Think About It

There are times when I am patient and tolerant of the people around me. There are times when it takes quite a bit to ruffle me. There are times when I find it easy to go the extra mile. Now is not one of those times! I am not sure what is happening, but I am in one of those periods when the best is not necessarily coming out of me. It wasn’t too long ago that Jeane noticed it and said something about it; now I am feeling it for myself. I am not sure that I have found the root of the issue, but I can relate to Paul’s dilemma, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15). I bring this up for a couple of reasons. First, they say that confession is good for the soul. By expressing this (rather than excusing it) I have an obligation to do something about it. Acknowledgment is the beginning of accountability. However, this is only a part of the process. If I merely point out the o...

The older I get the more I realize that what was old is new again – and this is never truer than in fashion. I have seen trends come and go … and come back again. It’s kind of funny to find myself shaking my head at the way the “cool kids” are dressing and then realize I had the same outfit when I was a teenager. Even the “mullet” is making a comeback! About the only thing I haven’t seen return is the leisure suit. Maybe there is a reason for that. Interestingly, fashion is not the only thing that is recycled. Political trends and even religious philosophies seem to ebb and flow with time. We shift from conservative to progressive and from inclusion to exclusivity from generation to generation. It seems like we laud the new ideas only to realize that we have been here before. If it weren’t so important for our development it would be funny to watch people discover new ideals only to realize that Solomon was right, “That which has been is that which will be, And that which ha...

When I was a youngster, I would give mental assent to the idea that there was a better place for us than this planet and we should all look forward to heaven. I would hear sermons on the concept of “Maranatha” in I Corinthians 16:22 (which is often understood as meaning, “O Lord, Come”) and believe that the coming of Jesus would be a good thing. I would read Paul’s observation, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) and understand that there is some better waiting for us in heaven after this life is over. Yet, in spite of my faith, I am not sure that I was in a hurry to see this earth be destroyed or my life come to an end. There was a lot I hoped to accomplish and a lot of things I wanted to see. Again, I wasn’t opposed to an eventual home in heaven, I just wasn’t sure I was ready for it quite then. Over the last few decades I have become more comfortable with the transition from earthly existence to eternal life. Sure, there are more things I’d l...

How hard is it for you to disagree with people? Now, before we move on, notice what I didn’t say. I didn’t ask how you deal with people who disagree with you. How we respond (or react) to people who challenge us is a different topic than our ability to confront people we don’t agree with. The ability to disagree with others is a challenge to many of us. Some of us detest conflict to the point that we never do it. We may not agree with the way someone else thinks or acts, but we never say anything about it because we don’t want to get into an adversarial discussion. There are others who tend to find themselves on the other side of the spectrum. We are so convicted in our beliefs that anyone who disagrees with us receives our wrath. The other person’s obvious foolishness is so blatant (because they don’t think like we do) that they need to be addressed and if they don’t change their mind, they need to be crushed. I would imagine that most of us find ourselves somewhere in betwee...

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...