Lassie, Books, and Mud Pies

On Monday August 16 Dr. Frank Ryan, a celebrity plastic surgeon, was killed as he drove off a cliff in California because he was too busy updating his Twitter account with 140 characters or less about his pet border collie. Dr. Ryan is survived by his dog, Jill, who somehow managed to survive the fatal accident.

Sorry Lassie, you're not worth driving over a cliff!

People love their dogs, and they love to talk about them and take pictures of them even more. But unless Jill the border collie was in the passenger seat playing the cello and smoking a Cuban cigar while sticking her head out the window like all dogs like to do, I don't believe there is anything a dog could do that would be worth losing your life. Whatever the situation, Dr. Ryan obviously had a greater desire to tell his followers on Twitter about his great dog than he desired to drive safely and miss out on an opportune time for a memorable tweet.

This may seem to be a harsh stance to take only a few days after someone has passed away. So to be fair, I must point out that all of us, including myself, do the same thing as Dr. Ryan everyday. And I'm not talking about updating our Twitter or Facebook about our lovable pet while we are driving. I'm not talking about the recent obsession surrounding internet updates that reveal the most mundane details of life to countless acquaintances and strangers. I'm talking about the way we desire.

We are hardwired to desire. We always desire something. In every decision we make and in every thought we think, we are fueled by some kind of desire. We were created to desire.

The issue is not desire. The issue is the object of our desire.

The world is full of good things. Creation is brimming with things that are made for our enjoyment and satisfaction. But they are not ends in and of themselves. They are the means to which we should be pointed to the Creator.

For example, I love books. Reading has become a tremendous hobby of mine. I love learning about new things, and I love to escape into a different world. Man's creative ability to write and organize thoughts into beautiful, coherent works of art is a great gift from God. It is good to enjoy this gift. The problem is my tendency to elevate the gift over the Giver. My desire for books and literature overshadows and often times destroys my desire for the One who has given the gift in the first place.

The issue is not my desire for reading books. The issue is the fact that the object of my desire is not God.

Although we are hardwired to desire and there are endless good things for us to desire and enjoy, sin has infected us and driven us to give our supreme desire to finite creations instead of the infinite Creator of all things.

Fun? Yes. Better than a day at the beach? I think not!

The great writer C.S. Lewis once discussed this tendency in The Weight of Glory. He wrote, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Dr. Frank Ryan desired to post a Twitter update about his pet more than he desired to drive attentively and live. I desire reading a literary classic and being swept by magnificent usage of the English language more than I desire basking in the glory of the Word who gives human authors the creativity and capability to write such wonderful works. All of us tend to enjoy mud pies more than we do vacations at the beach. We desire creation more than the Creator.

The Christian life is not a series of rules that begin with "Do not". We are to taste and see that the Lord is good for he has come to give life that is abundant (Ps 34:8, Jn 10:10). We do not reject all of the good things God has put in our lives. Instead we use the good things as a means to turn to the Creator and Giver of all good things to fulfill and satisfy our deepest desires.

"Everyday Gospel" - The Most Important Meal of the Day

In school, there is hardly anything more dramatic and grave as a standardized test. Acronyms such as ITBS, TCAP, ACT, SAT, GRE haunt the minds of awaiting students of all ages across the country. When the fateful day arrives and the teacher begins the litany of instructions that must be followed, the tension is such that it is easy for a student to think that he might be assassinated in the event that he fills in the wrong bubble or breaks the last remaining No. 2 pencil. Standardized tests are serious business.

In order to help students prepare and to be in the best position to succeed on these standardized tests, teachers give plenty of advice and tips. Students need plenty of rest. They need to have the right amount of the right kind of pencils easily available. Read every possible answer before selecting the best one. Depending on the test, do not skip any questions at all or skip any that you do not know. But regardless of the test, students need to have a well-balanced breakfast before taking the test. Before you even bubble in your name or any other information, you better not forget that oatmeal or french toast! Remember, standardized tests are serious business, and your life depends on it!

And believe me, when I was a student, I listened. I never eat breakfast. I'd rather sleep the extra 15 minutes. But on the day of a standardized test, I would eat my pancakes because I knew if I didn't I would be assassinated or maybe even end up homeless and on drugs.

This habit has carried on through graduate school. Sleep through breakfast on a normal day, but cram Raisin Bran or Honey Nut Cheerios right before a major exam.

The obvious question I should ask myself: "If eating breakfast before a major test is so important, why is it not just as crucial to be mentally and physically prepared for every other day of my life?"

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As satisfying as a perfect breakfast is, and as important as it is to eat a balanced meal to start our day, physical food is not the only thing we need to be sustained through the day. Along with our bodies' cravings for physical food, our hearts and souls long to be filled each day. We are spiritually famished.

Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament writers compared the need for the Word of God to the daily need for food. Just as we wake up needing a meal to not only satisfy us but to also prepare us and sustain us for each day, we need a daily intake of Scripture.

Eating a nice breakfast is wonderful, but it will not be sufficient for very long. We need a consistent supply of food to meet our needs. You can eat a breakfast at the biggest and best buffet in the world, but within a few hours, you are going to be making lunch plans. Likewise we need a constant source of spiritual nutrition and satisfaction. Just as we eat morning, noon, and night, we can find satisfaction and sustaining power through continual meditation on God's word. "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise," (Ps 119:147-148).

For some of us, eating breakfast may not be a normal part of our everyday schedule. We don't have time.  We'd rather sleep. But when we discipline ourselves and sit down to a bowl of cereal in the morning, we are more prepared for the day. In the same manner, many of us are in such a hurry in the morning that we give little thought to spending a few minutes reading the Bible. But if we make it a point to start the day with a moment of reflection and meditation on Scripture, we will see "How sweet are [His] words to [our] taste, sweeter than honey to [our] mouth[s]!" (Ps 119:103). God's Word will satisfy our deepest longings and help us think rightly as we begin our day.

It is easy to take a few minutes to read the Bible during a crisis. When we have a monumental decision to make or anxiously awaiting important news, we are much more prone to seek for wisdom or guidance from God's Word. We often treat Scripture like I handle breakfast. On a normal day, we can make it on our own. But when we know we are facing a serious test, we will do everything we can to prepare. Much like my haphazard eating habits in the morning, an inconsistent intake of Scripture in the morning begs the question: "If this is so important for my preparation and ultimate well-being, why is this not a part of my preparation for everyday life?"

I do not take a standardized test everyday, but I still need to eat breakfast every morning. I also do not have to make a life-altering decision everyday, but I still need to absorb God's message everyday.

When you sit down at the kitchen table and pour some milk to go with those sausage biscuits with gravy and prepare for another monotonous day of work or school, you may not know it, but you are preaching. Each morning we arise in need of nourishment to be prepared for and sustained throughout the day. And when we start our days off with a granola bar or the "Breakfast of Champions", we point to the simple truth that we daily need to be spiritually nourished and satisfied through the reading of the inspired Word of God.

"Give us this day our daily bread..."  Amen.