The Saddest Place on Earth

A number of years ago I visited Graceland. You know, the Elvis estate, land of all things Hound Dog and Blue Suede. The day was somewhat dreary, but even in the Jungle Room and Presley's elegant parlor, as colorful and opulent as they were, I couldn't help but feel a heaviness. I have always referred to his former home as The Saddest Place on Earth. Most people respond with incredulity when I say that, but I usually explain: Knowing the potential he had and the tragic ending he chose makes this preservation of his earthly rewards particularly dispiriting. This is the end of those who do not fear the Lord. At least, that's what came to me as I read this morning. In some strange way, the heaviness of Graceland has always remained with me. Someone mentions Elvis, someone talks about his beautiful renditions of hymns, and immediately I feel it. There are few places that have ever had such a negative impact on me. But as I was reading this morning, it dawned on me: this is the end of all those who do not fear the Lord.

In his book, The Fear of the Lord, John Bevere writes of Adam and Eve, their life in a perfect state and a close relationship with God we can, for now, only aspire to. Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, servants of the Most High God, offering sacrifices on behalf of the people, wearing the holy garments of the priesthood. Annanias and Sapphira, early Christians who, presumably, had been given wealth and land with which to serve the Lord. And, of course, Lucifer himself who Isaiah called "son of the morning." These were exalted, glorified, chosen for some great purpose or another, given opportunity and privilege, and yet... 

Bevere says, Jim Bakker, former head of the PTL Club, television host, and convicted felon, once told him that not until he lost all of his material goods, his worldwide ministry, his family, and his reputation did he gain a true relationship with Jesus. Bevere quotes Bakker as saying, "John, this prison is not God's judgment on my life but His mercy. I believe if I had continued on the path I was on, I would have ended up in hell!" 
This is the end of all those who do not fear the Lord. Now, I am in no way saying you can't have wealth or health or wonderful relationships and fear the Lord. I am in no way saying those who prosper do not fear God. In fact, Luke 6:38 assures:

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Give generously, and you will receive from God's generous hand. BUT what good are riches to a dying man? What good is perfect health to a woman who has lost all her children? The prosperity of the Kingdom of God is not necessarily the prosperity of our Western world. Does God bless some with money that they might bless the poor, the sick? I believe He does. Look at the account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. It seems they made out very well in the sale of their property (as did Barnabas, Acts 4:36). But Ananias and his wife lied about the proceeds. When Peter calls out Ananias, he doesn't ask, "Why did you not give the entire amount?" He asks, "Why did you lie?" The profit was theirs to do with as they pleased; give it to the church, distribute it amongst the poor, will it to their children; go on the cruise they've been eying. 

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)

They did not give in the name of the Lord, they did not keep in the name of the Lord; there was no fear of the Lord in them as they conducted this transaction. And there was no gratitude, only self-promotion. "Manufactured" extreme poverty is no more holy than the love of money; the blessing, the prosperity is in drawing more closely to our King, in knowing Him more intimately. Prosperity is being asked to do more with what we are given. Prosperity is a front row seat to God's work. Prosperity is seeing God's name exalted because we have promoted Him and not ourselves. 

And here we are, back at Graceland. I don't know the heart of Elvis any more than I know the heart of the person sitting across from me on the bus. But a tree is known by its fruit. There are stories of his generosity. There are stories from his childhood of a good boy who loved his mama and Jesus. He surely sang hymns beautifully. His home, his most personal space, however, stands as a tragic testimony to despair because of the events which occurred there; the chaos and recklessness, the rage and drug abuse, his death without dignity, and his apparent disregard for the holiness and mercy of a God to whom (rumor has it) he once spoke. 

Today would have been Elvis' birthday, so it's somewhat ironic that, as I was going through my Drafts folder, I found this article I'd started in 2024 and decided to complete it. I wasn't a huge Elvis fan (more like a fan of my mother who loved his movies and would watch them on Saturday afternoons); but The Saddest Place on Earth stands as a tangible warning to us all of the meaninglessness of earthly spoils versus the true prosperity found in the fear of the Lord.   

Midweek: Step Nine

The small girl started and moved away. Another little child at the park was trying --more like insisting --to show her love. The child's advances, no matter how well intended, were unwelcome. There was hurt.

We have completed, to the best of our current ability, our list in Step Eight:

I made a list of all persons I had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Step Nine in Walking the Twelve Steps with Jesus Christ, requires us to take that list and our willingness to make amends, and follow through:

I made direct amends to such persons whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

First of all, what sort of things might this making of amends include? Well, the scriptural basis given in the text is Matthew 5:23-24:

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Reconciliation. Another translation says to make peace. Now, reconcile is one of my favorite concepts in Scripture. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 tells us that Christ reconciled us to God through the sacrifice of His own body and blood on the cross. He brought us --humanity separated by sin and made enemies of God --brought back into friendship with God, back into harmony with our Creator. And not only friendship, but kinship! We are, through Christ, made sons and daughters of God and heirs to the glorious inheritance He has reserved for us! And, as friends, children, and heirs of God, we are given the ministry of reconciliation to all of mankind. Not that everyone we approach with the good news of reconciliation will respond in a positive way, but that we would do our best to humbly, lovingly, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, reach out and make known to them the reconciliation that is available to them.

So, reconciliation, perfect reconciliation, when wholeheartedly embraced, results in a oneness, a kinship; the elimination of any discrepancies (according to a definition from the 1500s). Making amends takes those who were apart and reunites them to like-mindedness and peace. A simple apology that restores the peace. Returning money or goods that were the cause of discrepancy. The act of paying back with toil or kindness any additional labor or aggravation that was caused by one party's behavior. 

Secondly, making amends has to be wanted. It must be the desire of both parties and the way it is manifested must be agreeable to both parties. Placing undue burden on either person is wrong; fairness and justice are foundational in relationships. Forcing an apology on one unwilling to accept it is wrong. The expectation one's apology will or should be accepted is wrong. Making amends requires both parties to be on board in order for healing to take place and to be sure no further hurt is inflicted.

Back to the children at the start of our reading. The heart of one child was to make eye contact, to speak, to hug even. Innocent and beautiful. But the heart of the other --albeit because of hurt or fear or simply a desire to be alone --was not to receive it. Neither one was necessarily in the wrong or lacking in any way, but the messages received by another's refusal to accept reconciliation can be cause for further offense. When we attempt amends, it is vital to understand the world is not on our journey, nor is it obligated to partake. This is a journey between us and our "higher power," Jesus Christ. He is taking us where we need to go, for our good and His glory. Where others choose to fall in this tableau --if they choose to be present at all --is entirely up to them. All we can do is, once again, humbly, lovingly, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, reach out and make known to them the reconciliation that is available to them. The reconciliation we offer as fellow human beings, and the reconciliation of mankind to our King.  

A Vision of An "Us"

More than twenty years ago, my husband and I had our first date. Only it wasn't "a date." Scott and I were working together, talking as coworkers do, but were by no means friends. Our lives were pretty full without romantic relationships, and we'd already proven we weren't quite good at those. I refused to date. Anyone. But Scott wanted to go to the movies. "I can't just go to the movies and sit by myself," he explained. "Couldn't we just go as friends?" I acquiesced, but the closer we got to the weekend, the more he referred to our little outing as "a date." I was beginning to feel manipulated. So, I canceled. Last minute. His irritation with me came across as indifference (I'm sure he intended it to), and I was offended. If anyone was going to care less, it was going to be me; after all, he started this! I suggested we go out for a bite to eat. I donned my hardened attitude, ratty jeans and flip-flops. Scott appeared in what I've always referred to as his "Hawaiian Boy" outfit: pressed linen shorts, a casual button-down shirt, and loafers. To the point, I was prepared to withstand, even repel; Scott dressed to draw me in. He had a vision of an "us."

I tell you this because I see how closely this anecdote mirrors the relationship some of us have with the Lord at times. He calls us, He woos us; He has a vision of an "us." Instead, we fill our every moment with busyness and nonsense the minute the Holy Spirit begins to unsettle our spirits. I don't have time today; I'll talk to You tomorrow! How do You expect me to serve when no one else will? We don our hardened attitudes and tell ourselves He can't possibly be speaking to us; He can't possibly use us. We believe all He can offer us is a life of denial and discipline, a life that can't possibly bring us happiness. Some of us might even immerse ourselves further and further into those things we know are sin just so we don't have to try again: I know what I'm dealing with when it comes to addiction, but I can't even imagine what sobriety would be like for me. 

Don't get me wrong, God is not some sad milquetoast of a deity that sits in His heaven, wringing His hands over those who rebel. He pursues those that are His with a passion. Sometimes He turns up the heat: the rent gets raised, a son rebels, test results are unfavorable --all that we might seek Him for His kindness. Sometimes He lavishes us with His love, drawing us to seek his face in gratitude. Sometimes He stands back for a bit and allows us to see for ourselves just how huge the mistake we are making. As set as we may think we are in our ways, the God who does not change is far more established in His --from eternity to eternity. And His ways are right. His ways are true. His ways are forged in perfect love and justice. Even when we don't quite understand what He's doing, He is trustworthy and faithful. He never stops working our circumstances toward the fulfilling of His plans.

Scott and I had different ideas about our relationship all those years ago. In some ways, we still do. But we are one, and as such, our objective is for the good of the "us" and the glory of God. We are human, however, and at times our personal agendas and our egos get in the way of that. It is bearing in mind that what is good for both of us is what is best for each of us, that keeps us from repeating past mistakes. It is trusting the other's desire to become more like Jesus and, in so doing, drawing together as we aim for the same point, that adds strength to our relationship. What another wonderful picture of our relationship with God! He knows what is best for us; He knows us intimately. We have only to trust Him in all He calls us to do. And it is our desire to be more like Him --the desire He gives us and stokes in us by His Holy Spirit --when we seek no other kingdom but His, that strengthens us to go even further, seek more zealously, give more, and be more like Him.

Were we doing our relationship right twenty+ years ago? Not at all. There was clearly a power struggle going on. And still can be on occasion. But as we enter new seasons in our relationship --some good, some just plain demanding --we decide to do what is best for the "us" and brings glory to God. And we do it with as much love and grace as God will give us. Because this is a picture, a fuzzy, incomplete, insufficient picture of His children; each one of us in ratty jeans and with hard hearts, being swept off our feet by a God who has a bigger, better vision than anything we can imagine.