Wander

We took some time to do some exploring in the small city where we are staying. It began with something really crazy. A drive to the top of one of the mountains that surrounds Surkhet valley where we are staying. 

To the Right is the mountain we drove up. The picture is taken from the roof of the small hotel /hostel we are staying in.

At first the road was they typical bad road that I have come to expect in this rural western Nepali region but as we went further and further up the mountain the road went from typical bad to unbelievably bad to "are we sure this is even meant for a car?" kind of bad. 

When we finally arrived at the summit, I took a minute to get my stomach out of my throat, then proceeded to hike around and see the sights. There were some small shops, and by shops I mean small huts with a few things for sale in them. 

It is a sheer drop from the top of this part of the mountain to the valley floor. When the updrafts are right thrill seeking hang gliders will launch from up here.

A short trail around the top gave us great views of Surkhet Valley which has become the new district and provincial capital so there have been a lot of construction and improvement projects in the works which means the roads are a mess, only short sections are paved.

We explored around the summit area for a while and began the stomach wrenching drive 

back down to the base of the mountain. After a short drive and time for recovery we made to a Hindu temple and worship area. The Deuti Bajai Mandir is the most well known Temple in Surkhet. There is a specially dedicated area for offerings to be made by the foot impressions of Shiva on a rock. 

This Shrine complex to Shiva (inside) is a hub of Hindu worship and religious activity at certain times of the year.

I am not sure what people offer to Shiva but I can tell you the flies really appreciated the offerings.There was one priestess there helping people with their offerings. There were also to women who were washing out one of the shrines. I suppose even the gods need baths 

once in a while. It is interesting that there are candles lit on the side of the shrine symbolic of prayers like Catholics do, and there are bells towards the front for prayers like the Buddhists. It seems that religious activity is religious activity no matter where you go. It is like... pick a religion, light a candle, say the right words and hope someone is listening.

After the Hindu temple we took a stroll through a park which was really a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the dusty roads and angry horns of vehicles trying to tell you to get out of the way so they could get by. It was about as close to zen as I have come on this trip.

Bulbul Lake is one of the bright spots in this dusty city. It was recently cleaned and renovated and now seems to be a hub for teens to hang out.

We walked around appreciated a few moments of quiet and serenity and headed out for the last part of our excursion. The site we were headed to next is perhaps one of the oldest if not thee oldest touristy site in Surkhet. A little slice of history is what I really love.

This Buddhist temple or perhaps shrine is better is called Kakre Bihar. It is a Hindu-Buddhist Temple Near Birendranagar city where we are staying. Kakre Bihar has a shaped like the seed of a cucumber so it is called Kakre bihar. The Nepali word 

for cucumber is Kakro. The stones of what remains are strewn around the site and you can see by walking around that they are recreating the intricate designs of the broken stones so that each piece can be replicated and replaced.

This temple is believed to be built on 12th century by a famous king who fell in love with the Surkhet Valley. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1866. Form what I can tell reconstruction this has been a very long process beginning back in the 1980s.

There is a somber beauty that surrounds this place. Almost like walking through a graveyard that even though it looks like it is falling apart you know there is some very old even ancient significance and presence to it. I wonder what it was like 500 years ago to walk the steps to this temple. I wonder how people felt as they approached its imposing size. Perhaps like the Europeans as they approach the Gothic Cathedrals of the middle ages - and still today. 

I suppose this is what religions do. They build massive and impressive structures hoping these structures will impress the God or gods they revere and honor. Religion wants to remind you how small you are compared to the greatness of the deity to which it points. They tell you this is where you have to go to worship your god so that when you get there you can't help but think how small you are when thinking about this god.

What would be really impressive is if one of those gods or God lived as a human so that they knew what it was like to suffer and experience pain and loss rather than just imposing their will all the time. Is that too much to ask? Hmmmm

Just a Meandering Thought...

Tihar

So, does anyone out there remember the sitcom, "The Office"? You probably remember Kelly and her on again off again relationship with Ryan right? Do you remember the episode where they go and celebrate Diwali and Ryan has the awkward meeting with Kelly's parents, and Michael sings the Diwali song? ...The Office at its best. 

BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling at an event of some kind for people from the office.

Well, I have to confess that at the time that episode aired I really thought that Diwali was something made up for the show. It was not til a while later that I discovered Diwali is an actual celebration in Hinduism. Well it is Diwali festival time here in Nepal and I am experiencing it first hand. Many people know it as Diwali but the hardcore Nepali people will tell you that here in Nepal it is the Tihar Festival.

This festival of lights is typically celebrated between mid-October and mid-November. It is the second biggest festival in Nepal after Dashain. This festival lasts for five days and people worship Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth. 

Businesses will put up strings of lights as a means of inviting Lakshmi to bring wealth and prosperity. These are the outside of buildings lit up in Kathmandu.

All the houses and businesses are cleaned and decorated with the belief that goddess Lakshmi will enter the house that is the cleanest and bring blessing. (Kind of like Santa but without the presents.) People light candles, oil lamps and other lights and the homes and even entire neighborhoods light up like an American Christmas. 

During the five days, crows, dogs and cows are honored for their roles in the life of a Hindu family with vermilion, (the red dot on the forehead) garlands and festive food for what they have done in the lives of their human benefactors. Crows are regarded as the messenger that brought news even during times when there were no postmen and no postal services. 

This dog was very honored on Dog day of Tihar (Tuesday). The red is a symbol of blessing on him for watching over the home or business of his owners.

Dogs are considered obedient animals and they watch over the homes as true guardians. Cows are also a symbol of wealth in Hinduism and they are also the national animal of Nepal. The festival ends with Bhai Tika – brothers’ day, when sisters honor their brothers and pray for a long and healthy life and brothers pray to safeguard the lives of his sisters.

If Nothing else Hindus are very mindful of the members of their family. It is a trend I have noticed in Eastern cultures whether it is Hundu, Buddhist or Muslim. Americans think that have it all figured out except we can't seem to get family dynamics figured out. In the East, family is much more important. I think we could use a little more of that in the West.

Just a Meandering Thought...

Surkhet

The final leg of my journey has brought me to the city of Surkhet. Surkhet is a district (the size of a large county which functions more like a state) in the south west of the country. Not terribly close to the majesty of the great Himalayan mountains.

A picture of our small team and a translator at the terminal in Kathmandu airport just before boarding our plane.

Surkhet is a part of the newly formed Karnali Province, (new as in 2015 new) and it is one of its ten districts. lt is located about 600 kilometers west of the national capital Kathmandu and can be accessed by plane in a little over an hour or if by car, eight to ten hours... yeah. 

Birendranagar is the district headquarters of Surkhet it is also the capital of Karnali Province and is the city in which I will be staying for four days. Believe it or not about 99% of this district is considered either tropical or subtropical. Not quite what I normally picture when I picture Nepal.

One of my first sights after leaving the airport

Actually this part of Nepal has more in common with the are of India I traveled to some years ago than any of the picture of Nepal most of us usually see. This province is the least densely populated province in Nepal. (Think of the difference between eastern Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts.)

I am struck by how remote this place feels. It seems like I am so far away from anything familiar and anything I have experienced. At times it feels like I am in a random spot that was cut out of a jungle - it is not the Nepal I was expecting, perhaps it will be the Nepal I need to see or perhaps it is the Nepal that needed to see me.

Kathmandu

Kathmandu is the capital city of the Nation of Nepal. It is in a valley so it is not what you might think of when you think of Nepal. You cannot see snow capped mountains, there are no Alpine Vistas. This time of year it gets pretty warm too. Temps felt like they have been in the 80's during the day. 

A view from the roof of my hotel in Kathmandu at sunset.

In the picture to the right you can see mountains in the background behind which the sun is setting. Those mountains are really just the foot hills of the great Himalayan range. I really wish that the haze in the picture was fog but it is the pollution that hangs in the air here.

My first night in country was pretty restless because even though we were in a major city, the sound of street dogs made it sound like I was in the middle of the woods surrounded my coyotes. 

The picture to the left is the sunrise from the roof of my hotel. Note the same haze

Since sleep was not to be found I wandered to the roof top for a little personal time of reflection and prayer. I think about the people I will be meeting and trying to communicate with. I think about how many have not heard anything like the message that is deep in my heart and soul. I think about how many would listen even if I told them it was the best news they had ever heard.

I am sure I will sleep eventually, for now I will enjoy a few sunrises and sunsets from the roof tops of whatever building I am able to get to...

Just a Meandering Thought...

Voyage

So our flight left at about 11pm Boston time. They sky was dark as we pulled away from the gate. During the flight most people had their shades draw and I did a lot of sleeping. I happened to notice one or two light spots in the cabin over the course of our flight but when finally landed it was still dark. I spent an entire flight in a seat in a plane. It was dark when I left, it was dark when I arrived. It was dark for all eight hours of my layover, dark when I left there. I did not see light again until began our decent to Katmandu.

Over all the trip involved a lot of sleeping and a couple of movies. The biggest surprise came as we were coming in for a landing. There is a lot of pollution that hangs in the sky here. So much so that many people walk around wearing masks. Apparently the pollution that comes out of the cities in India gets blown by the air currents into the mountains but not over the mountains and so it hangs in the air in lower lying areas like the Kathmandu Valley.

As I walked down stairs into the tarmac and I was greeted by a familiar face. It was a face I have seen though it can take many forms. Shiva is said to live in these mountains and from Shiva's hair springs "Mata Gunga" the goddess Gunga, which flows from the mountains and across the northern plains of India. Shiva is the most revered Hindu god in this part of the Hindu world, and why not, the Himalayan mountains are home for Shiva. For a little more on Shiva click here or here.

Just some Meandering Thoughts...

Layover

So I get on this plane... The flight I am taking is too far for a straight shot so I have to stop about three fourths of the way there. My layover is not just a couple of hours it is just over eight hours. So I get a hotel room, a nice bed, a TV where most of the channels are in Arabic and of course a bathroom with two toilets. That is the first time I have seen two toilets in one bathroom. But one of them looked kind of weird, like flushing would have been really odd. I figured I would use the one that looked most familiar when the time came.

So with a long layover there also comes some time to relax for a bit. I decided I should try something Middle Eastern since I was in the Middle East. I found the perfect local thing to try - Turkish coffee. The perfect blend of coffee, some sugar and a touch of Cardamom. It was a wonderful way to reacquaint my pallet to the wonders of middle eastern and eastern flavors and spices. That is until I got to the very last couple of sips when I realized that what was in my cup was not coffee, it was sludge. I actually had to ask the server if drinking that stuff was part of the Turkish coffee experience. He assured me that people don't drink the last few sips. I felt a whole lot better. 

The chocolate croissant was a lot like one I can get at Starbucks - which either says a lot about Starbucks or very little about the airport cafe where I had the coffee. 

Either way my first Turkish coffee was a success, and I look forward to my next one. I am learning so much already. Always look carefully at the apparatus in your bathroom, you don't have to drink the stuff at the bottom of your Turkish coffee.

Just a Meandering Thought...

Birthplace

 Nepal is home to the birthplace of one Siddhartha Gautama. As the story goes Siddhartha was a Hindu prince who wanted to experience life outside the walls of palace life. When he witnessed what life was like for those who did not have the luxuries that he took for granted he decided to leave that life behind to find a deeper meaning and purpose to life.

According to many sources Siddhartha Gautama, who became Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage center, where the archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Buddha form a central feature.

Nepal is still about 85% Hindu today, yet it seems as if it is more known for its Buddhist heritage than Hindu. I do find it interesting that the man known as Buddha had his start as a Hindu prince. Though there are significant differences I suppose it is interesting to point out that the man upon whom the Christian faith is based also started as a member of a different religion. Jesus was a Jewish carpenter

Nepal

Years ago I took a trip to Asia and experienced the breathtaking sights, the cacophony of sounds, the diversity of the land reflected in the faces of the people and the rich cultural heritage of Northern India. I learned so much about the history and traditions of the people of Northern India and about what anchors their beliefs to the land of their ancestors. I discovered things about the people I never would have otherwise learned and I discovered things about myself that I would have never otherwise learned.

In just a few short days I will be returning to that part of the world. To a region close to Northern India. To a land of deeply held traditions and cultural heritage. Nepal is a country that sits on top of the world... so-to-speak.

Nepal rises from as low as 190 feet in tropical Terai, the northern rim of the Gangetic Plain where temperatures can reach up to 110F, to beyond the perpetual snow line where 90 peaks over 7,000 meters including Everest can be found and temperatures can be as cold as anything in the polar regions.The average annual precipitation varies from as little as 6.3 inches in the north of the Himalaya to as much as 216.5 inches on windward slopes.

I go to observe, to listen, to share from my own life and experiences and perhaps to challenge some to think and see beyond themselves and their current circumstances to something greater than themselves. The best way for me to share my story is to first listen to theirs. That will be the first thing I do. 

Listen to the stories that surround you. Listen to the stories of hurt, pain, loss, survival and you will hear stories similar to yours. You may even hear stories that inspire you to do and be more without having to travel to a far off place. Maybe what you hear will inspire you to go to a far off place to inspire others.

Just a Meandering Thought...

RUINED

Genesis 6:12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

I recently found my old baseball glove. I really used it more for softball than baseball. Usually I played in the outfield. I've got some wheels and (when in shape) a pretty good arm too. (Insert story about how I threw a guy out at home plate from deep right field). I am not entirely sure what happened to my glove but when I found it there were white and greenish blue fuzzy spots all over it. If you got close enough, which I would not recommend, it had this musty stale smell. 

This of course is what happens when you leave a leather glove in a damp basement for a few years; untouched, unused and forgotten about. I literally put my hand in my glove and then noticed the spots. If you have any ideas on how to get it out please let me know! Until I get rid of the spots and the smell it really is unusable. Unfortunately for me and my glove, if those spots have been there for too long they will leave a permanent stain.

Naturally, this leads us to Noah. From verse eleven to verse thirteen “the earth” is mentioned six times and “to ruin” (translated as corrupt) is mentioned five times. We are meant to see that this ruining of the Earth is systemic, pervasive, everywhere. It begins with the ruining of individual people and soon becomes part of entire cultural systems. Put another way: the earth had become corrupt because the people had become corrupt. The ruining that starts in the heart or mind of an individual eventually affects the body too.

It starts with one person, and in time becomes part of societal and cultural expectations. What I realized is that even though the mold did not cover every square inch of my glove, even though it only touched certain parts, the entire glove smells, the entire glove is unusable. It is going to take a lot of patience and work to get my glove back to the way it used to be and there really is no guarantee that it will. I may be better off starting over with a new glove.

Just a Meandering Thought...

VIOLENCE

Genesis 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.

Maybe you heard the news story in 2014 about extremists of a particular religion in the Middle East doing door to door evangelism... sort of. The message of ISIS in Northern Iraq was roughly, "By the end of the week you must leave your home, convert to our ideology or die. If you missed that story here is an article from then so you can get caught up from The Telegraph.

Refugees gathering in the hopes of supplies and escape
(Photo Credit)

It was a campaign of intimidation, manipulation violence and the threat of violence. ISIS systematically went through towns in Northern Iraq and the result was a humanitarian crisis that brought in the American military for assistance.

Violence in some capacity is the result of unchecked evil.

The word “violence” in this verse from Genesis is a translation of the Hebrew word chamas. Think guttural, like you are clearing your throat, This word denotes any antisocial behavior or unneighborly activity. Elsewhere in the Old Testament it is translated as "malicious" and "cruel". Very often it involves the use of brute force or threat of force but it may also be the exploitation of the weaker by the stronger.

Amos 6:1-3 uses this word to speak against the powerful taking advantage of the weak and the rich taking advantage of the poor. Proverbs 16:29 uses this word to speak against the clever exploiting the naive. Scripture consistently speaks against those who exploit others and calls it violence.

What ISIS was doing in Northern Iraq that summer (what they continue to do) is the kind of "violence" described in Genesis 6. The threatening use of force by those with perceived power over those without power, the exploitation of the weak by the able, the poor by the rich, the have not's by the have's, When the use of violence for the exploitation and the intimidation of weak becomes the norm God knows it is time to step in and do something. Wouldn't you want someone to?

Just A Meandering Thought...

EARTH

Genesis 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.

Have you ever had a dream, a vision for the future, a hope beyond the present? Have you ever made big plans and had them spoiled, ruined by someone or something... poured yourself into a project and then watched someone else mishandle it and had the whole thing fall apart? 

Genesis six tells us that the wickedness of man had corrupted the earth. God had a dream, a vision for something but man mishandled it. This word "corrupt" in the Hebrew literally means to ruin or bring to ruin. The root of “to ruin” is used to describe the spoiling of a garment, or a pot as in with the stale smell and splotchy stain of mold. In other places it is used to describe the sudden destruction of peoples and cities in war, or through divine judgment. So in this word we have a picture of something being spoiled in a smelly splotchy kind of way to the point of being destroyed.

At the end of each day of creation we read “and God saw…” because God looked at creation and was pleased. By the time we get to chapter six God is heart broken at what he sees; heart broken over the ruin, the spoiling, the corruption of his creation. No wonder he wanted to wipe humanity from the Earth.

So at this point in the narrative God sees a spoiled dream, plans brought to ruin, a mishandled, uncared for, abused and unprotected hope that is falling apart. Does this sound like anything you have ever experienced? God knows the pain of loss, the angst that comes with the smelly splotchy spoiling of a dream? Good thing this is not the end of the story.

Just a meandering thought...

HOPE

Genesis 6:10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Ever notice that when a movie does really well, the director and/or producer start thinking about a trilogy? The number three holds special meaning for many cultures at many points in history. There is meaning to be mined that exists just below the surface in many points of scripture. Not a super spiritual meaning, not a key that unlocks spiritual blessing, just a fuller understanding of what scripture is communicating that takes a little digging.

Noah's three sons are named three times in the flood narrative; this is the first of the three times they are named. Any time you see a set of three referred to three times it is time to start asking some questions. Why are they mentioned? What is the significance? Where else is this group mentioned and where else are there groups of three mentioned? 

In the ancient world a son meant hope for the future of your family line. In this case not just Noah's line but all of humanity. Three sons was like God  telling Noah and the first people to hear the story of Noah, "Even though the future looks bleak, harsh, hopeless, empty, there is a hope for the future. This mess will not be the end of the story." 

We all experience set backs, we experience let downs. Those of us who breathe air have in the past and will experience in the future varying degrees of darkness. Noah bringing three sons onto the Ark reminds us that setbacks are not always just setbacks. Sometimes setbacks are set-ups for something more meaningful and life altering. And let downs are not always just let downs. Sometimes let downs, with a little letting go, can result in a lift off! 

I guess what I am trying to say is that the current situation the current mess does not have to be the end of the story.

Just a Meandering Thought...

WALK

Genesis 6:9 "...and he walked faithfully with God."

There are three men who are said to have walked with God in the early chapters of Genesis: Noah, Enoch and Adam.

Adam walked with God in ideal conditions, a place of utter perfection and peace. In a place that had almost no rules, not even have a dress code, where Adam walked with God in the cool of the evening with the divine designer of a perfect garden. In a place with one rule Adam still messed up.

We don’t know anything about Enoch’s situation but at the very least it was not the peace and perfection of the Garden. Even though Enoch had less than ideal conditions, God took him to heaven without having experienced death.

Noah walked with God and God delivered him from the flood.  We know that Noah had it pretty bad; yet he managed to walk with God in tough conditions.

Here is what I know: sometimes we are like Adam and we cave under the pressure of the storm. Sometimes we are like Enoch and God delivers us from the the storm altogether. Sometimes we are like Noah and God delivers us through the storm. God is still God, we trust, obey, look to, walk with, God.

We have little control over the situations we sometimes find ourselves. Sometimes life just happens, relationships at work turn sour, conditions at home become unsafe, family stuff becomes complicated… Love is lost and it feels like you will never find it again… pressure comes from unexpected places. God is still God.

May I state the obvious? Walking with God is not running from God, not hiding from God, not escaping difficulty, not a get out of jail free card. Walking with God is breathing every breath knowing God is there and knowing that that is not a bad thing. Walking with God is taking every step every day with an awareness that you are a living, breathing, thinking, feeling, miracle; it is seeing yourself in the mirror and knowing in your soul that you are God's greatest idea.  God sees something in you that you don’t see in yourself. God knows you in ways that you cannot know yourself apart from him. God accepts you at levels that you do not accept yourself. 

Just a Meandering Thought...

RIGHT

Genesis 6:9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Noah is described as righteous and blameless. “Righteous” describes a person who observes God’s laws and avoids wrongdoing. There is a positive and negative aspect to being righteous, doing what is right and not doing what is not right. 

The author throws in the phrase "Blameless among the people of his time". This is not scripturally endorsed relativism as if Noah was blameless compared to the people of his time. Rather, even though Noah's generation was so "wicked" God decided the best course of action was a massive uncreation event, blameless means Noah could lay his head down at night knowing that he had dealt properly and fairly with those he interacted with. No one could point a finger at him and accuse him of anything that even appeared shady.

We are meant to see a contrast here. The corruption of the Earth and humanity stated earlier in the chapter compared to a righteous and blameless man, Noah. The future Noah saw is described in the first verses of  chapter six. An alternate future, one God desired to create, may have seemed like imaginative calisthenics. The contrast existed between the future that seemed inevitable and the future God wanted for humanity. Noah knew he had a destiny.

The events of Noah's time are intended to show us not so much why God decided to uncreate creation, but rather why God chose to save Noah. It was because of the nature of the relationship he maintained with God and the nature of the relationships he maintained with others, his neighbors. We should also see what is possible when both are in good condition.

Just a meandering thought...

FAVOR

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

The term “find favor” is used of someone who has little to no power being associated with someone who has power. Someone of superior status helping someone with inferior status. To “find favor” is an expression used when someone is making a request of a superior. In Genesis 33 Jacob requests favor of his brother Esau. In Genesis 39 Potiphar helps Joseph, a slave, by giving him by giving him tremendous responsibility and status.

Scripture does not record many people finding favor with God. Adam walked with God in the Garden, but is not said to have found favor with God. Enoch walked with God but is not said to have found favor with God either. It is almost as if finding favor with God is not something that can be worked for or earned, it is simply granted.

Esau had an army at his back, Jacob had just his family placing him at his brother's mercy. Joseph was a slave in Potiphar's household, he was dependent on someone of a higher status for anything. Noah had no way to survive a massive flood he was dependent on someone with a higher status, greater resources. It was when these men found they had come to the end of their own resources that they could understand finding favor with someone greater and more powerful.

It is not our strength or abilities that makes us worthy of anything, not our ingenuity. Rather, when we recognize we don't have what it takes we become eligible for eternal resources from someone with a higher status than us.

Just a Meandering Thought...

WIPE

Genesis 6:7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”

At this point in Noah’s story you get the feeling that God felt a combination of rage and bitter anguish. It is a reaction you would expect from someone when betrayed by a loved one.

The Phrase “I will wipe out” is used of erasing names from records in Exodus 17:14; 32:32-33. The purpose of doing this is so a defeated enemy will be lost to history. If no one remembers them (their name) it will be as if they never existed. This phrase is also used of wiping plates in 2 Kings 21:13 and since water was sometimes used for this, the very words chosen may hint at how the "wiping" of mankind will take place.

Things had to be pretty bad for God to want to wipe from the historical record the memory of his once beautiful creation. God wants to make an about face on his creative activity and uncreate his creation. God is crushed by how bad things have turned out. Even the use of the phrase “I made them” makes the point that the flood reverses God’s act of creation. The terminology reflects the account in Genesis 1 and connects it to Genesis 6. 

Ever done something you wish you could erase, take back, undo, "wipe" from the record books? This God knows how you feel. If you read far enough you will see that not only does he feel what you and I feel, he made it possible for us to "wipe" the record (as far as He is concerned).

Just a Meandering Thought...

GRIEVED

Genesis 6:6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

Scripture tells us that the Lord is “deeply troubled" or "grieved”… his heart was filled with pain. The word translated as grieved is from the same Hebrew root as the word “pain”. The same word is used to describe what Eve will experience in childbirth, and what Adam will also confront in his working to make the soil productive. Man’s pain has become God’s pain. Did you catch that? God experiences pain, grief, sadness, because of humanity.

The pain that God was experiencing was directly connected to the pain that humanity was experiencing. We don’t often think of God as experiencing pain or grief but this God is not so distant from humanity that he remains unaffected by them. This God remains so close that man’s pain becomes his pain, man’s suffering becomes his suffering, man’s rejection becomes his grief.

We often think of God as grand, ethereal, out there, beyond, separated, detached. Yet our Bible paints a different picture, one of desire for connection and intimacy, of a heart that can be broken, experience pain and grief - one surprisingly like our own. Or perhaps we could say that since we are made in His image we are surprisingly like him, even when we disbelieve, disregard, or challenge his existence.

It is as if God wants us to hear him say, "that pain you are experiencing, that hurt which was thrust upon you, that burden you carry... I see your pain, I know how you feel." God would have to make himself pretty vulnerable to profound rejection in order to say he had some regrets. The only way to hurt deeply is to love deeply. You are never alone in your suffering, this God knows how you feel.

Just a Meandering Thought...

REGRETS

Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

In Genesis 1 creation was "good". By Genesis 6 “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” In Genesis 1 God creates, everything is good and he hands Creation  to incorrupt man. With the story of the flood God takes the land from corrupt man. It is because of the condition of humanity that Scripture tells us the Lord is “deeply troubled" or "grieved”… his heart was filled with pain.

Have you ever watched the news or read an article about events in our world today or events in your town today and thought that people must be crazy? Have you ever thought that it seems like there are people out there whose every inclination is to do something stupid perhaps evil. Seems like there is a lot of it these days. The Wickedness of the human race leads to an emotional response from God. The first three words of the next verse are perplexing: "The Lord regretted...". 

How does that even happen? Does God really have regrets? Do you? In other translations that word regretted is translated as repented. Yeah, God repented...? It seems like it is not possible for God to repent at least in the way you or I might repent. 

To repent is to change direction. The word is intended to conjure up the view of someone moving in one direction and then, for whatever reason, moving in the opposite direction. This is what God does in Genesis. In Genesis 1 He was the Creator, in Genesis 6 He was uncreating. Motivated by "the wickedness of the human race" God decided it was necessary to do something different.

This begs the question: if God could find the need to repent of something would there be something that you or I could repent of? Is there somewhere in our soul, in our heart of hearts where we know we need to move in a different direction. God moved from Creator to Uncreator. What do you need to move from? What do you need to move to?

Just a Meandering Thought...

SOUL

The Ancient Hebrews believed a name made a statement about who you were and who you were supposed to become. Some scholars believe an individual became a person when they were given a name, an identity. One of the first tasks that God gave Adam in the garden was to name the animals.

Noah’s name comes from the same root as the verb which means to comfort, to relieve or bring relief. The Hebrews understood that Noah's name linked him to his destiny, which was to alleviate the pain of the curse of sin. Noah had a destiny and his name gave it a shape and a direction, a purpose. His life’s direction, goal for living was to fulfill, live up to the weight of his name: to bring relief and comfort to humanity and ultimately to God.

I kind of feel like Moses may have been a little overwhelmed (I would have); the task too great, the destiny too grand. He may have felt too small compared to the expectations. Many of us carry this kind of soul level, heart level name. Some of us have chosen that name, some of us have had the name forced on us. It makes a statement about our value, what we are worth, our destiny. At some point we have all had a name that stuck to our soul, that defined our heart.

Sometimes I think that my actual name, my birth name, is more a reflection of my parents than it is of me. I have a soul level, heart level name that has come to me through life, but I have my birth name that has come to me from my parents and tells me something of what they thought of me. In the same way, I think God has a name for us that can redefine our destiny and redirect our soul. A name that may not fit now but one we can grow into with His help.

What if that soul level name was not based on our performance or experience, not based on our scars. What if it was based on the love of a Father who accepted us no matter what the condition of our shattered heart was? What if a new destiny, purpose, direction was right around the corner and we did not have to earn it? This is the kind of God that Noah listened to, the God of the Scriptures.

Just a Meandering Thought...

NAME

Genesis 5:29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.”

Have you ever wondered what your name means? Have you ever wondered if you would ever actually be the person that your name says you are? In many cultures today and especially in ancient times your name spoke volumes about who you were or were supposed to be.

Native American tribes have some fascinating naming traditions. The Mohegans believed that a person’s name would change throughout their life according to the direction their life took and their experiences; their name should reflect that change. Members of the Dakota tribes received a secret spiritual name that no one else knew except the witch doctor and the individual. Sitting Bull is perhaps one of the most storied Native Americans of the Lakota tribes of the North. He led his people to victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn against General George Custer in 1876. He even toured with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show as a performer. Before all this, he was a boy with a different name. Sitting Bull’s name before it was Sitting Bull was Jumping Badger. His name was changed by his father after he displayed bravery and courage in the company of other warriors during a raid.

The native tribes of early America had a profound understanding of the importance of a name. Your name says something about you. Your name tells people who you are. Your name may make a statement about your future destiny. Jumping badger seems appropriate for a little Lakota boy running around the tribal land. Sitting Bull says something about the will of a Lakota man.

We carry names too. Some names are playful like a nickname You may have because of something you did, or something you have a tendency to do (or not do).Some names remind us of our past, good or bad. Some names direct us toward the future. The native Americans knew something that many of us forget, names don’t have to be permanent. We sometimes find ourselves bearing the weight of a name we were never meant to carry, hoping for a way to change the name we have been given. We carry the name “Victim” and hope for “Victor”; we carry “Looser and hope for the name “Achiever”. One of the core values of grace is that nothing has to be permanent.

Jumping Badger's name became Sitting Bull after a display of bravery.What is your "name"? What key moments have defined you, made you who you are? What achievements do you hold up for everyone to see? What losses do you hide? Nothing has to define you... name you for ever. 

Just a meandering thought...