In my early days of ministry I worked closely with a funeral home in the little town where we were appointed as Pastors. Those early days of ministry taught me much about life, and death, and what really matters most when the chips are down. It’s amazing how we can find ourselves caught up in the midst of our very hectic lives, until something happens, and then we find ourselves utterly speechless. We’re speechless either because of tragedy, or even sudden joy and shock of any given situation. But, whatever the case may be, we find silence. While working with people at the funeral home I was often reminded of the words of Henri Nouwen, especially when I found myself wondering what I could do for those who were grieving. Nouwen said it’s at those moments in time we discover what he calls the ministry of presence. It’s not about talking, it’s not about busyness. It’s simply about being there, in the presence of others, who find themselves in the midst of silence.

I’ve been pondering silence lately as we find ourselves in a place where our kids are growing up. Many evenings I find myself sitting in my easy chair reading a book or watching some TV with my puppy dog Samson by my side. The silence at times can be deafening, but it’s also reminding me of the importance of silence. It’s like the old song says, “Silence is Golden.”

I believe it’s in the silence we find ourselves most vulnerable, and dare I say it, most moldable as well. Left alone with our thoughts, we find ourselves wondering about the events of the past, and pondering the events of the future. But then, somewhere in that silence, we suddenly find a sense of peace as well.

Some people are afraid of the silence. But I’m wondering if it’s in the times of silence, when we truly begin to hear that still small voice of God, and then we find ourselves in a better position to learn at the Master’s feet. Stepping aside from the chaos of the day, to sit at the Master’s feet.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

What an exciting end to today’s Nextel NASCAR race. Wow! Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson racing side by side for a number of laps until in the end, Jimmie Johnson won. Now I must admit I’m not a Jimmie Johnson fan. As a matter of fact, I’m not even a Jeff Gordon fan so I don’t really care about the fact that now Johnson is ahead of Gordon in the points race for the championship with just two races left. I’m actually a Matt Kenseth fan so I was really pulling for Matt to win the race. He is in the Chase for the Championship, but he’s back in about 11th place in points. That means mathematically, he’s out of the running. Even though he can’t win the championship, it would have been nice to see him win the race. But instead, he came home second, for the second week in a row.

Here’s the fascinating part of the race though. As Matt was out in front with about 10 laps to go, Jimmie Johnson suddenly turned it on and there they were racing side by side. Jimmie fell back, but then he turned it on once again. Suddenly in the midst of the race Matt Kenseth keys his radio and asks his crew chief something to the effect of — “Should I fall back and come in second?”

Rusty Wallace, who’s about the only good announcer ABC has these days covering the races, said “that’s odd. Why would a racer ask if he should fall back into second place instead of running for the win.”

The post race interview with Matt said it all.

When asked what it was like to go side by side Matt said it was fun, but he was most concerned about “not” wrecking Jimmie Johnson. “After all,” continued Matt, “he is running for the championship.”

That comment alone speaks loudly about Matt Kenseth, his integrity, and his looking out for the other guy, even when a win is on the line. He knows he’s out of the chase for the championship, and while a win would have been nice, he wasn’t about to race recklessly, and end up wrecking both himself, and Jimmie Johnson, who is not only racing for a win, but also racing for the championship. Many other drivers would have wrecked Johnson for the win, but not Matt Kenseth. That’s why Matt is my favorite driver. It’s not all about him, it’s about his team, and it’s about integrity, and it’s about having the respect of the other drivers around him.

When the chips are down, and when there’s a win on the line, who should we look out for? We live in a world that says “win at all costs and always look out for number one.” But I think Matt Kenseth may have exhibited a character trait of One who laid down His life so that we might all have life.

Think about that for a moment, can you think of Someone else who “stepped aside” so that we could in turn win the race of life?

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus