Author: GCI Media

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The author of Hebrews tells us about God-fearing men and women who “went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated,” who “wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground” (Hebrews 11:37, 38). The writer said that the world was not worthy of such people. Most people would not have thought of them as glamorous role models and certainly would not have wanted to look and act like them.

We associate glamour with the rich and famous – how they dress, where they live, what they eat. We are fascinated with their comings and goings, and they, of course, make sure to come and go in ways that keep them in the limelight. Actually the word “glamour” originally meant the opposite. It referred to a magic spell used by witches and wizards to conceal their identity. King Arthur’s legendary sorcerer, Merlin, swathed himself with a glamour spell so he could travel as an old man, or a young woman, or as the sort of unexceptional person none would turn their heads to look at. The word has morphed in our modern times. Sadly, our society is growing ever more preoccupied by the physical trappings of glamour.

Professor Joan Brumberg of Cornell University has made an interesting study comparing the diaries of teenage girls (The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls, Vintage, 1998). In 19th-century diaries, she found teenage girls focused on being good, useful, caring, positive contributors to society. They had a sense of personal responsibility that motivated them to reach beyond themselves. In diaries of our time, she found teenage girls focused on becoming slim, pretty, well-dressed and popular – preoccupied with copying the clothes, hairstyles and lifestyles of celebrities.

Being a celebrity used to involve a measure of specialized training, talent and skill. Now, sadly, it’s often only about the bling. A whole industry has grown up to help you attain your proverbial “15 minutes of fame.” Here are examples of what is offered (and I share these with my tongue buried deep in my cheek):

• You may not be able to own the runway at the Oscars, but you can borrow a designer dress from a company called Rent the Runway for about $75. The owners of Rent the Runway say their business has tripled in a year.
• Need some bling to go with that dress? Jewelry company Adorn will rent you a $24,000 diamond necklace for $260 and a pair of $8,250 earrings like Princess Kate wore at her wedding for just $160 (yes, there’s a security deposit). Avelle will rent you a Louis Vuitton handbag (retail price $1,680) for just $60 a week.
• Of course, none of this matters if no one is looking. So why not head out on the town in style in a Bentley, Maserati or Rolls-Royce rented from Gotham Dream Cars? A Rolls Royce Phantom convertible will cost you $1,950 a day, which is chump change compared to its retail price of $427,000.
• And doesn’t a celebrity, even a fake one, need a pack of paparazzi? Well, you can rent that too. For just $499, Celeb 4 A Day will rent you four personal paparazzi to follow your every move and shout questions at you for 30 minutes. Or you can upgrade to the MegaStar package, and get a two-hour experience that includes six personal paparazzi, one bodyguard, a publicist and a limousine.

Dressing up to look like something you are not is not a new idea. In fact, it may have been what Paul had in mind when he encouraged Christians at Rome to “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14). He was using an expression that his readers would recognize as describing an actor donning a costume to play a part in a play. Of course, Paul did not mean that Christians should seek to draw attention by dressing in “Jesus costumes” (Jesus did not stand out in a crowd because of his clothing!). Paul certainly was not advocating wearing glamorous clothes or riding in stretch limousines (something some religious “celebrities” seem to forget). Rather, Paul was talking about the life transformation that occurs through our union with Christ. John makes a similar point in writing that “whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6).

Paul and John, each in their own way, were referring to the transformation that occurs in the life of a believer. As the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ, Jesus’ life – his regenerated human nature – becomes our own (Colossians 3:10). We become new creations with Jesus’ Spirit filling us (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Spirit gives us the power to really become children of God (John 1:12) and so brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Hebrews 2:11). The resulting change is not superficial or artificial, but authentic, deep and lasting.

Sharing in Jesus’ living and loving in the world will get you noticed, although as mentioned earlier, it does not usually lead to glamorous celebrity status. What matters most to God is not the image we create, but rather the image God has created in us. To be all that we can be, we must realize and trust in the source of our life, breath and being. The record of Scripture shows us that God does great work through those whom the rest of the world would not give 15 minutes of fame.

In Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Mother’s Day in the U.S. is next Sunday (May 13). Other countries have a similar occasion on different days. Even a quick search with Google shows that literally dozens of nations, in all parts of the world, set aside a day to honor mothers and motherhood.

It is a reminder that one of the most important roles God has given to human beings is assigned exclusively to women. However, it is a role that often goes unrecognized and unappreciated.

I imagine that we all have memories of interactions with our moms. So it is appropriate that we remember the things they taught us. They were not only the voices in our heads, but around the kitchen table, the living room, just about everywhere. Like:

• My mama taught me religion: “You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”
• My mama taught me time travel: “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week.”
• My mama taught me logic: “Because I said so, that’s why.”
• My mama taught me irony: “Keep laughing and I’ll give you something to cry about.”
• My mama taught me osmosis: “Shut your mouth and eat your supper!”
• My mama taught me contortionism: “Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!”
• My mama taught me stamina: “You’ll sit there ‘til all that spinach is finished.”
• My mama taught me about weather: It looks as if a tornado swept through your room.”
• My mama taught me about the circle of life: “I brought you into this world and I can take you out.”
• My mama taught me about behavior modification: “Stop acting like your father!”
• My mama taught me about genetics: “You’re just like your father.”
• My mama taught me about envy: “There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do.”
• My mama taught me about anticipation: “Just wait until you get home.”
• My mama taught me wisdom: “When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.”

All kidding aside, we honor our mothers this weekend for the enduring love we receive from them from the womb to the tomb. A mother’s love for her children is perhaps the closest we human beings ever come to understanding the unconditional love that God has for us.

Since God reveals himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, some mistakenly view God only in masculine terms. Of course, God is neither male or female and not subject to the limitations of gender. Nevertheless, God created us in his image and likeness and it is not wrong to say that masculinity and femininity do reflect indirectly, each in their own way, something that does indeed correspond to God’s own life and character. So in Scripture we find images can be used of God’s character which align with the feminine gender. In four passages God is said to be like a human mother in labor or caring for her children (Isaiah 42:14; 45:10; 49:15; 66:13). There are three times where God is likened to a mother bird (Deuteronomy 32:11; Is 31:5; Matt 23:37) and one where God is compared to a mother bear (Hosea 13:8). The Spirit is described in Genesis (hovering, Genesis 1:2) and in the Gospels as being dove-like (Matthew. 3:16) and the dove is sometimes in the Bible viewed to have feminine characteristics. The apostle Paul compares his ministry to a nursemaid (1 Thessalonians 2:7). But even more to the point, readers of Scripture are directed to honor mothers (Luke 18:20).

Of course, no human mother is perfect. But whatever their flaws and shortcomings might be, most mothers do love their children in a profoundly deep and unconditional way. Whether you see it – or receive it – remember that motherhood is a reflection of the unconditional and nurturing love our heavenly Father has for us.

My surname is Russian, from my Dad’s family, but my mom is half-Greek. My dad was employed outside the home while my mom was a traditional stay-at-home, homemaker. So, in my preschool years, I was her constant companion. And I remember much of it very well. She taught me to read before I went to school. She taught me to pray as soon as I could talk. I remember watching her take several hours to make baklava from scratch. And I watched it all disappear in mere minutes once my dad arrived home from work.

My dad told me that he married my mom because he knew that in several areas she was smarter and how good it was to have her complete his team. Her father was a Greek immigrant, and I most remember him telling me that “the Greek part of you came from your mother” and that it was “the most important part” of me. I still smile every time I think about it.

I realize that Mother’s Day is not a God-ordained celebration, but for all its commercialism, Mothers’ Day is still a good thing. This year, remember to let your mother know how special she really is.

To all of you and all mothers I say: Χρόνια Πολλά σε όλες τις Μανούλες της Γης! (Happy Mother’s Day to all mummies!)

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. In your Mother’s Day celebrations at church, please remember that it is not an easy day for some women. For those women struggling with fertility issues—longing for children they do not have—Mother’s Day can be an agonizing experience. So be sure to acknowledge them and their struggle on this special day.