Top Ten Favorite Bible Verses, and Then Some

Recently I was tagged by a Facebook friend to post my top ten favorite verses from the Bible, one verse a day for ten consecutive days. Knowing how I am about such things, I decided to post my top ten verses here with some commentary, then share it to my Facebook page and tag my friend. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” (Psalm 139:14) This verse reminds me of one of my favorite nonbiblical axioms: Who you are is God’s gift to you; whom you become is your gift to God. We are all made just as God intends us to be.

2. “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16) Ironically, some who claim to know God aren’t very loving, and some who doubt the existence of God are very kind and loving individuals. All I know is this: If I were God, and I were faced with welcoming a kind, loving atheist into my presence or a hateful, so-called “Christian,” I think I’d be inclined to welcome the atheist and spend a jolly time convincing him or her that I’m real.

3. “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” (1 Peter 4:10) I firmly believe that every individual has something good to offer the world while they’re in it. I hope in my lifetime I can be the kind of advisor/counselor/teacher who helps others find their gifts to share and make the world a better place for everyone.

4. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17) One of the first verses a new Christian of any age learns is John 3:16. But we should be including verse 17, too. Not only is it joined to verse 16 by the conjunctive adverb “indeed,” but also it is essential for the full meaning of verse 16. The saving of the world has been accomplished. Jesus’s own last words on the cross were “It is finished.” We’re all saved. We’re all included in God’s realm. That’s the Gospel, the Good News.

5. “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8) See my comments in number 2.

6. “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21) This world is not ours; it’s God’s. This country is not ours; it’s God’s. In fact, I don’t think God really intended for people to even divide themselves into countries (I get this impression from the story of the tower of Babel, and the story of how God seemed reluctant to give the Israelites a king). Borders are drawn by people, not God. We are called to be kind to the strangers among us, because we, too, were once strangers somewhere in time. And we may be strangers in a strange land someday. Thus you can probably guess my opinion about building walls and rejecting refugees.

7. “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) God doesn’t seem to care about our race or nationality, our socio-economic status, or our gender. All are equal in God’s eyes. All should be equal in our eyes, too. (See my bonus verses at the end of this post for more on God’s inclusive love).

8. “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) My security is in God and God’s plan for my life. It is not in a government or the things that represent that government, like flags and patriotic songs; it’s not in a savings or retirement account; it’s not in a wall or fence along a border; and it’s not in firearms or bombs. It’s in God’s love and concern for me as well as every other person on this planet, all of whom God knows and loves intimately.

9. “…but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) This is a good verse for someone like me who has a mild anxiety disorder, which can sometimes make me feel quite tired and overwhelmed. The feelings always pass, and these words give me hope.

10. “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) Want to make God happy? Do these three things consistently throughout your life: Be just, be kind, and be humble. Easy to say, yet hard to do, right?

I’m throwing in these last few verses from Acts as a bonus:

“As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:36-39) This story is significant because, for many generations, people like this eunuch were excluded from the Jews’ holy places because of who they were. But after Jesus came with a new way of relating to God, people like this eunuch were welcomed into fellowship with God. This tells me that all are welcomed into the universal church of Christ regardless of who they are. Now that, my friends, is Good News!

The Social Truths in Art

          The arts have long—perhaps always—been a platform for expressing often dissenting opinion on social norms of the time. No doubt when the first ancient Greek or Roman sculptor chiseled a statue that did not represent the ideal human body of the time, mainstream society expressed its disapproval by smashing the work to pieces and throwing the offending artist to the lions. Meanwhile, those segments of society who themselves did not represent the ideal form celebrated their martyr and vowed to continue the rebellion in the name of equality and freedom of self-expression.

           Even Jesus, that master storyteller, conveyed his teachings in the form of parables which only those who had “…ears to hear…” could comprehend (Mark 4:9). Medieval and Renaissance paintings often expressed commentary through satire, veiling political and religious statements with color and form and imagery, and sometimes even humor. Many 18^th century nursery rhymes we learned as children are actually criticisms of the royalty and ruling classes. For example, “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…” refers to England and the way she ruled her colonies (http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2012/04/political-meaning-in-18th-century.html). Commonly known works of fiction such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Animal Farm, and To Kill a Mockingbird offered social commentary in the form of novels.

           Cinema, too, is a work of art. So it should come as no surprise that people who create cinema—the screenplay writers, the producers and directors, the actors who bring the stories to life—often use their craft as a vehicle for expressing their concern on those issues that are important to them. Civil rights, climate change, equality for women and sexual minorities, domestic violence, the immense social and spiritual costs of war, access to quality healthcare, and other compelling issues of our time are present in the stories told through cinema. Why, then, should people act surprised or even offended when these artists comment on the views expressed in their own creations?

           People who are disturbed or irritated by the social truths expressed in film and other contemporary works of art are usually those who deny the truth. It makes them uncomfortable; it upsets their status quo; it threatens their social position or power. Or perhaps it is because they themselves have lived that truth but are not yet ready to confront it because their wounds have not yet healed. Going there is a journey back to a place of hurt, and they aren’t ready to revisit that which caused them harm.

In any case, the very fact that a social issue raised by a film or by one of its makers or actors causes someone to feel disturbed is evidence that that person needs to confront that issue. If we feel uncomfortable with the film Straight Outta Compton, then perhaps it is because we still carry a spark of racism in our hearts. If The Danish Girl makes us squirm, maybe it’s because we haven’t reconciled our minds to the fact that some people’s gender and physiology don’t match up. If we were irritated by Carol, it’s probably because we’re homophobic to some degree. If we didn’t like the strong female characters of Mad Max: Fury Road, could it be because we harbor sexism?

The list goes on: An Inconvenient Truth angered climate change deniers; Brokeback Mountain offended opponents of gay rights; The Passion of the Christ managed to rile up both devout Christians and atheists. The point to remember is this: You don’t have to agree with the message of a film or with the message of the filmmakers to think critically about a topic presented in the film. All art is meant to make us think about something. Even when we go to the movies for pure entertainment, we think about what we see and hear in those films. The 2016 winner for best animated film, Inside Out, made us think about how we process our emotions, and how important it is to embrace both the negative and the positive feelings we all have as human beings. I love the Star Trek films, television shows, and novels because not only do they offer good science-fiction adventure, but also their various human and alien characters and the worlds they inhabit make me relate their experiences to those of real life people and places. When I think of people whose lives are different from my own, whose stories are not like mine, I come to understand them a bit better. Saint Francis of Assisi prayed, “O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek…To be understood as to understand…” I’m grateful to filmmakers, authors, painters, photographers, and other artists who help me understand those who are different from me. I may not always agree with the message they state, but the dissonance I feel can broaden my mind—and thus my heart—to be more inclusive, compassionate, and understanding. And doesn’t anything that helps us become more of these things bring us closer to the heart of God?

The Glad Path

          A few years ago, while visiting the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, I saw a quote on the wall of one of the First Nations exhibits that I have remembered to this day. I can’t remember the exact wording, but it was something like this: “Share everything, and follow the path that makes your heart feel glad.” While the entire quote is open to interpretation, it was that second independent clause that impacted me most, “…follow the path that makes your heart feel glad.”

           So many times in my life, I have made good decisions for all the wrong reasons. I have let the fear of rejection, of disappointing others, and of falling into a state of poverty guide my process of deciding who I would be, what I would do, and where I would go. I have chosen the practical and common-sense option when I should have followed my heart. I have chosen my parents’ or partners’ preferences over my own. I have lived to please others rather than myself. None of these choices resulted in disaster; on the contrary, I did well in all of my educational pursuits and jobs. Yet they all left me with an emptiness inside that was hard to explain. I have always felt unfulfilled and restless despite my successes. I constantly felt there was a part of me that was unexpressed, a fetal persona that had been gestating for far too long and was at risk of dying before seeing the light of this world.

           That feeling fueled a self-defeating cycle of depression and anxiety. Impostor syndrome sneaked in on me in almost every professional role I assumed. “You’re a fake!” it whispered in my ear. “You don’t belong here!” Its words brought me down and made me feel unworthy. Then the anxiety set in. “What if somebody finds out I’m an impostor?” I asked myself. “What if I become irrelevant?” And the most frightening question of all, “What if I get stuck in this role until I’m too old to work, or until I die?” The coin then flipped to the depression side, and the cycle started all over.

           I began to realize that my choices have been largely motivated by fear. I have neglected to follow the path that makes my heart feel glad because that path is scary. It’s risky. It’s not practical or common-sense. There are no guarantees along its way. It is sometimes dark and twisted. Others will criticize me for taking it, or shake their heads in disbelief. Some will try to dissuade me. A few may even try to sabotage my future success, just to teach me a lesson, or to advance their own agendas. To all of those people, I kindly yet firmly now say, “Support me, or get out of my way.” Either travel this path with me, or cheer me on from the sidelines, or just get the hell away from me. I don’t need your negative critiques and opinions. I reject your arrogance. I refuse to receive the projection of your fears.

           So what are the paths that make me feel glad? I have worked with ESL and international students in higher education since 1988. I love working with these students, and I hope to continue a connection with this particular population in some way for as long as I can. But that is not the career I now desire to pursue with my passion. Ever since I was a small child, I have loved performing. Before I could even read, my mother taught me a simple song, told me I was going to stand in front of the entire church on a Sunday, and sing it. And I did. Later I memorized lines for Christmas plays at church, and then in high school for the drama club. In college I minored in drama and radio/TV production, making my stage debut as Linus in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” (Typecasting? Probably) and acting in a TV variety show that we students produced. Now I participate in my church choir and in its drama group.

           I am no fool. I know how difficult it is to make a living in the performing arts. But there is one segment of the industry that does offer the potential for steady income, and that is voice acting. Voiceovers are everywhere: parking garage kiosks, smartphone apps, video games, online trainings and classes, phone tree answering systems, and more. And of course there are the obvious sources of disembodied voices: TV and internet commercials, radio announcements, video documentaries, cartoons. There is work to be had, and there are people doing that work for pay. Some of them are phenomenal voice actors. Some of them are not. I am somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. I see that as giving me good prospects for employment while having a goal to work toward. I have been using my voice to inform, inspire, and entertain others almost all of my life. I can do this! And I will do it!

           But the path, as I said earlier, is scary. There are many unknowns. It is dark and winding. I can only see one step at a time. Yet my faith tells me that if I take that first step, the one I can see clearly, then the second step will be illuminated. And when I take it, the third will become apparent. And so on and so on as I travel down that path. And because it is the path that makes my heart feel glad, I will walk it more bravely and confidently. I will be scared as hell, and there will be times when I will want so badly to take an alternate route or turn around completely. But I will have companions and cheerleaders along the way to keep me on track. As Taylor Swift said in her recent Grammy acceptance speech, I will arrive at my success knowing it was me and the people who love me that got me there.

           And that, dear loved ones, is where you come in. I need your help to travel this path, to help me realize my dreams and achieve my goals. Anyone who says he is a self-made man is a liar. No one, and I mean no one, is self-made. We all get to where we are with the help and support of people who love us and believe in us. So I ask those who love me to help and support me in my journey. Cheer me on. Provide me some positive feedback followed by a note to help me improve. Introduce me to people you know who might be able to help me to that next step on the path. If you work in the industry, or have a project needing voiceover, give me a chance. Right now my rates are extremely reasonable, so catch me while you can afford me, LOL.

           If you want to hear some samples of my voiceover work, visit https://www.voices.com/people/mjisham#demos. If you’ve got some work for me to do, email mjisham62@yahoo.com.

UPDATE: Thanks to Mr. Michael Barnes, Head of Exhibitions, Collections, Knowledge & Engagement at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, for clarifying the quote's source and exact wording: "We are guided by our culture and the advice of our elders to share and 'always try to follow the road that makes your heart feel good.'" Attributed to the Nisga'a Lisims Government.