Jason McKnight

Several years ago I read Walden, Henry David Thoreau’s classic account of a year living simply. Thoreau moves out of Boston to the country, to Walden Pond, and lives in a one room cabin by the water for a full year. He records his observations and his feelings, his rhythms and his worries. It is an engaging read. His description of the battle between the red ant colony and the black ant colony on the woodpile is worth every line—a great military account!

Every once in a while I hear someone say that his mother lived 150 yards away and did his laundry. If true, that’s my kind of “living simply.”

At one point he is watching the Spring sun and warmth melt the ice on top of the pond and he notes this observation: “Thaw with his gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with his hammer. The one melts, but the other breaks in pieces.”

Comparing Thaw and Thor has rattled around in my brain since I read that. We all know what Thaw is—especially if you have lived up north, and watched a great body of water slowly, imperceptibly transform itself from a rock solid mass to flowing fluid. I grew up in Montreal, a huge island in the mighty St. Lawrence River. 100 years ago, in the winter, this great river would freeze up solid—ice so thick that they actually laid train tracks across it for several months a year (just think how heavy trains are). Yet, each Spring, little by little the ice would melt, the water would move, and that mighty river would be a shipping lane again. Thaw’s power is unmistakable, but it’s also slow and at times imperceptible.

Thor, on the other hand, is the Norse god of War, Thunder & Strength—who is loud, powerful and to be feared. The showy god of the Norse pantheon, Thor gets things done by brute strength and sheer force. Get out of his way, he’s coming through.

“Thaw and Thor” is a great description of the different demeanor we can show in life. We can adopt either posture in almost any situation.  I bet we all know people who, like Thaw, can accomplish much by gentle persuasion, by keeping their cool and helping others warm up to a new reality. Likewise, I’m sure all of us know (or, at times, are) a Thor, who relies on the hammer approach: using the force of personality, the ability to argue, the loud voice, the strength of muscles or position to impose his will on the situation and those involved.

Thaw and Thor is interesting, and seems right to me, but is it biblical (ie., can we know it’s right)? Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Almost exactly the same concept: Someone’s anger is thawed out and melted away by a gentle answer. On the other hand, if I come out swinging (ie., responding with harsh words), it just amps up the anger in another. I leave a trail of broken pieces.

A gentle answer or a harsh word, Thaw or Thor. Think, too, of Proverbs 25:15, beside which I actually wrote “Thor and Thaw” in the margin of my bible some time ago: “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.”Here Solomon elevates Thaw’s patience, gentleness and persuasion. I wonder if Thoreau knew this proverb, because he sure has the same concept. Solomon even talks of Thaw’s patience “breaking a bone”. Isn’t it Thor who hammers stuff to pieces? In Solomon’s mind, patient & gentle persuasion is so powerful that its effect can be like Thor’s hammer: a broken bone. Obviously, Solomon is not saying that talking well can actually cause someone’s arm to break. He is highlighting the figurative power & effect of patient persuasion.

So, when are we Thor, though should be Thaw? And, when is Thor called for? How about the following scenarios:

With our family: I can be a Thor father, the unrivalled king of the house through my sheer strength and position. When my sons do something wrong, I can yell and burst out in anger. When I’ve had a tough day, I can make sure everyone else treads around me lightly. When I’m angry at my wife, I can erupt in pettiness and a mean spirit. I can “Thor” my way through. But, the consequences of this are horrible: fear, closed spirits, hurt, life-long wounds. Thor’s hammer destroys. On the other hand, I can live Proverbs and Thaw: controlling my emotions, inviting Susan into my tough day, counting to 10 (or at least 5!) before disciplining the boys. I can pray for a thawed attitude, and for God to help me keep Thor’s hammer out of my hand.

Thaw and Thor at work: Am I known as a hot-head? Or as having a long-fuse? Am I sought after to mediate tough situations? Do co-workers see me as hammering folks or melting them? Are my colleagues embarrassed of me and my Thor-like outbursts? As a boss, are my employees afraid of me, never sure when the hammer will fall?

How about in witnessing to others? Very few people have ever come to Christ through a Thor-like situation. The overwhelming biblical witness is that Thaw carries the gospel further than Thor: a gentle, ongoing relationship and persuasion, the patience of God are needed. It is said that Americans need to hear and understand the gospel more than seven times before they are ready to respond. We may be time number 1 or time number 6 or 7 (or even 8, 9, or 10) in someone’s life. We can’t write them off, like Thor would do, when they don’t bow down immediately with us. We need to thaw them out a little bit with the warmth of real relationship, the nourishment of the Word, and praying for the warming fire of the Holy Spirit.

How about our Economy? Perhaps all this Thor-like intervention is not going to help. Perhaps all this intervention is really going to Thaw the thing out. I’m not sure. But, I’m quite sure that there have been enough excesses over the last 10 years (families borrowing crazy amounts—on credit cards or lines of credit; sub-prime mortgages and the housing bubble; market speculation; out-of-whack executive compensation, etc.) that we do need to overhaul this thing. That such deep changes are needed mean to me that we are in for a slow Thaw-like work. Can I offer a couple of suggestions as to how to move forward, if you are facing tough times? From this moment forward, do not borrow one cent that you don’t absolutely have to. From now on, live simply; pretend like the “roaring twenties” are over, and we are in the “dust-bowl thirties” (I don’t know that we are, but pretending will not hurt you)… now live that simple life corresponding to that “new reality”. From now on, save a little bit or a lot each month (so that you have an emergency balance), and then pay every cent on your outstanding loans. Get yourself out of all credit card debt and car debt. From now on, prove you are trusting the Lord by giving as he calls us to. I’m not saying that because “it’s my job” to. I urge us to live generously because that’s who our God is, and that’s how we can imitate him most simply.

What about the election? Well, if your candidate won, take the long-term view. If your candidate lost, take the long-term view. And, read Daniel – for 70 years he thrived in a thoroughly pagan kingdom, and time after time after time, God used him to bring those rulers to their knees. He endured the Thor of Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion, and he was Thaw to 4 successive kings.

We could go on and on. What about you? Will you live Thaw and not Thor? How might you change your children’s destiny by showing them the gentleness of the Lord? How might you commend the gospel to your coworkers by being patient with all (especially the person who gets on everyone’s nerves)? How might your gentle tongue break bones, as Proverbs 25 says? Thanks for letting this thawing-out Thor ask these questions!

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“I had more fun at the funeral…”  That’s not your typical memorial service comment.  But, in the case of my father-in-law’s service it was wholly appropriate.  If you knew Irv Chambers, you’d know that laughing and being serious are not mutually exclusive. And, so, as we remembered his life and death on September 8th, there were tears and there was also real joy.  Joy becasue of a life well lived, joy becasue of the hope of the resurrection, joy because he is with the Lord right now–finally able to tell my own father all about my wife and my sons!

We have posted the service on Grace’s website for a little while.  We’d love you to listen to it.  On the welcome page, scroll down to “member spotlight”.  Susan gave a moving tribute which begins at minute 18.00.  His dear friend and ministry partner (for 52 years!) Leighton Ford brought the message. It begins at 39.11.  Well worth it.

If you have the time, Sue and I would love to share this with you.  We are so thankful for Irv’s life and his death.  We are overwhelmingly thankful for the Lord’s gracious gift of eternal life, which makes grieving the loss of a believer so hope-filled, even while terribly painful.

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I just got the next two and a half months off.  Off from the 24-hour news-cycle, the chattering classes, the cynicism and even narcissism of this amazing race called the Election. Between now and election day, I don’t have to read one flier, watch to one debate, sit through talk radio, nor endure positive ads, negative ads or ”swift boat” ads.

Why? Because I watched Saddleback Church’s Civil Forum on the Presidency. You may have seen it. (If not, just google it, or find it on youtube.) On Saturday Aug 16th, Rick Warren interviewed Barack Obama for about an hour, and then interviewed John McCain for another hour. Back to back, not together. The genius is that Warren used the same questions.

Finally, now I can compare apples to apples - I can listen to both candidates respond unhurriedly to the same question. Finally, I can listen to uninterrupted answers. Finally, we can do away with these “sound-bite fests” that masquerade as debates! (In fact, I think we will see this “civil forum” model used in elections from now on - you’re getting in on the ground floor of an election cycle novelty).

As you think through your God-given responsibility to vote wisely, may I urge you to do two things: invest the time to watch this, giving prayerful consideration to what the two senators say; then take the next 2 months off from the media circus that will only gain momentum, silliness and invective as it goes.

Just some thoughts.

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On Tuesday night of last week, Susan and I sat in our favorite restaurant in Charlotte with her best friend and her husband, Susan and Jerel. It is quite confusing having two Susans, but small price to pay for a dear friendship. Susan and Jerel have planted a church in Huntersville, north of Charlotte. It’s been a fairly low-key, even difficult first 3 years. At about Christmas, however, God really confirmed their calling to this church. Almost immediately (as is always the way with the Lord), he brought along several folks to jump in and lighten the leadership load for Jerel and Susan. Right before Easter, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not even forty, with three kids at home, and a church plant. We ate and enjoyed each other’s company, we shared the joys of ministry and its hard parts too.

We moved on to Ben & Jerry’s for some ice cream. Susan gave my Sue a cd of the worship music they do at their church, encouraging us to listen to track 5 first: “it is the song God used to get me through this dark valley.” As we jumped in our car to go, we turned on track 5: “You’re the God of this city, you’re the king of this people, you’re the Lord of this nation. You are. … Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city!” We were taken with it. This song that had dear Susan praising God for the greater things to come now ignited our imagination. I couldn’t wait to get back to Kinston to see if Kent could teach it to our gang …only to find out that God had already been there! The students at Erasing the Lines had adopted it as their theme song, and had been singing it all week: “you’re the God of this city.” (I love following God into things. This was yet another reminder that he is up to something, and he leads us along all the time.)

We heard and witnessed this past Sunday some of the greater things God is doing in Kinston. Things like Erasing the Lines (Thanks Amy for the chant—who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty); things like the report from Steve and Krista Milburn—Kinstonians whom God called to Thailand to serve him there; things like Anne Albritton’s testimony of how God showed her grace after years and years of living the law—thinking God sent Christ to die on the cross to open the way to heaven, as long as she could work her way into it!—to grasping that God sent Christ to die on the cross to bring us to himself. He does all the work. Greater things, indeed! We heard from Ephesians 2:1-10 all about how awesome God’s grace is. Do you remember the challenge from the end of the message, what I asked each of us to do over the next month? For the sake of you readers who weren’t there on Sunday, the challenge was that we would memorize together these 10 grace-oriented verses. We would put them in our heads and give them to the Spirit to use in our lives when he needs to use them! Are you up for it? Greater things have yet to come in our lives as we savor and digest more and more Scripture. It will nourish us. Greater things have yet to come as we live grace, as we erase the lines, as we sing songs of worship to God.

All the way home from Charlotte, as we listened to that song, I kept asking the Lord, “what are the greater things” you are going to do in our city? We’ve seen so many of them in the past several weeks – 3 major business announcements, for over $1 billion in investment, and 2,900 jobs. It’s really amazing. What if this is just the prelude? What if God’s plans for Kinston involve going from “strength to strength”? Building on a business renaissance, what if God also leads us into a renewing of our schools, a wholesale change in the poverty situation, the eradication of gangs, a growing unity among the body of Christ, the rebuilding of the social fabric of families and best of all, an awesome spiritual renewal, such that hundreds and thousands of people come to Christ. What if God’s plans for Kinston involved all of this? Greater things have yet to come… Wow!

I don’t mean to be radical, but I think God’s plans do include all of this. Only because he’s the God of Redemption, of Compassion, of Order, of Reconciliation, of New Beginnings. I can pretty well guarantee that the greater things he has in store for Kinston far outstrip our measly dreams and visions of the future. But here’s the rub: he waits for us. He partners with us. He uses the body of Christ to accomplish his work on earth. We pray, “on earth as it is in heaven” and rightly so. But do we realize that anything that is done on earth for the kingdom is done by you and me (in the power of the Holy Spirit, under the Lordship of Christ). He’s not about to send a skywriter to convert people, he’s not going to send angels to renew the schools. He’s going to use us in plain ways, in normal ways. One of my former pastors once said, “it’s the monotony of day to day living that fuliflls the vision.” Our day in and day out activity is how God will fulfill his greater things vision for Kinston.

So what do we do? As part of following Christ and living surrendered lives, we need to think together so that we Prepare the Way for what is coming. As John the Baptist introduced the public ministry of Jesus, Mark tells us that he was the “voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Mark 1:3). We are John the Baptist – we are preparing the way for the Lord here and now, in this city and in the lives of folks we know. As a church, let us embrace our calling to prepare the way for the Lord. We’re going to talk a lot more about this concept over the coming months – as it relates to our outreach efforts, our capital stewardship campaign, our discipling of adults, youth and children. Will you begin praying, thinking and dreaming, “how can Grace prepare the way?” If God is really doing something amazing in this community right now, let us make sure that we are in the middle of it.

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