Think About It

Here is one of the basic challenges of a system built on civility: do we primarily seek to hold offenders accountable for their actions or are we more apt to offer mercy for crimes and seek to rehabilitate offenders? While I believe there is probably a way to strike a balance in the justice system, we spend a lot of time and effort trying to find it. Now, while I understand the value of a discipline-based rehabilitation system, we must not overlook the need for punishment – but maybe not for the reason many people might attribute to me. In all honestly, it isn’t everyday citizens who most benefit from accountability, it is the vulnerable population. Most of us who are physically, financially, mentally and emotionally stable have a pretty good defense mechanism that can help us avoid becoming victims of crimes, but even if we are victims of crime the vast majority of us can bounce back. The people who are at greater risk of criminal activity is the vulnerable population. By defin...

While Presidents Day has come to honor all of the presidents of the United States, there are a couple that tend to stand out on this day: Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Since Washington’s birthday is this week, I got to looking at some of his quotes. (I am not sure if he if famous because he is so quotable or if he is quoted so often because he is famous, but either way, there is a lot of stuff out there.) As I perused some of his sayings, I came across a short one that packs a powerful punch, “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”. At first blush, there is an obvious simplicity to this observation, but the further you dig, the more wisdom you find. Years ago I heard someone describe an excuse as a “tissue-papered lie”. Sure, there are times when we have reasons for why we do or don’t do something, but all-too-often, we try to excuse our way out of failures. There are times when we are tempted to out-and-out lie about our failures; then, probably more often, ...

Are we waiting for something special to happen to us? Are we sitting around prepared to accept our fate – just waiting to pounce on the opportunity that presents itself to us? On the surface this might sound like a good way to approach life; but there is basic flaw – waiting for good things to come our way limits the good things we’ll encounter. It might be fun to sit on a corner of our hometown and watch everyone hustle and bustle to pursue their dreams, but it isn’t very rewarding. Unless we are willing to get off the sidelines and involve ourselves in the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment we probably won’t find it. Interestingly, this is something that Jesus advocated for His disciples. Early in His ministry, He challenged them (and us), “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7). Sure, periodically, we may see something we like by watching the world go by, but until we go out and investigate what is poss...

The other day I was reading a book by Andy Stanley that mentioned, “Fundamental Attribution Error”. I had never heard that phase before, but once I read its definition, I realized I had been around it all my life. Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) is defined as our tendency to attribute another person’s actions to their character or personality while attributing our own behavior to external circumstances – usually those outside our control. A common example of how this works is in tardiness. When others are late to a meeting, we attribute it to their inability to plan or their lack of concern for the time of others. However, when we are tardy, we are more than prepared to blame unusually heavy traffic or the fact that our boss wouldn’t let us go on time. In essence, we are willing to excuse our own behavior (there is a logical explanation), but when someone else does the same thing we are quick to find their character flaw. Its okay for me, but it is anathema for you to do the...

The shortest verse in the New Testament contains two words: Jesus wept (John 11:35). I am sure that these circumstances surrounding Jesus’ tears weren’t the only time Jesus cried, but a look back at the context of this observation can teach us a lesson today. Have you ever thought about why Jesus wept? Was it because Jesus was sad that Lazarus had died? Was it because Jesus lamented delaying His trip to see Lazarus when He first got word that His friend was sick? Was it because He wished He could have done something to prevent the death? No, I really don’t think these played into Jesus’ emotional response. Jesus understood that He had the power to reverse death and He had made the conscious choice to delay His trip to Bethany. I also believe that Jesus had already made up His mind that He was going to raise Lazarus when He shed the tears, so what prompted them? I get the impression that what got to Jesus was the sadness of the people around Him. John observes, “When Jesus th...

Jeane and I have been married 41-and-a-half years. I can be precise because Valentine’s Day is our half-anniversary. I would like to say that I was romantic enough to plan it that way but I probably should just stick with the good fortune of luck. When I look back on the last four decades I will be the first to tell you just how blessed I have been. However, when I reflect on our time together, I can see some themes that have helped provide us with longevity: 1. Friendship . Throughout the years we enjoyed being together. We were friends when we got married and have maintained that relationship throughout our marriage. If you are looking for a way to stay together, start with hanging out together. 2. Forgiveness . I would like to say that we have agreed on everything and have never gotten crossways with each other but, again, we need to stick with the truth. While we have had our spats and disagreements, one thing that has helped us move forward is a willingness to ask for a...

Overshadowed by yesterday’s big game was the 214th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The man who would become the 16th president of the United States was born in Kentucky a mere three decades after our nation was founded. Lincoln was important in shaping our nation’s policies and perspectives, but the thing that tends to draw me to him is just how quotable he was. While some of his famous words have come from speeches, the ones that tend to impress me come from his conversations. The other day I was reading a few of his sayings when I came across this one, “How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Saying that a tail is a leg doesn’t make it a leg.”. This quote may have come from the 19th Century, but it is as applicable today as in the day it was uttered. There are a lot of people who are trying to rephrase principles to fit their agenda; but the truth of the matter is that truth is still what matters. We can try to be as convincing as possible, bu...