Roger Bothwell

Recently I was fascinated by the intellectual content of the person with whom I was speaking or should I say lack of content.  He was a professor at a college where he had obtained his BA, MA and doctorate. He made mention of his comfort there because many of his colleagues were also alum from that school.  And so the cycle of information and ideas was repeated over and over.  The same ideas he had heard during his undergraduate years were regurgitated during his graduate education.  They were preaching and teaching to themselves. This person was teaching from the same texts he had been assigned as a student.  Granted there are some classics that should be shared by each generation.  These are not of which I speak.

The freshness of intellectual growth is the fruit of exposure to new ideas and new prospectives.  Without this the content of our lives becomes we and them.  We, of course, are correct, orthodox and holy and they are just plain wrong.  But we try to be kind and use words like misguided or uninformed, when we are the uninformed ones.  Ignorance is a frightening thing.

Knowledge is power.  God is omnipotent not because He is some gigantic muscle man in the sky.  He is omnipotent because He is omniscient.  He creates not because He is a magician waving a magic wand.  He creates because He knows how.  Thus it is that He longs to save us that we might join with Him in creative ideas.  To be like Him is to grow.  Yes.  He grows.  He is love and love grows.  Love is not a stagnate state.  It is an envelopment of life and others and reaching beyond ourselves to enhance those about us.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 27, 2017

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Mario Cuomo, governor of the State of New York from 1983 -1994, father of Andrew Cuomo,  a governor of New York, and Chris Cuomo, co-anchor for ABC’s 20/20, told the story of his parents coming to America from Italy with nothing.  His father came first and got a job digging ditches in New York City, he saved and was finally able to bring his wife.  When telling the story Mario fantasized a conversation that might have occurred between his mother and the immigration official on Ellis Island.  “What assets are you bringing to America?”  “I have nothing.”  “Do you have any family here?”  “My husband is already here. He is a trench engineer.”  “A ditch digger!”  “Yes.”  “What do you expect to find in America?”  “My husband, a safe place to raise children, freedom, and before I die for my son to be the governor of the State of New York!”   (In 1988 and 1994 Mario Cuomo was considered to be the front runner for the democratic nomination for president.  He chose not to run.)

“I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” *  Where else but America?

Often we fantasize about being immigrants going to heaven.  Folklore has us being questioned by Saint Peter.  “What assets are you bringing to heaven?” “A repentant heart.”  “Do you have any family here?”  “Jesus is my brother and God is my Father.” “What do you expect to find in heaven?”  “My family, a safe place for my children, freedom and never dying.”  “Welcome home!”

“I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also.”   John 14.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 20, 2017

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I love getting free stuff, which attracted me to a furniture commercial which promised if the Boston Red Sox won the first four games of the World Series all the furniture I would by would be free.  I would get a check in the mail, so the more I bought the more would be free.  I found myself sitting in front of the TV trying to think of something to buy, which was totally ridiculous.

Car commercials are a bit deceptive.  They promise $10,000 cash back if I buy their vehicle.  It sounds like I would be getting something free until I read the word “back.”  That means I paid them my $10,000 up front and they are returning what was already mine.  That’s not free.  I am just getting the real price of the vehicle.

Paul had this issue with the church in Galatians.  It seems that after he presented the Gospel, which is free, others would come and tell them, “Well, yes, but, you have to do such and such.”  Paul wrote, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all.”  Galatians 1:6.   Beware of the word “but”; what usually follows is heresy.  “Yes, salvation is free.  But …”

When I was little I loved parades because toward the end of the parade clowns would throw pieces of candy to the crowds.  That was free.  Perhaps there will be parades in heaven and the angels will shower us with wonderful things that are truly free.

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 25, 2017

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Anyone who has ever spent time as a patient in a hospital knows the medical profession is anti-sleep.  Maybe it’s because the staff that covers the night shift are resentful of anyone who gets to rest.  Last week I was consistently awakened at midnight to take my vitals.  Really?!  And then at 5 A.M., I was awakened to draw blood.  Now I try to be a nice guy.  I try to be polite and thoughtful of other’s feelings but when the phlebotomist came in at 5 and turned on all the overhead lights suddenly blinding me and producing visions of the apocalypse, well, let’s just say; I wasn’t overly Christ-like.  And then it occurred to me.  I had an epiphany. We all know you should always be nice to anyone who is handling your food.  I realized how stupid I was not being nice to a woman who was about to pierce me with a ten foot long needle!  And yes, just in case you wondered, she did make me pay for my rudeness.

Often times I excuse my bouts of rudeness by remembering Matthew 23 where Jesus isn’t “gentle Jesus meek and mild.”  Then I have to remember His wrath was produced by those with power abusing those without power.  My displays are because I feel disrespected.  There is a huge difference.  Jesus never lashed out when it was personal.

His message to us in the Sermon on the Mount is consistent regarding our going the second mile and turning the other cheek.  If we really want to witness we do so by our behaviors and responses and not by handing out pamphlets.  He did say, “Hereby will men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 24, 2017

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One of the most wonderful sounds I ever heard was coming home and hearing someone shout, “Daddy’s home” and to hear the thunder of small feet running to me.  The sheer joy of loving and being loved surpasses all other human emotions.  How very empty it would have been had I insisted or commanded such behavior. Love is only love when it pours spontaneously from a willing heart.

Revelation 4:11 is the reason why we are.  “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”  God being God could have created a world without free will or the possibility to choose evil.  He could have programmed us to daily give Him praise.  We would never have known there was any other option.  But He would know.  The praise would be empty and joyless. Love would not truly exist.  When He made us and our world He made the best of all possibilities.

The heartbreak and horror of hatred and disloyalty that arose could not be allowed to eternally ruin what can be so good, so pure and so excellent.  And so John 3:16.  Jesus was the full expression of the Father. We needed to know the ideal.  We needed to know what was intended and what will be again someday.  Love needed a way for us to be a part of that future.  And so Hebrews 1:2 “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 25, 2017

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I have a student who genuinely believes all the science involved in a search for a cure for cancer is a scam designed for a few people to get rich and all we need to do to cure cancer is eat raw foods and drink lemon juice.  At first I thought she was just spoofing me but she convinced me she was serious.  Oh, how I wish she were correct.  How wonderful it would be if it were that simple.  Something that wonderful could not be kept secret.  Good news spreads quickly.   This is the same student who did not know that our sun was a star.

Ignorance is not a sin.  At the same time to be ignorant is not a crown of glory making someone the envy of the world.  On my way home I thought of Paul’s counsel to Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  II Timothy 2:15.  I understand Paul was telling Timothy to be the best pastor he could be.  But inherent in the idea is a message for all who are not pastors.  Be good at what you do.   And to be really good at what you do, one needs to study.  We learn from those who have gone before us.  We stand on the shoulders of our parents and they on the shoulders of our grandparents.  We don’t have to start from scratch every few years.

We should study to rightly understand Scripture.  On top of that we should be informed about knowledge connected to our occupation and then to other arenas.  Unfortunately, knowledge is growing faster than any of us can assimilate.  Therefore, eternal life isn’t just a great idea.  It is a necessity.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 21, 2017

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It has happened again.  I saw a pregnant woman smoking and I immediately wanted to tear it from her hand and say, “How dare you harm the life of your baby!”  I couldn’t believe that someone could be either that callous or that ignorant.  Surely she watches television and sees the ads.  Or does she think she is especially immune?  I refrained from doing or saying anything.  First off, I didn’t want to be arrested for accosting her and secondly she would never listen to a total stranger.  But my feelings toward her were very unfriendly.

After getting back in my car and heading home I remembered Hebrews 5:2.  “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.”  I sometimes think I am becoming less patient as I grow older.  I’m becoming a grumpy old man.   I have to remind myself of how ignorant I am of so many things.  I’m sure I do things that make Jesus want to accost me and say, “Don’t be so stupid. I told you not to do that.”

Matthew 9:36 is a wonderful verse.  “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  All of us are ignorant.  It is just a matter of degrees.  (No pun intended.)  Jesus has very carefully given us instructions for how to care for ourselves and others.  Those instructions are called the Ten Commandments.  So often we think of them as regulations for heavenly acceptance and forget their real purpose was to deal with our ignorance.  Isn’t it amazing that God had to tell us not to steal?  Surely we could have figured that out on our own.  Alas.  Ignorance abounds.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 22, 2017

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I am reminded of the literally thousands of prayers I have heard in churches since I was a child.  Often the suppliant begins, “Oh, mighty God, ruler of the world, master of the universe, Father of our magnificent savior Jesus Christ.”  That goes on for a while and the second half of the prayer is a list of prayer requests.

Have we never read Matthew 7:11?  “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

As a father I would have been extremely put off had my sons ever approached me when they needed something by saying, “Oh, wonderful and generous father, who truly lives up to the greeting cards that say, ‘Best Dad Ever.’”  I think that would have most likely guaranteed they would not get what they wanted.

God knows our needs and our wants.  He wants us to live the abundant life and yes we should thank Him and praise Him for His goodness to us.  But when it borders on psychologically trying to manipulate Him I doubt if He is pleased.  When Jesus told us to call God Father there was an important reason.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 24, 2017

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There truly is a lot of fake news and most of it circulates on Facebook.  It seems the more outrageous the story the faster people pass it on.  It was said that President Trump gave Germany’s Angela Merkel a multi-billion dollar invoice for past NATO expenses.  Both the United States government and the German government have stated it did not happen. But it made for an interesting few moments when we first read it.

Spreading fake news is nothing new. Please note the story of Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28:12-15.  “When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.”

So there is fake news, real news, bad news and best of all Good News.  When one thinks seriously about the Good News, it really is outrageous.  The disciples would have loved Facebook.  Outrageous news spreads.  Paul addresses this issue in Romans 5:19.   “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”  And so the Good News spread. Yet the task is not yet finished.  It is up to us in the 21st Century to use the modern tools God has given us.  Today there isn’t any corner of the world that cannot hear.  Isn’t it time we all posted the Good News instead of what we had for breakfast?

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 29, 2017

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In II Corinthians 3:6 Paul wrote, “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  I have watched good people struggle in a diminished state of despair over their inability to perfectly keep God’s law.  When they are honest with themselves they know deep down they don’t measure up.  Trying to keep the letter of the law kills.  The alternative is to be filled with the Spirit and understand the law in terms of love, true justice and safety from harm.  Keeping the spirit of the law brings life and joy because God gave us minds to discern how a loving person will react in any situation.  With the power of the Spirit that we CAN do!

Once grasped we can begin to understand Ecclesiastics 3. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, . . . a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

A life in Christ is a life of comprehension of what the law is and that true obedience is responding to the spirit and not the letter.

Written by Roger Bothwell on March 16, 2017

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