A Camera Flash

On Sunday, June 14 three junior high youth and I climbed into my car for our journey to camp. Four and a half hours later we arrived at Luther Springs in Hawthorne, FL – the middle of nowhere! We were excited and tired after our long drive. We unloaded the car, put on bug spray, and joined the rest of the campers for get to know you games.

At camp every evening before bed the counselors gather the kids around a campfire. At campfire we sing songs with guitar accompaniment, read scripture, and enjoy a skit that brings the scripture to life. It is my favorite time at camp. I really enjoy gazing at the coals burning in the fire pit and sitting in the dark with the stars bright above our heads. It is a time when I really want to capture the moment to share with others.

As I have learned throughout life one way to capture a moment is to take a picture. So, I got my camera out and as the counselors were about to start their evening skit I snapped a picture. Then quickly everyone around the campfire started to groan at once. The person sitting next to me says, “Nice one!”

Then I realized that the camera flash had blinded everyone around the fire at once. It was dark – and the flash was bright. I’m sure you know that moment when suddenly all you can see are little bright dots in your line of vision when you once were able to see clearly.

I think God is sometimes like a bright flash in the midst of the darkness of our lives. We think we understand and know God clearly. We finally have this faith thing figured out and then God’s light shines brightly. Unexpectedly our line of vision – our line of understanding – is blurred. When something like this happens, we tend to groan. We want to know and understand our Creator because somehow we believe this will give us comfort.

However, do we really want to understand God? I mean, if our intellect was able to grasp God… what would that say about God?

At campfire when the stars are numerous and bright above our heads I give thanks that though we do not understand God – we do get to experience God.

Jesus in a Tire Shop

It was time for an oil change in my car. I pulled into a tire store that has a big sign out front, “Oil Change $19.95”. I park the car and walk in the door – a man greets me and I hand over my car keys for the oil change – he walks away to get started.

As I am standing in front of the counter I notice a picture of someone on the wall behind the counter. I look at it for a moment and realize, though there is no label, this tire store has a picture of Jesus behind the counter. I was honestly surprised. I see pictures of Jesus almost everyday but this was a picture in an unexpected place.

I look at the women patiently waiting for her oil change and ask, “Excuse me, who do you think this picture is of behind the counter?”

“Ummmm, I don’t know – Jesus maybe?” She responded.

“Are you sure it’s Jesus?” I ask innocently.

“Well it could be a boss – but I’m pretty sure that’s Jesus.”

Then I sit down and we chat about a few other topics and a man who works at the store walks in. He goes behind a different counter and starts working. So, I ask, “Sir, sorry to bug you but I noticed the picture behind the counter – do you know who that is?”

“Huh, haven’t really thought about it before. Jesus maybe?” He responds.

“Are you sure it’s Jesus?”

“Well no – but when the manager comes back here we can ask.”

“Thanks.”

Later, the manager approaches the lady waiting to pay for her oil change and she leaves. Then I go for one more round of questioning.

“Sir, do you know who is in the picture on the wall behind you?”

“Yeah – that’s my boss!”

“Your boss?”

“Jesus.”

“Huh, pictures of Jesus in a tire store, interesting!” I state with a smile on my face.

“Yeah, the owner of this shop is very religious. Did you notice the name of the store? New Life Tires.”

As our conversation continued I eventually shared that I am a pastor in Naples. He then started to tell me his own personal faith story – including current struggles and how he has strayed from the church. I listened – eventually paid for my oil change and left.

I realized that most of us have an image of Jesus in our head. It’s a picture of a skinny white man with long hair and a beard. Yet, when I asked two unknowing bystanders in an unreligious setting if they were sure it was Jesus both questioned whether or not it was Jesus.

I am assuming if we were in a church there would have been no question about who was in the picture. Yes, Jesus is even in a tire shop.

Wonder where else we don’t realize God is present as I go about our day!

Office Walls

When I was moving down to Florida I was sharing with my friend, James, how I imagined my office would look and how I would decorate it. I told James on the wall above my Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity diploma I wanted to hang my baptismal certificate. I may have degrees that can prove knowledge – but it’s really my baptism that frees me to be a pastor.

I also wanted to hang a map of the world. I wanted this map to serve as a reminder that it’s easy to get wrapped up with how God is working in this community and at this parish – but Christ calls us to a love that reaches far beyond our small personal bubbles.

I have almost been here a year and as I was cleaning out Sunday School classrooms I noticed a map of the world. As I picked up the map I remembered how I imaged my office as I was moving to Florida. I still didn’t have a map on the wall nor my diploma’s – much less my baptismal certificate. I took the map as a sign that it is time to make my office as I had imagined it a year ago.

I walked over to my office and put the map in the cupboard planning to hang it later. Yes, another couple of weeks go by and I open the cupboard and there was the map staring at me. So, I finally dropped everything and started to hang the map – and the diplomas – AND the baptismal certificate.

Then the next week I went to Kennedy Space Center with a friend. As we were walking out of one of the exhibits I noticed a map of the Milky Way and it had an arrow pointing to a little dot, Earth that said, “You are here.” That’s when I knew my office decorating was not complete. I need a map like that on my wall next to the map of the world.

God is so awesome that a map of the world doesn’t even begin to reveal God’s amazing creation. How can a God who has created so many universes call me by name in baptism? It is when I ask questions like that that I sit back in awe and say, “My understanding of God is still too small.”

Poverty and Wealth

I asked high school students where they saw poverty throughout the week. I received three answers.

1. While I was watching COPS on t.v.


2. When I drove by a man who was homeless


3. At the Café of Life when the group was gathered under the banyan tree for their daily bread.

Then I asked, “Where have you seen wealth?” The response could have gone on forever. In our own homes, in the homes of those I visited, in the pool, the big screen t.v. I watched, the gate I drove through to get home, the car I ride in, the three large meals of my choice, the stores…

Being wealthy and being surrounded by wealth alters the way in which we view reality. The prophet Nehemiah was a man of wealth yet the Spirit led him to be a passionate organizer and advocate for the poor. In Nehemiah chapter 5: 1-13 he offers an “economic stimulus” plan where the rich no longer take advantage of the poor in order to get the city of Jerusalem rebuilt.

Living in an area where wealth flows through the streets does not mean that the Spirit of God isn’t at work. However, it does call us to be more aware of the power it wields. Wealth does alter the way we view reality – Jesus even challenges a man who wonders what he can do to receive eternal life to go and sell everything he owns and give the money to the poor – Jesus explains that he will receive his treasure in heaven (Mark 10:21).

I think we need to be inspired by prophets like Nehemiah who the Spirit led to have a heart for the poor. Maybe we will someday learn to not use our wealth to get what we want – when we want it – but, instead, to use it to change the life of our neighbor who needs it.

After all when Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment? He responds, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).”

Let the Spirit lead us to notice our abused neighbors and give us the heart and opportunity to reach out with the love first given to us through Christ.