Archive for the ‘Suffering’ Category:
stretching it out
“So teach us to number our days?, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” –Psalm 90:12
This is going to be a little scattered. Bear with me. These thoughts are still sifting out in my brain.
American evangelist Billy Graham gave a fascinating interview to Newsweek in August 2006 about a myriad of personal topics, but a lot of it was reflection on growing older. In particular, he said, “I have a certainty about eternity that is a wonderful thing, and I thank God for giving me that certainty. I do not fear death. I may fear a little bit about the process, but not death itself, because I think the moment that my spirit leaves this body, I will be in the presence of the Lord.”
I found it interesting that he was more at ease with death than with the dying process. While many haven’t articulated it like he has, I bet that resonates with a lot of people.
Kirkwood Chaos
As some of you may have seen on the news, Kirkwood, MO is dealing with the aftermath of some brutal murders last night at the City Hall. My wife and I live a few blocks from there, and the other contributors on this blog also live in the general area. Kirkwood has had a really rough time in the last few years, with another officer killed in the line of duty, and the Michael Devlin case just a year ago. The community is still in shock.
Here is the story of what happened last night.
Please keep our community in your thoughts and prayers over the coming days, and that the church would be in a position to show the love of Christ to a community in grief.
The Value of Risk in a Risk-Averse Culture
When I was in high school, my Dad encouraged me to pursue a career in financial planning. I really did like the idea of helping people get out of debt, invest wisely, and build wealth. But the career I really wanted was in law enforcement. While my Dad wanted me safely behind a desk from 8-5, I wanted the freedom of keeping the peace in a roaming patrol car at all hours of the night.
I’ve learned over the last several years that I’m a bit of a closet adrenaline junky, and thrive in stressful or risk-inherent environments. But I’ve also learned that this is not necessarily the norm for our culture.
Read more »
But What Then?
I like to keep busy just like everyone else. In the midst of my stress a friend sent me a link to this article by Darrin Patrick called “Our Hectic Lives.” It really hits on some good questions: to what are we working towards? Is the western model of busier is better really a good one?
Take a look at the article and post what you think.
american justice
I’ve sometimes heard that with respect to public figures, the established stereotype is far from how they actually are as a person. In American politics, there are few people as polarizing as Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. Just mentioning his name may make you think of what you think about him. It certainly does to me. Liberals hate him. Many African Americans misunderstand him. But who is he?
Thomas recently wrote his memoirs titled My Grandfather’s Son, and also recently sat down for a fascinating interview with 60 Minutes. This is possibly his first interview of this depth he’s given since the U.S. Senate approved him to the Supreme Court.
He discusses many aspects of his life, including time spent studying at a Roman Catholic seminary. He later left the seminary due to how he perceived the school’s indifference to civil rights issues, but came back to his faith later in as an adult. I wish they had spent more time on this, but with so many other topics to consider in his life, it’s understandable.
I won’t spoil the rest of the interview, but it is an intriguing look at someone that so many carry opinions about, but few actually know. Regardless of how you feel about him, you will be better informed for watching this. See for yourself, and tell me what you think after watching it.
Knowledge, Wretchedness, and Jesus
Some Christians have opposed academic learning because they believe it promotes a spiritual deadness, and promotes arrogance. As I am surrounded by young men and women here on campus I can testify that this is sometimes true. However, knowledge in itself cannot be the problem. After all, knowledge is a godly thing. (Prov. 8:10)
When we simply know things about the Bible, or about God, we tend to use that knowledge to build ourselves up. One comes to analyze sermons merely academically. We begin to read the Bible so that we can have more of the “right answers” rather than reading it for spiritual nourishment. We lose any kind of humility that is talked about so much throughout the very Bible we claim to know. I have fallen into this before, and I know the utter arrogance one has in that state.
the need for hope
In the 1820’s, the slave trade was senselessly alive and well in the United States. There was not enough political support to outlaw the practice at this time, though a few called for its eradication.
But in this decade of widespread slavery in the U.S., an unremarkable slave woman named Harriet Tubman was born. She became a runaway slave later in life, and went on to steal other slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad; she was an abolitionist that inspired others to escape. She helped the north during the Civil War.
Here, an example of hope coming from within something senseless.
