Truth in any Language

God wants everyone to know the good news that anyone may be reconciled with Him through Christ!

"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.'" 

Mark 16: 15

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language." 

Acts 2:4-6

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” 

Matthew 7:24-27

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." 

Ephesians 6:10-18

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Who really cares?

This is another post that was drafted back in 2012 and never got posted. The concluding statement is still one that really resonates with me, so I thought it would be worth sharing, even two years late.

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Everyone finally has the answer they have been waiting for a long time; whether you got the answer you wanted or not is another matter. Our next President has been chosen (though it is still not official for a few more weeks according to the process of the electoral college).

Over the past hours since the polls closed and the final popular vote was reported I have continued to observe dissension among candidate supporters. There is a lot of slander flying around, and it gives me even greater appreciation for the polite dialogue I find. Disagreement is healthy and appropriate, slander is damaging and unproductive. It leads me to the question, "Who really cares?" Do you?

The battle seems to be very narrow in scope (though one would think that there would be more than one issue at stake with an election). There are two primary positions in this battle: 1) those who believe people are entitled to a minimum lifestyle, despite individual circumstances, and see it as the role of government to secure that minimum lifestyle; 2) those who believe that people should receive only what they have personally attained, despite individual circumstances, and do not see it as the role of government to secure a minimum lifestyle. My perspective is that there is a grand flaw in both of these arguments.

You have been in need of something at one time or another, whether past or present. Who really cared? Who cared for you? Shame on us if we pass along the individual opportunity of caring for our neighbor to an agency or institution. Shame on us if we forget how graciously we have been treated and deny grace to others.

Politics, anyone?

This is a post I actually drafted a few years ago and never got around to posting it. As I was reading it just now, all the convictions still ring true, so I thought it was still worth sharing, though some of the political events have now passed.

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I have strong convictions. I am not timid about expressing them when it seems appropriate. I find intellectual discussion stimulating. However, I have gotten very weary of the abuse that is flying around on this election year. It seems to stop just short of physical - for that at least I am thankful.

Many people seem to believe the political arena is an appropriate place for all kinds of abuse on those who disagree with them - verbal, emotional, psychological. I am not sure whether the atmosphere is worse this year, or I am just more aware of it; either way, I am frustrated and disappointed with what I read and hear most of the time.

So much of it boils down to two comments, "you're stupid," or "you're mean." A lot of people seem to be talking and few people seem to be listening.

Please! Give me something I can actually dig into with my brain and not my emotions. Give me something I can study, research and discuss. Be willing to engage counter point arguments. It is comparable to a game of tennis - just because I hit the ball at you does not mean I am trying to attack you with it, it just means I am trying to keep up my side of the interaction.

There are those who I am proud to say I enjoy engaging in discussion on matters of politics, spirituality and philosophy, among other intense subjects, and it is not because we always agree. It is because we are able to have conversations that involve facts, and even feelings, without mistreating one another. The ball flies beautiful back and forth, like a beautiful game of tennis; and each opponent is probably in a little better shape from the mental exercise.

I do believe there is true right and wrong. I strive wholeheartedly to seek after what is right, and that is not easy. I also believe there is a lot of deception which means there are persuasive arguments for things I believe are wrong. I believe I do have a responsibility to share my thoughts and convictions to encourage those who agree with me and cause others to who disagree to investigate their position. It also forces me to investigate my own position. Just as important, I also believe I have a responsibility to demonstrate peace, patience, kindness and self-control at all times, whether you agree with me or not. I believe that if you mistreat someone in the process of attempting to persuade them, it is a lost cause, regardless of the principles you are defending.

I can only control myself, and hope to influence my children. But I will not give up peacefully and sincerely voicing the principles that I believe will improve the lives of my family, community and the world.