Think About It

           What is the answer to today’s challenges?   It seems like we are surrounded by constant conflicts, what can we do to make things better?   Is there any hope?           The other day I was reading from the New Testament when I came across this suggestion, “ First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,   for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” (I Timothy 2:1-2).   The first thing that struck me was the lack of negative language – nowhere in here does it way that we should be criticizing other folks or pointing out each other’s faults.   The second thing has to do with the focus of our entreaties.   Typically when we read this passage we hone in on the section that teaches us to pray for our leaders, but did you no...

Each week many of us gather around the Communion Table to participate in what is called “The Lord’s Supper”.   This is a time for us to reflect on the incredible sacrifice Jesus made to make sure of our salvation.   One of the more common themes during this time is the sadness we feel at what Jesus endured at His death.   We hear stories and read passages about the brutality that can touch our hearts.   While this is a natural reaction to the message of the crucifixion, there is something that is just as important as our sorrow.   When Isaac Watts penned the hymn, “Alas, And Did My Savior Bleed”, he wrote, “But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe; Here, Lord, I give myself away.   ‘Tis all that I can do.”.   In essence, while grief may be a natural response to the greatest sacrifice of all times, what God really wants from us is a commitment to His cause.   It might be admirable to have an emotional feeling about what happened t...

          I am a little too young to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis firsthand, but it changed world history.  For a couple of weeks of October, 1962 the world stood on the brink of an international crisis and the potential of the next world war.  The governments of the United States, the Soviet Union and Cuba postured with each other over the presence of weapons in the Western Hemisphere (more specifically, in the Caribbean region, just a few dozen miles off of the coast of the United States).  The history books and personal reflections of the time reinforce just how close we came to hostilities that had the potential to be catastrophic.  As I think back on this time in history I am reminded of a few life-lessons: 1.  Life is tenuous .  The earth’s well-being was jeopardized by this event and it should be a reminder of how fragile life is.  I don’t know the amount of devastation that would have been wreaked on the world...

          Last week Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter became the king and queen of presidential couples.  Former president Carter and his bride have had the longest marriage of any president and first lady.  (They passed George and Barbara Bush when they reached 26,766 days together – that’s over 73 years as a married couple.)           As I read about this milestone, I got to thinking about what makes a marriage last and, while the list is quite extensive, here a few things that are important: 1.  Work together .  When we mention “work” within a marriage, we typically think of working to make it successful.  Yet, my point, is that when a couple shares common goals and projects they are apt to stay married.  For the Carters, they are actively involved in the Habitat for Humanity project.  Even in their 90s, they are out there working to make things better for other people. 2....

Does it seem like the world is spinning out of control?  Rather than drawing closer together it feel likes we find ourselves becoming more divided.  The more we write and talk, the more conflict there seems to be.  It seems like the more we walk along our way the further our paths divide.  I realize that this probably isn’t true, but it just doesn’t feel like we are making progress on the things that are divisive.  Is there any hope for us or those who are going to come after us? The other day I came across a biblical passage that seems to shed a little light on our dilemma.  You see, it may not be that we haven’t found the right answer – the issue might be in identifying the correct problem.  Rather than searching for inclusiveness and tolerance, the proper target should be love and selflessness.  Centuries ago, a religious leader wrote, “ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” (James 3:16)...

          Have you noticed how easy it is to blame our spiritual problems on others?   When we feel disenfranchised with the local church, it is easy to blame them for not being caring.   When we feel distanced from other Christians, it is easy to criticize them for not reaching out to us.   When we stop attending worship, it is easy to feel disheartened when few people notice that we are gone.           While there is value in having close relationships with other Christians and it is great to have support from like-minded believers, there is only one person to blame when things aren’t going well – and that us.   I believe we need to participate in interactive Christian fellowship, but at the end of the day, our spiritual journey is our own personal decision.   We have to be the ones to make the commitment to see it through.   It is nice when people are there to s...

I was recently faced with a challenging situation.   This was one of those issues where there was not a clear and correct answer.   Each option had positive and negative points.   In an effort to gain insight I was encouraged to go out and solicit the opinions of several people I trusted.   I am still not sure where I fall on the issue, but I did learn something about complicated decision-making: 1.   To gain the best advice, present all sides of the discussion .   During my quest, it was tempting to merely tell people of the positive points that supported my position at the time (which vacillated from time to time).   I came to realize that if I wanted the best advice, I’d better present things in the most unbiased way possible. 2.   Emotions don’t add to clarity .   I wish I could be free from emotional entanglement, but I understand that even Mr. Spock struggled with this this.   It became very apparent to me that emotions were s...