Happy Friday,
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
Revelation 7:9
(This week’s Friday Update is guest-written by Syler Thomas, Pastor of Community Life at Christ Church Lake Forest, where he has served for one year longer than Mike and hopes Mike never forgets it.)
I forget that God’s primary language isn’t English. I mean, I know that it isn’t (it’s Hebrew, duh), but I love hearing people speak in other languages because it reminds me that 1) English, though popular, is merely one of around 7,000 languages spoken in the world; 2) God knows and understands them all, plus the dead ones like Latin and silly ones like pig Latin; 3) God hears every prayer in every language, all at once; and 4) God does hear my prayers and does care about my problems but… 5) there is a much larger story I’m a part of, and the redeemed will be together in God’s presence one day, and it will be perfect.
Kids These Days: One of my former youth group students has an almost-three-year-old named Jack. Jack’s somewhat shy around new people, but if you ask him his favorite song, he offers it easily. He says, with a serious look on his face, “Christ is my firm foundation.” (A worthy song to be one’s favorite.) I got to sing it with him last week, me with my guitar and him with his toy guitar. He knows every word.
It was just about the sweetest thing ever, and it reminded me of something I’ve said for a while: kids don’t have to know that “kids’ music” exists. Parents will complain, “If I have to listen to ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ one more time…” but they forget—you control the music they hear! You can play them whatever you want—up to a certain age anyway—and they’ll like what you play them. They’re like your little hostages for a time, little beautiful miracle hostages, hostage gifts from God. So great work, parents. And keep singing, Jack!
It Worked For Me: Case in point… when my oldest, Kaila, was about Jack’s age, she knew every word to ”Elevation” by U2. Not as honorable as “Firm Foundation” but close.
Quote Worth Requoting: (Speaking of children) “Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” – G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
A Real-Life (Pretend) Hitman: The new Netflix movie Hit Man, starring Glen Powell and directed by Richard Linklater, is based on a true story (appearing first as a Texas Monthly article in 2001) about a Houston man named Gary Johnson who lived a double life. Most people knew him as a thrice-divorced, mild-mannered community college teacher who lived alone with his two cats. But his other job was working for the Harris County DA’s office as a pretend hitman. When they got a tip about someone wanting to hire a hitman, Gary would get the call. He’d change up his hitman persona based on the person employing him, using different accents and outfits. Over the course of about ten years, he was “hired” to kill over 60 people.
The movie spends its time exploring the question of identity—Gary enjoyed “becoming” these different personas, so the question is: can anyone change who they are to be more like the person they want to be? But I was more interested in the idea that over 60 different people just in and around Houston hated someone in their lives so much that they tried to hire someone to murder them. In the article, Gary says it’s the logical extension of the new “American way:” the quick fix. He says that if people can pay someone to fix their TV, “why can’t they pay me, a hit man, to fix their lives?” Maybe Jesus’ connection between anger and murder in Matthew 5 isn’t so extreme.
Chicago’s Best Side: If you want to fall in love with Chicago, watch Hulu’s The Bear. Warning: it will make you stressed and there is a lot of foul language. But episode one of season three, in particular, is a one-two punch of beautiful skyscapes and sumptuous food set to inspiring music.
2 a.m. Friends: For the past two summers, I’ve been able to spend time with two guys who have a unique friendship. Each week, for the past ten years, they’ve walked about half a mile from their Nashville homes to high-five each other. They’re musicians, so they have flexible schedules, and they’re a little weird (not as weird as us theater kids, but close). Their story was covered in an Atlantic article (paywalled) and on CBS Sunday Morning. Last month, they played one of my favorite Rich Mullins songs; it’s worth watching in particular because of Gabe’s incredible hammered dulcimer skills.
We may not all be able to do something as weird cool as walking to high-five a friend once a week, but—do you have friends you can count on, like Andy and Gabe count on each other?
Closing Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life
– Peace Prayer (attributed to St. Francis, though almost certainly not written by him)