Category Archives: wisdom

Wisdom for This Moment in History, Part 1

Even when it is not “well with my soul” it is still well with the Lord, who perseveres in his love and pursues us with holy determination.
Today, let’s release every internal barrier to flourishing: anger and nostalgia, regret and pride, rebellion and ignorance…and choose forgiveness and hope, humility and learning, pursuit of the Triune Lord and the good of others.
Transformation comes responsive decision at a time.

In a world quick to label everything a “…phobe” I confess a “phobe” I must wrestle with:
“Cogitophobe.”
Translated: fear of (real) thinking. This affliction is spreading as some try and silence all dissent that departs from their narratives. How about befriending people of diverse beliefs and cultures? Then any vestiges of our phobias will transform into mutual respect, genuine debate and, perhaps, principled ways of helping all flourish.

Dear anarchist, please share what your “there” looks like.
Dear traditionalist, please share how all people are included in your vision of “there.”
To all friends of conscience, let’s articulate a just and loving, safe and sustainable future.
It is hard work aiming for principled compromise and proximate justice.
Much easier to alienate, marginalize, yell epithets and delegitimize concerns of “enemies.”
Will you join me in a new era of civil dialogue?

Some Wisdom Amidst the Noise, Part 1

With the contentious political environment, compression of events and the overwhelming amount of data we are all juggle, gaining perspective is an important virtue. I offer the following as reflections that I hope will refresh and renew, stimulate sound thinking and compel kind action. Enjoy – and pass on!

Dear political opponents: state objections to candidates and policies based on principles, not memes and reactionary obstruction.
Dear thoughtful conservatives and progressives: stop labeling and shutting down arguments and seek principled compromise and proximate justice. Let’s all grow up.

There is a “more excellent way” than our current anger: it is agape love that is holy and humble, selfless and serving, uniting deep compassion with durable convictions.

A guiding question for each day: How have I added value to someone’s life?

Labeling keeps us from listening. We can learn even from “opponents.” Look past age, class, color, ideology and listen to the ideas, facts and logic. You may also make a new friend in the process.

“Searching for a heart of gold.” Neil Young describes our longing for integrity – especially in politics, Left or Right. The search begins in my own soul: “Create in me a clean heart, O God…”

Observations

Observations on a Friday:

The human condition is summed up well by watching preschool children play. One minute they are hugging, laughing and sharing…the next they are crying, pushing and refusing to share.

Federal government leaders are like dieters confronting a box of doughnuts. They know they should walk away after eating one and sharing the box, but they end up eating all of them. Restraint is not an easy virtue.

“Redefining” marriage and family does not change the empirical and intuitive truth that humans are conceived by one man and one woman and children are best served by their biological parents staying together.

Just when I am about to embrace pacifism fully, Iran, North Korea and the Taliban do or say something that awakens a sensibility that we need military force in a fallen world.

But when the noxious odor of crusading and militarism appears, I realize that I am first a citizen of God’s kingdom and must love and pray for my enemies even as nations try to resist evil.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam see the world very differently, even as they share certain monotheistic and moral concepts. Civil discourse with love and respect is a must; pretending that “they worship the same deity” is intellectually and spiritually dishonest.

Academics are a funny lot sometimes. They love to rage against capitalism while teaching in buildings funded by people that were productive and employed others…and, gasp! – made a profit.

Why do so many environmentalists express deep concern for obscure animal species while allowing the elimination of unborn humans? Conversely, good ecology is good economics…if we care for creation, it will care for our posterity.

The local church can be the incubator of spiritual and social transformation. As people connect with God and each other, they become creative and productive and the world is better.

We cannot regulate all risk out of our lives.

Warm homemade bread and butter shared with people you love is profoundly gratifying.