Think About It

Over the last few weeks there have been some pretty public feuds that have had negative impacts on people – not just those primarily involved, but collateral damage as well.   The government shutdown put a lot of public servants in a financial bind and negatively impacted those who needed access to government services.   To a lesser degree, a spat between two media giants caused the disruption of programming for people who pay good money to be entertained.   I am sure that if you were to ask those directly involved, they could make a case for their reactions – but that doesn’t help those who were caught in the crossfire.   I was hoping we were passed the point of buyer beware – now I am not so sure. While it easy to get frustrated with “big business”, have you thought about how our private arguments can influence bystanders?   When we have a family disagreement and children can’t see their extended family, what good does that do?   When we get crossways w...

The other night Jeane and I were watching a movie and came across a phrase neither of us had ever heard – listicle.   The characters in the show used the word several times so we finally decided that we needed to figure out what they were talking about.   Come to find out, a listicle is a piece of writing or other content presented in the form of a list.   (And who said watching the rom-coms on Great American Family or Hallmark Movie Channels aren’t educational!).   Now, I don’t know who coined the phrase, but it appears that it began to become popular in the mid-2000s.   Let me rephrase that – the word became popular in that decade; the literary device is much older.   As I reflected on listicles, I thought of the Apostle Paul pretty quickly.   One of his notable writing techniques is listing.   There are times when he could have painted word pictures to describe a concept; but, instead, chose to list connecting words to present his point. ...

Have you ever thought about the irony of “In God We Trust” being printed on our money?  In the mid-19 th Century, a push began to take place to put this inscription on some forms of U. S. currency.  By the mid-1950s the inscription was commonly found on our money.  Now, before I attempt to make my point, let me go on record as saying that I am not morally or religiously opposed to some national claim of acknowledging God; but I do find it ironic that the very thing that is often at odds with trusting God professes a faith in Him.  There are several things that can tend to degrade our belief that God can and will care for us, but one of the most compelling is materialism.  It is way too easy to place our faith in our funds rather than in our Father.  By pursuing our desire to accumulate stuff here on earth, we are tempted to neglect the spirit that can lead us to heaven. I realize that fewer and fewer people actually use cash in today’s society, but I encou...

          Most of us are familiar with the adage, “once bitten, twice shy”.  This is a pretty good piece of advice that reminds us to learn from our mistakes.  Yet, the other day, I was struck by a similar sounding gem, “once bitter, twice shy”.  Just as past mistakes and misjudgments should be a guide to better living; by realizing the impact bitterness has on us and our relationships we can do better and feel better in the future.  Bitterness and resentment aren’t “one and done” … they are feelings that keep regenerating and provide a continual emotional undertow.  When we live with bitterness, it doesn’t just impact one relationship it has the ability to suck the joy and contentment out of so much of our lives.           Years ago, the Apostle Paul warned, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind ...

Following the conclusion of World War I, Americans decided to honor those who served and came up with Armistice Day in 1919.  By the mid-1950s, it was decided that the day and the honor should be expanded to include more of our military, and the name was changed to Veteran’s Day to honor the veterans of all eras, not just World War I.  The day is a fixed holiday, always celebrated on November 11.  The basic reason for the day is to pay tribute to everyone who does or has severed in the military.  Through the years, there has been an uneasy partnership between America and our veterans.  There are times when we have been flag-waving supporters of our soldiers and sailors; then there are other times when disagreements about support and care have created tension.  Yet, I believe that most Americans are supportive of the men and women who have defended our borders and sacrificed to spread the concepts of freedom and justice throughout the world.  Folks, the...

There were a myriad of issues that popped up in the early Christian church – some might have been expected, others may have taken them a bit by surprise.  One of the challenges appears to be a group in Thessalonica that seemed to just stop working.  Paul addresses this issue this way, “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.” (II Thessalonians 3:11-12).  I have always wondered if they were so convinced that the Lord was returning that they just seized the opportunity to just sit around and wait.  On one hand this might have demonstrated a type of faith, but it also brought about some of the struggles of idleness.  When people aren’t engaged in something productive, negative characteristics tend to develop. We live in a society where labor has advance...

Years ago, it was a compliment to tell people that a minister could preach up a storm.   While I don’t want to overthink anything, I get the impression that people liked it when preachers could create some inertia by firing people up.   Now, while I think there can be value in this, I wonder if what we need today are more ministers who “who can preach up some peace”.   As I thought about this, I was taken back to a time when Jesus was with His disciples on the Sea of Galilee and a storm came up.   Mark describes the situation in this way, “Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” (Mark 4:38-40).   The best preacher of all tim...