Think About It

One of my favorite Bible sections to use during a funeral is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Most people might remember the passage because it provided the framework for the Byrds song, “Turn, Turn, Turn”; yet, it stands out to me as a reminder of the transition of life. As the wise man says, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven …” (v. 1). Most often, I reflect on the first few verses of the passage, but the other day, I was struck by an interesting phrase, “A time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away.” (v. 6). As often as I have used this as a message of comfort, I had never really thought about how this section could encourage people who have lost someone – then, it struck me. So often, people try to hold on to those they love. Not only do they try hang on to life, but in do so, they also hold on to grief or lost opportunities. “If I would have only … they might not have died.”. “If I wou...

One of my favorite cop shows of all time is Dragnet. While there have been several iterations of the show, the common theme is Jack Webb playing Joe Friday. There are times when the acting was stiff and the message appears archaic, but I still like the show. The other day I was watching an older version of the show – from the 1950s – that dealt with young people and drugs (well now, maybe the show isn’t as corny as we make it out to be). In this episode a teenager takes a lethal dose of an illicit drug and dies in a park. As Friday assesses the situation, he offers this sentiment, “He was a good-looking boy – too young to be dead. You could argue that for a week, but you couldn’t change it.”. As I thought about what he said, I realized the observation was timeless. We can talk all we want about the waste of life, we can theorize about how things like this shouldn’t happen, we can lament the loss of potential; but all too often, we stand over it – having to deal with the realit...

On the day Bill Clinton moved into Oval Office for the first time, he found a note left by George H. W. Bush. After offering some encouragement, he finished with these thoughts, “You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well, I wish your family well. Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you. Good luck – George”. Through the years I have had a lot of respect for President Bush and it is things like this that foster this respect. As the first President Bush left office, I am sure he felt dejected and unfinished; yet his letter offered support to the man who had been elected president. As we reflect on Presidents Day, it is tempting to look at those who have not done well in the role, but it is important to remember the good men who have served as our leaders. No, they didn’t always get it right – either politically or morally, but almost all of them have something to teach us. President Bush shows us grace in the midst of disc...

Since this is my final blog before February 14, I thought I would offer my Public Service Announcement a little early this year. Sunday is Valentines Day! I don’t know how big of a deal Valentines Day will be this year. With a variety of the restrictions still in place around the area, some for the more traditional events might not be as prevalent, but Valentine’s Day is still a good opportunity to remind us of our need keep our intimate relationships fresh and healthy. Like most things, it is easy to get lackadaisical in our relationship with our sweetheart, but we must make the investment to keep the spark alive. While I am sure a shiny diamond ring or a new SUV parked in the driveway might be something that would show that someone how special they are, I also believe there are other – less extravagant ways to express our love to one another. The first one is trust. One of the best gifts we can give that special person is a willingness to have the confidence to be close to the...

One of the greatest foul-ups in the Bible comes from one of its greatest heroes. There are a lot of stories of sin in the Scriptures, but David’s sins before, during and after he met Bathsheba included everything from lust to murder. His actions had to be embarrassing to the king and devastating to the man who loved his Lord. Yet, somehow David regained his status as a leader and his place as a child of God. Have you ever thought about how he was able to do this? First and foremost, he sought God’s forgiveness, but almost as importantly he had to be willing to pardon himself and move forward with his life. I cannot imagine everything that was going through David’s spirit as he reflected on his sin, but he provides us with a glimpse when he writes, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit....

Have you ever had someone come up to you and complain about something one of your friends said or did to them? It could be another friend or a complete stranger, but it is pretty common for people of integrity to be told about something that one of their friends did that was offensive. When I find myself in this situation, my first inclination is to defend my friend – either to agree with what they said or affirm the action they took. Yet, there are times when, like me, my friends don’t do or say the right things, then what? We’ll the first thing we must understand is that we cannot defend inappropriate speech or bad actions. While friendship should transcend good and bad times, blindly defending something that is wrong perpetuates the wrong and can foster an environment that regularly blurs the line between good and evil. On the other hand, it would not in the best interest of our friendship to belittle our friend to the accuser. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that t...

While I see the traps of nostalgia, I have to admit there are some things that I do miss from days gone by. I long for the days of my childhood sports heroes, Shoney’s strawberry pie and watching the astronauts launching from Cape Kennedy and either circling the earth or walking on the moon. Another thing I miss are the days when our on-screen heroes were the good guys wearing the white hats. They did what was right and still came out on top. While I can see some of the allure of some of our modern media “superheroes” (and the reality of their complex moral nature), I do long for those days when the good guys transcended the moral landmines and did the right thing. The reason for this trip down Memory Lane is that the other day I was reading from the New Testament and came across this description of Jesus, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14). ...