A “post-antibiotic world”
One of the most unsettling things coming out in the news in recent years has to do with antibiotic-resistant diseases that are increasing at alarming rates. Such diseases are already killing 700,000 people a year and recent projections say that they will cause more than 10 million deaths a year by 2050. These are because of “superbugs” which have partly developed through our overuse of antibiotics. (This is some the reasoning behind the FDA’s recent statement telling people to no longer buy “antibacterial soap”).
News like this is often the fodder for people who claim that we are in the end-times and God is releasing the horseman of the apocalypse to wield his sword of pestilence upon humanity so that we will repent . . . as though God is devising viral DNA strands on His throne and releasing it on mankind (superbugs which, by the way, mostly torture and kill the poor, senior citizens, and young children and babies–not the “evil people” that such preachers often vilify).
In actuality, God is not behind this. A fallen world submitting to the lies of darkness is at play. Instead, God is behind two things. 1. He is raising up a church that believes in the doctrine of healing and walks it out. And 2. He is at work in the medical field, guiding people into greater wisdom. (For any of our faith-healing comrades on Elisha’s Riddle, please understand that doctors are on the same team as you!)
That being said, a potentially game-changing breakthrough has recently occurred through the work of a 25-year-old post-graduate student in Australia named Shu Lam. Lam has developed a “star-shaped polymer” that can actually target superbug strains and destroy it head on by ripping apart its cell walls. There is still much more work to be done, but this has been already successful on six different superbug strains without the use of antibiotics.
Scientists are saying that this is a breakthrough “could change the face of modern medicine.” It is also setting us up to live in a “post-antibiotic world.” Antibiotics have helped us out to some extent, but they have also brought much harm because they kill off good bacteria along with the bad.
The new NFL season
The NFL season officially kicked off this month. Many of us are excited for our teams to have a fresh start and a chance to make it to the Super Bowl. The Sunday living room becomes a sacred place of Fox, CBS, ESPN, good food, drinks, and family fun.
This also means that pastors across America will be forced to play their hand regarding their view on sports. Most of them will make 1 of 2 statements: 1) something funny about how he/she is excited and is rooting for the home team and “let’s go (insert favorite team here) and “ra ra ra go team go.” Or 2) the pastor will give the religious reminder; something about how God’s kingdom is more important than sports and how we need to deny ourselves and put God first above football and “real men” love God not football, and if you’re cheering louder for your favorite team than you cheer for God you have a problem, etc etc etc (this second pastoral statement stirs up a lot of “conviction” in the typical evangelical somewhat backslidden just trying to make the wife happy by going to church man)
But I’d like to offer a third perspective on the beginning of the NFL season and sports in general. Sports are simply adults who get to play games. Games are simply humans having fun in structured ways with rules. And games and fun are just the sort of thing that God likes too.
Let me get you in on a little secret about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The creation of the universe was the Trinity playing games. In Proverbs 8:30-31 it says that the Wisdom of God was “rejoicing” with God when They created the universe together. The Hebrew word however, actually means “playing” (as well as laughing). Wisdom (Christ) and His Father and Their Spirit were “playing” games when they created this planet we call home.
The definition of “playing” is “to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” This is exactly what God did when He created the world and this is exactly what sports is. (Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy PLEASURE –“enjoyment”– they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11 KJV)
So I have two questions and two answers. 1) Are sports inherently bad? Absolutely not. Sports involve people being themselves as those made in the “image of God.” Humanity naturally wants to be like their Father who created them and so… humanity plays games; just like the Father, Son, and Spirit who played the earth into existence.
2) Is it inherently bad that hundreds of millions of people get excited to watch NFL games on Sundays? Absolutely not. Sports are men and women looking for the playful Father that created them. Maybe NFL Sundays is God’s way of saying, “Look kids, I know church is kind of boring sometimes, let me give you something to watch after church that’s more up to My speed.”
Sports is humanity encountering the playful heart of God. Sports are a gift from God that reflects heaven.
“And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.” (Zechariah 8:5)
Enjoy playing and watching sports, it’s apart of our DNA and destiny 🙂
Tim Tebow’s first at-bat
This year, Tim Tebow signed on with the New York Mets and has entered into their instructional league, which kicked off this past week. At his first professional game, Tebow hit a homerun on his first at-bat. The commentators watching said it was very fitting for Tebow’s “storybook” like career.
No spiritual connotations here, just a cool story! Both in and outside the athletic world, Tebow is known and respected for his integrity and his love for Christ and we’re excited for what’s ahead for him.
Scandal and shifts in the banking world
Financial news has erupted over the past few weeks as several scandals and shake-ups have occurred in some of the world’s most influential banks. In the U.S., Wells Fargo has come under fire for the discovery of thousands of fake accounts that were set-up by employees in order to meet unrealistic sales goals. Many of these employees were fired, but more and more news is coming out that upper management played a significant part in all of this. As of now, executives are skating by with minimal penalties, but the outrage is growing, Congress is getting involved, and employees are speaking out more and more.
In Germany, Deutsche Bank is experiencing their own shaking as they deal with financial losses and try to sell off assets in order to pay penalties for past misdeeds (among many other reasons). Deutsche Bank is connected to all other major banks in the world, which has led investors and analysts to believe that this could create a significant ripple effect throughout the entire banking industry.
This weekend, we approach the Jewish New Year, which “coincidentally” seems to always line up with major shake-ups in the markets. In our previous 9/11 edition of the New Bus we discussed how this relates to signs of economic redemption and healing. The process is often slow and rocky, but expect more cleansing and renewal to come through increased shake-ups and crises in the days ahead.