Think About It

Are Christians good people? That may sound like an odd question – especially to those of us who profess to be Christians. I mean, doesn’t everyone like us and respect us? Well, if we listen to some members of the community, there are people who don’t really think much of people they perceive to be Christians. It is easy to dismiss these types of people as doubters – but maybe we should take a second look. Could their objections be based on at least of hint of truth? No, not all Christians are jerks, but I think many of us can do a better job of endearing ourselves to others – especially those who don’t know us very well. How do we do that? The New Testament gives us a formula: “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” (I Peter 2:17). Let’s take a closer look: 1. Honor all people . If we hope to be taken spiritually serious, we need to respect people. Not just the people we agree with or those we like. Christians treat others civilly. 2. Love the...

For all of his successes, Ulysses S. Grant had his share of challenges. The man who was born on this day 201 years ago, made a name for himself but had some dark times as well. The reason I point this out is a quote of his that I recently came across, “The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.”. While this is a rather eloquent comment, it could be summed up by the common phrase, “A friend in need is a friend in deed.”. One of the certainties of life is that people are more apt to want to be around us when things are going well than when we are struggling. Most people are happy to laugh with us but seem to disappear when our smiles turn into tears. However, when we look up in the midst of our difficulties and see the people who are still there – these are our real friends! Most of us realize this fact, but the point t...

You can imagine that a book compiled in the 17th Century is going to be chockful of dated sayings and almost certainly lack some politically correct phraseology, but that doesn’t mean that the “Jacula Prudentum” isn’t without value. As I was perusing the collection the other day I came across an interesting observation, “The fat man knoweth not what the lean man thinketh.”. It took me a bit to get my head wrapped around the concept, but before long the word that came to mind was “empathy” – or maybe the lack thereof. If we can put this in modern terms it might read, “Those with can’t understand those without.”. I think we struggle some with this concept today – not because we don’t understand it – but because it is too often tied to blaming. Those who find themselves struggling are tempted to be envious of those who seem to be blessed. When that happens, those who have possessions are apt to feel unjustly criticized. However, what could happen if we get back to the basics – empa...

I don’t know much about building houses but I have done a few remodeling jobs. Again, I am not an expert but one thing that I do know is that you can tinker with some things but you better not mess with a weight bearing wall. There are some decorative walls that can be remodeled and even removed, but the loadbearing walls have to stay in place. If you remove them the integrity of the house will be compromised. You may not be able to see them, but without them we are going to have problems. The other day someone mentioned to me that “love” is the loadbearing wall of Christianity. Whether it is in our individual relationships or in the structure of the church, love must be present or we are going to have problems. There are some optional issues and even superficial and decorative aspects of what we do, but if we want the church to endure – and if we want our relationships to be productive, we have to have love. Jesus was pretty direct about the foundation of our relationships, “Thi...

When the Apostle Paul challenged the First Century Christians he wrote, Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3). While there is a lot stuff packed into this passage, one thing that stands out to me is the presence of patience. Patience sounds like something that should be found in a Christian conversation, but what does it mean? Most of us could come up with a dictionary definition for patience but, practically, how do we do it? Patience means waiting for others as they catch up to our spiritual, mental and emotional levels. Patience means being tolerant of people as they work through their challenges. Patience means being there with them as they fall and fail – and be there with them the next time … and the next time … and the ne...

If you have been with us the last couple of days, you realize we have discussed two of the darkest days in our nation’s recent history. Well today, I want to change the pace. Rather than talk about hate and tragedy, I want to focus on peace and love. Yes, we live in a time when crime and devastation make headlines, but I want to remind us that for every one of these events that make the news there are thousands of other acts of kindness that go unreported. Whether it is as simple as someone helping another person load a heavy package in a car or as noteworthy as someone donating thousands of dollars to help a stranger pay a bill, there are good people doing good things! I believe that bad news sells advertising time, but good news is what makes life worth the living. Sure there are troublesome times, but there are also opportunities to witness and experience kindness. Yet, the best of news is that we can participate in making this a better place to live. By reporting the good w...

Throughout the years, April 20th has been known for a lot of events. One is the birth of Adolph Hitler, but another hits much closer to home. On April 20, 1999 two students assaulted Columbine High School killing a dozen people. Prior to the widespread publicity of mass-fatality events in the United States, the Columbine High School shooting stood out as a pivotal point in history. The circumstances that led up to the tragedy have been studied and deconstructed by a lot of people but one of the things that stands out to me is how many people knew about the two killers but no one was able to connect the issues and stop them. Had some of the people who had some of the information share it with others, maybe something could have been done to intervene. Now, I am not blaming anyone – other than the two people who committed the atrocity, but this incident reminds us of an important principle – if you suspect something, say something! If you know of someone who is struggling with contr...