I like the tongue-in-cheek definition of philosophers one of my seminary professors would occasionally use. It’s classic: Philosophers are people who talk about something they don’t understand and make you think it’s your fault!
Read MoreCategory Archives: Fruit of the Spirit
A Fruitful Life
Have you ever been in an area of the country where there was a lot of fruit ripening in the sun? Maybe on some cool September morning you’ve taken a walk through the apple orchards of the Hood River valley or along the Columbia River in Oregon.
Read MorePeace . . . in Spite of Panic
I invite you to focus your full attention on one of the rarest of all virtues. It is a virtue that everybody pursues, but very few possess on a regular basis. I’m referring to the often-longed-for but seldom-found virtue of peace. Peace—something that is needed between nations just as badly as it is needed between neighbors. We are a warring people. Deep down underneath our placid plastic cover we are fighters.
Read MoreTension in the Tank, Part Two
In the northeastern United States, codfish are not only delectable, they are a big commercial business. There’s a market for eastern cod all over, especially in sections farthest removed from the northeast coastline. But the public demand posed a problem to the shippers. At first they froze the cod, then shipped them elsewhere, but the freeze took away much of the flavor.
Read MoreThe Tongue of the Wise, Part One
Wisely labeled “the saving virtue,” tact graces a life like fragrance graces a rose. One whiff of those red petals erases any memory of the thorns. Tact is like that. It’s remarkable how peaceful and pleasant it can make us. Its major goal is avoiding unnecessary offense . . . and that alone ought to make us crave it. Its basic function is a keen sense of what to say or do in order to maintain the truth and good relationships . . .
Read MoreOur Speech
MR PIGS . . . MR NOT PIGS . . . OSAR . . . CM PENZ . . . LIB . . . MR PIGS. Okay, give it a whirl. Read all those words again and translate. If you can—I can tell you what part of the country you’re from. Your speech will betray you . . . it does every time. A couple of Sundays ago, I was talking with a group of visitors following a morning service. Several were from different sections of our nation.
Read MoreSelf-Control
Willpower is a forgotten word amidst most Christian circles today. Many of us are soft, flabby, and fat either outwardly or inwardly . . . or both. The overindulgence and underachievement of our age have created a monster whose brain is lazy, vision is blurred, hands are greedy, skin is thin, middle is round, and seat is wide. Color him baby blue!
Read MoreSacrament of Broken Seed
Chances are running high that you’re in a hurry today. Am I right? Your “To Do” list stretches on and on. If you’re reading this in the morning, you’re wondering how in the world you’ll get it all done. If the day has already slipped away as you read these words, you’re wondering where in the world the hours went.
Read MoreInsensitivity, Part One
My kids pulled a fast one on me one Christmas years ago. They teamed up, pooled their vast financial resources, and bought me a little motto to set on my desk. It was more than cute . . . it was convicting. In bold, black letters it read: DIETS ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE THICK AND TIRED OF IT. At first you thmile . . . then it makes you thad. Especially if you’re not thick of being thick!
Read MoreGetting Involved, Part Two
Yesterday, I told you of several appalling cases in which hurting—even dying—people cried out for help only to be blatantly ignored by passersby, both Christians and non-Christians. What’s happening? Why the passivity? How can we explain the gross lack of involvement? John Darley and Bibb Latane wrote an insightful article in Psychology Today a number of years ago, titled “When Will People Help in a Crisis?”
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