God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. -Genesis 1:31 One of my all-time favorite poems is William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow”: so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens My high school students in Houston had no idea why I would like such an odd little poem. This was my attempt at an explanation: ...
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. -Matthew 10:34-36 As a Christian, I am called to win over hearts and minds to Christ. But I am more often called to do so with gentle cajoling than with angry confrontation. There are two major problems with confrontation. First, if I am honest with myself, I will see that my confrontation is often rooted in my own anger rather than in Christian love. Second, in the promotion of Christian values and ideals, confrontation is often an ineffective tool. It causes the person being confronted to be defensive of the status quo rather than open to new ideas or new ways of life. If, however, I couch my words in unconditional love and acceptance, then that person will feel less threatened by the challenge to change. The old adage is true: I can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. ...
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. -Jeremiah 29:11-14 ...
Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.” -Luke 14:16-19 ...
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. -Psalm 139:14-16 One lazy summer day a couple of years ago, I was playing with my nephews, Cameron and Dillon. They were taking turns doing tricks on Cameron’s new scooter. It looked easy to ride (famous last words), so I said, “Let me give it a try.” It took about twenty seconds for me to flip over the thing, careening into the mud. Afterward, I noticed that I had a fairly large cut on my leg from my wipeout. I cleaned it up and forgot about it. ...
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the LORD said, “What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground….” Genesis 4:8-10 ...
Frost and chill, bless the Lord. Daniel 3:69 (NAB) Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day and through whom you give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor…. Saint Francis of Assisi Everyone in the course of a lifetime experiences rare and wonderful epiphanies in nature when God momentarily lifts the veil of our unknowing and shows us his face. Here’s one of mine: ...
Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” -Mark 15:29-34 ...
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village. (Luke 9:51-55) ...
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit….” - John 20:19-22 ...