jesus’s perspective, there was no reason to worry. No matter how dark the sky or threatening the tempest, he knew that their lives were in God’s hands, and nothing could touch them unless God allowed it. So, he chastised his disciples, saying, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then, he rebuked the wind and the waves, and the sea became calm. And the disciples were amazed. (Matthew 8:23-27)

The disciples were not being criticized for waking Jesus up or for asking for his help. Nor is Jesus saying that you shouldn’t take threats to your health or well-being seriously. Neither is he suggesting that those who trust in God will never be harmed. You know that isn’t true. The Bible and history are full of stories of people suffering unjustly or dying prematurely from diseases or other natural and unnatural causes. Even Jesus himself was eventually crucified. But at that moment, in the midst of a raging storm, he was at peace. He trusted in God’s will for his life, and for his death. 

No, Jesus chastised the disciples because they were letting their circumstances unnerve them. They were giving too much power to their fears, forgetting that following Jesus into the boat calls for trusting God through the storm.

What about you? How are you coping with the many current threats to your well-being? Like Jesus’s disciples, sometimes all you might be able to see is the size of the waves, the strength of the wind, and all the real dangers. Sometimes it may seem like Jesus is sleeping or that God doesn’t care. But it isn’t the case. God does care, and Jesus is not sleeping.  

If you can do something reasonable to diminish the risks facing you or your family, do it. But no matter what is or isn’t within your power to do, keep returning to the Source of your life and eternal hope. God is your anchor, your rock, your strength. You need God’s working in your life not only to answer your prayers, but to enable you to experience peace amid the storm and courage to face the uncertain future. Without a solid connection to God and staying grounded in your faith, the storms may very well unnerve you and throw your life into chaos. The opposite of what you most need at such times.

Over the past two months, I had the privilege of teaching and ministering again along the border between Myanmar and Thailand. One of the things that has made a big impression on me is how much the refugees actively draw upon their faith to cope with their fears and hardships. This is true for those still struggling to survive and cope within Myanmar as it is for those who have fled to the other side of the border. Their lives may have been devastated, their future hope shattered, and family members and friends killed, but they keep going back to God for stability and strength. They frequently worship, pray, read Scripture, listen to sermons, sing, fellowship together, help one another, and participate regularly in many other such spiritual activities. It’s how they structure their lives and stay grounded in their faith. It’s how they find peace, courage, and strength despite their circumstances.

I don’t know what you might be going through today, but I do know that everything looks and feels different when I stay well connected to God and trust in God’s will for my life amid the storms.

The Psalmist put it this way, when he told himself: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress. I will not be shaken” (Psalm 62:5-6, NIV).

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by | January 10, 2024 · 11:57 am

“How to Have A Happier New Year”

Happy New Year! Of course, that’s what everyone always says this time of year, and I sincerely mean well whenever I say it. I also like it when someone says it to me. But the truth is, what I really wish for you is that you would discover greater peace, joy, meaning, and love this year, no matter how happy you may feel on any given day.

In other words, I’m not satisfied with just expressing or receiving wishes for happiness. I want so much more for myself and for you. And there’s so much more that goes into finding happiness than just wishing or making resolutions. If I am going to experience more of the abundant life that Christ talked about, I’m going to need to lean into my relationship with God in a big way. And I’m going to need to make a lot of good decisions about how I think, how well I stick to my daily habits, and how I choose to respond to life’s troubles and to other people who annoy me or cause me pain.

For me, it starts with attitude. I always look forward to the start of a new year, but first, I find it very encouraging to pause long enough to count my blessings from the year just ended. Despite so much grief, frustration, and uncertainty everywhere I look, I thank God for all the good exists amid the pain and struggle. I am particularly grateful for the love of my family, a new granddaughter, many good friends, and wonderful colleagues and co-workers. I treasure the many precious Spirit-filled moments I experienced with family, friends, students, and other people that I care about. 

I can easily find many things to complain about, but I choose to name and celebrate all the love and goodness in my life amid the darkness and suffering. That’s my starting place for preparing for a happy new year.

As you look back on 2023, what do you see when you look at your experiences through the eyes of faith and gratitude? For many of you, the year has been full of tears, frustrations, and painful memories. Can you see the blessings, too? 

As I look ahead, I assume that God will continue to be active in my life in loving for good ways. I also accept that I have a part to play in securing my own happiness. But the key here where I’m going to look. As a Christian, I believe that I will find the greatest satisfaction, meaning, peace, and joy in life by living for Christ and prioritizing love of God and neighbor, as Jesus taught us. 

For me, this means asking the right questions and seeking answers that will qualitatively effect how I think and live. For example, what habits do I need to form or strengthen so that I could know, love, and serve God better from day to day? How do I need to structure my prayers, reading, and giving so that I could better support and strengthen my brothers and sisters in Christ? What disciplines do I need to put into place so that I will “not be overcome by evil” so easily, but will be better able to “overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21)? What changes do I need to make in my calendar, my attitudes, and my interactions, so that I will keep growing as a person, husband, father, grandfather, boss, co-worker, mentor, and friend? Above all, what spiritual practices will help me to keep my eyes on Jesus and to keep listening for the “still, small voice” of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of my life, every day?

What are your hopes, intentions, and prayers for 2024? What is your part in pursuing and securing your own happiness?

No matter what may happen (or not happen), may God work in your life in ways that you can perceive and appreciate. May you get clear about your role in seeking and securing your own happiness. May you see that what you most want and need is God, and that your inner peace and joy depend upon your relationship with Jesus Christ and on staying firmly in the sacred love flow—God’s love to you and for you, and God’s love flowing through you to others.Though we often cannot understand the ways of God, we have the promise in Scripture that God does indeed work all things together “for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes” (Romans 8:28). Though sometimes we cannot see any good coming from our suffering or the evil deeds of others, this promise reminds us that we’re not alone amidst our struggles and suffering. For me, the thought that God is present and active in my life for good motivates me to order my life, thoughts, and priorities in the best possible ways. And to stay positive and keep going.

May you find the peace, joy, meaning, and strength you are looking for in 2024 by loving God and devoting yourself to serving his good and loving purposes. This is Christ’s pathway to the life you were called to. And this is what I mean when I wish you Happy New Year.

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by | December 23, 2023 · 5:51 am

“What’s worth celebrating this Christmas?”

The angel announcing Good News to the shepherds (Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France)

“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah (Christ), the Lord.”

Luke 2:8-11 (NRSV)

Every year at Christmas time, these beloved verses from the Bible are read in some 37 million churches and in countless Christian homes all over the world. They concisely express why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus year after year and why he is the focal point of their faith. In fact, the Greek verb, euangelizomai, which is translated, “bring good news” in verse 10 is a cognate of the Greek noun, euangelion, which is usually translated “Gospel” (literally, “good news”). In other words, the good news of the Christian Gospel, which has been preached and throughout the world over the past 2000 years, has its roots in the angel’s “good news of great joy for all the people,” the birth of Jesus.

Yet, as I sit in the comfort of my relatively safe and secure home in Minnesota, surrounded by all the privilege and material abundance of the American context, I can’t help but wonder how these verses sound to the millions of people in my own country and elsewhere around the world who must suffer daily from hunger, deprivation, or violence. I’m thinking about those who are abandoned, neglected, alienated, or simply alone without loved ones and friends at Christmas time. I’m imagining what it must be like for the 100 million internally displaced people and refugees who live in war-torn countries such as Ukraine, Myanmar (Burma), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and other such places, some of whom have been or are my students. Amid such terrifying, unstable, or oppressive conditions, is there any “good news of great joy” for them? Is this Gospel message really for “all people” or only for those fortunate enough to live in peace, abundance, and security?

To answer these important questions, we have to get back to what the angel meant by “good news of great joy” and to what we can learn by observing the response of the shepherds to this good news.

In context, according to the Jewish writers of the New Testament, Jesus’s birth was the supreme moment in history when God fulfilled his promise to send a Savior to a troubled world. However, he didn’t arrive as a king, a political mastermind, a great warrior, or super-hero. Jesus identified with the most disadvantaged and beleaguered people in the world by living in poverty and suffering unjustly. Jesus was “God-with-us” (Immanuel), who experienced the same pain of discrimination, oppression, and mistreatment that afflict so many around the world.

Amid such difficult circumstance, Jesus lived with integrity, courage, faith, and compassion despite how he was mistreated and the obstacles he had to overcome. Even though he was forced to die a hideous and cruel death, he did not shrink back from his faith or devotion to God the Father. Evil-doers could and did take his life, but they couldn’t touch his soul. They could nail him to a cross, but they couldn’t keep him from changing the course of history and giving hope to billions of people globally.

In other words, Jesus’s birth was good news of great joy for all people because of what it signified about God’s faithfulness and what it announced about God’s intentions to provide a way of salvation through Jesus, despite our circumstances. 

  • By God’s incarnation in the form of Jesus Christ, God became one of us, identified with the suffering of humanity, and showed us the way forward.
  • By Jesus’s teaching, we understand that the most important thing in life is to seek to know, love, and serve God with all our beings and to love our neighbors as ourselves. 
  • By Jesus’s death, he demonstrated the extent of God’s love for us and invited us to share in his life and love through faith and obedience.
  • By Jesus’s resurrection, God proved that there is life after death and thus hope for all those who follow Jesus.

The overall message of Jesus’ life, teaching, death, and resurrection is clear: We need not be crushed by distressing circumstances and suffering. Even the most tragic life can be so much more than the sum of the injustice, misfortune, and suffering that we may have to endure. We can choose how we are going to be in the world and how we are going to respond to our troubles. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we can face our adversity with greater strength and courage. And when we reach our limits, and even stumble and fall, Jesus is there to show us the way to get back on our feet again. And when we cannot even get back on our feet again, Jesus does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He saves us. 

I don’t know how much of all this the lowly shepherds would have understood when the angel announced good news of great joy that first night in the fields. But they didn’t need to understand it all at once. They simply needed to believe that God did in fact have good news for them of great joy. And they needed to start looking for Jesus. 

This Christmas, I cannot guarantee for myself or anyone else that the day will be merry or that the year ahead will be better than the year just finishing. However, because of the birth of Jesus, we have a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Despite our circumstances, there is always good news of great joy worth celebrating. 

Sculpture of worshipping shepherds (Chartres Cathedral)

*Photo credit for two images: ©Jill K.H. Geoffrion https://jillgeoffrion.com/

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by | May 18, 2021 · 10:38 am

Light in the Darkness

I’m in the process of creating a series of short videos to support and encourage the Burmese people and all those who need and want God’s help in the midst of their suffering. Each video focuses on one spiritual truth, based on the teaching of the Bible, my faith journey as a Christian, and decades of experience as a minister and professor of New Testament and Christian Spirituality. Though the immediate context for this video series is the attempted military coup in Myanmar, the spiritual truths discussed are applicable for all those who are facing overwhelmingly difficult times and who are looking to Christ for guidance, strength, and courage to face their darkness. (This video includes Burmese subtitles.)

Today, I want to talk with you about where we can find some light in the midst of this present darkness. And I wish I could tell you when this nightmare is going to be over, but I can’t. Instead, I want to share with you something that I’ve learned, which helps me in difficult times.

There’s a well-known story in the Bible that explains how our Creator reached out to us to shine light into our darkness. When I reread that story this week, I realized again that this is not just a story for history, this teaching expresses a spiritual reality that is relevant today, especially in times of great evil.

You know the story. It’s about Jesus and the life that comes to all those who put their faith in him. The Apostle John put it this way. He said: “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:4-5, NRSV). That’s the critical point. The darkness, did not, does not, and will not overcome the light of God.

You see, when all we can see around us is darkness, we need to remember God has not abandoned us in our suffering; and through Jesus, we have a continual source of light, strength, and courage to face whatever it is we have to face, because he helps us to know that there is something more than the darkness. Through the Holy Spirit of Jesus, we have a deep source of love that we can draw on, love from God for ourselves and also love that that we can draw on to spread his light and love to other people.

Now, it’s true, evil-doers are going to do whatever they can to try to swallow us up in their darkness. But they will not succeed. Oppressors can suppress and try to control us; but, they cannot force us to believe a lie. Darkness cannot overcome the light. Once we have seen the light of God, we will never accept the darkness as truth. Once we have seen the light of Jesus, nothing can extinguish the hope that he brings, not now and not for eternity.

Jesus himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He didn’t say that there wouldn’t be darkness. There’s a lot of darkness all around us. Rather, he’s saying that in the midst of the darkness, through himself, through Jesus, we will always have light to guide us and to comfort us.

Think about how helpful it is to have a flashlight, or, some kind of light on your phone or from a candle, to shine into the darkness when we have to be outside at night, or when all the lights are off inside the house. The darker it is, the more valuable and precious is the light. If everything is light around us, we don’t need a flashlight. But that’s not our situation now, and that’s certainly not the situation in Myanmar. Right now the night is very, very dark these days, we need Christ’s light more than ever.

Friends, I don’t know how much darker things will get in Myanmar or how long until we see light at the end of the tunnel. But I do know this: There’s light that comes from our Creator God that is available to you right now, and this light can shine faith, hope, and love into your hearts. There’s life that comes through Jesus, which can give you strength and courage, peace and even joy, such as when you are with the people you love. Or when I sometimes experience the most joy is when I stop focusing on my problems and take time to share God’s love with others by caring for them in their distress and need.

This is our Creator’s plan for how we may encourage one another. This is how Christ shines his light in the darkness. So, look to Jesus as the Light of the world; and keep bringing his light and love to one another, and see what a difference that will make.

Until the next time, I’ll be praying for you every day.

ကိုယ့်ကိုယ်ကို ဂရုစိုက်ပါ

May God bless you.

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by | June 15, 2020 · 3:08 pm

What would Jesus say?

In light of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, this series of posts explores how Jesus’s teaching and example call us to reach out across racial lines to respond compassionately to unjust suffering in society. 

Memorial for George Floyd, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Since George Floyd’s murder by a white policeman in Minneapolis and the ensuing protests and riots, I have felt overwhelmed with emotions and questions. I have been reading articles and editorials every day. I have been listening to blacks and whites talking, preaching, warning, advising, and arguing about racism and injustice in America. I have been watching troubling documentaries and historically-based movies on the history of race relations, law enforcement, and the justice system in recent years.

It’s not just what’s being said or portrayed that’s making me feel so upset. It’s the underlying reality of widespread disparities between whites and blacks, and a whole set of troubling societal issues, stemming from years of slavery followed by 135 years of (at times) improving, yet often pitiable, treatment of African-Americans in my country. Intelligent people are fiercely debating causes and responsibility, as they should be. But, at this point, I’m more concerned with what is actually going to produce meaningful change?

So much is needed to reduce racism and create a more just society; but here, for a moment, let’s step back from the intense emotion of these issues–not to diminish our passion to thoroughly understand what is going on, what has led to this point, and to eliminate racial discrimination. Our passion for these goals should increase, not decrease. However, at the same time, as followers of Christ, we also need to create enough space to let the Holy Spirit bring some needed, fresh perspective to us from the Bible.

What would Jesus say about all this?

The parable of the sheep and the goats

A scene of Christ in Majesty at the Last Judgment in a fresco in the Orthodox Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, Essex.

In Matthew 25, Jesus references the great Judgment Day, when the Son of Man (a reference to himself, God’s messiah, who will ultimately rule the world) will separate the “sheep” from the “goats.” The sheep, on his right hand, will inherit the Kingdom of God. The goats, on his left, will be cursed and sentenced to eternity in Hell, along with the devil and his angels.

If you’re not accustomed to this kind of preaching, Jesus was employing a popular way in his day to get people’s attention. The rhetoric was stark, frightening, and powerful, based on a core theological conviction found in all Western religious traditions: those who do what is right in God’s eyes will be rewarded. Those who do not will face eternal punishment.

And what will be the basis for judgment?

To the sheep, the King will say:

‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Matt. 25:34-36, NRSV

When the perplexed righteous ask when they had ever done these things for him, Jesus will explain:

‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:40, NRSV

See God in Jesus

By talking in this way, Jesus is telling us something very important about God and about what God expects from us, his creation. He’s saying, God cares deeply about human suffering, and those who want to please God will, too. Or, else.

Christians know from the full teaching of the Bible that we cannot save ourselves, by our own good deeds, but only by faith in Jesus Christ. However, especially in the context of Matthew’s Gospel, we also know that true believers are called to live righteously, which means, above all, to show love to others in concrete ways. And not just toward our families and people we like or who love us. Jesus taught that we’re to love everyone, even our enemies.

Jesus, himself, showed us what this kind of non-discriminatory love looks like. For example, he identified with the poor and marginalized in ways that contradicted the dominant views of his day. By associating with the “least” (not least in God’s eyes, but those who hold the lowest status in society), and by welcoming and treating everyone (except the hypocritical authorities) with respect and kindness, Jesus provides a basis for dignity and self-respect for even the most discouraged, downtrodden person.

Then, he was killed. Jesus was crucified, because he dared to stand up for those who could not stand up for themselves, and to fulfill the will of God that he die for the sins of the world. By God’s mysterious design, Jesus’s ignominious death wound up simultaneously judging humankind’s self-serving, unjust ways and showing us the breathtaking extent of God’s love.

In Jesus, we see who God is and what god-likeness (godliness) looks like in a social context. God is just, in condemning discrimination, exploitation, and neglect of the needy; and God is loving, kind, and merciful, in welcoming and caring for those who cry out to him for forgiveness and help in their time of need.

See Jesus in “others”

Holmesburg Prison, Philadelphia, PA

I met Kevin T. at Holmesburg maximum security prison in Philadelphia, which was officially closed in 1995, after decades of abusive and exploitative treatment of prisoners. I was only 23 years old, serving as a part time prison chaplain, while studying at Princeton Theological Seminary. Looking back, I realize I really didn’t know what I was doing. But I cared. I wanted to do something. I was willing to learn and to try.

Kevin was also a young man, but his future outlook was far different than mine. He was serving a life sentence, for murder. I had never met a murderer before. I didn’t know what to expect. What was both comforting and disturbing was that Kevin seemed rather normal. As I got to know him I could see his humanity. I could feel our brotherhood, in spite of his crimes.

One day, I drove my old Catalina across town to search for his parents. I knocked on the door of an old, two story building, in a dilapidated part of town. It suddenly dawned on me that I was the only white person on the block, and probably in the whole neighborhood. Peering down at a scrap of paper with an address scrawled on it, I silently prayed that I was in the right place.

When the door opened, I introduced myself and was taken to a big open room in the back. I’ll never forget the shock and the deep, deep sadness that I saw in the eyes of Kevin’s father. He was hunched over a table, surrounded by maybe a dozen family members. They weren’t expecting me. They weren’t expecting anyone like me, ever.

In that first awkward moment, I didn’t really know what I was doing there. I just wanted to show that I cared and wanted to help their son, if I could. Fortunately, they quickly welcomed me and invited me to sit and talk. It turned out, they didn’t want anything more from me. My visit was enough.

Spiritual Application

The parable of the sheep and goats challenges us to think carefully about who we think God is, where we find him, and what God expects of followers of Jesus in a world full of suffering and need, racial discrimination and injustice.  

In the parable, Jesus doesn’t focus on who’s to blame for social problems. He doesn’t analyze why some people are poor, some are in prison, others are hungry, etc., as if we should first decide if someone is worthy of our help before caring or taking action. No, Jesus teaches us to first respond to “others” with compassion, mercy, and kindness, as if we were caring for Jesus himself.

Kevin deserved to be in prison. It was a just sentence. But when I visited him, and when I visited his grief-stricken parents, I experienced God’s loving presence through the encounters. I felt it. They felt it. And the racial barriers began melting away.

I learned, what I have experienced hundreds of times since, that when we get over our fears and prejudices to reach out to those who are different from us, from a place of genuine love and respect, beautiful things often happen. When we give of ourselves to someone in Jesus’s name, we often find that Jesus is already there.

Next week: It’s time.

For those wishing to read the full parable.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. … Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31-46, NRSV

Copyright © 2020 Timothy C. Geoffrion, Wayzata, Minnesota. All rights reserved to the author, but readers may freely download, print, forward, or distribute to others, providing that this copyright notice is included.

Photo Credits:

  • George Flyod Memorial, Lucas Jackson – Reuters
  • The Last Judgement, from the Orthodox Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, Essex.
  • Arms stretched to each other, austin-kehmeier via unsplash

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