Bits of Heaven. Russell J. Levenson Jr.

1 Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978), 15.

2 Morton T. Kelsey, The Other Side of Silence: A Guide to Christian Meditation (New York: Paulist Press, 1976), 83.

3 My first book, Provoking Thoughts, was a Lenten devotional. My second, Preparing Room, was an Advent devotional.

4 George MacDonald, Getting to Know Jesus (New York: Ballantine Books, 1980), 29–30.

5 “The Service of Compline,” in the Book of Common Prayer (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1979), 134.

6 C. S. Lewis, The Joyful Christian (New York: Scribner, 1996), 227–28.

Meditation 1

Idling

      “In the beginning . . . God . . .”

      —Genesis 1:1

       Who or what is God to you?

      Atheism, unbelief in God, is really rather uncommon in our day. There is wide belief in God, lived out in innumerable religious faiths. Among Christian tradition, there are thousands of denominations in the United States alone. There are perhaps some who hold absolutely no faith in God, or “a” god, whatsoever, but I find that to be the rare exception, not the norm. Evidence that humans have believed in a divine being since our earliest days on planet earth is on the rise, not the decline. Recent archeological findings reveal Neanderthal burial sites that clearly show that at the time of death, there was care and attention paid to the deceased. Burial sites included floral arrangements and careful placement of the body in a fetal position, leaving little doubt that, even way back then and there, a “faith” existed in some thing, and likely some One, beyond the grave.

      One of the prevailing concerns from the beginning of our faith is that we put nothing else before God—that there is one God in actuality, but also that there should be only one God for all humankind. Only God was to sit on God’s throne.

      The first of the great Ten Commandments is crystal clear that “you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Putting something other than God in God’s place is called idolatry. The problem with idolatry is that when God is not God, we begin to lose touch with him, the reason for our creation, and our reason for being.

      Be still for just a moment or two and ask yourself if there are any competing “gods” in your life. It could be something as simple as your hobby or your work. Maybe it is a habit or a particular relationship. Many people have made their children an idol. Parents and grandparents hang all kinds of baggage around the necks of their offspring—putting pressure on them to achieve success in a particular vocation; to marry or befriend the right people; to sign on for the right branch of the military or get into the right university; to pledge the right fraternity or sorority and so on. Can you imagine the pressure this puts on young ones? And of course, it really is not about their success; it is about idolatry.

      Sometimes we think sitting in traffic, our engine idling, is a waste of time. Is it, though? Living in Houston, Texas, I spend a lot of time in traffic. I have begun, more and more, to turn off the radio. When I see a traffic jam up ahead, I usually take a deep breath and try to relax before the crunch. When the car starts idling, I take some time to think, to pray, to look around. I usually begin to see things I have never before noticed. A new store on a familiar corner; a restaurant that has been there for years that I have never tried; perhaps a friend walking by who may need a ride or may even be in distress.

      Just the other day, I saw a poor young girl on the side of the road holding a sign, “Single mom, out of work, please help.” Tears were running down her face. I do not always notice, but I did this time. Fortunately, I had some food and the number of an agency in a bag on my backseat, something I keep for precisely these kinds of situations. I hopped out of my car and handed both to her. She thanked me. I got back in my car, prayed, and thought about her the rest of the day. I would not have seen her if I were not idling. Sometimes we miss a lot by not running on idle.

      Idling is not always a bad thing; in fact, it usually is not. Sit still for the next few moments. While idling, think and ponder your possible idols. Think on the reality that idol worship separates you from God. Augustine once penned to God Almighty, “Thus does the world forget You, its Creator, and fall in love with what You have created instead of with You.” It’s sad when we do that, don’t you think?

      Better to idle a bit, consider the idols, and turn back to the Creator of all things, the Creator of you . . . for in the beginning, God; nothing else, just God.

       A Bit of Heaven

      Who or what is god to you? If it is God, give thanks! If you find someone or something competing for the title, consider what you can do to rid your life of idolatry so you can fall more in love with the One who created you, rather than the things He has created.

       A Prayer

      Let me rest easy, dear Lord

      Sitting idly by,

      Let me rest easy, dear Lord

      Opening my heart’s eye,

      Let me rest easy, dear Lord

      Learning to worship you alone,

      Let me rest easy, dear Lord

      Receiving you, my eternal home.

Amen. ¹