Spammity Spam

Fun fact: the term spam as it is used to describe junk email (among other internet delights) has its origins in a 1970s British television show. Monty Python’s Flying Circus was an oddball sketch comedy series featuring sometimes bizarre animations, entirely random and quirky subject matter, and often men badly dressed as women.

Indeed, the sketch titled “SPAM” features a man and woman lowered from the ceiling into a cafe where Vikings dine in the background and the proprietor reads the menu filled mostly with items containing various amounts of the tinned meat – including the final item, “Lobster thermidor aux crevettes with a mornay sauce garnished with truffle paté, brandy, and a fried egg on top and spam.”

And often, the repetition of the infamous canned mystery meat sets off a Viking chant in praise of Spam.

Why do I bring this up?

The more I see blatant lies go unchecked, unchallenged, and uncorrected in both media and society – and perhaps especially so as an election looms – I can’t help but feel as if the entirety of our news & entertainment industry is busily shouting, “Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spammity SPAM! Wonderful SPAM!” while we, the weary public, are just trying to hear what’s on the menu.

Even when we do manage to hear a word through the cacophony of deceit, we’re disheartened to learn all our options contain varying degrees of hyper-processed pork. We can have a little SPAM or a lot of SPAM; we may even choose a culinarily excellent dish with a bit of SPAM, but we cannot entirely escape SPAM.

And you know what? I don’t like spam.

I’m just glad my hope is not in the outcome of this election nor the sanity of my fellow Americans. Either way, I can no longer check an increasing certainty that the last days of the world are rapidly speeding by.

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing,
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
Therefore God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false,
in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
(2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

But friends, you do not have to toe the party line nor give into the delusion. There is a better Way. His name is Yeshua, known more commonly as Jesus.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness
and to purify for himself a people for his own possession
who are zealous for good works.
(Titus 2:11-14)

It’s not too late to join those of us on the narrow way that leads to life! All are welcome, though not all choose it. I would love to talk to you more if you have questions; feel free to reach out.

Wisdom Seeker: Day 4

Proverbs 4

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life… Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Proverbs 4:23, 26-27

I love that the proverbs embodied in this chapter are addressed from a father to a son, and by extension, from our Father to all of us who are sons and daughters of God through Christ.

Maybe it’s because I’m in a later season of life, but I truly appreciate the truth behind this section of Scripture. In my adult life, I’ve walked carelessly and I spent nearly a decade of my adulthood without the Lord.

It’s for good reason the reader is urged to use vigilance in keeping his heart or carefully choosing his footing along the path of life’s journey. It’s all too easy to veer off course just the tiniest bit and suddenly find yourself floundering in a swamp you never meant to get caught up in, uncertain of how you got there and less certain of how you’ll ever get out.

Any wrong turning – whether it be unfaithfulness in marriage, murder, or what have you – starts with a single step away from God’s will. Then another. Then another and another until, over time, you find yourself far away from where you should be. Far away from God.

Instead, let’s resolve to really ponder our steps before we take them. Think through our choices to their logical conclusions.

Perhaps, even, we should consider the private fantasies or daydreams we may entertain and whether or not they affect our hours for better or worse. For even our thoughts need be brought under the control of Christ if we are to successfully remain by His side.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…

2 Corinthians 10:5

Wise Father, help us to guard our hearts and ponder our steps. Show us the end of the path we are on so we are not unaware of the direction our choices are leading us. If we have taken steps away from Your perfect will, please Lord, prick our hearts to repent so we can turn back to You. Thank You that You are always willing to receive our honest contrition and forgive, amen.

What about you? What steps are you taking to ensure you keep your feet from straying away from our Lord?