Big Buts of the Bible

Strange But True

As I type this I've just thumbed through the 260 pages of manuscript paper it took the composer a mere 24 days to fill--Handel's Messiah.  What a masterpiece!

Handel composed Messiah in August and September of 1741.  You have perhaps heard that when a servant interrupted Handel near the completion of his work, the composer, with tears streaming down his face said, "I think that I did see all of heaven open before me, and the great God Himself."

Messiah was first publicly performed in 1742, but it didn't receive popular praise during Handel's lifetime.  Instead, it was some twenty-five years after his death, during a series of performances at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the centenary of his birth, that Messiah began to gain great popularity.

Here's a bit of Messiah's story that I'll bet you didn't know; strange but true.

In 1784 as Messiah was becoming the talk of the town, preacher John Newton took strong exception.  The name John Newton you'll recognize, as his life and coversion are so well known in history--the composer of the great (and autobiographical) hymn Amazing Grace.  Newton, the preacher at St. Mary Woolnorth in London at the time of the Westminster Abbey performances of Handel's work, took issue with Messiah saying it was a "base rendering of the texts from which it was drawn" and given to "secular venue performance."  Newton set out to preach the very sacred texts Messiah was based upon, and did so every Sunday for nearly two years, railing against the public performances of Messiah week in and week out from his pulpit.

Base and secular.  Would those two words ever enter anyone in the church's thinking about Messiah today?

Strange but true, and worthy of giving us pause.  Often times in the history of our faith, good men have disagreed about what is good and worthy, and what is base and secular.  We look back over a couple hundred years and see the contributions to the expression of our faith of both G.F. Handel and John Newton as invaluable.  And to think that in their day they would have been at odds about it.

Strange but true, the same thing happens today.  Especially where culture in the church--music, art, literature and technology are concerned.  What lessons can we learn?

But Why?

Recently a friend of mine learned she cannot have a child. I know that she would be a great mom.  Not long ago I met a child who was sold into prostitution by her own mother at the age of seven.  Now I ask you, wouldn't things have been better off (and wouldn't children have been better served) if God had allowed my friend to conceive while having that other mother to have been barren?

Together we could fill volumes with questions like this.  I've practically got enough for one volume from my own life and experience.

Here's a big but from Saint Augustine (from City of God) on the matter:

When we come to Judgment Day not only will the judgments passed there seem to be most just, but all the judgments of God from the beginning will be likewise clearly fair.  Then too it will also become clear how just the judgment of God is in causing so many--in fact, almost all--of his judgments to evade men's grasp of understanding.  Those who have faith will not fail to realize that such hidden judgments are just.

What I believe he was saying is that right now these things are beyond our ability to grasp, but one day they will all be understood in greater clarity.  Faith, then, becomes a key.  What does the bible say about faith?

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

But Makes Thy Glories Known

Isaac Watts is credited with having written somewhere near 1000 hymns for the church to sing.  He was rather controversial in his day--he dared to depart from the strick singing of scripture that stemmed from the teachings of John Calvin.  Are you ready for this?  Watts is believed to be the first worship song composer who created "original songs of Christian experience."

One of my favorite Watts songs is I Sing The Mighty Power of God.  It was initially composed as a children's song, although it grew to become a favorite of adults, utilized often in worship services and liturgies.  The lyrics paint pictures of God's creation, providence, and care--the third and final verse contains a great but--to the end that all of these things speak of God. 

There's not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care,

And everywhere that man can be, Thou, God are present there.

Learn more about Isaac Watts and his many great hymns here and here.

Strange But True

Popeye the sailor had a nephew named Poopeye.  Here's proof:

Popeye and his identical quadruplet nephews (Pipeye, Pupeye, Poopeye, Peepeye), in a scene from Famous Studios' Me Musical Nephews (1942).

Go ahead and impress folks with that little historical nugget.  Bring it up at the dinner table.

Trust But Verify

A favorite phrase of President Ronald Reagan during his negotiations in the Cold War era, I serve up this slice of history built around a big but--from the transcript of a joint statement by President Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev from December 1987.

Just after speaking of the specific numbers of missiles and warheads to be destroyed, the dialogue unfolded like this:

President Reagan: "But the importance of this treaty transforms numbers. We have listened to the wisdom in an old Russian maxim, and I'm sure you're familiar with it Mr. General Secretary, though my pronunciation may give you difficulty. The maxim is: 'dovorey, no provorey'--trust, but verify."

General Secretary Gorbachev: "You repeat that at every meeting." {Laughter}

President Reagan: "I like it!" {Laughter}

You can find the entire transcript of the press statements here.  It's actually a fun statement to read in it's entirety, as Reagan and Gorbachev take turns quoting Russian and American minds respectively.  I bring this to you here to demonstrate once again, a great moment in history centered around this little three letter conjunction--and I'd suggest sat at the very heart of one of the most significant friendships and working relationships between world leaders in our lifetime.

Throwback

Do you remember the immortal words: Nothing But Net?  Here's a pop-culture but for you, circa early nineties.  Enjoy.

But Consider

A man who knew the gift of God's forgiveness firsthand wrote his own epitaph. It reads:

"John Newton: Clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had so long labored to destroy."

Those words stand today as a final resting place testimony to a life forever changed. 

Of course, a much more well-known testimony exists in Newton's most popular work, the lyrics to the hymn Amazing Grace. Notice the summary built around these two big buts:

I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.

As we've sung the song for generations, we've concluded with a verse that was not part of Newton's original.  "When we've been there ten thousand years..." was added later. In most hymnals it actually replaced the final verse that Newton had penned.

The earth shall soon disolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine; But God who called me here below, shall be forever mine.

Sometimes big buts provide great thought and contemplation provocation.

But now. But God. But what about you?

What Follows 'But' is of the Utmost Importance

Here's another nugget from history concerning the conjunction but.

It was March of 1923. The 5th Pan American Conference was called to order in Santiago, Chile. The New York Times had declared that this conference promised to be the most important to date, as serious issues between South American countries were coming to a head, and Argentina, Brazil and Chile were in an arms race of sorts, mustering military muscle.

President Warren G. Harding's contingent from the United States was headed by Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes.  The United States' man, Hughes, was looked upon by ambassadors for the various nations as a mediator or sorts.  He would have to be very clear on all parties and their positions, a trick to say the least, as the majority of the dialogue would be Spanish and Portugese, and come to Hughes through interpretation.

Hughes, it is recorded, gave these instructions to his language interpretors: "While a running translation is ample for my purposes, I want you to take great care to give me every word after any speaker says 'but'."

Wise man.

Such A Key Word

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes... But when a long train of abuses and usurpations... it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."

How about that? The thesis statement for the Declaration of Independence is built around a big but.

John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Speech in 1961 is memorable for many reasons (and many big buts). Most often, the most memorable line is misquoted to have included a but--and while there isn't one, there is certainly one implied.

"Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."

See? No but. But that amazing speech is loaded with buts. Here are a few:

"...the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."

"Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate."

"All of this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin!"

A quick review of history and history's greatest moments and documents will yield innumerable places where this little word is a turning point.  Can you think of others?