ChrisChowdhury.com

Seeing Myself Through Someone Else’s Eyes

Published November 16, 2008 General 5 Comments
Tags: reality, art, Christ, seeing, portraits, 1 Corinthians 13, Starbucks, caricature, drawing, image

Yesterday, I headed out to the nearest Starbucks, grabbed a tall drip with plenty of room, and sat down in a comfy corner to study the book of Joel and write a little bit. It was a much needed time to focus on God. As I was studying though, something in my periphery caught my eye - a caricature. An artist called Illy sat there to my left with a stack of blank paper and a fine-tip marker and slipped me a finished portrait he quickly created while I was unaware. It’s a great drawing. I especially like the Detroit skyline in the background.

Once I received my drawing, I noticed almost everyone else in the shop had their own portrait thanks to Illy. He continued working through the stack of paper as though each sheet was meant for someone in particular and he didn’t want them to miss out. Most people were amused with the drawings. Some, a little embarrassed, but gracious to let Illy practice his talent. Other patrons were not very impressed or pleased he would depict them on paper without warning. One departing customer shucked Illy’s extension to take their unfinished portrait saying, “That’s not me!”

There’s something provocative about seeing your own image…
through objective eyes.

When you don’t know you’re being drawn, you don’t have the chance to strike a pose and the artist has nothing to go on except what is clearly seen. To be honest, I didn’t like Illy’s portrait of myself when I first looked at it. I was caught off guard and thought, “Is that really what I look like?” With nothing more than smooth paper, a black marker, and many inconspicuous glances my way, this artist showed me how I still have my father’s eyes, my mother’s nose, and more often then not, a look on my face that reminds me of them both. This is me.

As I continue to look, I have to ask myself: Do I see Christ? Are my eyes looking with compassion? Is that exhaustion I see or is my strength being renewed? Would I approach this person in the picture if I had never met them before? Are there words of hope waiting on those lips? I must remember, many will never see Christ unless they see Him in me. This portrait is a gift revealing the truth and the reality of who I am.

And I’ll tell you what I do see… I see love.

1 Cor 13:12 | Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

A Conversation

Published November 11, 2008 General 5 Comments
Tags: bread, Christ, Hamtramck, hope, Jesus, tea

Over the weekend, I had a conversation with a man from our city whose fallen on really hard times. His story included a recent car accident that left him in need of surgery and unable to work since. He and his family have been accepting anything they can from churches, etc. to keep food on the table mostly consisting of “bread and tea, bread and tea, that’s all!” Through it all he said, “But God helps me.”

Knowing his religious background as one where God is seen as an arbitrarily benevolent deadbeat, I knew he felt out of reach like this was just his life and there was not ever going to be more. It’s conversations like these where I realize just how shallow much of my thoughts are through the day. Truly, there is so much meaning in the words “bread” and “tea” that I would never have unearthed on my own.

I prayed as we spoke and asked God to give me words of real hope for him. We talked about Jesus and how many religions (including this man’s) respect Him as a man of God. My insight was to look at the narratives in other faiths that point to Jesus. I said, “They are telling a piece of the story, a small piece. The Bible as we call it tells the rest of it. The story itself though is all in Jesus.”

This seemed to connect in some way. After a moment of silence and a sip of tea/coffee I told him I had a family, too. I pointed out my wife and daughter and said their names and the name of my son. For the first time, he smiled. He looked down and then back up and said, “This is a good family.” It was as though seeing my family gave him some kind of hope. For this, I thank God and I hope for Jesus to make his hope complete.

Paraphrase: Hebrews 1:1-3

Published November 2, 2008 General 1 Comment
Tags: Christ, heat, Hebrews 1, Jesus, light, paraphrase, the Son

Hebrews 1:1-3 in my own words. I read this out loud over the city yesterday afternoon.

In the past God spoke to the human race through messengers. That is, until He spoke to us all through the Message Himself - His Son. The Son is the heir of the entire universe - everything - and everything was created through Him. He is the Light and Heat of God and reveals who God is all while sustaining reality and ensuing reality with the very words from His mouth. He gave purity and new life void of sin and now sits next to the King of Heaven.

Bored With the Sky

Published October 28, 2008 General 6 Comments
Tags: attention, beauty, boredom, clouds, creation, mystery, Romans 1, sky

Yesterday, well… actually, most days my friend Steve Gagne is amazed by the clouds and must stop whatever he’s doing to capture a few photos with his phone. It’s not just clouds either, he has great shots of clear skies, sunsets, storms, lightning, rain. Whatever’s going on in the sky, Steve is amazed and this reflects his amazement with the Creator of the sky.

When Steve tweeted that everyone needed to look up at the clouds and snap some photos I thought, “There he goes again. Always with the clouds!” But then I thought about it and I believe I heard God ask, “What’s wrong? Are you bored with the clouds?”

A huge question I’ve been asking God lately is, “How do so many people miss what you’re doing in their lives?” I was unaware I was doing the exact thing I wondered about. The truth: I was beginning to get bored.

Why do we get bored with God? Because we stop looking at Him and His work. The clouds amaze Steve because everyday the clouds are different. God paints a new masterpiece everyday and Steve takes notice. If I become bored with God’s involvement or presence in my life, I am likely missing something.

My prayer now is for the patience to look longer and deeper at the masterworks of God. He is active and creative right now in my life and yours. If we are paying attention, we might pull the cover off another great work. Even better, we may open the eyes of someone around us who has never noticed.

Romans 1:19-20 | … the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.

Pay Attention

Published October 21, 2008 General 1 Comment
Tags: attention, Hebrews 2, missing out, reality, salvation

Hebrews 2:1-4 | We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Ever find out you’ve been missing something. Regardless of what it is, you never want to miss something important. But when I do miss out, I usually try to downplay my disappointment: “I don’t care, anyway. I’m good. I don’t need to know [see, hear, taste, etc].” Uh huh, sure. Of course I want to know what I missed!

What about salvation? The scriptures convey the idea of salvation as something not to be missed. Yet, everyday, the reality of God saving humanity is overlooked and glazed over into the pre-rendered layer of life. This has been the story since the beginning: God saving us and no one even noticing. I’m a follower of Jesus and I still miss what it means to be saved everyday! Imagine living with no knowledge of the truth at all.

How can we make Christ known today?
(For ourselves, and for those who are completely missing the plot.)

Tomorrow

Published October 15, 2008 General 1 Comment
Tags: 2 Corinthians 8:9, Blog Action Day, Christ, curse, Genesis 3, poverty

[This post is in partnership with Blog Action Day '08 - Poverty. Add your voice.]

What does tomorrow hold? Many have enough trouble coping with today! Here in the West, we enjoy choice in how to spend our day (even if this includes going to work and getting paid). The more global experience, however, involves doing what one must do to survive. The idea of “tomorrow” can bring a lot of happiness to someone with all the options and great despair for the someone sealing shut one dark day only to open the lid on another.

Does anyone dread tomorrow more than those living in poverty? It’s true, hunger pangs numb over time. I’ve done an extended fast before (once again, though, it was by choice). After a few days of intense craving, the body almost forgets what it’s like to eat and most of the discomfort subsides. But this is only physical. At this point, the emptiness of the stomach begins to translate itself to the heart and soul - this lasts much longer. I cannot fathom what poverty even really feels like. It must feel cold. And even though the sun rises tomorrow, those living in poverty will barely thaw before the temperature falls again.

Where did this all start? Like most things, it all comes back to us.

Genesis 3:17-19 | “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

From the outset of time, humanity (you and me included) has striven to call God’s bluff and go our own way instead of His way. What does this have to do with poverty? Poverty is a curse - a curse conjured by sin. Curse is the perfect word to describe this but allow me to reframe the term. When God said the ground is cursed, He said it was “because of you.” Hence, this is not the product of a “grudge” God has with the world because we couldn’t play by His rules. It is the reality of our interests (wealth, power, glory, comfort, convenience, taste, thrill) getting in the way of the prosperity of others.

Last year, I read an article exposing corruption in the banana industry, specifically in South America. Discovering how my ability to purchase the fruit at a sub-$1.00/lb. price here in the States comes at the expense of countless lives and on the backs of impoverished farmers slaves created a deep shift in my thinking about sin. The truth is, it all spills over. Our world is broken and the livelihood of one will often bring about the poverty of another. We’re fighting over thorns and thistles, you see.

But there is hope, and only one.

2 Corinthians 8:9 | For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Jesus the Nazarene lived a life of image on this earth. The image He conveyed was that of the Father. By His death, that is, imaging the fullness of the destruction of sin, He completed the will of the Father. His resurrection and ongoing vibrancy - LIFE - adds another layer over the image: redemption. Finally, the presence of Christ imaged in the Church (the community of those who will follow after Christ into death and resurrection) conveys the hope for poverty today.

Christ is richness. In His suffering and poverty He made us rich. Tomorrow can be beautiful for someone more because of what Jesus did yesterday - even more if you will join Him today.

Politic

Published October 14, 2008 General 0 Comments
Tags: John 10:10, love, politic, prosperity, public welfare, self-serving

I’m fascinated by how the meaning of a word can change over time. Look at how the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines the word politic. If you look at the state of our government and the how many of us work together (or don’t for that matter) and live together in community (especially the Church community), we’ve shifted from the term’s more robust definition to its lesser, more self-serving applications.

politic

Wise; prudent and sagacious in devising and pursuing measures adapted to promote the public welfare; applied to persons; as a politic prince.
Well devised and adapted to the public prosperity; applied to things.
Ingenious in devising and pursuing any scheme of personal or national aggrandizement, without regard to the morality of the measure; cunning; artful; sagacious in adapting means to the end, whether good or evil.
Well devised; adapted to its end, right or wrong.

Did you see that progression? We start promoting public welfare (wholeness and health) and prosperity (success) and then shift to personal or national aggrandizement (self-exaltation) by adapting any means to our end regardless of right or wrong. To put it plainly, most anything we call political today has more to do with serving yourself than serving others. Oval office, City Council, church board, office politics, your personal relationships… we all have a politic.

What is your politic? Which definition applies to you?
In you work and life, who do you serve?
Public welfare. Jesus came so we may have life and have it to the full.
Are you living it? Are you giving it?
How do you see this word when you look at our presidential candidates?

McCain, Obama, and Other Graven Images

Published October 13, 2008 General 1 Comment
Tags: Acts 19, Barack Obama, Election 2008, faith, Hebrews 11, hope, idolatry, John McCain, new city, politics, trust

There’s an amazing account in Acts 19 where the Apostle Paul spends two years teaching about the Kingdom of God in an Ephesus lecture hall. Eventually every Jew and Greek in what was then Asia heard the Word of God and of the resurrection of Jesus. God even did miracles - healing the sick, freeing the demonically possessed. It wasn’t all low-hanging fruit though! Even sorcerers and those who practiced evil confessed their sins publically and relinquished their way of life to take up a new life of Christ.

As people burned up their scrolls and old ways of life in a bonfire, it became clear the place was changing. What used to matter to these people no longer mattered and what they once trusted in was no longer valuable to them apart from Christ.

God changed the landscape of Ephesus to such a degree, people stopped buying idols! Most people were probably pleased as sick people became well and those under oppression set free - but not everyone.

Acts 19:23-27 | About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

If Jesus wins, then someone else is going to lose. Many refuse to follow Christ because doing so would cost them their livelihood. Others refuse because the things in which they’ve spent their whole life investing will fail if He triumphs.

Forgive me for this, but I can’t deny the parallel this has with our election (and politics in general). Look again at the story above, but instead of silver shrines to Artemis imagine glossy signs for politicians.

Could it be, our politics and politicians are idols we worship in place of God? As Jesus changes the world and reengineers our hearts - our politics are worthless. Our trust finds itself in Christ rather than any candidate. Yet, some of us cringe when we hear this. For the last year or longer, we’ve fought disagreement viciously, rallied for our guy (or gal) passionately, and placed our trust in one potential executive blindly. In an election focused on change we hone in on the nominal and neglect the revolutionary. A friend of mine was recently berated at her workplace because she appeared ambivalent toward a candidate someone else found to be a messiah.

“What’s wrong with {candidate}?! Why don’t you like {said candidate}?! Huh!”

We who follow Jesus and know Him in truth as the Messiah simply cannot fall in love with a politician - no matter how compelling their platform. We believe in much more than politics. By faith, we hope for more than reform - we need renovation - or better yet, a whole new city.

Hebrews 11:9-10 | By faith [Abraham] made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Back from West Virginia

Published October 12, 2008 Personal 1 Comment
Tags: Benedict Haid Farm, ostriches, Parker Family, rest, vacation, West Virginia

We just arrived home from West Virginia where we enjoyed plenty of fun at the Parker Family Reunion (my wife’s family) and Benedict Haid Farm (a gem of a place to stay if you’ve the courage to drive up a mountain to get there!) I took the whole week off from work but didn’t really unwind until Friday when we were in WV. The weekend, henceforth, consisted of playing with the kids, talking with family, eating, reading an enthralling book, taking walks, snuggling with my wife, and getting up early so I can pray and read the Word on the porch in the cool of the morning and have huge walnuts fall from a tree and scare the crap out of me.

A highlight of the trip was worshiping Jesus on top of a hill mountain where, oddly enough, three ostriches reside!

Yeah. It was great! Thank you, Lord Jesus for gifts like these and for the rest we find in your life, death, and resurrection!

God Follows My Twitter

Published October 3, 2008 General 6 Comments
Tags: communication, Philippians 4, prayer, Twitter, worry

This week, I took a little bit of a sabbatical from Twitter. For those of you who have yet to experience the obsession that is Twitter, you’ll probably think I’m a weirdo for needing a break. True.

My initial reason, however, for this little Twitter-fast was so I could quiet the noise in my life and try to hear God’s voice. I was hoping there was something God had to say to me this week I had been missing because of all the tweets, posts, emails, and RSS feeds normally vying for my attention. I’ve been surprised, though, to find God to be very quiet. I’ve studied the Word, spent time in prayer, and then just kind-of… waited.

It seems God wasn’t looking to say anything crazy or stupid-nuts like I was thinking. Instead, I heard God ask a question:

Chris, if I were the only one following your Twitter, what would you tweet?

Seriously! Jesus is not ignorant of Web 2.0 and what He’s wanted this week is for me to say something to Him and Him alone! Let me explain. What is the function of Twitter? It’s a real-time syndicated journal of one’s life. Everyday, I jot down for the world (and my followers) to see what I am doing, thinking, hoping, worrying, praying… Many days, what I’ve neglected to do is share my life, thoughts, hopes, dreams, and prayers with God. Those of you who know me or follow me know I am prolific with Twitter. What the Lord asked me for this week is to be even more prolific in my conversation and communion with Him.

Philippians 4:4-7 | Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Our God is real-time, and He always reads what we say!

Does my life (your life) ring loud to God as a celebration of Him? Everyday? Are the events of my day autonomous sidebars where I ignore the presence of the Holy Spirit and I only see Him when I do devotions? Is the real presence of God evident to those around me because of the way I live? Everyday? Do I only communicate my concerns as worries or complaints to the gracious hearers around me, or do I present myself to God and open my heart to Him? Everyday?