Think About It

William Shakespeare would write, “Beware the Ides of March”. Unfortunately, he was only about 1600 years too late for Julius Caesar. Many of us grew up hearing about the Ides of March (March 15) but may not have been aware of the ominous nature of the expression. It was on the Ides of March in 44 BC that history was changed. Julius Caesar was assassinated in a conspiracy that reshaped the Roman Empire and, thus, the world. As we celebrate the Ides of March, 2022 it is a good time to remember that no person is supreme. Sure, they can have an influence on our world, but they are still human. Whether it is Julius Caesar, Genghis Kahn, Napoleon, Adolph Hitler or Vladimir Putin there are constraints on the impact they can have. Their humanity may not make their aggression any less detestable, but it is a reminder that eventually, they will be overcome and will receive their own personal justice. As we deal with the latest in a long line of human rulers, let’s keep in mind a promise ...

Two years ago this week our world was turning upside down and I am certain we didn’t realize what we were getting ourselves into! With this new “virus” occupying the headlines, we were planning for the impact on the next couple of weeks – in hindsight we should have been planning our approach for the next couple of years. I am thankful that we are now making plans on how to return to normal these days and excited about the opportunities beginning to re-open to us. Yet, while we can look forward to what lies ahead for us, we must be mindful that just because the impact of the virus is beginning to wane, the uncertainty of life is still alive and well. Individual illnesses and accidents are still very much a possibility. An unstable political world or precarious international economy can influence what happens to us. The future of our jobs, relationships and even emotional well-being are not certain. The reason I say this is not to diminish our hope, rather to remind us of two ...

If you pull in behind enough Jeeps you are bound to see the saying, “Not all who wander are lost” printed across a spare tire cover. The point to the saying is that there is value in exploring for exploration’s sake. Sometimes, you just have go, get out and enjoy nature. There is a lot of talk about focus and purpose in our society and, while this is needed, there should also be times for wandering and exploring. If we never get out of our ruts (or comfort zones) we’ll never know what we are missing. If we never venture out and learn what lies just beyond of our line of sight, we’ll never find what else is out there. Whether it is in our recreational endeavors or our thought process, let’s expand our horizons. What else is out there to discover? We’ll never know until we go looking for it. Think About It!

What are we talking about these days? A few weeks ago, if you told me that COVID would almost disappear from our daily conversation I would have been beaming, but now things like violence, inflation and the Russian/Ukrainian conflict dominate our discussions. It’s almost like we can never get ahead – or could it be that we just like to stay stirred up? We will never be calm because calmness doesn’t sell newspapers or gain followers on social media. We complain about being emotionally drained, but are we doing it to ourselves? The other day I came across an interesting proverb, “Anxiety wears down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” (Proverbs 12:25). We say we want to feel better, but is that being evidenced by what we discuss? What would happen if, rather than constantly focusing on what’s going on the world around us, we complimented the people closest to us? How would things change if we told our children how much we loved them or thanked the clerk at the local grocery ...

One of the fascinating things about history is it gives us a chance to analyze change. Take for instance, the changes in our allies throughout the years. During the latter part of the 18th Century, the United States of America were enemies of Great Britton, now they may be our closest allies. During the 1940s, we were at war with Japan, Germany and Italy; now we defend each other. During most of the 1950s U. S. citizens hopped on airplane to travel to Havana to spend money, but in the 1960s Cuba almost became the catalyst of a world war between the Americans and the Soviet Union. In the 1970s our young people were being sent to Viet Nam to wage war, now they spend tens of thousands of dollars to vacation there. Maybe one of the quickest turn arounds was in Iran in the 1970 when we went from being allies to adversaries seemingly overnight. Situations change – and sometimes the change can come rapidly and violently. While history teaches us that some things change – especially in ...

I have recently become quite concerned about violence in our community. A part of this has to do with what I am seeing in our area – but, another factor has to do with some study I have done in the Old Testament. While I was aware of Israel’s flirtation with (or full acceptance of) idolatry, it wasn’t until a recent study of the Prophets that I realized just how much of a role violence and injustice played in their being disciplined by God. The lack of accountability and justice helped seal the fate of both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel. Interestingly, as I have been thinking about this, I have also noticed how tempting it is to approach violence from different perspectives. There is “gun violence”, “youth violence”, “domestic violence” and assorted other sub-headings. While each one of these can occupy our discussions, we must be careful to remember that at the end of the day “violence” is still violence. No matter who does it or how it is manifested, treating peo...

Typically, by this time of year, I am relishing in the beginning of the Major League Baseball Spring Training. Even when I lived in some pretty cold places where snow covered ball fields well into April (or even May), there was hope that somewhere, someone was playing ball on green grass in the sunshine. Unfortunately, that’s not the case this year. Management and Labor are at an impasse and the Grapefruit and Cactus League remain shuttered. I am not going to get into the particulars of what’s going on, rather I am going to make a generic statement – a sport that has been declining in popularity over the last few years could ill-afford to alienate fans and spectators. An industry that was struggling to stay relevant is in dangerous territory with this stoppage. As I thought about this dilemma, I got to thinking about the impact the Christian church is having on people – or maybe not having on people. If our goal is to reach people, we sure aren’t going to do it by being involve...