Think About It

Is there anything wrong with being proud of what we do? Is it okay to think that we have the right answers to the challenges being faced? While there are warnings against pride and overconfidence, such as “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” (Proverbs 16:18), I don’t think that being confident in what we are doing and what we believe is wrong. However, I do believe that when we are so partisan in our opinions that we set out to ruin others we have a problem. When we make disparaging remarks against the programs of others or belittle people who disagree with us, we have gone beyond supporting our opinions – at that point our goal is to destroy them and that just isn’t right. Good-spirited debate is one thing, mean-spirited character assassination and intellectual sabotage is dangerous – both to us and them. Let’s trust what we believe, but let’s not take it to the extreme of crushing the ideas and ideals of others. It’s natural to want to supp...

At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, the bomb that exploded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma resonated throughout our nation. In the hours and days that followed there was a lot of speculation about who could have done such a horrific act; but it would soon be learned that Timothy McVeigh had been the mastermind of a twisted plan that killed 168, 19 of whom were children. In the nearly 30 years since this tragedy a lot of people have dissected the events that led up to the sabotage, but through it all, one word seems to come to the surface: hate. How could someone do something like this – and actually attempt to justify what they did? The answer is an uncontrolled and misguided hate for someone or something. Interestingly, much of the pain caused was not felt by McVeigh’s primary targets but by those who were caught up in what he would later call collateral damage. According to those who are in the know, McVeigh’s “last words” were a copy of a poem by William Ernest Henley called “Invictus...

Can you imagine what that post-resurrection Monday was like? I know that the Sunday Jesus was raised from the dead had to have been incredible, but what about the next day? I am sure people were still in shock, but the reality of a new way of life may have begun to dawn on them. Not everyone was on board (Thomas still had some doubts), but for the most part the others were on their path to doing what needed to be done. The surprise was giving way to the new possibilities. Sunday was inspiring, Monday was when the work would begin. Easter is a great time of year for many people, but we need to make sure that we don’t just “celebrate” the fun day – we need to capture its spirit and get to work for the cause of Christ. Honoring the risen Lord doesn’t stop after a nice lunch on Sunday afternoon, it must become the essence of every day of our lives. I hope you had a great Easter season, but I think we should be just as excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for us this we...

Our society memorializes today as the worst day in the history of mankind. It transcends any war, it overshadows any attack, it surpasses any crisis. On the Friday of that Passover week in Jerusalem Jesus was tried, convicted and crucified. In one day, His life and His appeals were brought to an end by a corrupt system that cared more about perpetuating their status quo than discovering truth. A community that had supported Jesus a week earlier turned on Him and demanded His public execution. This is by far the darkest day in history! So why does a portion of the religious world call its worst day, “Good Friday”? I believe the answer to that question comes from the fact that God is so good He can make the best out of the worst! You see, God’s plan was not upended by the evil plans of mankind, it was fulfilled through His power. He took a sacrifice and made it into a salvation. He took the wrong and made it into righteousness. We do not worship a God who is overcome by evil...

There may not be two more recognizable figures in the waning hours before Jesus’ death than Judas and Peter. Both of these men were members of Jesus’ closest band of disciples and both of them sold Him out in their darkest hours. Yet, this is where their stories come to a dramatic fork in the road. Judas would come to regret his actions and take his own life. Peter would regret his actions then stand up and proclaim Jesus as the Lord and Savior of the world. There has been a lot of speculation as to why each man chose his eventual fate, but in the end, the difference may have come down to their understanding of forgiveness. I don’t see much difference between Judas’ traitorous actions and Peter’s denial, but it is apparent that Peter had a deep belief in forgiveness. The stories of Judas and Peter call upon us to evaluate our level of faith. Do we believe that Jesus is powerful enough to forgive us? Can we accept that, no matter what we do, Jesus is willing to forgive us? Are...

As Jesus prepared for His death, He invited His closest friends to join Him for a meal. While this “Last Supper” would be filled with religious symbolism and plant deep theological seeds, one of the most important lessons to come out of that meeting was something so simple that is often overlooked – love. As the Apostle John reflected on that night, he wrote, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1). Yet, it wasn’t just the actions done by Jesus that demonstrated His love, His discussion that night would focus on their need to show love to each other. There are about dozen different observations about love found in John’s reflections from that night, yet one that really stands out to me is Jesus’ statement about the place love would have in His church when He stated, “By this all men will know that you are My di...

What is the key to rebuilding trust in our community? Over the last few years, we have done an effective job of tearing ourselves apart. From disparate politic views to response to community violence to strong feelings about public health we have done a good job of highlighting what separates us. News outlets, social media, public comments and even individual remarks have driven wedges between us. Questions such as “what is truth” or “who can you trust” have challenged philosophies and friendships. I have been around for quite a while and, while I can’t say that we haven’t ever been this far apart, I can say that we aren’t closing the gap on togetherness at any great speed! So, back to the original question – how can we rebuild trust in our community? While there are a variety of community programs out there, I think that the thing that can best bring us together is to be together. It is much harder to dislike and distrust people who sit across the table from us. There may be v...