A Vanilla Legacy

Did you ever hear about Edmond Albius? Yes, he had a name like a Harry Potter wizard, but he was more than just a name, and our lives would not be the same without him. Albius was born into slavery, but in 1841 he invented something that changed our world forever.

Before Edmond Albius changed things, Mexico was the only place in the whole world that could grow vanilla. There's a sting-less bee in Mexico that is the only bug in the world that naturally pollinates the Vanilla Orchid. Without pollination these orchids won't produce vanilla pods, and the pods are the tasty part. Sadly leaving Mexico means leaving the bees. No bees means no pollination and no pollination means no vanilla.  A Belgian botanist did invent a way to pollinate the orchid artificially, but his method was unusable and laborious.  Then in 1841 Edmond Albius took a stick and invented a simple technique to pollinate vanilla orchids. After over 150 years we still use that technique. Almost all vanilla on earth is pollinated this way.  He is the reason I get to enjoy vanilla. Oh yeah, Albius was only twelve years old when he figured it out.

This story stirs my desire to be remembered. Vanilla is grown globally because of Edmond Albius.  I may never do anything so globally important as that boy did.  This bothers me.

It's a basic human impulse: We want legacies. We want to leave something indelible that will be around after long after we're dead and gone. People build companies, challenge governments, break records and even wage wars with this end in mind. We do so in vain. This world is temporary. None of our legacies outlast us.  C.S. Lewis talks about this in The Weight of Glory:

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit, immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner -- no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment."

I love this quote. It makes me question my longing to be remembered. I hope it makes you do the same because we are more permanent than any of our accomplishments. Our neighbors, enemies and friends are more lasting and valuable than anything we can build.

Challenge:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

What do you treasure?  Is it of earth or heaven?  Lay down your worthless treasures.  Jesus is happy to forgive you if you have clung to the wrong things.  He is also happy to replace those old "treasures" with beautiful new ones, because he treasures you.

Do Not Judge; Love With Love Unequalled

Love by: Cindy Andrie

I'd like to say a few words about judgment today. This is my problem and it is your problem; it is ours, each of ours. We must each own our responsibility for our drops of judgment that have culminated into a violent and destructive flood. We Christians are a body. We suffer as one; we triumph as one.  We fail as one. If you do not take vigilant responsibility for your own actions and inactions then the body is in trouble, because no one else can take responsibility for you.

There is a rampant and destructive perception in our world today that Christians are intolerant and judgmental, and I'm sorry to say it but that perception is not wholly unjustified. It would be easy and comfortable to say that the media and non-Christians ought to treat us with more understanding, but that would be passing the blame. It would be pleasant to comfort our guilty consciences with the promise that we are blessed when people hate us (Luke 6:22), but brothers and sisters we cannot give ourselves such false comfort. We are blessed when people hate us because of Christ, but we are often not hated because of Christ, but because of ourselves.  We are perceived as hateful and egocentric because we have behaved hatefully and egocentrically. We cannot hope to control the perceptions and judgments of others, but we do control our own actions. We cannot control what the world says about us, but we can control what is true about us.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being slandered and ignored because it is not being represented. It is not commonly taught. It is not commonly lived out.  It is used and abused as a marketing tool and an excuse for attention seeking protests that neither serve God nor people.  We must change this, and that change starts with each of us.  Our love must become more pervasive and relevant than the Westboro Baptists' hate. The great commission does not call non-Christians to be indulgent or patient with loud inept followers of Christ; it calls Disciples of Christ to give compassionate witness to the radical love of Jesus Christ.

Hopefully we are will be unfairly judged, at least a little.  If we do as Christ commanded and do our good works in secret (Matthew 6:1-4), then it may be hard for us to build a good reputation in the world. This is fine. If we secretly give to the poor then our reward is in heaven; we do not need the world's approval, nor do we need to seek it.  Seek God's approval.  Our secrecy in regards to our good deeds, in a way, serves as an accountability measure. When we treat our neighbours shamefully or rudely there can be no chorus of excuses saying, “Though Christians have done some bad things, they've done more good things.” We are not afforded such excuses for sin.  As a matter of fact We are afforded no excuses for sin, we are only afforded liberal forgiveness.

Challenge:

Jesus knows your heart. He knows your motives, your loves, passions, resentments, sensibilities, and sensitivities.  You've done good; you've done evil.  He is still working on you. He loves you, delights in forgiving your failures and is generous in giving his Spirit (Luke 11:11-13). Therefore since you have been forgiven by Jesus, reconciled to the Father, and empowered by his Spirit, I exhort you to love with love unequaled.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” -Matthew 5:43-45

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” -Romans 12:17

“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” -1 Peter 3:9

A Meditation For Peace Transcending Understanding

This week I rediscovered a wonderful spiritual practice that I would like to share with you. Worshipping the Lord can be joyfully all encompassing, but I personally have a very difficult time prying my attention away from all of the stressors in my life. Worries and fears steal our attention until it is hard to give the Lord our focus. I encourage you to find a quiet place, close your other tabs, and spend a little time entering into God's transcendent peace.

1. Find a Quiet Place.

   "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." -Matthew 6:6
2. Place your heavy concerns in God's hands (prayer and petition). Pray, “ Dear Jesus I give you ______.” Start with the big relationships, responsibilities, and ambitions. Feel yourself lighten as your burdens are lain down.

   "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." -Philippians 4:6

3. Place your lighter concerns in God's hands with the same prayer, “ Dear Jesus I give you ______.” Continue to feel your burden lifted

   "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" - Matthew 11:28

4. Place your blessing in God's hands with the same prayer, “ Dear Jesus I give you ______."

    "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:29

5. As you've surrendered your defence mechanisms and securities you may begin to feel vulnerable. When you're ready, and have laid down as many burdens as you can think of, lay down in the hand of God. Pray, “Dear Jesus I give you myself.” 

   "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:30

6. Rest here. (Be still and know . . . )

   "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" - Psalm 46:10

   
   

   

   Quiet, Please by: Umberto Fistarol