Every 17 Years=creepy bugs, and the future.

It’s 2016 which is a marked year. Yes, sadly it has been marked by the loss of some tremendous creatives, artists and others,  but other things mark it. Stranger things. Red eyed, noisy things.

Cicadas.

Maybe you don’t know what I’m talking about. Cicadas are bugs that emerge every 17 years. They crawl out from hibernation and live a very short life span of a few weeks in which their existence is to get out of their shell, get busy, lay some eggs, and die. Wait 17 years. Rinse. Repeat.

People here in the northeast kind of freak out about these critters. I find them intriguing. It’s one of those oddities of nature. How in the world, WHY in the world? I found some really interesting information about them. For instance there is actually some debate about the number 17 being unique. It’s a prime number. Another type of cicada emerges every 13 years. Another prime number. Bug science people hypothesize that could be to maximize their ability to essentially not be eaten as it lands in the gaps of lifespans of other creatures who would be the cicadas predators. They also affect other things in nature apparently, like birds. Normal birds you might see around your area, they might not show up until after the cicadas are gone as if they know the cicadas are coming too and just avoid it. It’s like a Kenny Chesney concert or a tunnel closing in pittsburgh- you know what’s going to happen, so you just don’t go there.  They hypothesize that perhaps the sheer noise of the cicadas (a single male cicada’s chirp can hit 120 decibels. That’s a freaking rock concert, people) create issues for some birds. In this environment the birds can’t actually hunt the food they normally would because the cicadas are so loud. They are the annoying kid listening to his heavy metal without ear buds on the bus while you’re trying to read. Some of the science folk can’t even really say how the birds know the cicadas are coming, because often the draw down of birds in an area happens before the cicadas even emerge, and it can’t be because the birds remember the last time, because the birds life span is significantly shorter than the cicadas 17 year cycle, so birds might experience this phenomenon once every three bird generations. Isn’t this wild?!  (For anyone interested, this is an incredible video documenting this oddity.  If this somehow doesnt make you have some feels for the little guys, well, I guess I can still understand! haha!)

I was driving to a little gathering of some friends two weeks ago and I could hear the cidcadas singing their little love songs in the trees all around me. I find it to be a peaceful sound, it sort of ebbs and flows rhythmically. It made me start to think of that stuff Jesus talked about when mentioning the provision given to even the sparrows of the field, and how much more  we, people, would be given provision. I’m in this incredibly hectic, emotionally and creatively “buzzing” season of life- where am I headed, what should I be starting, finishing, stepping into, away from, am I on track or way off?

At our gathering we were just sharing some stuff about life with each other, and many of us shared about a lot of these same things- decisions in life, and work, and business, and – always with that question “what’s next?” Last Sunday my friend Johnny shared a bit about the “parable of the cicada” which isn’t actually in the bible, but it kind of is.  God has seemed to always speak through the locust.  It is interesting that they have been markers of things all throughout scripture.  So, Johnny questioned, “Why would God stop using that method?”

So here we are- a marked year. A marked season.  Whether marked by nature, science, or something much bigger and more cosmic, it’s marked.  God is speaking new things, leading to new places, marking things along the way.  As I drove that evening, I began to think of the last time the cicadas were here.  I was 17 years old.  Next time they show up I will be 52 years old.  I began to ponder what might happen in that time frame. Where will I journey? What will I accomplish? Will I have the guts to pursue some of the crazy things I feel in my heart? Will I succeed? Will I fail epically? It can quickly become overwhelming. Then, I heard the noise of the cicada amidst all my questions. Loud, steady, rhythmic, constant.  Just like another voice, constantly leading, whispering, reminding, providing.

Every word that comes down will not go back unfulfilled.

This next 17 will be fun.  Adventures are afoot and in short order.  Stand by…

Dear christians- dont be a hallo-weiner.

There is so much hubbub surrounding Halloween and being a christian and justifying taking part in what is probably the most costumed and sugar filled occasion of the year. I grew up being allowed to trick or treat. My brother and I were Hans and Franz in the heat of the “glory years” of Saturday Night Live. We came to pump (clap!) you up.  I remember one halloween gathering at a local church where a kid had to open both doors to get his costume in the hall.  He made a freaking tank out of cardboard, complete with turret with a hatch that opened. I think we were ghostbusters that year, but you can’t compete with that.  Being dressed as a panzer is superior to anything else. (You also can’t go up onto someone’s porch to get your pillowcase filled up. These are the risks you take in being awesome.)  Two of my other friends were the “Moon man” from the old McDonald’s ad campaign (which, was kind of creepy.) We had fun.  We got candy.  Strangely today, to my knowledge, none of us worship satan or used frolicking about the neighborhood or that mini snickers as a “gateway candy” to practices in the occult.
In a world where the church has lost ground (a lot of ground) in their place in society, we need to live better. In living better, we need to be better representatives in culture, a culture which is profoundly post-christian. (Look it up, it’s what we are.  It’s not a bad thing. I’ll save that spew of words for another day.) Our culture is spending 6.9 billion (with a B) dollars on halloween this year.  Also according to CNN, 41.2 million children aged 5-14 will potentially be out looking for candy.  Your candy.  From your porch.  At your house.
I know christians who will be locking the door, turning off the lights and hiding somewhere.  I know others who will be retreating to churches to pray or ask God to come and be present in their communities.  We used to have the WWJD bracelets back in the day.  It got pretty out of hand, but I think the basis of it was good- What would Jesus do? I think there’s a second question to be asked that could also guide our thoughts and actions in how we engage culture WWJB- Where would Jesus Be? I don’t think he would be retreated to a church prayer meeting or hiding under a bed with the lights out waiting for the doorbell to stop ringing.  I think he would be sitting on his porch, or the porch of one of his friends, handing out the best candy available.  Not those popcorn balls, either.  Good candy. My cousins had a neighbor who was a bit well-to-do who handed out KING Hershey bars.  The big ones.  Everyone knew.  When we were at their house, we’d go there.  We knew it was a good score.  I think Jesus would be that guy, giving out the best.  (As an aside, knowing what we know about the world, I also feel like the best might be well made.  This could ruin your candy shopping as a whole, and it should.) Yes, I think Jesus would be handing out the best candy, giving out high fives and “WHOA LOOK AT YOU!”‘s to all the little astronauts and Elsas and Avengers.  Why? Because, it’s not about one day a year.  It’s about being present.  Jesus was present wherever he was.  Sure, he took times to go and pray or be with his inner circle of friends but, he was present with the people around him.  He was teaching us a better way and now, as our culture has gone away from a baseline understanding and acceptance of christianity, we have to go back and study what he did, how he lived and be as much of Jesus in our communities as we can.
Am I saying dress up as witches and warlocks and put creepy things in your yard? No. Am I saying you should attend your friend’s fun-filled séance? No.  (Though, I can promise you, taking holy spirit to that environment would probably cause some interesting things to happen.)  But don’t turn the porch light off, go to church, and then beg God to show up in your community and change things.  You just passed up an amazing opportunity to put Jesus on display. You are the one whom he has sent to change things, to be a light, and you can’t do that when you’re hiding when everyone is actually out looking.

P.S.- If I find out you handed out tracts, I might egg your house.  It’s in the bible.