See the previous article on this topic.
The most unfair thing we could possibly do is to treat everyone exactly the same.
Do you agree?
I recapped a conversation with a guy who definitely disagreed with the opening quote. John believed that allocating a disproportionate share of resources to those with special needs wasn’t “fair.”
What’s Fair? (Part 2) Read More »
Do you believe in fairness? Do you try to treat everyone equally?
I had a curious conversation recently. Seated over lunch at an event with some men I’d just met, one guy (correctly) observed that the entrance to the building was a challenge for someone in a wheelchair. Another man (I’ll call him John) noted that the owners had done a lot to make their facilities accessible. Then he added an interesting comment.
“I’m not sure they should feel bad about not catering to every possible need. Devoting so many resources to such a small minority isn’t really fair.”
What’s Fair? (Part 1) Read More »
… Jesus really meant what He said?
“I did not come to condemn, but to save.”
Condemn: to declare to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil…to judge unfit for use or consumption.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus … [Romans 8:1]
What if that were true?
I know—it’s a complex theological statement. But what if it were as simple as “follow Jesus” = “no condemnation”?
What if every follower of Jesus stopped judging others as “reprehensible, wrong, or evil”? Even “those people”—you know, the ones who are, well, “unfit”?
We refused to make—or forward, or approve—snarky political comments?
…get me in a lot of trouble.
I got disappointed this week.
Disclaimer: I’m only telling this story because I think it contains some valuable lessons. The details don’t matter—this is about my personal failure, nothing else.
# # # # #
A couple of years ago I was invited to be a very small part of a project. No contracts or financial commitments, just a small once-per-week contribution. Four other people, all much more qualified and credible, also joined. I felt pleased and honored to be included.
Unspoken Expectations Read More »
There is a duty of fault-finding. The Master Himself teaches it. In the Sermon on the Mount, He makes it very plain. We must note carefully, however, where the duty begins. We are to look first after our own faults. “Why do you look at the mote that is in your brother’s eye–but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye?”
We must consider the beam that is in our own eye!
Do the Faults of Others Bother You? Read More »
Worksheet to help you identify and overcome subtle sins in your life.
Subtle Sins Worksheet Read More »
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
I’ve been thinking about kindness and gentleness a lot lately. Probably because being kind and gentle isn’t natural to me like it is to other people. I’ve known a number of people who were constantly kind and gentle. For example, I think about one couple we know, Tom and Linda Marshall. Both of them have always been so soft spoken but willing to step up and help anyone in need. Both so kind and gentle. They always come to my mind as examples of how I should be around everyone else.
Kindness and Gentleness Read More »
I don’t know much about jazz except that I usually like it, especially live. I’m thinking that our lives might be a little richer if they were a little more like jazz.
Jazz music is sort of unscripted. Each song has a basic melody and sometimes words, but the performance is spontaneous. Real jazz isn’t rehearsed like a lot of other music—it’s more of a live interaction between the musicians. They practice and develop their individual skills, but the music happens when they play off one another.
Our Lives Should be More Like Jazz Read More »
I saw a catchy phrase yesterday that summarized the way I seem to live a good deal of my life: trapped behind an open door.
A story’s told of Houdini once being challenged to escape from a jail cell. After he was placed in the cell and left alone, he removed a thin strip of metal concealed in his belt and began working at the lock. But no matter what he tried, he couldn’t unlock the door.
The great magician had been tricked, because the door was never locked. All he had to do was open it, but his belief that the door was locked was sufficient to confine him.
Are You Trapped Behind an Open Door? Read More »
Which are you—left, right, or somewhere in the middle?
We’re apparently programmed to think of nearly every aspect of our lives in terms of a linear continuum.
Politics provides the most obvious example. Left/right, liberal/conservative, red/blue. While most of us don’t reside at an extreme, we’re certainly conditioned to think of ourselves at least on one side or the other of center.
Compromise: Left, Right, Or Something Else? Read More »
