The Pleasures of Sin

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time" (Hebrews 11:24-25, NIV).

What were the "pleasures of sin" that Moses refused to enjoy "for a short time"?

Hebrews 11:26 gives us a clue, in contrasting "the treasures of Egypt" with "disgrace for the sake of Christ". However, the pleasures of sin could not have been simply the wealth of Egypt. After all, in the previous verses, Joseph is highlighted for his faith even though he had the wealth of Egypt at his disposal as well. Joseph was never condemned for enjoying the treasures of Egypt.

So there must have been more to the pleasures of sin than merely access to wealth.

The difference must have been in how Egyptian society had changed in the centuries between Joseph's service in the royal court and Moses' adoption into the royal family. Joseph appears to have served a relatively decent Pharaoh, a man who treated his subjects fairly well. However, Moses lived under an oppressive Pharaoh, a man who would murder innocent children in order to secure his position in the world and oppress a religious and racial minority in order to benefit from their slave labor.

Several centuries later, the elites of Israelite society would imitate the attitudes of their ancestors' masters. The prophet Amos would say, "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and you who feel secure on Mount Samaria...You put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror. You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end" (Amos 6:1, 3-7, NIV).

In his commentary on the minor prophets, Dr. Harold Shank writes concerning this passage:

"Being in the seat of political power made them forget who had real power...Historians report a greater gap between the rich and the poor in North Israel than in nearby Judah at the time. Taxation, greed, and political graft all combined to create hardships for the poor. At the same time, Israel's religious faith mixed the worship of the LORD with the Baals (see Hosea's treatment of this issue) that created a sensual religion bent on pleasure and prosperity. For Amos, the chief result of political security was social insensitivity, where the luxury of the upper class created terror for the underclass... (T)he terror would include the father coming home from the lost court case, announcing that they could no longer live where they were (5:10-11); or the children watching the wealthy trample their father to the ground (2:7); or a family watching as their mother was abused by one of the wealthy women who had too much to drink (4:1)...Whatever creative energies the Israelites had, they were not channeled into care for the poor among their countrymen or regard for the future of the state, but were poured out with luxurious abandon in music to sweeten their revelry...Amos describes the details of oppression (2:7: 3:9; 4:1; 5:12), the result of seeking evil not good (5:14-15), where power and luxury lure people into thinking only of themselves, disregarding the hurting within the shadows of their own homes and having no regard to how their consumption affects their own future" (College Press NIV Commentary: Minor Prophets Volume 1, Hosea-Micah, pages 260-263).

Moses rejected such a perspective on life. He refused to be self-absorbed. He refused to remain silent and passive while people were suffering under the oppression of his government. He rejected the pleasures of sin that flowed from the mistreatment of innocent people. He decided to abandon the wealth and power of his position in order to suffer alongside the people of God.

Moses refused the pleasures of sin, and acted upon his faith in the God of justice. In doing so, he became a hero to generations of God's people who would follow him.

Casting Crowns - Courageous

The Mystery of Frederick Jermaine Carter's Death

A few months ago, I posted a short piece about Christianity's influence on the civil rights movement. Tonight, Valerie Hicks Powe of the Citizen-Advocates Foundation for Justice left a comment on that post asking me to help her organization to publicize the case of Frederick Jermaine Carter in the hope that additional publicity will help to solve the case of his death.

In December of last year, Mr. Carter's body was found hanging from a tree in Mississippi. Originally, law enforcement officials ruled it a suicide without a thorough investigation. However, the coroner has determined that insufficient evidence exists to declare Mr. Carter's death to be a suicide.

Mr. Carter's mother wants answers. She does not believe that her son would have committed suicide; and she rightfully wants an investigation. Wouldn't you if you were Frederick Jermaine Carter's parent?

The Citizen-Advocates Foundation for Justice has more information about the case and who can be contacted to help in resolving the case at www.andjusticeforus.org.

"But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24).

People Who Inspire Me: William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Early in his political career, he experienced "the great change" in his life due to a friend who shared the message of Jesus Christ with him as they vacationed together over the summer. He placed his faith in Christ and made a genuine commitment to follow him as Lord.

At first, he seriously considered leaving his position as a member of Parliament. Prior to following Jesus, Wilberforce had not done anything of true significance as a politician. He had been concerned merely with his own position in society, his own fame, wealth, and power. However, a former slave ship captain changed his way of thinking on the subject. John Newton, the author of the song Amazing Grace, urged him to live out his Christian convictions while serving the nation as a politician. Newton encouraged Wilberforce with these words: "It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation." As an evangelical Christian committed to doing good for his nation in political circles, William Wilberforce became best known for leading the effort to abolish the trans-Atlantic slave trade and eventually slavery in the British empire.

Why does William Wilberforce inspire me?

1. He had a strong commitment to sound doctrine. This led to faithfully living out the implications of those doctrines. He pursued mercy and justice because he saw the God of mercy and justice through the pages of the Bible. His understanding of sin, grace, and Christ led him to oppose sin, extend grace, and honor Christ in every aspect of his life.

2. He was evangelistic. In his personal relationships, he sought every opportunity to share his faith. In the Parliament, he worked with many unbelievers. Some opposed him in every way. Others were his friends and allies. In both cases, he tried to persuade them of their need for Jesus. He even wrote A Practical View of Christianity, a popular book in which he shared his faith with the population at large.

3. He had a strong commitment to doing good. In addition to fighting the slave trade, he was heavily involved in the British Foreign Bible Society, the Church Missionary Society, and the Society for the Manufacturing Poor. He worked to alleviate harsh child labor conditions and to improve prison conditions. He was a founder of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He did not limit himself to seeking good in one area. He sought every opportunity available to him to improve his world and to honor his Savior.

4. He persevered. Wilberforce endured years of poor health and problems with his children. He faced entrenched political forces that opposed everything he supported. He was slandered in public and humiliated in many ways. But he never gave up. He continued to seek the best for his family, his friends, and his society.

William Wilberforce was a man worthy of honor, because he was a man who consistently honored the name of God.

Fighting Domestic Violence

Sometimes Christians personally need to protect victims of domestic violence. My wife and I have offered to house a young woman and her daughter who have experienced domestic violence in the recent past. We are waiting for her response to our offer.

At other times, Christians can help to protect victims of domestic violence by supporting shelters for battered women and children like Tulsa's Dayspring Villa. This video explains some of Dayspring Villa's mission. More information can be found at www.dayspringvilla.com.

"(L)earn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause" (Isaiah 1:17).

Christianity's Influence on the Civil Rights Movement

I've been reading Timothy Keller's
The Reason for God. In Chapter 4, Mr. Keller makes several interesting points about Christianity's self-correcting apparatus, it's ability to correct itself by pointing Christians to biblically orthodox doctrine. In a section on how biblical ethics have challenged and changed societies, the author writes about the impact of Christian abolitionists during the 18th and 19th centuries, the South African Commission for Truth and Reconciliation in the 1990s, the resistance to Communism in Poland during the 1980s, Oscar Romero's outspoken opposition to the government of El Salvador's corruption in the 1970s and 1980s, and the German Confessing Church's opposition to Hitler's reign of terror and injustice in the 1930s and 1940s.

I found this excerpt about the American Civil Rights Movement to be the most fascinating:

"Another classic case of this is the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. In an important history of the movement, David L. Chappell demonstrates that it was not a political but primarily a religious and spiritual movement. White Northern liberals who were the allies of the African-American civil rights leaders were not proponents of civil disobedience or of a direct attack on segregation. Because of their secular belief in the goodness of human nature, they thought that education and enlightenment would bring about inevitable social and racial progress. Chappell argues that black leaders were much more rooted in the Biblical understanding of the sinfulness of the human heart and in the denunciations of injustice that they read in the Hebrew prophets. Chappell also shows how it was the vibrant faith of rank-and-file African-Americans that empowered them to insist on justice despite the violent opposition to their demands. Thus Chappell says there is no way to understand what happened until you see the Civil Rights movement as a religious revival.

"When Martin Luther King, Jr., confronted racism in the white church in the South, he did not call on Southern churches to become more secular. Read his sermons and 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' and see how he argued. He invoked God's moral law and the Scripture. He called white Christians to be more true to their own beliefs and to realize what the Bible really teaches. He did not say 'Truth is relative and everyone is free to determine what is right or wrong for them.' If everything is relative, there would have been no incentive for white people in the South to give up their power. Rather, Dr. King invoked the prophet Amos, who said, 'Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream' (Amos 5:24). The greatest champion of justice in our era knew the antidote to racism was not less Christianity, but a deeper and truer Christianity" (pages 66-67).

The Day Rosa Parks Changed the Nation

Fifty-five years ago today, Rosa Parks resisted injustice and sparked a movement that changed the United States of America. Justin Taylor recounts her story in the link below.

55 Years Ago Today: Rosa Parks Refuses to Move and Sparks a Movement

What About People Who Have Never Heard?

My friend on my job asked another good question today: What happens to people who have never heard the gospel?

It's an uncomfortable question on many levels. On the surface, it calls into question the justice of God. On another level, it calls into question the commitment of Christians to fulfill the Great Commission and to love their neighbors.

Some churchgoing people have adopted universalism in response to such questions. They believe that eventually all people will be saved. Others have adopted inclusivism, the belief that a sinner does not necessarily need to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved as long as he or she has never heard of Jesus Christ.

I can't accept either view. Jesus warned about the dangers of hell far too often for his followers to dismiss those warnings for universalism. Christ and his apostles emphasized the need for faith in Christ far too often to dismiss it for inclusivism.

As for God being unjust in requiring faith in Christ, I sympathize with those who find it difficult to accept. However, it remains the way by which we are brought into a right relationship with God. "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).

The hard truth is: sinners are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one deserves salvation. I wish I did, but I don't. It's to God's glory that anyone is saved at all.

The more disturbing aspect of my friend's question centers on what it says about me. Do I really care about people who don't know about Christ and are heading to an eternity without hope? Do I really care about fulfilling the Great Commission ("Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you"--Matthew 28:19-20)? What am I doing to help people to know Jesus Christ? Am I sharing my faith? Am I praying for those who have never heard the gospel? Am I supporting Christians who are trying to reach unreached people around the world?

In this video, atheistic entertainer Penn Gillette challenges Christians who believe that unbelievers are in danger of hell to love them enough to share their faith with them. It's one of the most convicting videos ever made by an atheist. He "gets it" better than I do sometimes.

A Few Biblical Principles for Voting

"Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper" (Jeremiah 29:7, NIV)

These are some biblical principles that I keep in mind as I prepare to vote:

1. The government exists in order to protect innocent people from those who would harm them (Romans 13:1-7). In a democratic republic, ordinary citizens are more responsible for their government than are the subjects of a dictatorship. We are responsible for seeking good leaders and just policies.

2. God's people have an obligation to seek the good of their communities, even if they are a minority within it (Jeremiah 29:7). We may not win every battle--in fact, we may lose most--but love for our neighbors will prompt us to continue our efforts to benefit them.

3. Many political decisions are matters of applying wisdom to differing circumstances. For example, sometimes wisdom demands that taxes be raised (Genesis 41:28-36). At other times, it requires that the burden be lowered (1 Kings 12:1-17). We need humility and wisdom from God to know the best course of action. Also, we need to be gracious toward those who do not see things as we do. They may not have as much information as we do, or they may have more. We need to be open to learning from those we see as our political opponents. Sometimes they are right.

4. On most political issues, God's people can remain silent. However, when an issue involves an unjust threat to innocent human lives, we cannot keep quiet (Esther 7:3-4). We will speak up for them. We will use our influence on their behalf. They need people who will defend their right to life; and we cannot remain aloof.

The Heart of Christianity

"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8, NIV).

Christians can be passionate concerning many things. We love worship music. We are passionate about Bible study. We are driven to help the widows, the orphans, and the poor among us. We are passionate about pursuing justice, righteousness, and high ethical standards.

But above all, we are passionate about Jesus Christ. We love to hear about what he has done for us. We love to think about his character, his words, and his actions. We love to let other people know about him. And we look forward to his return above all other expectations.

Jesus Christ is the heart of Christianity.

How to Avoid Fretting Over Your Legacy

"Those who fret over their legacy have revealed themselves to be shallow, superficial people. When we do what is right, love kindness, and stay close to God, the natural product will be a lingering legacy by which anybody would want to be remembered. Live well now and you will continue to live well in the memories of the people you value" (Charles Swindoll, A Life Well Lived, pages 100-101).

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

A Respectable and Godly Man

A few weeks ago, I heard someone mention that Proverbs 31 is the text commonly used when one teaches about the qualities of a godly woman, and that Job 29 should be the text commonly used when one teaches about the qualities of a godly man. I don't remember who made that point, but it was a good one.

Job 29 describes the characteristics of a man who received high praise from God himself. The Lord said of Job, "(T)here is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil" (Job 1:8).

What would prompt God to say such a thing about a man? Consider Job's description of his life at the time the Lord made those comments:

"...I delivered the poor who cried out for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and a turban.
I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth...
Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word dropped upon them.
They waited for me as for the rain,
and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and the light of my face they did not cast down" (Job 29:12-17, 21-24).

Job cared about the poor, the orphans, and the widows. He helped and encouraged the oppressed. He was consumed with pursuing a right relationship with God and with those around him. He aided the disabled, and actively sought out those who needed his help. He did not back down from a fight against those who would take advantage of others. He was a formidable foe to those who would harm the innocent and the vulnerable. When he spoke, his words were simultaneously weighty and encouraging.

In many ways, Job (like Christ himself) is the model of biblical manhood. The world needs more men like Job.

My goal is to be more like him, too.

Thank God for the Government

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way" (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

It's easy to complain about the government. It's not perfect. Some of its leaders are incompetent and/or corrupt. Some of its activities are counterproductive.

However, it's far better than living without a functioning government. Who among us would like to trade places with Haitians or Somalis? I suspect that they would love to have our complaints in exchange for a functioning government.

It's good to have a military, police force, and firefighters. It's good to have highways and streets. It's good to have schools and libraries. It's good to have courts and prisons.

A properly functioning government is a gift from God. It seeks justice. It provides societal stability. It's a blessing to everyone who seeks a peaceful and quiet life.

Thank you, God, for the government.

If We Had Lived in the Days of Our Forefathers

My life overlapped the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by a few months. The famous civil rights activist was murdered before I learned to walk.

At times, I have wondered: Would I have joined with Dr. King in calling for an end to legal racism?

It's easy to believe that I would have taken the unpopular, but just, position. It's easy to think that I would have had the sense of justice and the courage to do the right thing. I could easily see myself marching with Dr. King in the early 1960s, hiding the Jewish people from the Nazis with Corrie ten Boom's family during World War II, or rescuing escaped slaves with the Underground Railroad in the years leading up to the Civil War. But would I have done such noble things?

Jesus had some harsh words for some of his contemporaries who held similar thoughts. He warned, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!" (Matthew 23:29-32).

Jesus' words challenge my pride in what I imagine I would have done. He is not interested in how I would have responded to injustices of the past and the needs of people in a previous generation. Christ is interested in what I am doing today. How do I respond when people are mistreated today? What am I doing today to help those who are in need? Am I willing to take risks? Am I willing to be unpopular for the sake of following Jesus Christ? Do I care about people? Or am I content to condemn a previous generation while taking pride in the fact that I did not participate in their sins?

How am I living today? Am I acting with justice, loving kindness and mercy, and walking humbly with my God?

Worldwide Violence Against Women

Author and filmmaker Carolyn McCulley has an excellent post on her blog concerning worldwide oppression and violence against women and the Christian response to it. The post can be found at http://solofemininity.blogs.com/posts/2009/08/half-the-sky.html.


"Learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:18).

"But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream" (Amos 5:24).

Do Hard Things

Alex and Brett Harris are teenage twin brothers who are tired of society's low expectations of teenagers. If a teenager does not use drugs or get his girlfriend pregnant, he is considered an outstanding young man. The Harris brothers' new book, Do Hard Things, challenges teens to go beyond such low expectations.

In Part 1 of Do Hard Things, Alex and Brett Harris provide a historical perspective of adolescence. They point to George Washington, David Farragut, and Clara Barton as models of people who took on heavy responsibilities as teenagers. In doing so, those teenagers prepared themselves to become the first U.S. president, the U.S. Navy's first admiral, and the founder of the American Red Cross.

In Part 2, the Harris brothers encourage teenagers to do five kinds of hard things:

1. Hard things that take you outside your comfort zone
2. Hard things that go beyond what's expected or required
3. Hard things that require collaboration because they are too big for you to do alone
4. Hard things that don't pay off immediately
5. Hard things that go against the crowd

In Part 3, the brothers tell inspiring stories of teenagers who are doing hard things today. Some are providing clean water to poor communities around the world. Some have become modern-day abolitionists who are advocating for the freedom of slaves around the world. Some volunteer to help abused children in their communities. Some have run statewide political campaigns. Some have raised tens of thousands of dollars to purchase ultrasound machines for pro-life pregnancy resource centers. Some have started ministries to feed and evangelize the homeless. Whatever they are doing, they are doing far more than society expects from good teenagers. They have taken on responsibility to improve their world; and they have taken the initiative to get the job done.

In explaining Jesus' description of his disciples as the salt of the earth and the light of the world, Alex and Brett write, "He's saying we have been placed here to preserve (the earth) until He returns--to fight against the decay of sin, to combat sickness and suffering, and to oppose corruption and injustice...The picture of us as a city on a hill or a lamp on a stand means that as Christians we display the truth in word and action--shining the light of God's Word and the gospel all around us, in every corner...(W)e are change makers who influence our world both as salt and light. That is to say, we influence our world both by fighting against sin, suffering, and decay and by fighting for truth and justice. And that covers a whole lot" (pp. 172-173).

I highly recommend this book for parents, teenagers, and youth ministers. It casts a biblical vision for using the teen years as a launching pad into responsibility, significance, and adulthood. It will inspire young (and older) readers to reject low expectations and to make a difference now.

In Memory of Martin Luther King Jr.

This is an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s sermon "The Drum Major Instinct," which he delivered on February 4, 1968, just a few months before his murder. In it, he described how he would like to be remembered.

"If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Noble Peace Prize--that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards--that's not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.

"I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

"If you want to say that I was a drum major, say I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace... I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say."

How would you like to be remembered? You're writing your own eulogy every day.

The National Missionary Convention

"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15).

Janet and I spent the morning at the National Missionary Convention of the independent Christian Churches, which is in Tulsa for the first time since 2001. We spent the morning in the first worship session with Mark Moore of Ozark Christian College speaking. Dr. Moore presented an academic sermon about Jesus' first public appearance as a celebrity preacher in his hometown synagogue. He gave some basic background information about historical biblical criticism and the Qumran community in an effort to better understand the context of the account and the emphasis of Jesus' message on that occasion.

Afterwards, we attended a workshop led by Stephanie Reed and her co-workers from Rapha House, a ministry in Cambodia which rehabilitates young women and girls who have been rescued from slave labor and sex slavery. Rapha works closely with International Justice Mission and local authorities who rescue the girls from the brothels. The workshop focused on the need to incorporate the pursuit of justice into missionary efforts. Some people need more than food, clothing, housing, and biblical teaching; they need to be rescued from those who are oppressing them.

Then, we looked through the area with booths from several domestic and international ministries. Janet bought t-shirts from Rapha House for all of us. Each shirt says, "Freedom Fighter: Stop Human Trafficking." (More information about Rapha House can be found at www.raphahouse.org and www.freedomforgirls.org.)

We are not sure whether we will return for the convention later this weekend, but it was another good experience. The convention runs through Sunday morning at the Tulsa Convention Center. You can find out more at www.nationalmissionaryconvention.org.

The Prime Directive, the Great Commission, and the Great Commandments

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'

"Jesus replied: '"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments'" (Matthew 22:34-40).

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age'" (Matthew 28:18-20).

In the Star Trek universe, Starfleet's prime directive restricted its members. The crew of each starship was prohibited from interfering with the cultural values held by alien worlds. Inevitably, the prime directive was violated when the crew of the Enterprise would encounter an alien race enslaving or killing others who were weaker. The crew agonized for a few minutes about violating the prime directive, but they nearly always took action when others were being abused and oppressed. Despite giving lip service to pluralism and moral relativism, deep down, the heroes of the Star Trek series usually knew right from wrong; they could not refrain from trying to relieve injustice.

I am tempted to follow the prime directive. In many ways, life is easier when I don't get involved in solving problems or confronting wrongdoing.

As a Christian, however, I can't afford the luxury of intentional non-involvement. I am called to help people. I can't accept the pluralistic values and moral relativism of Star Trek's prime directive, as appealing as it may be. I have been commissioned to love God with total devotion, love people as I love myself, and reach the world with Christ's message. I cannot live by the values of Star Trek's prime directive and accomplish anything God really values.

The Express

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10, New King James Version).

We saw The Express this weekend. The movie tells the story of Ernie Davis, the first black Heisman trophy winner. It is a story of how a man of character overcame significant obstacles to achieve success, and in the end, quietly strike a blow against institutional social injustice.

Although growing up in a broken home, a racist society, and with a speech impediment, Ernie Davis overcame his circumstances and became a hero to his generation. Much of his success came from a wise grandfather ("Pops") who imparted patience, wisdom, strength, and respect for the Scriptures to his young grandson. In the end, we see a young man who faced his challenges with dignity and grace.

Although nearly forgotten by football fans today, Ernie Davis should be honored as a heroic figure in the history of college football. This movie helps.