Solomon wrote, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12). I thought quite a bit about this text over the last few days. The senseless shooting in Oklahoma has reignited a discussion about how things are in this country and how, if possible, to make things better. I don't pretend to be an expert on this issue and I certainly don't have all of the answers, but a few things did occur to me and I wrestled with how to put into words what I think is a critical issue.
To summarize what happened, Christopher Lane was an Australian native who was in Oklahoma City playing baseball for East Central College. He was killed by three teens who shot him in the back because, in their words, they "were bored and didn't have anything to do, so we killed somebody." Since that statement was given, reports of threatening tweets by one of the teens arrested in connection with this have come out, so there may be more to it than just being "bored." However, this statement is troubling at many levels.
It would be easy, as some are doing, to blame the entertainment industry. Violent video games, movies and television shows are widespread and desensitize people, especially kids, with respect to death. Got killed? Just reboot, start over. No problem There was a time, believe it or not, when television shows and movies sought not only to entertain but to reinforce positive messages. I rediscovered that when I found that Amazon Instant Download has episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati and Lost in Space available. I'm sure many kids now would make fun of the Lost in Space show that I watched as a kid, but watching an episode or two last night reminded me that entertainment was different in the late 1960's and early 1970's. However, is it that simple? Is the entertainment industry the cause of what's gone wrong? I don't think so. If anything, it is a symptom.
Some also see this as an offshoot of not valuing life. Blatant disregard for life and the casual way it can be extinguished seems prevalent throughout every strand of society and mocks our humanity. We continue the abortion debate that began, in earnest, in the early 1970's. The horrific practices of Dr. Kermit Gosnell were exposed in the last several months and sickened many. The incredible numbers of those being killed in urban areas of the United States continues to rise. Life appears to be increasingly disposable. While I believe sowing the seeds of devalued human life has brought about a bitter harvest, I think it, too, is a symptom and not a cause.
Some will want to see this and other horrific events as a referendum on the availability of guns. To me, though, that seems like a faulty argument. Guns have been available throughout the history of us as a people. They serve a needed and valued purpose. Like many other things, when used properly, they are wonderful tools. When used carelessly or without respect, they can be deadly. Guns are a thing or an object, not inherently good or evil. I think there is something much deeper that is the cause or issue.
So, what is it then? After five paragraphs I've come to what I believe to be a cause. We have a spiritual problem. We have not always understood what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Many have craved his love without understanding that if you love him, you do what he says. As a church we've allowed ourselves, in many ways, to become irrelevant and as a culture we've adopted the motto, "I do what I want." Biblical living is viewed with skepticism by many. With regard to the passage in Proverbs that I cited earlier, Matthew Henry, a British theologian wrote, "Foolish and profane men consider sin a mere trifle, to be made light of rather than mourned over."
Families disintegrate because they are not built on a biblical foundation. The deterioration of the family leads to all kinds of other issues that God never intended for us to face.
Perverse actions are seen as "indiscretions" and people ignore what used to outrage.
A sense of "right and wrong" has been replaced by a more transient "relativism" in which "right and wrong" depend upon circumstances.
I'm sure there are more things that could be added to this list, but I think the real question now becomes, "what do we do about it?" In my view, a "turn around" begins with a renewed commitment to Jesus Christ. It would be easy to call for a nationwide revival and call out "sinners" to repent. I don't think that's it, though. It starts much closer to home. Let's examine ourselves and rededicate our lives to better service for our Lord. It is a bit cliché, but our world is changed one life at a time. I want to rededicate my life to serving the Lord in a more effective manner. Will you?
Thanks for reading and God bless....
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Are you willing to get wet?
"Maybe being loved wasn't enough; maybe there was something else you needed not to get in trouble." This line is spoken by Drew in Walter Dean Myers' book Game and it has stuck with me ever since I finished reading the book. In the context of the story, Drew makes this statement about a young man in his Harlem neighborhood who has been arrested and is facing trial for murder. There is some discussion in Drew's house about how awful this is for the young man's mother and how much she loved him. "Maybe there was something else you needed to not get in trouble."
I had a lot of time to think yesterday and I thought a little about what is that something else besides being loved that would prevent someone from trouble. Because, let's face it, almost everyone that has ever been in some kind of trouble is loved by someone. All we have to do is watch a little cable television news to see that almost all of those who find themselves in some kind of predicament have someone willing to tell others how much they love them. Though I know it is not a scientific survey, I'm pretty sure most of the guys I see at the juvenile correctional facility and even a few I've seen at the county jail in Columbus can talk about someone who loved them.
Let's take it one step further. Bill's View has always been a forum for me to discuss how I see the world and I am unapologetic about the fact that I see it through a Christian lens. So, having established that, it is a theological fact that God loves all people. He loves them unconditionally and was willing to put "skin" on that love in the person of his son Jesus Christ. Romans 8:32 and Romans 5:6-8 among other Scriptures explain that God's love and Jesus' atonement are universal. However, again, theologically speaking, the fact that God loves all and Jesus died for all doesn't, by itself, keep people from "trouble."
That brings us right back to the question "What is that something else?" I don't know if I am qualified to give a definitive answer, but one did occur to me. I was riding the shuttle bus at the Columbus airport out to the green parking lot. I was the only passenger on the bus, so I had a chance to chat a bit with the driver. He was telling me about how much rain Columbus had in just a short time. It was pretty bad for a few hours. I told him, in passing, how tough it must have been to be working during that rain. He smiled and said, "It was no problem. It doesn't mess with you if you aren't out in it."
Later, on my drive home, I thought about that a little. What he was saying was unless you were in the rain itself and getting wet, the storm didn't have much of an effect. I'm going to ask you to stay with me here as I extend this metaphor, so here goes. Unless you are taking in that love (getting wet, if you will) and allowing it to saturate who you are and to direct your actions, then being loved has no effect either. That fact that God loves you; that Jesus loves you makes no difference until you take it in and it begins to take hold of you. The fact that your mother, father, wife, husband, children love you doesn't make a difference until you allow that fact to penetrate into who you are and direct your actions. Only when love is received, internalized and allowed to guide and direct does it make a difference.
I think this is Paul's point in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. Christ's love compelled Paul and his companions to minister, to teach and to preach. His greatest desire is for all people to be reconciled to God. If I can summarize this challenging passage, I think it may come down to this. Because Paul knows the love of Jesus Christ, he wants all people, who are also loved by Christ, to be affected enough by that love to give their lives to him and for him.
That "something else" may be the difference between watching the storm, thinking about the rain and being out in it, getting soaked. If I can stay on that analogy, I'm for folks getting wet. What about you?
Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
I had a lot of time to think yesterday and I thought a little about what is that something else besides being loved that would prevent someone from trouble. Because, let's face it, almost everyone that has ever been in some kind of trouble is loved by someone. All we have to do is watch a little cable television news to see that almost all of those who find themselves in some kind of predicament have someone willing to tell others how much they love them. Though I know it is not a scientific survey, I'm pretty sure most of the guys I see at the juvenile correctional facility and even a few I've seen at the county jail in Columbus can talk about someone who loved them.
Let's take it one step further. Bill's View has always been a forum for me to discuss how I see the world and I am unapologetic about the fact that I see it through a Christian lens. So, having established that, it is a theological fact that God loves all people. He loves them unconditionally and was willing to put "skin" on that love in the person of his son Jesus Christ. Romans 8:32 and Romans 5:6-8 among other Scriptures explain that God's love and Jesus' atonement are universal. However, again, theologically speaking, the fact that God loves all and Jesus died for all doesn't, by itself, keep people from "trouble."
That brings us right back to the question "What is that something else?" I don't know if I am qualified to give a definitive answer, but one did occur to me. I was riding the shuttle bus at the Columbus airport out to the green parking lot. I was the only passenger on the bus, so I had a chance to chat a bit with the driver. He was telling me about how much rain Columbus had in just a short time. It was pretty bad for a few hours. I told him, in passing, how tough it must have been to be working during that rain. He smiled and said, "It was no problem. It doesn't mess with you if you aren't out in it."
Later, on my drive home, I thought about that a little. What he was saying was unless you were in the rain itself and getting wet, the storm didn't have much of an effect. I'm going to ask you to stay with me here as I extend this metaphor, so here goes. Unless you are taking in that love (getting wet, if you will) and allowing it to saturate who you are and to direct your actions, then being loved has no effect either. That fact that God loves you; that Jesus loves you makes no difference until you take it in and it begins to take hold of you. The fact that your mother, father, wife, husband, children love you doesn't make a difference until you allow that fact to penetrate into who you are and direct your actions. Only when love is received, internalized and allowed to guide and direct does it make a difference.
I think this is Paul's point in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. Christ's love compelled Paul and his companions to minister, to teach and to preach. His greatest desire is for all people to be reconciled to God. If I can summarize this challenging passage, I think it may come down to this. Because Paul knows the love of Jesus Christ, he wants all people, who are also loved by Christ, to be affected enough by that love to give their lives to him and for him.
That "something else" may be the difference between watching the storm, thinking about the rain and being out in it, getting soaked. If I can stay on that analogy, I'm for folks getting wet. What about you?
Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
Friday, August 2, 2013
Thoughts on this generation and things of faith
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15 NIV). These verses speak of Paul's desire for Timothy to continue living a Godly life in the presence of those who do not. In them he describes how Timothy will be able to do so: "continue is what you have learned" and be in "the Scriptures" which can make you "wise for salvation." I've been preaching through 2 Timothy for the last few weeks and have thought about how this letter is Paul's last. It's his "final words" to a young Christian, telling him what matters and what's important. As I've been looking at it, I've also been thinking about how the "church" can and/or ought to reach this generation. What are people in their twenties and thirties thinking about and looking for with respect to spiritual things? What are the young people I coach in Bible Bowl thinking about in connection with faith? How can I, or maybe even more importantly, how can the church reach out to these folks in a meaningful way?
I've tried to do some reading on the attitudes and interests of different groups of people. I am not an expert in any way on this topic, but I thought I'd share a few observations that I'm working through.
Observation 1- To reach people today, faith must be real and tangible. I think people are wanting something that is meaningful. They want to know where to look and to whom to turn when things get really hard. I also think there is a desire for people to be able to demonstrate what they believe. I think this is one of the reasons for the rise of mission trips and the resurgence of interest in missions.
Observation 2- People today are not as tied to history and tradition as maybe they once were. People don't necessarily attend the church or type of church that their parents did. Other factors weigh more heavily in that decision.
Observation 3- The "worship experience" is very important to this generation. It may have been in the past, too, but it is even more so now as I see it.
These are not all that remarkable and you've probably seen them listed and explained better than what they are here. There are, too, some things about our faith that don't change.
1. Jesus Christ is always God's Son and the only way to heaven.
2. The Bible is always the inerrant Word of God.
3. God's desire, throughout the pages of history, is for his people to be holy.
The challenge, I think, comes in trying to balance how we change our approach without changing the things that can't be altered. Can we present the unchanging Jesus in ways that are fresh, relevant and meaningful? Can we be more honest in our pursuit of Christ? Does the word "transparent" have anything to do with this? Can we present ways to serve Christ and display faith that are genuine and make a difference? Can we issue the call to be holy without seeming to be judgmental?
I ask these questions knowing that I am asking them to myself before I ask them to you. I think these questions and probably countless others are worth thinking about as we try to "tell the old, old story" to a continually changing generation. I hope to get to some answers. It is my desire that the church I serve maintain relevancy in the years to come. I want ministries like Bible Bowl and others to continue to challenge and inspire kids years from now. I want mission trips and a zeal to tell and show others the love of Christ to continue to grow. I would by not telling the truth if I were to say to you that I'm not concerned about that. I think if we make wrong decisions or don't consider these questions, we may very well limit the effectiveness of these activities. This is not to say God becomes irrelevant, it is simply an indictment on how effective his church might become.
This is a different kind of post in "Bill's View," but one I hope you'll think about. Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
I've tried to do some reading on the attitudes and interests of different groups of people. I am not an expert in any way on this topic, but I thought I'd share a few observations that I'm working through.
Observation 1- To reach people today, faith must be real and tangible. I think people are wanting something that is meaningful. They want to know where to look and to whom to turn when things get really hard. I also think there is a desire for people to be able to demonstrate what they believe. I think this is one of the reasons for the rise of mission trips and the resurgence of interest in missions.
Observation 2- People today are not as tied to history and tradition as maybe they once were. People don't necessarily attend the church or type of church that their parents did. Other factors weigh more heavily in that decision.
Observation 3- The "worship experience" is very important to this generation. It may have been in the past, too, but it is even more so now as I see it.
These are not all that remarkable and you've probably seen them listed and explained better than what they are here. There are, too, some things about our faith that don't change.
1. Jesus Christ is always God's Son and the only way to heaven.
2. The Bible is always the inerrant Word of God.
3. God's desire, throughout the pages of history, is for his people to be holy.
The challenge, I think, comes in trying to balance how we change our approach without changing the things that can't be altered. Can we present the unchanging Jesus in ways that are fresh, relevant and meaningful? Can we be more honest in our pursuit of Christ? Does the word "transparent" have anything to do with this? Can we present ways to serve Christ and display faith that are genuine and make a difference? Can we issue the call to be holy without seeming to be judgmental?
I ask these questions knowing that I am asking them to myself before I ask them to you. I think these questions and probably countless others are worth thinking about as we try to "tell the old, old story" to a continually changing generation. I hope to get to some answers. It is my desire that the church I serve maintain relevancy in the years to come. I want ministries like Bible Bowl and others to continue to challenge and inspire kids years from now. I want mission trips and a zeal to tell and show others the love of Christ to continue to grow. I would by not telling the truth if I were to say to you that I'm not concerned about that. I think if we make wrong decisions or don't consider these questions, we may very well limit the effectiveness of these activities. This is not to say God becomes irrelevant, it is simply an indictment on how effective his church might become.
This is a different kind of post in "Bill's View," but one I hope you'll think about. Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
Friday, July 26, 2013
Doing Good...
Paul writes, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10 NIV). We find this verse in the context of Paul challenging the believers throughout Galatia to carry each other's burdens, to be humble and to be responsible for one's own work or pack. He follows that by telling them that God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that's what he'll reap. In the ninth verse he warns them not to become weary in doing good and notes the promise of a harvest for those who do not give up. Clearly, the admonition here is to continue to good to all, especially to other Christians.
I thought about the idea of "doing good to others" quite a bit while cutting the grass at the church and parsonage today. The world in which we live is not to concerned with "doing good" to others. However, there are a few little reminders of "good" out there.
---Someone held the door for a couple of people to leave the convenience store today.
---A person gave up their spot to another who was in a hurry at the gas station.
---A guy jump-started a car for a lady whose battery had died.
These are not "big" things and none of them will make USA Today or The Columbus Post Dispatch. I noticed them, though. I think maybe God did, too.
Doing "good" to others, however, is not the entire message of that passage. We are to do good, "especially to those who belong to the family of believers." As hard as it is to understand why, I think this may be more difficult than simply doing good to others. I suppose there are a couple of reasons why I think this. First, I think many times we get impatient, frustrated and angry with those with whom we are the closest. We may expect them to do more or better than just the average person and when they don't we're apt to criticize. Also, we may think they don't need any particular encouragement or "good treatment." The second reason is a bit more harsh, but I think it is true, too. Sometimes we just don't like our brothers or sisters in Christ, so we, at best, ignore them or, at worst, fight with them. I can already hear what some of you are thinking. Wait a minute, Thomas. I don't have to like everyone. I love them, but I don't have to like them. I guess that's true, but here's a simple question. Have you really tried liking them? Have you forgiven as you want to be forgiven so you can begin again? Have you tried to find that which Jesus Christ put in them that makes them unique and good for service in the Kingdom? It's true that we may not like everyone. I don't think that's possible. It might be good, though, for us to like more and follow that by doing good. Think about it.
Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
I thought about the idea of "doing good to others" quite a bit while cutting the grass at the church and parsonage today. The world in which we live is not to concerned with "doing good" to others. However, there are a few little reminders of "good" out there.
---Someone held the door for a couple of people to leave the convenience store today.
---A person gave up their spot to another who was in a hurry at the gas station.
---A guy jump-started a car for a lady whose battery had died.
These are not "big" things and none of them will make USA Today or The Columbus Post Dispatch. I noticed them, though. I think maybe God did, too.
Doing "good" to others, however, is not the entire message of that passage. We are to do good, "especially to those who belong to the family of believers." As hard as it is to understand why, I think this may be more difficult than simply doing good to others. I suppose there are a couple of reasons why I think this. First, I think many times we get impatient, frustrated and angry with those with whom we are the closest. We may expect them to do more or better than just the average person and when they don't we're apt to criticize. Also, we may think they don't need any particular encouragement or "good treatment." The second reason is a bit more harsh, but I think it is true, too. Sometimes we just don't like our brothers or sisters in Christ, so we, at best, ignore them or, at worst, fight with them. I can already hear what some of you are thinking. Wait a minute, Thomas. I don't have to like everyone. I love them, but I don't have to like them. I guess that's true, but here's a simple question. Have you really tried liking them? Have you forgiven as you want to be forgiven so you can begin again? Have you tried to find that which Jesus Christ put in them that makes them unique and good for service in the Kingdom? It's true that we may not like everyone. I don't think that's possible. It might be good, though, for us to like more and follow that by doing good. Think about it.
Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Thoughts on "Copperhead" and what it is to be "all in"
"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62 NIV). This passage records Jesus' words as he concludes a "teaching moment" with his disciples. Three men come to him as he and the disciples are walking along the road. Each of the three wants to follow Jesus, but each has an excuse. The third man agreed to follow Jesus but wanted first to go and say good-bye to his family. On first glance these words seem a bit harsh. After all, saying "good-bye" to family members isn't a bad thing, is it? However, there is more to understanding this passage than what first meets the eye. It isn't so much a matter of saying "good-bye" to family members. What Jesus is describing here is one whose attention is diverted. S/he wants to serve the Lord in the kingdom, but is distracted by the things of this world. It is comparable to a plowman looking behind him as he plows a field. He can't do that job well if he isn't directing his attention forward. That's what Jesus is calling his followers to as well. He seeks undivided loyalty and attention.
I thought about that some tonight as I had the chance to watch an independent movie called Copperhead. I know. It sounds like some weird monster movie, but it isn't. It's a movie about the Civil War, and, in particular, northerners who opposed Abraham Lincoln and the war, not because they favored slavery but because they found no constitutional justification for it. I'm not so much interested in whether or not the "copperheads" were right or if President Lincoln was justified in expanding presidential powers. What did hit me, though, was the commitment made by those during that time to fight in the war. As I watched, it became clear to me again that many young men and some boys, for that matter, when they marched off to war, they were knowingly marching off to death. As their families gathered to say "good-bye" and cheer them on, many had to know that they wouldn't see them alive again. There was a sense of total commitment and being "all in."
I wondered as I drove home about my commitment as a Christian. Am I "all in" on doing whatever Jesus has set before me? Are there things regarding the kingdom of Christ that I am willing to march out on knowing that I'll not likely return? I suppose in the United States in 2013 there is very little danger that I'll have to be ready to die for my faith. I admire, though, those who so believed in the cause of the Civil War that they'd march out to death. I want my faith to matter to me as much. I hope that you'll consider these questions, too.
Have a blessed day and thanks for reading...
I thought about that some tonight as I had the chance to watch an independent movie called Copperhead. I know. It sounds like some weird monster movie, but it isn't. It's a movie about the Civil War, and, in particular, northerners who opposed Abraham Lincoln and the war, not because they favored slavery but because they found no constitutional justification for it. I'm not so much interested in whether or not the "copperheads" were right or if President Lincoln was justified in expanding presidential powers. What did hit me, though, was the commitment made by those during that time to fight in the war. As I watched, it became clear to me again that many young men and some boys, for that matter, when they marched off to war, they were knowingly marching off to death. As their families gathered to say "good-bye" and cheer them on, many had to know that they wouldn't see them alive again. There was a sense of total commitment and being "all in."
I wondered as I drove home about my commitment as a Christian. Am I "all in" on doing whatever Jesus has set before me? Are there things regarding the kingdom of Christ that I am willing to march out on knowing that I'll not likely return? I suppose in the United States in 2013 there is very little danger that I'll have to be ready to die for my faith. I admire, though, those who so believed in the cause of the Civil War that they'd march out to death. I want my faith to matter to me as much. I hope that you'll consider these questions, too.
Have a blessed day and thanks for reading...
Friday, June 28, 2013
What is the right question to ask?
Judges 21:25 says, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." This occurs between the death of Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, and the time of the judges. Of this time, Wesley wrote in his commentary, "What wonder was it then, if all wickedness overflowed the land?" I can't help but think of this passage as I read about and hear discussed the events of this week in our country. One of the editorials in today's edition of USA Today discusses the issue of same-sex marriage in terms of "who is it going to hurt." I get from the editorial that Justice Kennedy, who is considered by many the "swing vote" in the Court, used this principle in reaching his decision. I don't really want this post to be a discussion of that Supreme Court ruling as much as I want to consider the idea of "who does it hurt."
The question of "who does it hurt," bothers me. As I see it, that question leads us back to the days between Joshua and the judges in which people did what was right in their own eyes. I suppose as long as no particular group was "hurt" by an action, then it could be called "OK" to do. However, for this to work, there has to be someone who decides who, if anyone, is hurt and by how much. It seems to me that using this question to determine a course will only lead to confusion, chaos and ultimately a sliding standard (what doesn't affect someone today, may tomorrow, etc). As I look back over the lines that I just typed on the screen I have to ask myself "Isn't that what happens when each person gets to decide what is right for him/herself?"
It seems to me that there has to be a better way to establish what is right or wrong. Is it possible that there is a moral absolute? Is it possible that some actions are right and some are wrong regardless of what people might think of them? I know that I am begging the question here, a bit. The Bible, though, talks about right and wrong in terms of absolutes.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
To see the world in terms of moral absolutes, in my opinion, allows for more certainty and confidence. It provides hope that even when evil is having its day, right will win out. As I see it, moral absolutes point directly to God. The absence of moral absolutes, seems to me, to leave God out of the picture. What does all of this philosophizing mean? I think simply this. No matter what others may say, some things are always inherently right and some are inherently wrong. Though we might like the ability and authority to determine the rightness and wrongness of actions, that prerogative is purely God's. He determines the nature of all activity. Our best course of action is to follow what he has already set out. With regard to doing something, don't ask yourself whether or not anyone will be harmed by what I do. Ask yourself is what I am about to do the right thing to do.
Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
The question of "who does it hurt," bothers me. As I see it, that question leads us back to the days between Joshua and the judges in which people did what was right in their own eyes. I suppose as long as no particular group was "hurt" by an action, then it could be called "OK" to do. However, for this to work, there has to be someone who decides who, if anyone, is hurt and by how much. It seems to me that using this question to determine a course will only lead to confusion, chaos and ultimately a sliding standard (what doesn't affect someone today, may tomorrow, etc). As I look back over the lines that I just typed on the screen I have to ask myself "Isn't that what happens when each person gets to decide what is right for him/herself?"
It seems to me that there has to be a better way to establish what is right or wrong. Is it possible that there is a moral absolute? Is it possible that some actions are right and some are wrong regardless of what people might think of them? I know that I am begging the question here, a bit. The Bible, though, talks about right and wrong in terms of absolutes.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.1 Peter 1:23
Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;To see the world in terms of moral absolutes, in my opinion, allows for more certainty and confidence. It provides hope that even when evil is having its day, right will win out. As I see it, moral absolutes point directly to God. The absence of moral absolutes, seems to me, to leave God out of the picture. What does all of this philosophizing mean? I think simply this. No matter what others may say, some things are always inherently right and some are inherently wrong. Though we might like the ability and authority to determine the rightness and wrongness of actions, that prerogative is purely God's. He determines the nature of all activity. Our best course of action is to follow what he has already set out. With regard to doing something, don't ask yourself whether or not anyone will be harmed by what I do. Ask yourself is what I am about to do the right thing to do.
Thanks for reading and have a blessed day...
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Do it now...
Garrison Keillor once said, "They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad that I'm going to miss mine by just a few days." That quote seems to fit what I'm thinking this weekend. I reread a book this week that I've had on my shelf for quite a while, For One More Day by Mitch Albom. It's a story about a guy whose life is not what he had hoped for getting the chance to get one more day with the person that loved him the most and the one he took most for granted. This statement from the book expresses what it's about; "Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.”
I wondered how many of us wish we had "one more day" with someone we love. Maybe that someone has already died. Maybe that someone now lives far away and is immersed in a different chapter of life. Maybe that someone is simply estranged and is no longer close. The circumstances may vary greatly, but the desire is the same. If I could have just one more day then I could say how I really feel. I could share what is most important. If I...
I really like the book For One More Day, but if you're looking for it, you'll find it in the fiction section. You see, life's not like that. We don't get to go back. There are no mulligans or do-overs. We have to pick up where we are and do the best we can. That's why I think the message of this book is important and, in some ways, Biblical. Albom seems to be saying it's not too late to tell folks that you love them and to share with them things that are meaningful. Paul wrote to the Ephesians and to the Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). Paul's message is a simple one here. In the context he's written about getting rid of bitterness, anger, brawling, slander and rage. He wants his readers to be overflowing with kindness, compassion and forgiveness. In doing so, they become "imitators of God."
What is the "take away" from this devotional? I think it is pretty straight-forward. Don't wait until someone you love dies before sharing what is meaningful. Talk to them today. Write a letter or an email. If you've lost track of someone and feel the prompting to reach out to them, do it. Don't wait. It is heart-breaking to see someone at a funeral grieve and plead for "one more day." You have a day right now; today. Use it. Thanks for reading and may God bless....
I wondered how many of us wish we had "one more day" with someone we love. Maybe that someone has already died. Maybe that someone now lives far away and is immersed in a different chapter of life. Maybe that someone is simply estranged and is no longer close. The circumstances may vary greatly, but the desire is the same. If I could have just one more day then I could say how I really feel. I could share what is most important. If I...
I really like the book For One More Day, but if you're looking for it, you'll find it in the fiction section. You see, life's not like that. We don't get to go back. There are no mulligans or do-overs. We have to pick up where we are and do the best we can. That's why I think the message of this book is important and, in some ways, Biblical. Albom seems to be saying it's not too late to tell folks that you love them and to share with them things that are meaningful. Paul wrote to the Ephesians and to the Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). Paul's message is a simple one here. In the context he's written about getting rid of bitterness, anger, brawling, slander and rage. He wants his readers to be overflowing with kindness, compassion and forgiveness. In doing so, they become "imitators of God."
What is the "take away" from this devotional? I think it is pretty straight-forward. Don't wait until someone you love dies before sharing what is meaningful. Talk to them today. Write a letter or an email. If you've lost track of someone and feel the prompting to reach out to them, do it. Don't wait. It is heart-breaking to see someone at a funeral grieve and plead for "one more day." You have a day right now; today. Use it. Thanks for reading and may God bless....
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