Thought for Today
Genesis 2:7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.
Joshua 24:15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Matthew 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
John 6:42 They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?"
Nature or nurture? Am I who and what I am because of how and when I was raised? Am I who and what I am because that is what I myself have shaped my life to be? Am I a helpless waif, desperately and precariously afloat at the crest of life’s tsunami trying not to drown? Or, am I deliberately and purposefully surfing the crest of life’s waves? Victim or perpetrator?
Yes? No? Maybe? Sometimes? My suspicion is that a portion of both apply. To some degree, I am the child of my parents. I was born during WWII. My own parents were of the generation forced to experience the Great Depression, WWI, WWII, and Korea. Their own lives were shaped by economic turmoil, political turmoil and almost unimaginable advances in technology. All of those factors played pivotal roles in how my parents raised their children.
I was born in the Bible Belt of the U.S.A. During my childhood, Sunday mornings were a time for worship. Stores were closed. Movie theaters were closed. Parks and streets were deserted. The only crowded places were churches. But, that time during that historical period has also rather accurately been described as the most segregated hour in human history. The statement is usually made in terms of racial segregation, but it equally applies to denominational segregation and often to ethnic segregation.
I did live in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. Our home was across the street from the largest Conservative synagogue in Houston. Most of my friends were Jewish. We played together; we learned in school together; but, on Saturdays and Sundays we did not worship our common Creator God together.
One of my favorite tropes is that ‘we never live in the world in which we grew up.’ It is true. Societies have changed. Technologies have changed. Nations have collapsed and other nations have arisen. But, people have also changed. Sometimes because of external factors, wars, famines, etc. Sometimes, however, people have deliberately and purposefully changed their attitudes and behaviors.
I have long been a supporter of AA. It is an amazing program that has saved many lives. I am told that every meeting incorporates what is known as The Serenity Prayer. That prayer begins, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
My affinity for numbers and mathematics is ‘hard-wired’ in my DNA. So too are my love of reading and my curiosity. I accept that I will always find comfort in understanding life and the world around me in terms of science and equations. I even accept the fact that means I am always asking myself questions, always attempting to understand everything.
As I entered puberty, I deliberately set out to change my world. I reshaped the things I could. I began to pay attention to my weight, my clothes, etc. Living in Texas, I even began to take interest in football (despite a lack of size or talent). But, I could never stop being focused on school and learning.
Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary. But, Jesus was also the Son of God. Jesus was raised in a traditional, devout family. Jesus’ own words tell us he apprenticed to Joseph and learned carpentry. All of that helped shape who and what Jesus was (and is).
But the story in the second chapter of Luke’s gospel of Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem when he was 12 reveals that Jesus was also shaped, inexorably, by his spiritual DNA. His answer to Mary is revealing, "2:49 Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
We are who we are because of both nature and nurture. That’s what it means to be “a living being.”
Stay safe, embrace your nature and nurture, trust God,
Pastor Ray