Think About It

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine and I were analyzing the emotional impact violence was having on our nation, and on me as a person. In response to something he said I responded, “I wish I had manageable answers, but until humans realize the blueprint for what ails us is in the Bible, we will be left with questions.” As soon as I hit the “send” button I was struck by this observation. Two things stand out to me as we deal with the modern crisis of violence: First, the answer the problem is right in front of us – in the Scriptures. We are told to simply love one another and put others before our own personal interests. When we combine this with the concepts of forgiveness and tolerance peace is not only possible, it is also inevitable. While this is the good news, the other side of it is what is disheartening. Until we seek the answers in goodness and godliness, we are going to feel overwhelmed by the problem. All other solutions pale in comparison to being good, righteous ...

I have a like/hate relationship with Halloween. I like the candy, but get frustrated with the hijinks associated with the day. I like the social aspect of neighbors visiting with neighbors but am wary of some of the costumes that seem to depict the darker side of our existence. However, I am most concerned by a nonchalant acknowledgment of the spirit world. When we view satan, spirits and evil influences almost as cartoon characters I wonder if we are missing the point. Now, please don’t misunderstand me – I am not saying that we shouldn’t participate in Halloween, what I am saying is that we should be careful what we portray in jest and remember that we are in the middle of a battle between forces of darkness and light. We often give credence to a belief in evil influences, but we need to make sure we understand that we are in a constant battle for the soul of our world. Periodically, we will mention that we are in tug-of-war with the morality and focus of our nation, but this e...

On this date in 1886 the Statue of Liberty was dedicated to by President Grover Cleveland. The statue itself was a gift from France, but a pedestal had to be funded before it could be raised in New York Harbor. A part of that fundraising effort was a poem written by Ezra Lazarus entitled, “The New Colossus”. The poem began by contrasting a giant statue from the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes, with this new structure. The ancient sculpture was regarded as a symbol of conquest, but this new piece of art would be viewed as the “Mother of Exiles” and represented the hope for a new life. The poem concluded with the invitation, “’Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!’ cries she with silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, temptest-tost to me, I will life my lamp beside the golden door!’”. In essence, Lazarus anticipated that this new statue would welcome...

In a list of the most admired people modern history Helen Keller is found near the top. Keller was born in Alabama and was struck by a debilitating disease before her second birthday that left her deaf and blind. Yet, Keller’s limitations would not stop her development as an individual and before her life ended at 87-years-old in 1968 she had left an indelible mark on society. The other day I was looking through a list of Keller’s quotes and came across one that I thought was impressive – even if it caused me a little extra work to understand it. In her work entitled, “The Story of My Life”, Keller observes, “It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow man, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui.”. Okay, this is where I had to pause and look up the word. Ennui is defined as a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. (See if ...

When we look at the progress of Christianity in modern America we can become pretty discouraged. Sure, periodically, we hear a success story of someone who was saved or learn of an individual who dedicated their life to Christ, but it seems that more often than not we learn of people who have abandoned their Christian principles or rejected their spiritual values. Even an overarching view of modern society tends to make us think that we are losing ground and the nation is becoming less godly. Now, while I will not pretend to argue that Christianity is overwhelming modern America, we must make sure that we do not merely judge the impact of the gospel on our small sample size. No, we may not know of hundreds or even dozens of people who have committed to Christ, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Each day there are people throughout North America who are obeying the gospel. But even if they weren’t, the gospel is also being preached throughout the world. Some of the most de...

The other day I was a part of a “Question And Answer” session in a Bible Class. Now, before you ask if I have lost my mind, we didn’t take live questions from the audience, we asked that they submit them beforehand so we could be prepared. One question submitted was “What happens in hell?”. When I first thought about the question, I reflected on the obvious biblical references, including a response from one of Jesus’ parables, “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels …” (Matthew 25:41). While this sounds bad enough, I also got to thinking about another layer of hell – it is the place separated from God. Imagine, if you would, the worst and most dangerous place in the world filled with opportunists and evil people who believe in survival of the meanest. They do what they want and have no conscience nor any redeeming value. Yet, there is one more layer – there is no hope ...

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine about the future of Christianity. The young man is a current leader in the church, but much younger than me. I remarked that one thing that I see he will be dealing with in the coming decades is a generation of people who will need a lot of handholding. In essence, they will need a lot of encouragement and guidance as they navigate their spiritual journey. When I said it, I did so we a bit of satire in my voice. I mean, after all, American Christians in preceding generations have been known for being an independent sort – we were determined to find our own way and, when necessary, pull ourselves out of our own hard times. Yet, the more I got thinking about it, the more I realized that many of the Christian principles were designed for supporting each other and may be well suited for this generation. Paul wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) and the writer of the Hebrew letter n...