Calvin & Hobbes and the Parable of the Santa Letter

 

With thanks to Bill Waterson, we, once again, turn to Calvin & Hobbes for confirmation of a deep truth.

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Truth is...You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:2-3 CSB)

P.S. While we're on the subject...

Calvin & Hobbes' Unintentional Commentary on Proverbs 6:6

 

Our text today, flock, features our hero, Calvin, coming to a wise conclusion at an unwise time.

Truth is...Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. (Proverbs 6:6 CSB)

No Need to Fear God's Judgment

 

There's an episode of Calvin & Hobbes that sent me on a search for a spiritual tract from the 1970's...and that ended up helping me appreciate the grace of Jesus.

But first, Calvin explains to his mom how it is that he finished his homework so quickly:

But then, with the specter of accountability looming, fear explodes:

That look of fear and desperation on Calvin's face is what reminded me of a series of cartoon-based tracts from "back in the day" produced by Chick Publications. They were almost all meant to literally scare the "hell" out of people. (I searched "scary tracts" and chick.com was the third item on the results page.)

I was specifically reminded of this panel from a tract titled This Was Your Life which pictures a guy dropping dead and then, before the judgment seat of God, a movie was shown of everything he ever did.

Truth is...for those who confess Jesus as Lord, there is no need to fear the cat being let out of the bag during the final day of judgment. And here's why you can be sure of that"

Micah 7:19 (NIV): "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Psalm 103:12 (NIV): "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Not the Answer Calvin Wanted to Hear

 

Our text today, flock, was first published October 18, 1990, and begins with Deacon Calvin asking a significant question and Pastor Hobbes having a profound answer.

That alone would make this episode of Calvin & Hobbes worthy of consideration, but when Calvin pauses and reflects on what Hobbes said and what it implies about himself, his reaction is priceless.

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Truth is...We like to think when we have an outburst of anger or inappropriate behavior that we can say, "I wasn't being myself," but it's at those times when we are probably being very much ourselves...proving once again that we need to be changed from the inside out.

Just When You Start Thinking You're Sooooo Important

 

Serving as an excellent bad example yet again, Bill Waterson's Calvin seems to think he has complete control over a small group of flowers.

Then, just as he really gets wound up with his self-importance, God steps in.

Truth is...By the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. (Romans 12:3 CSV)

Calvin & Hobbes: What's Good for the Goose...

 

Bill Waterson's beloved comic, Calvin & Hobbes, had a Sunday strip that pointed out the flaw in some people's definition of right and wrong.

It begins with Calvin making a declaration and following it up with a string of cliches to support his worldview.

Hobbes then puts Calvin's beliefs into practice.

Which leads to Calvin spilling the beans on the particular self-centeredness of his philosophy.

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Truth is...The way the world is, it's amazing we aren't ALL covered with mud.

Proof of God

 

Calvin and Hobbes are relaxing on a hillside, and out of the blue, Hobbes asks probably the most important question ever.

Calvin thinks a moment and then comes up with a totally unique bit of apologetics.

Believe it or not, Calvin is right. God IS out to get him. And he's out to get each of US, too.

No, not in the way Calvin is thinking about it. God is not the Great Cosmic Killjoy chasing us down to inflict wrath on anyone who dares to step out of line...or color outside the lines. But he IS pursuing us with a heart full of lavish love and amazing grace. "Not wanting anyone to perish." (2nd Peter 3:9)

Borrowing from an 1890 poem by Francis Thompson, Yahweh has been called "The Hound of Heaven" because of his relentless pursuit of those he loves...in other words, us. And make no mistake about it, none of us can hide from him for long.

"Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24 NLT)

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Truth is...The prime example of God being out to get us is that he left the glory of heaven to become a man, perfectly live his life, then die to pay the debt for us NOT perfectly living ours.

Calvin & Hobbes Meet Back to the Future

 

In today's text, flock, we see Calvin reaping the misfortune of his miscalculation about how time travel affects reality...or not.

It makes me think of the movie, Back to the Future, and the disastrous consequences in the McFly household that came from a thing as simple as a sports almanac.

And THAT reminds me of a Back to the Future video game that took place in three different timeframes. In order to reach a particular desired object in 2000-whatever, you had to travel back to 1955 and plant an acorn in a particular place so in 2000-whatever there would be a tree there for you to climb.

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Truth is...I've said all this so I can ask THIS: What kind of groundwork are we laying right now in preparation for our preferred future? What seeds are we planting?

Galatians 6:7-8 (The Message)  -  Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

Calvin & Hobbes' Unintentional Commentary on Matthew 18:6

 

Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes sometimes inspires me to be a better person. Consider the following Sunday strip that takes us through a typical day in the life of Calvin.

We begin with a rude literal awakening...followed by another intellectual one.

Then, a trio of gruffness...

Followed up with the denial of some simple pleasures...

And capped off with a sad realization.

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Truth is...I am called to be a purveyor of hope, not a dispenser of censure and limitations. May my contribution to someone's day bring about a smile instead of a sad sigh.

Calvin & Hobbes & Whoosh

 

We join Calvin and his tiger friend, Hobbes, as Calvin sets up a premise.

Having established his concept, he now asks a series of probing questions.

Leading to a visual depiction of an existential crisis.

Not surprisingly, Rich Mullins has a meaningful song to sing about how quickly life passes by and how we should respond to that. Here's a sample of the lyric and a link to the song.

So much life is slipping past you

You better sink in and take a hold

So many things you say you think you'd like to do

About the things you think you know

Well, that road that's paved with good intentions

May never reach the streets of gold

No, no, no

So much love is on the inside

Better give in and let it out

Any fool could tell you why

But let the Spirit show you how

Speak your heart and maybe you could shed light

On the shadow of someone's doubt

Yeah, yeah, yeah

So don't hold out, don't let these chances pass you by

Here's your life, you're gonna get it right

Live like you'll die tomorrow

Die knowing you'll live forever, live right

Love like you'll leave tomorrow

Believing love lasts forever, live right

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Truth is...In light of eternity, one person's lifespan doesn't even amount to a slab of concrete in a sidewalk. And yet, that tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it bit of time has a profound effect on eternity. (Less on the fleetness of life and more on the importance of life...next week.)

Romans 7 Per Calvin & Hobbes

 

We find our hero, Calvin, at the top of a snowy hill.

He comes to a shocking realization.

The apostle Paul put it like this in Romans 7:18-20 (NLT):

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

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Truth is...We all suffer from this dilemma, but we also all can enjoy the same solution Paul expressed in verses 24 and 25: "Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

Calvin & Hobbes Find Treasure

 

Today, we discover intrepid explorer Calvin on an epic adventure.

Hobbes asks for a report on his preliminary findings.

And now, the O. Henryesque twist ending...

Truth is...It doesn't matter whether the glass is half full or half empty as long as you find joy in whatever's in it.

Whose Side Are You On and Does It Make a Difference?

 

Today we find our hero (Calvin of Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes) making a grave mistake.

Sadly, an attempt to remedy the situation doesn't mitigate his teammates' wrath.

There are two ways to go with this:

       1. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Just as Calvin felt proud of his accomplishment in getting the out, there are times when a person thinks they're doing a good thing when it's really a score for "the other side." Case in point: thinking you're taking a stand for righteousness when what you're really accomplishing is the continuation of a people-hating, Bible-thumping stereotype that has never drawn anyone into the Kingdom.

       2. What kind of army kills its wounded? Calvin's teammates could have turned this into a teachable moment and help mold Calvin into a productive member of the team. Instead, they condemned and rejected him. Kind of like blogging about Bible-thumpers.

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Truth is...We've all stood on both sides of this equation and are equally dependent on the grace of God.

Calvin & Hobbes & Santa & God

This Calvin & Hobbes strip should help us cultivate some empathy and understanding for those among us who have trouble believing.

It begins with Calvin wanting some physical proof to back up all he's been told about Santa Claus.

Calvin then reveals why it's important to him.

And then, with the help of Hobbes, we realize that the desire for proof goes even deeper.

Truth is...I recognize the struggle is real. I know a few atheists who truly wish they could believe, but just can't wrap their heads around the mystery of it all. They want everything to be crystal clear and unquestionable...they worship at the altar of human intelligence, which is a faulty, feeble god.

I know these things about them, and I wish them a Merry Christmas.

I Am A Rock...Not

I've never read anywhere if Paul Simon's I Am A Rock was specifically a response to John Donne's No Man Is An Island, but you couldn't blame a jury for ruling that way.

Exhibit Number One: John Donne's assertion that you're not the only clam in the chowder and that when you walk through a storm you can hold your head up high because you'll never walk alone.

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were.
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

Exhibit Number Two: Paul Simon's declaration of the opposite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKY-smJ6aBQ

However...it's lines like "If I never loved, I never would have cried" that make me think Simon is not so much saying he's separate from the world as he is wishing he had been. He strongly proclaims, "I am a rock. I AM an island," but it's got a bit of the old "methinks he protesteth too much" about it.

What starts as a declaration of independence ends up being a realization that independence isn't all it's cracked up to be. Like the following panels from Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes:

Truth is...we need each other, even though sometimes it hurts.

Bumper Sticker Christianity

Working part-time at a Christian retailer is having an interesting effect on my already-skeptical attitude toward what I've sometimes called "Bumper Sticker Christianity."

You know what I mean, right? Bumper Sticker Christianity is practiced by people who think God is their co-pilot, that Jesus is their homie, and the Holy Spirit is...um...apparently absent. People who angrily respond to a store-keeper wishing them a Happy Holiday instead of a Merry Christmas. People who attach a fish to their bumper, then treat speed limits like friendly suggestions instead of laws.

These are people who would happily agree with Calvin's statement...

...and not sense the sarcasm in Hobbes' response.

Truth is...there may be some value in condensing certain spiritual truths into easily-remembered snippets, but please don't settle for the snippet without exploring the depths of an actual relationship with a real, living Person.

ABCeason of Thanks

Things for which I am thankful:

A - Angel Brooke Roth Stanley, our oldest child, who came through our first floundering attempts at parenthood with flying colors.

B - Beloved, which is my pet name for my wife. She has lived through much and loves to encourage others.

C - Christmas may or may not be an attempt to Christianize basically pagan celebrations, but it's the one time of the year it becomes positively stylish to smile at strangers and love your neighbor as yourself.

D - This letter is the beginning of the names of all my siblings, who each had their individual impact on making me the person I am. And when specifically thinking of my older siblings, I'm thankful for the laughter and singing while doing dishes together.

E - Emanuel...yes, that's with just one "m". It's my son Curtis' middle name; taken from his maternal great-grandfather. Curtis is a living example of God's grace being a free gift and good works being a response.

F - Forgiveness...I need it, but could never earn it. And there's a joy that comes from giving it, too.

G - Georgina, my mom, who married young, raised five children, taught us to pray, loves tenderly, laughs easily, and now misses her husband of 67 years.

H - Hobbes, the tiger half of Calvin & Hobbes.

I - It's a Wonderful Life stars Jimmy Stewart and makes me cry every time I hear "To George Bailey, the richest man in town!"

J - Jesus is so much more to me than my words could ever hope to express. I am so thankful for his patient love, his ruthless determination to make me a better man, and his selfless sacrifice on my behalf.

K - Kelly Jo Roth Haug, our youngest child and free-est spirit. She embraces life and love and friendships with an open heart, in spite of having reasons to close herself off.

L - Laparoscopic surgery was an excellent choice when removing my gall bladder.

M - Music has a way to touch our hearts and move our keisters that can't be approached by mere words. It also gives me a language with which to worship.

N - Larry Norman was one of the originators of what is now called Contemporary Christian Music...he made music that expressed a down-to-earth belief in an out-of-this-world love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-x_WyBjO6Y

O - Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest. 

P - Paul, as in the Apostle Paul, wrote an awful lot of the New Testament.

Q - Queen Esther's story not only gave us the great line, "who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this," but also was at least part of the inspiration for a great song by my next object of thankfulness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWlRPFibdOU

R - Rich Mullins, the ragamuffin troubadour who wrote "Awesome God," but more importantly, imperfectly lived out his faith for the benefit of all the rest of us who can't quite seem to get it right either.

S - Shonda Diane Roth Hall is our second daughter and lives the farthest from us. Her hugs are missed by us but her tender heart is demonstrated to the children she works with daily.

T - Thanksgiving is not only a great excuse for temporary gluttony, but offers the opportunity for families to spend some time loving on each other.

U - United States of America...living here has it's negative aspects, to be sure, but my limited amount of time spent on foreign soil has helped me appreciate the abundant blessings that come just from having been born here.

V - Valley Christian Church is a group of loving people that has been our church family for over 20 years.

W - Living water, as in Christ living in me: "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14 NIV)

X - There was a xylophone (okay, actually a marimba, but I needed an X) in the music room of the house of one of my best friends. Good times.

Y - Yahoo's free email

Z - The zest of life; full of adventure, boredom, thrills, surprises, love, insecurity, laughter, and hope.

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Truth is...I had to really think hard to come up with some of these. It's not a bad thing to put some effort into recognizing one's blessings.

Tiger Tells Truth

Calvin & Hobbes creator, Bill Watterson, knew how to tell the truth with clarity, conciseness, and humor.

Case in point...in the following panels, Hobbes is very practical in his proposed solution to Calvin's desire for knowledge:

And then, the 500-pound anvil of Truth drops on our heads:

Truth is...this is funny because we recognize our own tendency to want things without working for them. Thankfully, the laughter helps ease the pain of that confrontation with Truth.

Oh Remorse! Remorse!

Our text today, flock, is found in the gospel according to Bill Waterson...in other words, the much-missed comic strip, Calvin & Hobbes.

The story opens with our hero, Calvin, gleefully attacking Susie with a water balloon.

But look...the lad has apparently seen the error of his ways.

But just as apparently, Susie doesn't believe Calvin is actually all that remorseful.

Now, while I'm pretty sure Yahweh doesn't hand out retribution as swiftly as Susie Derkins, I'm also fairly confident the Lord of the Universe isn't fooled by our "oops, I did it again" play-acting at repentance, either.

Truth is...we are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:2)

Going Against the Flow

A few weeks ago, I posted a piece titled "The World According to Calvin (and Hobbes)" that used a few panels from that wonderful comic strip to make a point about how to approach life.

Amazingly enough, a blog called ZEN PENCILS: Cartoon Quotes from Inspirational Folks chose that very same day to publish an homage to Bill Watterson (C & H's creator) that included a quote from a graduation speech by Watterson and is practically perfect in every way.

"A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential, as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth."

I encourage you to click here to enjoy the whole thing.

Truth is...Standing up for one's convictions is often unpopular at the time, but lasting respect and admiration far outweigh fleeting popularity.