The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Living in the midst of/among “good” people.

The “common grace” of God is evident in humanity (Psalm 145:9).

The stain of Adam’s transgression is extensive, i.e. to every aspect of our being; yet it is not manifest to the same degree in every creature.

In fact, only within a very few does it manifest itself in the totality of its horror! The impact of a Hitler and a Freud needs the evaluation of time. 6 million in the 1940s vs untold millions since the 1900s!

Most of humanity is “good”, since the Imagio Dei manifests “goodness’. Nature is not raw in tooth and claw…

This reality serves to confuse those who are not instructed in and committed to the supremacy of scripture (Isaiah 8:20 & 2 Tim. 2:15).

This confusion often leads to the endorsement and/or acceptance on the part of the believing community of individuals and/or ideologies masked behind the “goodness” of certain individuals.

Case in point: Teddy Kennedy.

His kids love him. In their eyes he was a good father. To listen to the testimonies of those in Massachusetts, everyone loved him.

But, why did they love him and at whose expense?

To the degree Sen. Kennedy “loved” his kids and friends at his own expense, his love is commendable.

To the degree his “love” was at my expense, i.e. any taxpayer, his “love” is to be abhorred.

Robin Hood is a thief, regardless of generation or garb.

When, oh when, will we wake up

Frogs: the kettle IS boiling!

Wassup?

Wassup?

Wa happened

Of a “sudden”, times have changed, or as Lincoln so aptly suggested, “…the war came…”. Came?

9/11, IMHO was “…the point of the wedge…”. Prior to 9/11, the tyranny of Govt. was a seeming distant threat.

Post 9/11, it is an accepted reality.

But, post 9/11 Govt. is not a “threat”, but rather a security blanket. (Be advised…all a security blanket provides is ‘fabric in the nose’..”)

We are no longer the “…land of the free and the home of the brave…”.

Serfdom has a new cosmetic/new advocates, and as the frog in the boiling kettle, we are comfortable.

Animal Farm has come to pass. Some Pigs are more equal than other pigs.

The power of Words

Officially, the journey begins!

Yesterday, Jeff and Brooke officially began a journey which, in actuality began years ago.

Yesterday they sealed their commitment to one another in the presence of God and before their friends and family.

Jeff and Brooke took Vows.

For far too many folk today, Vows are words without meaning; without an associated commitment.

It is my distinct pleasure to recognize and know, in the case of these two individuals, words have meaning and power. They have Vowed before God and their friends and family to love and honor one another “…til death they do part…”.

There is something in the marrow of my being which tells me, in the case of these two, their“yes” will; be “yes”, regardless.

Some words do have power.

Sigh

Another holiday catches me off guard!

Father's Day.

Since when do we need to be rewarded with a Day for simply doing what one is supposed to do?

Give me a break!

I was taught from my earliest days that living up to one's responsibilities was to be expected, not rewarded.

We reward/acknowledge the unusual demonstrations of personal responsibility.

Sigh.

Finally

For months I have been plagued with locating a John Stott citation on a March 18 blog.

A few moments ago, Eureka! Or, in the phrase of CCC back in the 70s, "I Found It"!

Christian Mission In The Modern World. Page 17 in the 1974 edition.

Now my mind can rest easy!

Good Advice To Readers

“We need intimate knowledge of the past… something to set against the present, to remind us that the basic assumptions have been quite different in different periods. A man who has lived in many places is not likely to be deceived by the local errors of his native village… and is in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press.”  C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, seventh edition, 1977), pp. 50-51.

 “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between,” he noted. “The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of history blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books.”  http://www.doggieheadtilt.com/immunization-shots/

 

An unholy hole!

The Hole In Our Gospel, Richard Stearns, Thomas Nelson.

 The President of World Vision has written a mind-gripping, heart-engaging story of the staggering need among the poor of the world.  He has also reminded us of God’s sovereign preparation of a servant to lead an organization raised up to address such needs.  

God delights in taking the least of these to confound the mighty, while at the same time enlisting the mighty to minister to the least.

It was refreshing to read this book without being subjected to manipulation via the use of guilt and pity.   The facts speak for themselves.

 Oft times we are simply staggered by the magnitude of the challenge in comparison of what little we might be able to do!   The stories relating the impact of “…a cup of water in Jesus’ name…” immediately illustrate what can be done with even the widow’s mite.

I especially appreciated the absence of a Utopian scheme.  This is not to diminish the imperative to serve, but to enable us to maintain our balance.  The poor will always be with us…to serve as a thorn in our flesh!

As I neared the end of the book I thought, “Lord, we need a Lazarus laid at the feet of each of us!”

Ministries like World Vision are far more effective than governmental programs and surely deserve our support.