What follows below is the final chapter “The Spirit of Caleb,” from the book “Going Till You’re Gone” that I introduced you to last time. This is the first half of the chapter. The second half will post Friday
On Friday, April 13, 1888, Alfred Nobel sat down to read his French newspaper and received an unpleasant shock. There across the front page in the bold print the headlines screamed, “Le marchand de la mort est mort (The merchant of death is dead).” Alfred sat in stunned amazement and read his own obituary. He and his brother Ludvig were both famous inventors, and the newspaper had mistakenly thought Alfred had died instead of Ludvig is. As the morning progressed, that headline would not leave Alfred‘s mind.
Merchant of Death
Was that really what the world thought of him? When he died, was that how he would be remembered? Alfred had invented dynamite. His objective had been common good by providing a better way to construct tunnels, canals, and bridges.
Though Alfred’s school had been to help humanity, this article went on to portray him as a responsible for the arms race of the day. It describes him as a killer, a “bellicose monster“ whose inventions had served to “boost the bloody art of war from bullets and bayonets to long-range explosives. A peaceful man at heart and an inventor by nature, this strong indictment was unsettling. Was this the legacy he was leaving? Had all of his work in explosives just furthered the cause of warfare and fueled the continual conflict that consumed humanity?
Alfred was a wealthy man, as the article noted, and that morning he resolved to make some changes. Not wanting to go down in history with such an awful epitaph, Alfred Noble created a will that shocked his family and established the now famous Noble Peace Prize, designed to reward individuals who encourage peace between nations. Today Alfred Noble is better known for his contribution to world peace than for his invention of dynamite.
Alfred had an opportunity that most of us do not have – a chance to reevaluate his legacy late in life and make some adjustments. How would your obituary read? What would you be best known for if you died today? If someone wrote an article about your life, your pursuits, and your accomplishments, what would it say?
The Orange Revolution
Thursday morning, November 25, 2004, Natalia Dmytruk, forty-eight, soberly walked into the studio of the state run television station in Ukraine. Natalia couldn’t help but tremble as she considered the task before her and the potential cost to herself and her family. Yet as she said later when interviewed, “I was sure I would tell people the truth that day. I just felt this was the moment to do it.”
The national presidential elections in Ukraine that year had been a messy affair. Ukrainian reformer Viktor Yushchenko was running against the Russian-backed incumbent prime minister, and in the middle of the race, Yushchenko had suddenly been poisoned. The mysterious dioxin poisoning had almost killed him and permanently disfigured his face, and Viktor’s family and friends had pled with him to withdraw from the race. But Viktor Yushchenko refused to give up so easily, and by election day, the polls showed him with a comfortable 10% lead. The people of Ukraine were obviously ready for a change.
But the existing regime had only begun to fight. Throughout the election process there were widespread reports of corruption. Election monitors reported extensive vote rigging, and despite Viktor Yushchenko’s popularity, the government prepared to announce the incumbent president of Ukraine had been reelected.
As Natalia Dmytruk entered the television studio that morning she had a choice. She could tell the public what the government was saying, or she could tell them the truth. Natalia was not a primary anchor for the television station; her job was to communicate with the hearing impaired. As Ukrainians watched the news, Natalie appeared in a small box in the lower corner of their televisions as she translated the newscaster’s message into sign language.
So on that Thursday morning, as the newscasters broadcasted the government-scripted message to the general public, Natalia signed. But when the newscasters relayed the false message that the government-backed candidate had won, Natalia, in a daring protest, signed to the deaf who were watching, “I am addressing everybody who is deaf in the Ukraine. Our president is Viktor Yushchenko. Do not trust the results of the central election committee. They are all lies…. And I am very ashamed to translate such lies to you. Maybe you will see me again – ” she concluded, hinting at what might happen to her when the authorities found out. She then continued signing the rest of the officially scripted news as it was given.
Natalie’s defiance of the regime started what has become known as the Orange Revolution. Deaf citizens used their cell phones to send text messages carrying the real story to others and within a matter of hours, masses of Ukrainian citizens spilled into the streets protesting the fraudulent election results. Natalia’s act of defiance in emboldened publics protests that grew until the government finally buckled. A new election was held, and the opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko was eventually declared the winner.
A Christ-Centered Counter-Culture Demonstration
Natalia Dmytruk was given only a small window on the big screen, but she used it in a powerful way to expose truth. As I consider the events surrounding the Orange Revolution and the impact of her message in the little window at the lower right-hand corner of the screen, I am reminded of the opportunities we believers have been given.
The prevalent message going out is that wealth, fame, and natural beauty matters. I am amazed by our societies infatuation with celebrities. I see older people on airplanes pouring over glossy magazines, admiring and discussing the rich and famous. Never mind that many of these famous folks do not retain a relationship more than a few years, or that they seem to be constantly entering or leaving a rehab facility for drug abuse. Even though they represent the segment of society least capable of coping with life, the public admires and emulates them.
Our culture has developed a kind of point system. Good looks, physical ability, wealth, and fame each bring with them a certain number of points. Our value as individuals depends on how many points we have. When a movie star is good-looking, wealthy, and famous, the world beats a path to his mansion. Natural ability, fame, fortune and now censorship, obviously control the big screen.
But the entire message of the screen age is false. Everything around us, all the earthly power, possessions, and prestige, will soon be worthless. That’s the truth. And each of us has been given just a little corner of the screen to proclaim this reality. Our responsibility is to use our corner of our screen to faithfully deliver the Christ-centered, counter-cultural truth. Regardless of the fact that the big screen is continually screaming a censored, self-centered, self-indulgent, materialistic message, astute believers know better.
So how are you using the small corner of the screen you have been given? What kind of a message is coming from your life? What message do you envision coming out of your final years?
A Cloud of Witnesses
Immediately following the catalog of the faithful in the 11th chapter of Hebrews, the writer says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily ensnare us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” The writer had just enumerated many faithful men who served the Lord, and he refers to them as a “cloud of witnesses.” He encourages us to imitate their faithful lives.
After interviewing many faithful examples and reading stories of others, I think I know a little of what the writer of Hebrews must have felt. I could tell about John, who, though not wealthy enough to give of his own resources, gleaned produce in orchards and fields after harvest and took his grandchildren with him while he distributed what he had gleaned to the poor. Or Timothy, who, fighting cancer and grieving the death of his wife for 47 years, committed the remainder of his life to evangelizing and counseling dysfunctional families in the inner city. I think of Luke, whose wife left him four years after their marriage. His testimony of fidelity, even though it meant living alone for over sixty-five years, encouraged many who came after to remain faithful and take their vows seriously. And Mike and Edna who, though they could afford to travel anywhere in the world, chose to use their vacation time and money to aid in disaster relief work. I remember Robert, who, despite having lost both his legs, traveled with a work team to help earthquake victims in Haiti. I could list dozens of other older believers who have used their little corner of the screen to proclaim truth in their day and who have left behind a legacy Kingdom building.
Biblical stewardship is not only a way of giving, but a way of living. What really inspires us to be involved in the lives of others? What causes us to sit up and take notice? Some of the examples I mentioned above were raised in wonderfully godly homes. Others were not. Some had wealth and ability, while others had little of either. So what did all of these people have in common? What qualities in the lives of older mentors motivate us to change our own lives? What are the ingredients for a dynamic, Spirit-filled, Kingdom-focused life that inspires others?
An Old Testament character had those ingredients. The Bible doesn’t give a lot of detail about his life but it gives enough for us to understand that this man has something different. His name was Caleb. We’ll pick up with the uniqueness of Caleb’s traits for us to emulate in the next post.
Reflect dear friend while yet you may!