New Lancet Study on Abortion and what it means for Cayman

Psalm 139:13-16

A couple weeks ago the well-respected U.K. medical journal, Lancet, published massive, worldwide, multi-year findings with regard to the practice of abortions. The results had a a surprise or two and some specific implications for Grand Cayman. The journal article itself will cost you $31.50. I was unwilling to shell out that kind of coin and so settled for this very helpful summary by Aaron Hanbury from the Christian magazine Relevant. It is worth reading. 

Here are 5 conclusions I've come to through reflecting on the article itself, and over time:

1. Life in the womb begins very, very early. I do not pretend to be expertly equipped to determine definitively when life begins, though my brilliant and accomplished sister-in-law (Senior OBGYN at the University of Washington) tries to keep me well-informed. The gamut among well-respected scientists runs from fertilization to implantation (when the fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube and attaches to the mother's uterus) to gastrulation...and the list goes on. The first three options occur within the first few weeks of the act itself, yet it is after this period that the vast majority of abortions are sought out. So while I know I'm willing to conceded that the details are a bit murky, it does seem clear that life begins somewhere within those first couple weeks. 

2. Sex is a gift not a right. Believing and treating sex as a right tends to absolve us, at least in our own eyes, of the potential consequences. Our eldest child was recently introduced to the reproductive system and general sexual orientation at his school. Yay! The above perspective was not mentioned at the orientation (while I'm guilty of neglecting almost exactly 50% of the email correspondences sent by his school, I checked this one along with the attached educational outline). Thankfully, he and I had that discussion over a weekend guys retreat last year. One of the aspects of sex I tried to bring up during the weekend but need to emphasize further as he gets older is that sex is a gift, not a right. The God of the Bible gives a husband and wife sex as a delight, not simply for reproduction. It is written in God's very Law: "If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married" (Deuteronomy 24:5 NIV). It's important to note that "bring happiness" means what you think it means! Sex is a happy gift to be exclusively enjoyed in the context of marriage (Hebrews 13:4). One of the reasons God designed the gift for this purpose was so that when a child is conceived, he or she has two parents ready to raise them (though of course their are exceptions in which the above two-parent-plan proves impossible). When I was twelve my grandmother promised me the gift of a new car when I graduated from college. Happy Gift Accepted! Imagine had she actually given me that gift when she first offered it. I would've wrecked the car and likely ruined my life. The gift of sex is available for any man or woman but the results of seizing it too early can be ruinous.  

3. Cayman isn't an exception. If you read the article above you'll notice who owns the highest abortion rates in the world - the Caribbean (65 per 1000 women at reproductive age). I know some reading this article will point toward other Caribbean neighbors you feel are the likely culprits; however, those who have lived in Cayman for many years or are from here are aware of the secret underbelly of "quick trips to Miami" that, regrettably, are not shopping-related. One local and trustworthy friend of ours estimated she knows of close to a dozen persons who have received abortions, though she surmises their are far more who keep it quiet. Admittedly, this is all restricted to anecdotal evidence as there isn't any empirical research exclusive to Cayman as far as I am aware.

4. Law doesn't change behavior. The Lancet findings also reveal that countries with laws making abortion illegal do not have lower abortion rates. These results can be misleading, but they at least suggest that illegality plays a relatively minor factor in the performing an abortion. In other words, law doesn't mitigate a person's desire or behavior. This is not a shocker for those who know Jesus and read their Bible. Scripture attests to the law's impotency and that it is only grace that trains us to say "no" (Titus 2:11-12). This is not to suggest that Christians shouldn't strive to make their voices heard with regard to their respective national laws. We are called to "do justice" (Micah 6:8), especially on behalf of the most vulnerable (Jeremiah 22:3). Rather, we are naive to think that the legal solution will change the hearts and minds of those who are thinking, desiring, planning toward terminating a pregnancy as their best option. 

5. Adopted people Adopt. Adoption as a specifically religious truth is unique to Christianity. The Bible outlines adoption as God's choice of me as his son irrespective of my behavior or merits. The choice occurs before we were born: "He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" (Ephesians 1:5). The choice is experienced when we trust and receive Jesus: "Yet to all who received [Jesus], to those who believe in his name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). You who were otherwise abandoned now trust Christ neither because you willed it nor because you were well-behaved, but because the Father picked you. So when I hear about or consider a child being willfully abandoned to death, my heart wants to repeat what has been done for me. I am not saying that everyone is called to adopt, but local families of God who are actively reminding one another of what's been done for them through Jesus, should be readily inclined to plead: "Please ask us for help before you terminate your pregnancy!"

If you or someone you know is contemplating such a decision, please talk with myself or Katie. We would be interested in gently respecting your privacy and gladly working with you in a nonjudgmental manner to either adopt the child ourselves or find someone like-minded who will. 

Your work & what God says about the contribution you are making

We are all panting through the dog-days of August and so it seems appropriate to throw some encouragement your way re: your job (a.k.a- what you do from 8am - 6 pm). I'll start with Psalm 104...

Psalm 104 is often called "The Creation Psalm" because it highlights each of the seven days of Creation in a way that says - "Hey earthlings, I'm still creating!!" God is still working the earth to make it inhabitable and enjoyable for such as us. 

And so should we! In fact, what struck me about the psalm is its insistence that God's creation is to lower-case "work" just as he upper-case "Works" to make everything on this earth work how it should. Three examples: 

1. Birds. God creates the trees so that birds can create the nests and so make their home work as it should (Psalm 104:16-17). 2. Lions. God provides their food but Lions must roar for it, shaking their prey out of their hiding spots (Psalm 104:21). 3. All of creation. God gives, we gather. "These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up." (Psalm 104:27-28).

What a great reminder that grace isn't opposed to hard work, rather: Grace is opposed to merit (ie. that hard work earns God's approval and increased blessing). 

But I'm about to stray off-topic. My purpose is to encourage you who work hard that you are not only mimicking God as His image-bearers but fulfilling God's first two commands and, thus, contributing to the culture in which you live. I've been reading an intriguing and, at times, humorous book called Becoming Worldly Saints: Can you still serve Jesus and Enjoy your life? by Michael Witmer. I'll quote him at length here because I think you'll benefit from a longer draught of his writing:

If Jesus is the Creator, then he is the one who first commanded the human race to "be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Gen. 1:28).

This verse has five commands. The first three - "be fruitful," "increase in number," and "fill the earth" are shared with birds and fish (Gen. 1:22), but the final two - "subdue" and "rule" - are reserved for humans alone. These verbs are crucial, and perhaps the most important, part of what it means to be made in the image of God. Genesis was written in the Ancient Near East, where kinds were said to bear the image of God because they governed their realms on behalf of a distant deity. Genesis democratizes the image by declaring that every human bears the image of God, not just kings. God made us as the climax of creation to rule the world on his behalf, and we each are responsible to mediate the blessing of God to that slice of creation that lies within our influence. We represent God to each other, the animals, and the earth, and we will give an account for the God they see in us.

God elaborated on this priestly responsibility when he "took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). There is a tension with this double command. On the one hand, we must "take care of" or guard (shamar) the garden, preserving its resources for future generations. But we must not turn the earth into a museum, for God also commands us to "work" the garden. The Hebrew term is abad, which shares the same root as the word for slave. We are to serve creation, cultivating its raw materials into an escalating advance of culture. If I were God, I would have been content to command Adam and Eve, "Here is a beautiful, pristine world. Please don't break anything!" God expects more from his image-bearers, and he invited Adam and Eve to improve on his creation by taking it to a higher place.

We cal the commands of Genesis 1:28 and 2:15 the "creation mandate" or "cultural mandate." These commands occur in Scripture's opening scene, before the fall, and they direct us to develop human culture. Culture is what you get whenever humans intersect with nature. This is obviously true for metals that we twist into trumpets and cotton that we weave into shirts, but it's also true about more advanced technology. Your gleaming smartphone might seem several steps removed from nature, but the CPU that runs it is made of sand. Even language, the highest achievement of human culture, uses nature's instruments, such as vocal chords, pencil lead, and trees for paper, to describe a culture's place in the world...

Your job is the one place where you are paid for your cultural contribution. Someone things your efforts enhance the human endeavor, and they reward you with whatever they deem your work is worth (or perhaps can get away with). This is why the Paul told slaves they were serving the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 6:5-8). Their cultural contributions enabled them and others to develop creation, and so they were obeying the first command that Jesus, who is the Creator of all, gave to the human race. They were not merely serving their masters, but the Lord himself.

In conclusion, your job not only exists to make money for your family/so you can do other things you enjoy much more nor does it merely exist so you can share about new birth with your co-workers, pray for your boss, and tithe to your church. You can do your job knowing that you are fulfilling God's command of contributing to the culture in which you live and will one day leave behind. In other words, the work itself is intrinsically valuable not just as a vehicle to a mission field or to put food on the table. Your little corner plot to subdue, work, and take care of might be modest but God says you are doing exactly what you were put on earth to do.

Mud: A good movie for Men & Boys

I admit I'm partial to movies about boys growing up in the American South. In part, because it constituted most of my upbringing before my big 90210 move to Southern California that made me the pre-madonna I am today. 

The movie Mud (2013, PG-13, 130 mins, now out on DVD and stars Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon) is such a movie based in the American South and explores the ability of men to continue to hope in enduring love versus the alternative of hardening to it. Here's a fuller review and summary from a Christian point-of-view, I just want to mention 3 things that make this movie worth taking in - especially if you are a man and even more especially if you are a man with boys who are 13+. It is PG-13 so that should be fair warning about violence, language, etc.

1. Rural men who are not characterized by being tough & grizzled. This doesn't mean the four key men in the story (Mud, the boy, the father, the sniper) aren't these qualities to some extent - but it's not what characterizes them. In fact, writer/director Jeff Nichols does a brilliant job of characterizing these men primarily by love or, at least, their hope in love without making it come across as effeminate in the eyes of the typical male viewer. This is very refreshing and provides a visual, albeit imperfect (this is still Hollywood), for men in their 20s and 30s as well as boys for the expression of a robust and masculine love. 

2. Rural people who are not characterized by the hypocrisy or emptiness of religion/the church. Every line of Psalm 136 includes the refrain: "His steadfast love endures forever." This movie explores whether or not men can believe this even though their is no meaningful mention of "God" in the film (with the exception of one brutal man who asks his henchmen to pray for the death of man who killed his boy - but he's set apart by Nichols so explicitly as anti-God that his request is almost comical and not a significant commentary on rural religion). But the absence of a meaningful God-mention is refreshing - and I know it sounds strange for a pastor to say this. However, in these movies Southern and rural religion tends to have a role - and that role is typically destructive. Nichols avoids it altogether allowing the symbolism at the movie's final scene to stand out and can cause one to think on God's enduring love without us having to wonder: "Oh yeah, but remember from the earlier church/preacher scene that the writer/director is anti-church, anti-religion, anti-God." 

3. The final scene. Disclaimer: I won't give away anything of the plot in saying this. The movie makes a bold statement that despite years of heartache and disappointment with love, men can still hope that they are loved and have the ability to love. Men can be more than just responsible and hardworking as their highest potential. How? Through the large and small sacrifices of others and the sacrifice a man makes in response. Such that the movie ends how it does - with hope and a sunrise all brought about by sacrifice. All of which should remind us of THE Man who sacrificed it all that we might forever know we are loved.

Give it a watch. Would love to hear what you think.

"Should Christians participate in Halloween?" (re·dux)

(This post is a re·dux of something I posted around this time last year. It seemed to be helpful to some folks - or at least received a lot of reads for my humble blog. So I thought I'd re-post now that we're in to October. Enjoy.)

"Should Christians participate in Halloween?" 

Admittedly, this is a strange image.

Every year I've managed to dodge this question fairly successfully - preferring to respond: "But the real question is: Should Christians participate in Valentine's Day? The origin of love according to Hallmark and the Peanuts card that Ramsey Rives gave me in 3rd grade is a Greek mythological figure who shoots arrows -- not Yahweh. Well, that's heresy right there (see 1 John 4). Okay, I'll wait for that. This is a legitimate and serious question and I've been asked by a host of persons about it this year. Katie and I have actually given it quite a bit of prayerful and biblical consideration over the years so here we go...

A word of grace. Wherever we land on these types of gray-area issues, I always encourage folks from Romans 14:4: “To his own master a servant stands or falls.” In other words, We each will have to give an account to God but we should not demand others give an account to us. But we often do demand, don't we? If not in word, through our attitudes or our judgments toward others about 'other' things (but really, it's all about that thing).  Pressing accountability is not true of every or even most issues. Most issues aren't matters of Christian liberty or gray-areas. Most issues Scripture is pretty clear about. So while we should refrain from being demanding of accountability about drinking in moderation, watching R-rated films, or perhaps (??) certain language we use, the same isn't true for "sleeping with someone" before marriage - some will argue that this is a gray-area issue so they can keep doing who they are doing  but Scripture (not to mention wisdom!) gives us clear instruction with regard to "keeping the marriage bed pure" (Hebrews  13:4). So with this issue of Halloween, some will walk away happy, even smug with what the Oelschlagers have decided to do, while others will be infuriated. Which is why my intent here is not to change a person's mind as to whether they should celebrate it. It ain't gonna happen. My hope is that, by considering the matter from God's Word, we extend further grace to persons on both sides of the issue.

Where I land...in my "Megatron" costume. I do not think it is wrong for Christians, who have a clear conscience in doing so and are not causing a ‘weaker’ brother to stumble, to participate in Halloween. Let me give a few thoughts to support that statement – allowing God’s Word to be our primary guide.

The counter argument. The two major points against Halloween:  (1) That we are celebrating an ancient druidic/Celtic holiday in which spirits of the trees were worshipped and (2)  add to that the continued existence of modern day witchcraft, sorcery, ghoulishness still celebrated today around Halloween (even though isolated & amongst a small minority at least in Cayman's varied cultural landscape). These are both serious matters. We are called to be “in” the world yet not “of it” (John 17). So we are equally called to guard our hearts from evil yet also be a friend to sinners. 

God’s Word. While it doesn’t speak to this issue directly, it does speak to a surprisingly similar issue. Namely meat sacrificed to idols/false gods/demons. 

1 Corinthians 10:19-31:  ¹⁹ What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?  ²⁰ No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.  ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.  ²² Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?  ²³ "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.  ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.  ²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  ²⁶ For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof."  ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  ²⁸ But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience-  ²⁹ I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?  ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?  ³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

A few notes:

• Conscience. If your conscience (see also 1 Corinthians 8) doesn’t allow you to participate & if God has convicted you it’s wrong, don’t do it until/unless God changes your mind. Far worse to do what you believe God has told you is wrong than to do it doubting with every timid step.

     >>> If you can in good conscience, dress up your kids, have them walk around the neighborhood & pilfer candy from the neighbors (but "Take only One" if they aren't home), do it without being burdened. 

     >>> If because of your past, concern for your kids, deep belief/suspicion in dark spiritual forces being harder at work, don't do it even if you acknowledge someone else's freedom to do differently.

• Idols & Candy. You might make the parallel of meat with Candy or with costumes. Were either dedicated to the Celtic figure Samhain or any sort evil spirit? Likely not. Could they have been, sure. Was that a Wiccan who just handed me a tootsie roll and cursed it with a spell that will make me prematurely bald? Perhaps. Is it likely? Depends on your culture, where you live, etc. But likely not (I hope someone put Rogaine in my bag just in case).

• So verse 28: “BUT if someone says to you, “This party, candy, costume is in honor of Samhain who we believe to be the Celtic Spirit of Halloween,” don’t eat it, put it on, participate. Lest we cause a young Christian or non-Christian to confuse our faith in Christ with hypocrisy. 

• Helpful? Then the next logical question comes from v.23: I can understand how the participation in Halloween can be “lawful” or “permissible” (NIV), but how can it actually be "helpful" or "build" someone up??  Great question (see two points below).

Your situation. If our children had a strange unhealthy interest in ghoulish, ghastly, fearful, & all things “dark,” I would certainly abstain. Also, if we weren’t being intentional about exposing our kids on a daily basis to the truth & light of God’s Word & the truth and light of the Rescuer Jesus Christ, then I might also be more hesitant about making much of any holiday lest they put all their hope & attention on a self-indulgent occasion to stuff themselves full of Laffy-Taffy (not to mention the potential of impish evil spirits...although they do act rather impish themselves after a half-bag of High Fructose Corn Syrup and a pint's worth of Red Dye #3) . If we ran into a haunted house or a block party that stressed the perverse, spiritual strangeness, fear-based entertainment, Katie and I would have no problems walking away from it. So I think, practically and with wisdom, you must take into account your own situation as well – being brutally honest about your spiritual state & influences.

Your neighbor’s situation. If you don’t think participating in Halloween poses a spiritual stumbling block for your neighbor (and that’s an important “if"), consider the immense benefit of participating, especially if you are trick-or-treating. There are few opportunities in our culture where people will actually walk up to our door and meet us face to face. There are few opportunities where we can actually walk up and down the streets in our neighborhoods with those who do not know Christ- and they will do this with you willingly and won’t think we are stalking them. Halloween can be a great opportunity to get to know people. I believe you have the opportunity to meet and enjoy some fellowship with the unbelievers God has put around you- and in a setting that they initiate. The ‘dangers’ of Halloween, for our family, do not outweigh these opportunities. Now, of course, being ‘separate’ on these days can be opportunities as well. It might be important to communicate your convictions by turning off the light and not answering the door. I'm sure in some contexts God can and does use this. But Katie and I have decided that we would rather be overtly engaging with those around us on this night with love and wisdom rather than abstain altogether.

The response of someone with a different conviction than me. I get pumped whenever people go to God's Word &, with the help of His Spirit, get it. This past week one of the person's with whom I engaged on this topic had a different personal conviction. She didn't begin to share my conviction about participating in Halloween, but she did look earnestly at God's Word & extended grace. Here are some excerpts from this person's response (which is right on!): 

Halloween is a very sacred day for those who follow Wicca - one of their most "holy" days which is where my struggle to feel ok about it all stems.   I fully realise that people aren't practising Wicca or celebrating anything with evil intent and aren't trying to glorify evil by celebrating Halloween so this is definitely where I get, just because I believe it is wrong doesn't make it wrong and it isn't wrong for somebody else to do it but if I believe it is wrong for me and I do it then it would be wrong.  Is that right?  LOL (YES it is anonymous person!!!!).....

I don't get any holy brownie points for choosing not to celebrate as opposed to another brother or sister in Christ who does but what I do get is that it is ok to feel the way I do about Halloween and at the same time make sure my heart is in check and not get self righteous and maintain a good heart attitude toward others that do.  Correct?  (Yes, and love the "holy brownie points" comment!)

In conclusion: No matter whether you decide to stay at home or participate, 1 Corinthians 10:31 is a good note to end on: “³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

I realize I responded to this question largely from a “family” point-of-view and you might not even have children, but I think trick-or-treating & carving pumpkins (not dance parties, club scenes, etc.) is where this dilemma is most visible. As just being at a club and partying is itself another dilemma over which we ought constantly to be submitting our hearts unto the Lord, examining our conscience, and striving to be ‘in’ the world but not ‘of it’ (ie. In the world, but with a mission). 

To balance out my family's conviction with the equally valid personal conviction that it's not glorifying to God to celebrate Halloween, I provide for you (BELOW) this Halloween evangelism tract, which has no doubt graced the bags of many an unsuspecting child, for your amusement/edification. My favorite part is the clown and the lone ranger praying together to trust Christ. Makes me wonder: Can clowns know Jesus? (subject of my next post).

Parents, Obey your Children?

This morning's sermon on Colossians 3:20 (Children, obey your parents...) was geared toward our children, youth, teens. Involved in the proceedings were a Wii Remote, a Squirt Bottle, and...a children's book called Skippy Jon Jones. I like the Skippy Jon Jones Series (in part because I enjoy talking in a Hispanic accent, probably wrong!!, and there's a lot of that required in these books). This one was called Skippy Jon Jones in the Dog House. But upon reflecting a little more on these books I feed my children, it's disconcerting that a child's disobedience is overlooked while he's lauded by book's end as the hero because of his imagination and creativity. 


It's the kind of thing discussed in this insightful article by Dr. Al Mohler, "Children Obey Your Parents." It's worth your while, parents, to read and consider - so as to not let solid, biblical parenthood drift into oblivion (or Disney TV tween programming).


Tomorrow I am off on vacation with the fam through the rest of July. So this will be my last blog entry for the month. Many blessings!

CayHistory - The deciding factor to stick with Britain: The Applause-o-Meter

It was 1989 and I was still an impressionable lad as I headed into the new basketball arena opened in Charlotte, North Carolina - the Charlotte Coliseum. Home to the NBA's still very new Charlotte Hornets. For it's time, the Coliseum was a state-of-the-art arena complete with  jumbotron, luxury boxes, and, of course, an Applause-o-Meter. If you've never experienced the joys of an applause-o-meter it is essentially a shiny device that makes simpletons (like yours truly) happy. The louder a crowd cheers, the further right the needle of the Applause-o-Meter moves. This is no exact science. Some dude earning minimum wage arbitrarily moves it from quiet to loud to (in the case of an arena featuring Hornets) "BUZZING." People cheered, it measured the 'true' rabidness of a fan, it was cool (please remember it was 1989 and I was still in awe of Tecmo Bowl on my Nintendo Entertainment System...I always used the Chicago Bears btw). Because truth (and thus history) is normally stranger than fiction,  a virtual applause-o-meter played a pivotal role in early 1960s here in Cayman at the precipice a decision that would radically determine the country's future. 

This is the fourth of my series of blog entries on Cayman History & Culture as a way of assisting those of us less familiar with either to be thinking about the people among whom and the place in which we live. Most of this is derived directly from a book I've finally finished: He hath Founded it Upon the Seas: A History of the Cayman Islands and their People by Michael Craton. Today's topic: Deciding Upon Cayman Independence. 

I've elsewhere discussed the strong historical ties between Jamaica and Cayman. even during the 1940s and 50s, the Jamaican legislature could still, in theory, pass laws applicable to the Cayman Islands without consulting Caymanians. 

Winds of Change. In the late 40s and on into the 50s, the winds of change moved Cayman towards a choice. A proposed new federation, headed up by Jamaica, was set forth: The West Indies Federation. Through the West Indies Federation, Cayman would be slowly become independent of Great Britain and politically ally itself more closely with Jamaica and other territories of the British West Indies. Cayman wanted to join if it had direct representation in the Federation legislature. This was rejected by the Standing Closer Association Committee, which in 1949 recommended that the Cayman Islands should continue as a dependency under the administration of the Governor-General of the Federation (ie. Jamaica). Cayman would ultimately have to decided between being subject to the Governor of Jamaica (who was himself subject to Britain...similar to our situation here in Cayman) versus being subject to the Jamaican Government (ie. the Governor-General of the Federation). On July 4 1959, the Cayman Islands received their first written constitution, which exempted them from control of the Jamaican Legislature and situated them under the authority of the Jamaican Governor, who was instructed to visit Cayman at least once a year. All of this sounds nice, but something was about to change...

Jamaican Independence. In September 1961, the time had come to institute this new Federation. But what happened next, few expected. Jamaica's ruling party, headed by Norman Manley, held a referendum as to whether Jamaica would officially be part of the West Indies Federation. But to Manley's own surprise (and it was!), the Jamaican electorate voted narrowly to withdraw from the Federation - Manley then proceeded to secure from the British government an assurance that they would allow Jamaica to become an independent nation, which they did on August 6, 1962. With it died the Federation itself. All of a sudden Cayman had to make a choice. Everyone wanted some level of internal self-government. The question was: Would that be better achieved through its political ties with and under the umbrella of Jamaica or through ties and under the umbrella of Great Britain. 

In this corner. In one corner you had the National Democratic Party (NDP) who wanted, above all else, an internal self-government and thought that could be best achieved under the Jamaican umbrella versus GB. Led by Ormond Panton and Warren Conolly, they targeted the non-whites and women, who were just recently granted rights to vote. They also targeted businessmen who were hurt financially by the success of Ducan Merren. Ducan Merren was the most active member of the biggest trading company in Cayman. Governor Foot wrote in a confidential memo (1956): "They own one of the ships which brings supplies to the Caymans and and though there are one or two other traders (principally the McTaggart family) the Merrens in fact fix all retail prices in the Caymans and there is no other merchant strong enough to stand against them." He goes on to note a major reason for their success is having no income tax. So, naturally, in our other corner you have the Christian Democratic Party (CDP) led by none other than Ducan Merren, Willie Farrington, and Burns Rutty. They doggedly supported links with Britain rather than Jamaica. They tapped into Caymanians more traditional respect for British institutions and leadership as well as their commitment to Christian values. More than anything, they appealed to "Caymanians fear of being dominated by a Jamaica whose standard of living was rapidly falling behind that of the Cayman Islands, and whose population was a hundred times larger and overwhelmingly black" (Craton, 316). In January 1962, Governor Blackburne arrived in Cayman to help resolve the issue by presiding over the vote in the Assembly. It promised to be a very close vote as opinion was sharply divided. That was until the MLAS from the sister islands brought to the Assembly a petition signed by 345 of the 435 registered voters of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman which expressed that if Grand Cayman decided to remain with an independent Jamaica, the Sister islands would pursue separate Crown Colony Status under Britain. 

The Decision. I'll let Craton tell the rest as this is where history is determined, as it often is, by a bizarre moment.

When Tibbetts presented the petition to the Governor at the Town Hall, Blackburne scrupulously inquired if the petitioners were registered voters. "Yes, your Honour," Tibbetts replied, producing a registered voters list from his pocket. Turning to Commissioner Rose, Blackburne was heard to remark, "Do we need to go further?...This can't be overlooked."  At the climax of the afternoon session, the crowd avidly listened to impassioned speeches by the leading proponents of each side. Ormond Panton put the case for a Jamaican connection, and his NDP colleague spoke for the British link. In a memorable judgment that Ormond Panton was later to call one of the "most undemocratic and dictatorial steps ever taken in the British Commonwealth," Governor Blackburne wound up the meeting by announcing that, having listened to the volume of applause given by the people to the two speakers, he believed the British case had clearly been won.

 In other words, Governor Blackburne assumed the role of the dude operating the Applause-o-Meter and using his arm as a pretend applause-o-meter (like was used to do at summer camp and at Young Life) tipped the needle towards Great Britain. And so it is, in large part, that we are where we are today as the 5th largest banking centre in the world.


Does that comfort or disturb you? If the latter, recall there are other occasions in the world's history resulting in good that have hinged on items seemingly far more trivial or just far worse (for worse, see the black plague giving rise to capitalism). Sometimes you just got to lift up your hands and be grateful to Providence for using a primitive, human Applause-o-Meter. 

Tattoos & the Christian

Greek for "It is finished"

As our own kids and those of some good friends romped around our yard this past Sunday afternoon looking for plastic eggs, they discovered inside them your mainstream sugar supplements coated with colored dyes (each which are like a russian roulette of allergic reaction to our children) but also a copious amount of -- removable tattoos. Katie had stumbled upon a bunch of these and thought they'd be great for easter egg prizes. They also sparked a question with which I've been confronted frequently lately:


"By the way, what do you think about tattoos?" OR "What do you think about Christians getting tattoos?"


I don't have tatts myself, but next time I preach on Christian Liberty from 1 Corinthians 8, Romans 15 or otherwise, I hope/dream to wear those tattoo sleeves on my arms just to see how the church reacts. 


I do think, as Christians, we can be too quick to either say: "GRACE" and just assume the substitutionary death of Jesus automatically creates/entails a more relaxed outlook on all of life that permits pretty much anything; or say: "STOOPID" and demonize tattoo-wearing while either quoting a verse from Leviticus or just condescendingly giving someone the "Why would you do that?!" look. 


Let's instead engage with God's Word as we do some critical thinking on this subject. I managed to finally do so and I started to formulate a response - but then ran across a really helpful & biblically-serious old article I read in a Christianity & Culture publication called Critique (ed. by Dennis Haack)... and then managed to find that article on the interweb, which I've posted below. 


"Decorating or Desecrating the Temple?" by Travis Scott


Some quick thoughts on the above article:
(1) Don't click on the link if you ain't prepared for some serious engage-your-mind reading and reflection on this subject. This is not the one-minute read followed by "now I can get a tattoo!" sort of thing. He covers all the potential bases, some of which you likely never knew existed.
(2) I found fascinating the history of how various kinds of bodily marking and tattoos have been viewed by Christian cultures throughout history. Admittedly, Scott probably should reveal that there's more ebb than flow (more of a negative view toward the practice throughout history) - nevertheless, that there is even some very positive views taken by Christian leaders in different historical periods is interesting. 
(3) I also appreciated that this is written by someone who is inked. I think he is particularly fair, asks good questions of the reader, and the insights he shares at the end re: his experience with tattoos was revealing to yours truly. 

Paul's advice: Look around for reasons to Hope

Former U.S. first lady Laura Bush visits with Karen Refugees
in Thailand (Aug 2008).

I can't wait to tell you a (true) story. But first, a little context to help grasp its relevance to our lives. This Sunday under the big top, I had the privilege to continue to preach through Paul's letter to the Colossians. Paul reminds the Colossians of how good judgment day will be if they continue to with a rooted and steadfast faith "not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard" (Colossians 1:23b). One of the most reliable evidences of a genuine faith is an ongoing hope in the gospel over performance. When you mess up, screw-the-pooch, jump the shark (a.k.a "sin against a Holy God"), the habit of how you respond is perhaps the most critical inward series of decisions one makes in the Christian life. 


Really there are two roads to take: Hope in the person & work of Jesus Christ expressed through the gospel to forgive you of sin, restore you to God, and change you OR hope in anything else (your own performance and so in failure spiral into guilt & shame; next time - as in convincing yourself to work harder next time; plans & checklists you make so it won't happen again; the rationalization that "everyone makes mistakes")? 


Look Around for Hope. But hoping in the person and work of Christ can be challenging so Paul follows up "not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard" with an interesting statement:

which [the gospel] has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister (Colossians 1:23c-d).

Seems to be one of those verses you just read, acknowledge and go on. But having studied this a bit, I believe what Paul is doing here is saying: "Here's how you can begin to reinforce and access hope. LOOK AROUND and see the gospel spread before you. It made me - the persecutor/killer - into a someone who loves it & would give his life for it and it's influence is spreading universally ("in all creation under heaven")." It's for hope that Paul mentions 500+ persons who witnessed the resurrected Christ (1 Cor. 15:6 - Paul mentions this for those who doubt: "Hey, they are still alive, go ask 'em yourself"). It's for hope that 10 out of 12 apostles - simple men from different backgrounds die for the gospel (the 11th is permanently exiled...and the 12th, well, after betraying Christ he dies a death worse than anything in the opening scene of "Saving Private Ryan"). We garner a little hope in the fact that their are an estimated 2.5 billion persons in the world trust the person & work of Christ as we do.


"But Christianity is the norm." One of the major objections I hear to all of this, especially by folks from the UK, U.S., Canada, South Africa, and Cayman, is that we were merely "born into it." Christianity is the dominant religion in each of the cultures and so we were culturally conditioned to adopt and accept that "Jesus Christ died for my sins." The anomaly, the radical act is when people choose not to believe that into which they are born. That's a fair point. However, it overlook the hundreds of documented cases in which people from cultures/tribes/societies who previously had little to no Western/Christian contact were radically, supernaturally, & providentially prepared to both hear & receive this gospel. I didn't get a chance to share an example of this on Sunday and it's what I wish to share over the blogosphere today. This particular story (though there are, remarkably, many like it) radically reinforced & breathed new life into my hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ and is an example of what Paul means with regard to the gospel's influence "in all creation under heaven" (Col. 1:23c). May it likewise renew or reinforce your hope.


The Karen of Burma: People of the Lost Book. (Recounted from Don Richardson's book, Eternity in Their Hearts). In 1795, a British diplomat was visiting Burma (In 1824, Britain would launch a series of attacks against this country which borders Southeast China and for about a century ruled this otherwise closed and reclusive nation as one of its colonies). While in the more rural parts of Burma, the diplomat ran across a different group of people known as the Karen (pronounced "Carian"). The Burmese hated the Karen because they had stuck with their own "folk religion" and refused to adopt the national religion of Buddhism. 


The Burmese guide explained to the British diplomat, "This is most interesting. These tribesmen think you may be a certain 'white brother' whom they as a people have been expecting from time immemorial!...This 'white' brother is supposed to bring them a book. A book like one of their forefathers lost long ago." Upon returning, the diplomat reported this bizarre experience to his superior, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Symes. Symes in turn mentioned it in a manuscript entitled An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava in the Year 1795, published 32 years later in Edinburgh, Scotland. 


In 1816, a Muslim traveller happened upon a remote Karen village about 250 miles south of Rangoon. He was "light-skinned" and thus, according to this 'prophecy,' examined thoroughly. In a bizarre twist, he ends up giving them a book he claims contains writings about the true God ("What?! The Koran???!!"...wait for it...). The village sage kept the book wrapped in a muslin and it was venerated. Years later a anthropologist named Alonzo Bunker would live among the Karen and he reported that their sages would teach the people ancient truths through songs/hymns and stories. First, an example of a hymn:

Y'wa formed the world originally.                                                                             He appointed food and drink.                                                                                    He appointed the "fruit of trial."                                                                                  He gave detailed orders.                                                                                    Mu-kaw-lee deceived two persons.                                                                                               He caused them to eat the fruit of the tree of trial.                                                         They obeyed not; they believed not Y'wa...                                                                        When they ate the fruit of trial,                                                                                               They became subject to sickness, aging, and death...                          

Um...wow!  They believed that because of the people of Karen transgressed the commands of Y'wa (I mean how much closer can you get to Yahweh?!), they were specifically cursed with no books. So all of their sacred truths are passed on through centuries of oral tradition. Listen to another such truth that involves the temptation of Mu-kaw-lee. Having gone through a scene already strikingly reminiscent of Genesis 3: "Then Mu-kaw-lee replied: 'It is not so, O my children. The heart of your father Y'wa is not with you. This is the richest and sweetest...If you eat it, you will possess miraculous powers. You will be able to ascend to heaven." 


There are also songs of hope. Here's just an excerpt from one (think the Book of Isaiah): 

When the Karen king arrives,                                                                                There will be only one monarch.                                                                                        When the Karen king arrives,                                                                                          There will be neither rich nor poor. 

Despite the ubiquitous, pervasive and sometimes violent influence of Buddhist idolatry in Burma, the Karen held fast to the hope of these prophecies fulfilled - of a Book & a King.


In 1817, an American Baptist missionary, Adoniram Judson, journeyed and settled near Rangoon, Burma. After diligently learning the Burmese language, he found little response to his attempts to share with them the gospel. One day, a tough-as-nails Karen man approached the household where Judson was staying. Gradually Judson began sharing with him the gospel. At first, he didn't seem to be able to make sense of it all. But then this man, Ko Thah-byu, began asking questions about the origin of the gospel and these "white strangers" who had brought the message (and the book that continued it) from the West. Suddenly, it all fell into place for Ko Thah-byu, and he trusted his life to Christ. Concurrently, a newly recruited missionary couple - George and Sarah Boardman, arrived to assist Judson. George Boardman opened a school for illiterate converts. Ko Thah-byu quickly enrolled. Soon he realized he was the first among his people to read "the lost book." When the Boardmans were to leave for southern Burma, Ko That-byu begged them to take him with them. There, they baptized Ko That-byu and immediately commissioned him for a journey into the hills of Southern Burma.


Villages flocked to hear Ko Thah-byu until finally he and the Boardmans encountered that sage who had received that precious book from the 'light-skinned' Muslim just years before. They carefully unrolled the Muslin and opened the cover of the book, which proved to be: The Book of Common Prayer and the Psalms. Turns out it was the only book the Muslim man happened to have on him. "It is a good book," remarked Boardman, "I will teach you to worship the God whom this book reveals and of the greater book from which this is written." The sage consequently became a humble, godly man, having trusted his life to Jesus Christ. 


Well, you can guess what happens from here. Having clearly but mysteriously prepared a people to hear and receive it, God spread His gospel like a brush fire among the Karen. Hundreds of thousands trusted their lives to Christ. Within 90 years, 250,000 Kachin people (neighbors of the Kachin people) professed to trust Christ. 


A really cool "little-thing-through-which-God's-reminds-us-of-His-awesome-soveriengty-over-all-things," happened to me this past Friday -- I received in my inbox an update about the Karen people from Voice of the Martyrs Ministries. The email came to my inbox before I learned about the Karen people but didn't open and read the email until after learning about them. A local Buddhist monk recently drove 300 Christians from their homes after they refused to participate in Buddhist-sponsored activities & rituals. Voice of the Martyrs has helped them buy land, pay taxes, and already build five new homes. Seems that this is a people whose faith has endured, "not shifting from the hope of the gospel" (Col. 1:23c).


So when you begin to doubt the power of the gospel and start to hope in people, plans, pleasures that seem to provide at least a temporary balm amidst a cruel world, remember the gospel isn't just for Westerners, for the country of which you're a citizen, for the church which you grew up in, or the family in which you were raised, it is, in the Paul's words, "the power of God for salvation" (Rom. 1:16) and is effective everywhere - even in the most remote place - you might look. It goes far beyond anything our puny hearts or minds could dream up as a reliable hope - it was global before globalism and the age of internet and it will be the only global message when all is said and done. 


To the praise and glory of Jesus Christ!

News Article about one of Sunrise Missionaries' to Georgetown Primary

As I've mentioned before, I really consider each of these volunteers who work weekly with at-risk students at Georgetown Primary to be missionaries in the purest since (crossing socioeconomic, cultural, even national lines to care for people practically & with the ultimate aim of caring for them with the gospel).


A prime example of that is this article written about one of these SCC missionaries!


Please visit our GT Primary Page if you are interested in finding out more or getting involved.

Halloween: Do or Don't?

"Should Christians participate in Halloween?" 

Admittedly, this is a strange image.

Every year I've managed to dodge this question fairly successfully - preferring to respond: "But the real question is: Should Christians participate in Valentine's Day? The origin of love according to Hallmark and the Peanuts card that Ramsey Rives gave me in 3rd grade is a Greek mythological figure who shoots arrows -- not Yahweh. Well, that's heresy right there (see 1 John 4). Okay, I'll wait for that. This is a legitimate and serious question and I've been asked by a host of persons about it this year. Katie and I have actually given it quite a bit of prayerful & biblical consideration over the years so here we go...

A word of grace. Wherever we land on these types of gray-area issues, I always encourage folks from Romans 14:4: “To his own master a servant stands or falls.” In other words, We each will have to give an account to God but we should not demand others give an account to us. But we often do demand, don't we? If not in word, through our attitudes or our judgments toward others about 'other' things (but really, it's all about that thing).  Pressing accountability is not true of every or even most issues. Most issues aren't matters of Christian liberty or gray-areas. Most issues Scripture is pretty clear about. So while we should refrain from being demanding of accountability about drinking in moderation, watching R-rated films, or perhaps (??) certain language we use, the same isn't true for "sleeping with someone" before marriage - some will argue that this is a gray-area issue so they can keep doing who they are doing  but Scripture (not to mention wisdom!) gives us clear instruction with regard to "keeping the marriage bed pure" (Hebrews  13:4). So with this issue of Halloween, some will walk away happy, even smug with what the Oelschlagers have decided to do, while others will be infuriated. Which is why my intent here is not to change a person's mind as to whether they should celebrate it. It ain't gonna happen. My hope is that, by considering the matter from God's Word, we extend further grace to persons on both sides of the issue.

Where I land...in my "Megatron" costume. I do not think it is wrong for Christians, who have a clear conscience in doing so and are not causing a ‘weaker’ brother to stumble, to participate in Halloween. Let me give a few thoughts to support that statement – allowing God’s Word to be our primary guide.

The counter argument. The two major points against Halloween:  (1) That we are celebrating an ancient druidic/Celtic holiday in which spirits of the trees were worshipped and (2)  add to that the continued existence of modern day witchcraft, sorcery, ghoulishness still celebrated today around Halloween (even though isolated & amongst a small minority at least in Cayman's varied cultural landscape). These are both serious matters. We are called to be “in” the world yet not “of it” (John 17). So we are equally called to guard our hearts from evil yet also be a friend to sinners. 

God’s Word. While it doesn’t speak to this issue directly, it does speak to a surprisingly similar issue. Namely meat sacrificed to idols/false gods/demons. 

1 Corinthians 10:19-31:  ¹⁹ What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?  ²⁰ No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.  ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.  ²² Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?  ²³ "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.  ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.  ²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  ²⁶ For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof."  ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.  ²⁸ But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience-  ²⁹ I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?  ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?  ³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

A few notes:

• Conscience. If your conscience (see also 1 Corinthians 8) doesn’t allow you to participate & if God has convicted you it’s wrong, don’t do it until/unless God changes your mind. Far worse to do what you believe God has told you is wrong than to do it doubting with every timid step.

     >>> If you can in good conscience, dress up your kids, have them walk around the neighborhood & pilfer candy from the neighbors (but "Take only One" if they aren't home), do it without being burdened. 

     >>> If because of your past, concern for your kids, deep belief/suspicion in dark spiritual forces being harder at work, don't do it even if you acknowledge someone else's freedom to do differently.

• Idols & Candy. You might make the parallel of meat with Candy or with costumes. Were either dedicated to the Celtic figure Samhain or any sort evil spirit? Likely not. Could they have been, sure. Was that a Wiccan who just handed me a tootsie roll and cursed it with a spell that will make me prematurely bald? Perhaps. Is it likely? Depends on your culture, where you live, etc. But likely not (I hope someone put Rogaine in my bag just in case).

• So verse 28: “BUT if someone says to you, “This party, candy, costume is in honor of Samhain who we believe to be the Celtic Spirit of Halloween,” don’t eat it, put it on, participate. Lest we cause a young Christian or non-Christian to confuse our faith in Christ with hypocrisy. 

• Helpful? Then the next logical question comes from v.23: I can understand how the participation in Halloween can be “lawful” or “permissible” (NIV), but how can it actually be "helpful" or "build" someone up??  Great question (see two points below).

Your situation. If our children had a strange unhealthy interest in ghoulish, ghastly, fearful, & all things “dark,” I would certainly abstain. Also, if we weren’t being intentional about exposing our kids on a daily basis to the truth & light of God’s Word & the truth and light of the Rescuer Jesus Christ, then I might also be more hesitant about making much of any holiday lest they put all their hope & attention on a self-indulgent occasion to stuff themselves full of Laffy-Taffy (not to mention the potential of impish evil spirits...although they do act rather impish themselves after a half-bag of High Fructose Corn Syrup and a pint's worth of Red Dye #3) . If we ran into a haunted house or a block party that stressed the perverse, spiritual strangeness, fear-based entertainment, Katie and I would have no problems walking away from it. So I think, practically and with wisdom, you must take into account your own situation as well – being brutally honest about your spiritual state & influences.

Your neighbor’s situation. If you don’t think participating in Halloween poses a spiritual stumbling block for your neighbor (and that’s an important “if"), consider the immense benefit of participating, especially if you are trick-or-treating. There are few opportunities in our culture where people will actually walk up to our door and meet us face to face. There are few opportunities where we can actually walk up and down the streets in our neighborhoods with those who do not know Christ- and they will do this with you willingly and won’t think we are stalking them. Halloween can be a great opportunity to get to know people. I believe you have the opportunity to meet and enjoy some fellowship with the unbelievers God has put around you- and in a setting that they initiate. The ‘dangers’ of Halloween, for our family, do not outweigh these opportunities. Now, of course, being ‘separate’ on these days can be opportunities as well. It might be important to communicate your convictions by turning off the light and not answering the door. I'm sure in some contexts God can and does use this. But Katie and I have decided that we would rather be overtly engaging with those around us on this night with love and wisdom rather than abstain altogether.

The response of someone with a different conviction than me. I get pumped whenever people go to God's Word &, with the help of His Spirit, get it. This past week one of the person's with whom I engaged on this topic had a different personal conviction. She didn't begin to share my conviction about participating in Halloween, but she did look earnestly at God's Word & extended grace. Here are some excerpts from this person's response (which is right on!): 

Halloween is a very sacred day for those who follow Wicca - one of their most "holy" days which is where my struggle to feel ok about it all stems.   I fully realise that people aren't practising Wicca or celebrating anything with evil intent and aren't trying to glorify evil by celebrating Halloween so this is definitely where I get, just because I believe it is wrong doesn't make it wrong and it isn't wrong for somebody else to do it but if I believe it is wrong for me and I do it then it would be wrong.  Is that right?  LOL (YES it is anonymous person!!!!).....

I don't get any holy brownie points for choosing not to celebrate as opposed to another brother or sister in Christ who does but what I do get is that it is ok to feel the way I do about Halloween and at the same time make sure my heart is in check and not get self righteous and maintain a good heart attitude toward others that do.  Correct?  (Yes, and love the "holy brownie points" comment!)

In conclusion: No matter whether you decide to stay at home or participate, 1 Corinthians 10:31 is a good note to end on: “³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

I realize I responded to this question largely from a “family” point-of-view and you might not even have children, but I think trick-or-treating & carving pumpkins (not dance parties, club scenes, etc.) is where this dilemma is most visible. As just being at a club and partying is itself another dilemma over which we ought constantly to be submitting our hearts unto the Lord, examining our conscience, and striving to be ‘in’ the world but not ‘of it’ (ie. In the world, but with a mission). 

To balance out my family's conviction with the equally valid personal conviction that it's not glorifying to God to celebrate Halloween, I provide for you (BELOW) this Halloween evangelism tract, which has no doubt graced the bags of many an unsuspecting child, for your amusement/edification. My favorite part is the clown and the lone ranger praying together to trust Christ. Makes me wonder: Can clowns know Jesus? (subject of my next post).