by Michael E. Brooks

"And he came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near" (Ephesians 2:17).

Isolation is a dreadful experience. Whether it be quarantine because of communicable disease, exile because of political oppression, or solitary confinement as punishment, any form of isolation causes anxiety and distress.

In more than fifteen years of travel to parts of the world usually considered undeveloped, there have been occasions when I have been cut off from communication with home and family for several days at a time, or even longer. Maybe I should be used to it, but the unease associated with isolation continues. Today, for example, I learned that the ferry which crosses the major river between our school in Khulna, Bangladesh and Dhaka, the capitol, has been closed for two days because of high water. Since I have plans to travel to Dhaka later this week to meet my wife who is on her way to join me, that caused a few minutes of concern. For a brief time I felt cut off. Then I realized that there are alternate ways of traveling, and, besides, a call ascertained that the ferry is once again open. I breathed a sigh of relief.

There is, however, a far more serious condition of isolation described in the Bible. "At that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). Sin has separated us from God. We who were made in his image, to enjoy constant fellowship with our Creator and Father, are cut off and banished because of our rebellion. As Adam was expelled from Eden, so we are without God and without hope, so long as we are in sin.

But we do not have to be separated. "He came and preached peace." Jesus has brought us back near to God, and has reconciled us to him by the power of his grace and love. We are no longer strangers and aliens, banished from his presence. We may know the warmth of his love and the blessings of his salvation through Christ.

I may be twelve thousand miles from home, but I feel close and in fellowship with my family so long as I can communicate with them. Telephones and email make isolation more bearable, or really remove it almost entirely. No, it is not the same as being in their physical presence, but it is surely not the same as not hearing from one another, either.

Our fellowship with God is, while we are on this earth, more nearly experienced as communication than as physical presence. Yes, he dwells in us through his Spirit (Ephesians 2:22), but we experience him essentially in a less direct manner. It is through prayer and the comfort of scripture that we may have the most direct exposure and communication with God and with Christ. In our worship and devotion we are assured of their presence, and we in turn express our awareness of them.

My point is this: If we fail to communicate we are still as if isolated. The blessed reconciliation of Christ does us little good. One may reissue a passport to an exile, but if he does not use it to travel, his exile does not end. The fact that he can return does not change his separated state. Too many who claim faith in Christ still live in exile, failing to establish and maintain meaningful communication with God.

Do you spend time in prayer, study and worship? Are you in fellowship, or still separated and alone, in spite of a profession of faith. If so, it is your own doing, and, thankfully, you have the power to change it. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:22).

By Michael E. Brooks

"Give unto the Lord O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty ... The Lord sat enthroned at the flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace" (Psalm 29:1-4,10,11).

Storms are awe-inspiring. In southern Bangladesh we have for the past five days been in the path of a low-pressure system coming up from the Bay of Bengal. We have had almost constant rain and several days of strong winds. At times there has been lightening and thunder. We have surely heard "the voice of the Lord." Our experience here pales however beside that of the witnesses of hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan in the southeastern United States and the islands of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Winds up to 150 miles per hour, rainfall measured in feet, and billions of dollars in damage are evidence of the power of such storms.

During this same season, other parts of the world have also experienced hurricanes or typhoons. Japan was hard hit, and other parts of Asia have also been struck. No doubt there were storms elsewhere that did not receive the same attention. Constant in all these occurrences is the tremendous power of the forces of nature, and the wonder with which we observe them.

In Psalm 29 David is describing the glory of God as revealed not in destructive storm, but in the life-giving rainfall which Israel receives coming out of the Mediterranean Sea. First there are the clouds and the lightening and thunder over the Sea (vv. 3,4). Then comes the wind, blowing the trees along the coastal ridges (vv. 5-7). Finally there is the rain itself falling on the interior, accompanied by wind and the sound of thunder (vv 8,9). Evident in each of these is the power and glory of God. The rain is his gift. Nature is His domain.

This conviction is not without problems. It is easy and uplifting to credit God with the blessed gift of rain which enables our crops and gardens to prosper. His "smile" in the beauty of the sunrise, and his warm embrace in the golden glow of a spring afternoon are pleasant affirmations of faith. But if God is credited with the blessings of Nature's bounty, is he also to be blamed for the destruction of nature's wrath? Scores of people have died in these recent storms. Thousands of homes have been destroyed. Is this to God's glory? Does it compel our praise?

These are not easy questions with which to wrestle. God's role in human suffering has always been one of the greatest philosophical and theological problems known to us. There are no pat answers.

Perhaps we need to recognize that God's nature is as infinite and complex as the manifestations of nature in the world of his creation. There is gentle life-giving rain, and there is destructive, hurricane. So too, God is love, and yet he is also the God of wrath and everlasting destruction. These concepts are not easy to reconcile. Yet they are repeatedly and clearly affirmed in Scripture. It seems to me that they are just as clearly affirmed in the revelation of nature. God's love is seen in the gentle rain, his wrath in the storm. Does that mean that every victim of storm is an intended recipient of judgment? No, but it is a demonstration of the complexity and infinitude of the nature of our God. And it is motive for our worship and our awe.

By Michael E. Brooks

"And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last" (Luke 13:30).

The reversal of fortunes through Divine intervention is a frequent theme of the teachings of Jesus and of the writers of the New Testament. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:25). "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10). Yet perhaps no text in Scripture teaches this doctrine more emphatically than the Old Testament book of Esther. One might say it is the plot of the entire book.

In the story of Esther, Haman, the second most powerful man in the kingdom of Persia, becomes very angry with Mordecai, a Jew and minor official in the King's court. He determines to kill Mordecai and all his kinsmen, that is, all the Jews. Through various twists in the succeeding events, their roles are exchanged and their fates reversed. Haman is hanged on a gallows he had built for Mordecai's execution. The Jews defeat their enemies, and Mordecai receives Haman's wealth and his position of power in the kingdom.

An interesting feature of the book of Esther is that it is made apparent throughout the book that these outcomes are the result of Divine intervention and that providence is supervising the events, without ever once mentioning God or the subjects of faith or religion. One can only speculate as to why the author avoids explicit mention of these things, but the omission is glaring.

We often seem to feel that only direct, even offensive, displays of our faith are adequate to make us "worthy" of the name Christian. Certainly I would want to say nothing to discourage boldness in preaching and living the Gospel. Courageous, public proclamation is often demanded by circumstance. But is there not also a place for quiet, confident reliance upon the power of righteous living? The existence, power, and love of God for his people is, it seems to me, quite evident in Esther. The fact that his name doesn't appear in the book in no way disqualifies it as a story of faith. So it is that sometimes our lives may proclaim the gospel without spoken words, and especially without ostentatious display. I am reminded of Peter's advice to Christian wives of unbelieving husbands:

"Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear (1 Peter 3:1,2).

Christians today are threatened with loss of freedoms to express their religion publicly, even in democracies. They lack those freedoms altogether in many other places. We certainly champion the exercise and retention of religious freedom, but where it is lacking, or if it is lost, there is still ample opportunity to profess our faith by the lives we live. Our message is powerful. Means of sharing it are many. Let us be always open to different and effective ways to bring glory to God and to lead others to faith in Jesus.

by Michael E. Brooks

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Philippians 2:1,2).

As I write this I am listening to a recording of Bengali classical flute music. I am interested in the many different kinds of music in the world. Music itself is a constant. It is my understanding that all cultures have it in some form. But the instruments and styles of playing differ greatly. The music of Europe, North America, South America, India, China, and other places varies greatly. Also within each culture there may be much difference in popular, classical, and folk music, to mention only a few types.

Music is simply illustrative of the many differences that exist within and between human societies and cultures. Art, language, food, humor, and every other aspect of life demonstrate similar distinctions. Yet we all eat, talk, and enjoy culture and entertainment. Even within our differences there is common ground.

Which is most important? Do we as people focus more on what we share with others, or how we differ? The answer to this question may determine our relationships and our ability to benefit one another. Wars, arguments, hatred and disagreements in general tend to focus on differences. They emphasize one's own needs and desires and contrast them with those of others. James asks, "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members" (James 4:1)? Though his primary emphasis is the power of uncontrolled desire, he also points out the role of selfishness. I fight with you over what I want, not because of desire for you to profit. Difference divides, isolates, and makes enemies. We see this often in the demonstrations and rioting of special interest groups who subjugate the good of the society as a whole to their own particular cause.

Paul's exhortation to Christians is startling in its contrast. "Have the same love." That is, let each one of you feel the same towards others. Be one, be alike, and be in harmony and love with one another. This is made possible only when we focus on our commonalities, not our differences. We may be of different colors, languages, and customs, but we are all of the same blood and flesh and bone. We may have distinctive tastes and habits, but God made us all, and Christ died for all. Can we not focus on those great similarities, and overlook the little petty things in which we are distinctive? Is this not the appeal of the Spirit, who said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28)?

There are many kinds and styles of music. Yet we know music is being played when we hear it, regardless of how different it may seem to what we are accustomed to. There is a common element which defines it, and which creates in virtually all styles certain responses within the hearer. So there are differences between people, but none that prevent our mutual recognition and the exchange of "the same love."

by Michael E. Brooks

"Then I asked her, and said, 'whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists" (Genesis 24:47).

In many parts of the world, "arranged marriage" is still the normal practice. Young people do not just meet, "fall in love" and decide to marry. Their families help with the selection of the spouses and the arrangements pertaining to marriage. There is variety in how this is done and what all is entailed, but in many cases it does not mean that the young people have no say. It does mean that they do not have all the responsibility for making the choice. Often the help of parents and even extended family is welcomed and actively solicited.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the engagement luncheon of one of our Khulna Bible College students. We met in a place arranged by the family of his fiancé, and after some time of visiting together the young lady herself joined us. After introductions and further visiting they were ready to make the engagement formal. This was done by a brief devotional and prayer, followed by the father of our student presenting an engagement ring and placing it on the finger of the girl.

I found this simple ceremony to be extremely moving and significant. It was a way of saying, "We are in this together. You young people aren't the only ones involved in this marriage. You are not the only ones whose lives it will affect. You are not the only ones who will help see that it happens or that it is successful. We are a family. We want to help." No, those words weren't said in exactly that way, but that was the message. And I found it to be a very meaningful and appropriate one.

Historically, humans have repeatedly discovered the truth of the first recorded anthropological observation, "It is not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). We live together in villages and cities. We organize into governments, societies, agencies and social units. Few of us spend much of our time truly alone. Nor do we desire to. We need others, and we seek out others in almost every area of life.

How appropriate, therefore, to solicit the help of others in the extremely important area of marriage. No, I am not recommending arranged marriages for every nation and culture. But I am saying that those of us who do not use this system can learn from those who do. There is a support system in place that in many cases works extremely well. Applications can be made without transporting the entire custom. Just as Rebekah was betrothed to Isaac through the assistance of extended family, and later was loved by her husband, so the involvement and assistance of those who love us can be of great benefit in our homes and marriages. Less pride and selfishness is the recommendation. More listening to and learning from others, and more involvement of loved ones in our lives -– in all parts of our lives. We will be blessed if we seek out such involvement and also if we offer to help others when they need us.