Black & White People

Fairy tales fascinate children--the hero/es do battle against evil, usually a villain and save another person, the nation, the world, perhaps even the universe. Is there a certain amount of hero worship involved? No doubt, but I think children also love fairy tales because it matches their view of people--people are either black or white, good or evil. Children view everyone as either a good person or a bad person--there is very little tolerance for mistakes or sin. In their world good people don't do bad things and bad people don't do good things--you're either one or the other.

As we mature we come to see that good people make mistakes, sometimes mistakes that affect many people very dramatically, and that bad people can do some good things. We realize that good people have their faults or weaknesses and aren't perfect and that even the worst people usually have at least a few redeeming qualities. I know a few very bad people, but Jesus acknowledged that worldly people do some good--"do not even the Gentiles love those who love them?" There are very few people who are all black or all white--we all have at least a little gray.

Understanding this should help us be more compassionate with others. If I recognize that I need God to forgive me of my sins and shortcomings, I must also recognize that I must forgive others who wrong me. Jesus addressed this very point on more than one occasion. Why? Could it be that we have a problem with this?

Interestingly, the Bible does not portray even our heroes in this light. It records 2 occasions when Abraham repeated the same lie that Sarah was his sister: she was his half-sister, but she was also his wife. We are also told that Abraham laughed when promised a son at 99 years of age. David, the man after God's own heart, was not a very good father and was guilty of fornication and murder to cover that up. When I see their sins I have hope--if they could make it, so can I. How about you?

Tol

Work or study?

I read somewhere that John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States, was not a particularly eager student and when he finished the preparatory school that existed in his time, he didn't want to go on to college. He enjoyed the outdoors--hunting, fishing, etc., not sitting behind a desk. When he told his Father this, he agreed that John did not have to go if he didn't want to, but that if he was not studying he must work on the farm. John agreed to this, no doubt thinking that anything outdoors would be preferable to studying books indoors. As time passed though, he changed his mind and when it was time to register for the next term he was quite ready to enroll in Harvard.

I believe John's Father was a wise man--he didn't argue, cajole, or even force John to go to college, but neither did he throw his hands up and allow his son to become a lazy bum. His actions showed John the two roads ahead of him--he could work with his back or with his brain. He believed his son needed to be busy in something useful, either work or school.

As citizens of the Lord's kingdom, no matter our age, health, or abilities our King expects, even demands that we be busy in His kingdom. To use the analogy of John Adams, you will either study and prepare yourself or you will begin working without such preparation, but you must be busy.

"But I can't preach or teach publicly" you cry. I don't question that, but what CAN you do for the Lord? Your health may not permit you to do as much as you used to in the Lord's service, but is there not something you can do? I tire quickly of those who are continually giving excuses as to why they CANNOT work for the Lord, rather than finding a way around their obstacles to fulfill the Lord's commands. I suspect the Lord does too, especially since He KNOWS whether they're excuses or reasons.

Tol

A way that seems right to a man

I'm in St. Croix this week--the island where we worked and lived for 8 years. Toward the end of that time (around 1996) legislation was passed to permit up to 4 casinos to be built on St. Croix. The casino or casinos were to be the economic salvation of the island--it would bring more tourism, which would support the restaurants, bars, shops, etc. on the island. At least that was the argument the majority believed in approving this legislation.

It took several years for the casino to be built, but rather than bringing an economic boom to the island the reverse has been true. We were here in 2004 and noticed the number of restaurants, shops, gas stations, etc. that had closed and wondered why. Several people assured us that it was just the "shuffle"--restaurants move from here to there, change their name, a shop closes on one street but another opens a block away. St. Croix is an expensive place to live and an even more expensive place to own a business, so more new businesses than in the States don't make it. And there has always been a lot of shuffling. But one man revealed the real problem--the casino. He had just finished his house and as is customary here, he paid the workers every Friday. When they came back on Mon. morning they needed to borrow money for gas and lunch--after receiving anywhere from $500-800 on Friday. When he asked them about that money, you guessed it, it had all been spent at the casino, which sent it all to Mobile, AL, to headquarters.

Instead of those paychecks being spent on gasoline, food (groceries, restaurants, convenience stores) and K-mart it left the island completely. The number of vacant buildings is double or triple what it was before the casino came to "save" the islands economy. Do we always know what will be best? Often we don't--we think we do, but we turn out to be wrong.

Is it any different when we try to "outguess" or "be smarter" than God? If He is the Creator (and He is) and sustainer of the universe, can we ever be smarter than He is? If not, then why don't we follow His instructions? His commandments are not burdensome--they're for our benefit. Remember, there is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the ways of death (Prov. 14:22)

Tol