Pushing To The Front

I certainly hope you didn’t play roulette with any of your Ben Franklin’s hoping to get rich quick buying shares in Facebook. Getting in on the ground floor, so to speak, of this stock introduction turned out to be about level three of the basement. There are some very unhappy investors out there demanding some sort of explanation as to what happened and who’s responsible for the big miscalculation of the company’s worth. It seems only the down escalators are in working order at the moment, but don’t panic because the company has promised that the up escalators will be functional some time in the near future. Have you ever tried to make any progress up while navigating a down escalator? Trust me, you’ll run short of breath long before you reach the top. Well, if you did invest and are hanging on waiting for a return, good luck with that.
It was the day of the big sale. A long line had formed at the door long before opening time. A man pushed his way to the front of the line, only to be pushed back amid disgruntled faces and shouts of disapproval. On the man’s second attempt he was knocked around and then thrown to the end of the line again. As he got ready for a third try he said to the person at the end of the line, “That does it! If they hit me or push me around one more time, y’all can stand here all day. I just won’t open the store!”
Catherine Drinker Bowen, in her book John Adams, writes what happened in the Second Continental Congress which met in June, 1776. It was time to select a Commander in Chief of the American Army. John Adams rose to speak. John Hancock wore a look of pleased, even radiant, expectancy. Facing the room in his chair behind the President’s table, he was plainly visible to everyone, including John [Adams], who stood near the front. No one loved glory more than Hancock; he had the vanity of a child, open and vulnerable. Adams suggested, “…a gentleman whose skill as an officer, whose independent fortune, great talents and universal character would command the respect of America and unite the full exertions of the Colonies better than any other person alive…” Adam’s saw Hancock’s face and hastened on, raising his voice… “A gentleman from Virginia, who is among us here and well known to all of us…” Hancock shrank as at a blow. (“I never”, Adams wrote later, “remarked a more sudden and striking change of countenance. Mortification and resentment were expressed as forcibly as his face could exhibit them.”) Washington, who was on the south side of the room, left his seat at the word “Virginia” and slipped quietly out the door before his name was pronounced. John [Adams] finished and sat down. Hancock’s face grew hard and dark with anger. He made no attempt to hide his feelings. It was a case of open shame vs. the public honor of Washington.
[Luke 14:7-11] Some people can accept a ‘pecking order’ well and others are constantly pushing and shoving their way to the head of the line. Everything in live doesn’t have to end up a competitive sport. Being first isn’t always the best place. Jesus reminds guests at a meal not to take the highest places and run the risk of being humiliated by being asked to move down the table, but to take a low place and then enjoy the ‘glory’ of being asked to take a higher place. It is well to remember that Jesus warned his disciples about seeking positions within the kingdom of God, and he criticized the Pharisees for their religious pride. If we have ears …let us hear!

Zeros and Ones

The jury is still out for me as to a decision of involvement in all this twenty-first century technological rhetoric. I have an out-dated cell phone in my possession at all times now, which I very rarely use, only because it has evolved from a luxury of life to a necessity. I’m still kicking at the goads of the personal computer, which I now have a handful of just trying to keep up with technology. I guess the social network threshold is my next hurdle. I already tested the waters only to find an avalanche of unwanted solicitors flooding my personal space prompting me to put a halt to my participation. I sense I was using the service incorrectly. Facebook went public the other day, selling stock on Wall Street. According to MSNBC, Facebook was conceived in a Harvard dorm room just eight years ago. Worldwide, the company now connects more than 900 million people to one another. The company has made its founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, one of the world’s richest men with a fortune of nearly $20 billion. The initial stock sales didn’t live up to the hype of the media, improving its base investment price by only $.23 at the end of the day. Who knew that “sharing information” could be such a lucrative business? Now not only your neighbor knows your business, but the whole world can get in on it also. You’ll never run short on advice managing your life.
Texting while driving has prompted several states and communities to pass laws or ordinances prohibiting the practice. Sexting, the sending of pornographic materials via digital devices, has opened up a whole new can of worms for society to deal with. And if that isn’t enough for you, texting while walking is causing legal challenges much the same as texting while driving. It seems all across the country, people aren’t watching where they are going and causing themselves personal injury at the cost of some one else. People are walking right into traffic with their eyes glued to the screen of their digital device, too busy to look if the way is safe, and being run down by trucks, busses and automobiles, whose drivers are being blamed for the incident. Fort Lee, New Jersey police have begun ticketing “jaywalkers” that are witnessed blindly crossing streets while texting. Can we be saved from our need to know right now? I think not.
His teenage daughter had been on the phone for half and hour. When she finally hung up, her father said, “Usually you’re on the phone for at least two hours. How come the conversation was so short?” The daughter replied, “Wrong number.”
[Psalm 12; James 3: 1-12] The telegraph, the telephone, the television, records and tapes, even that most excellent upgrade of the airwaves, FM radio, have all gone digital in my lifetime. The major portion of my mailbox is now digitized. The way I shop and investigate the world is through the use of digital devices without leaving my cocoon. Even the tongue of man has been reduced to multiples of zeros and ones. Yeah I know, that’s a rather cynical way of looking at it, but I’m rather depressed at the fact that man has developed a new vocabulary in the digital world yet delivers it with the same self-centered attitude. Don’t get me wrong here. I know that there is a lot of good communication going on out there, but I’m willing to bet there are a lot more gossip and hurtful statements being made than loving and productive ones. It seems the world is in the midst of an information neurosis of great proportions. Where is God in all this? One day, face to face, every tongue will confess, He is Lord. (Romans 14: 1-13)

Message of Light

I’m going to date myself here, but there was a time when import cars were truly imported to the U.S. The reason they’re built in this country now has a lot to do with tariff laws on imported goods. An imported automobile entered the country pretty much bare bones or as original as they were sold in the country of origin. Before they could be sold to the American public several changes had to be made to elevate them to the set safety standards of the U.S. highway and transportation laws. Tires had to be changed, windshield wipers upgraded, and in later years the exhaust systems had to be upgraded to lawful standards not found in Europe and Japan. Air conditioning and radios had to be installed in the U.S. prior to sales. Funny thing is, most of those items were imported separately from Japan already. Well anyway, the modification necessary to conform to U.S. laws became so great the manufactures settled on building the automobiles in the U.S., although they still build and import many of the parts used. One modification necessary dealt with the lights on imports. Tail lights weren’t bright enough and in some cases big enough and had to be changed out. The biggie was the headlights. On some Japanese and some European cars the headlights were thought to be too dim and had to be upgraded, while on some, especially high-end European cars, the headlights were thought to be too bright and had to be down-graded. It’s silly to thing of today when one is driving down a night blackened highway and encounters a jacked-up, 4x4, extended-cab, dually, diesel pick-up coming toward you at 75 miles-per-hour with half-a-dozen kryptonite lights shining so brightly in your eyes you can no longer see the road. Headlights used to get adjusted at every annual inspection date.
A limited experienced seaman was the captain of his new-famed yacht. While traveling one night, on his trip around the world, he encountered a light in the distance, which he perceived to be coming toward him. He radioed, “Adjust your heading 10 degrees right.” A message replied, “You adjust your heading 10 degrees right.” The arrogant captain was not used to being told what to do and shot off another message, “This is a multi-million dollar yacht on tour around the world. Adjust your heading 10 degrees to the right!” The reply came, “You can’t intimidate a lighthouse!”
[Matthew 5: 13-16] “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” A lighthouse is built because someone found an area that could be deadly to seamen and felt the duty to warn of the danger. Christians know of the paths that lead to death, therefore Christians, by preaching the truth to whomever they can, whenever they can, sound a warning much like a lighthouse does. A lighthouse is strong and has a deep foundation so it can resist the harshness that will come. Christ is the firm foundation of the Christian and can withstand the many storms and hardships of life. The light from a lighthouse not only beams brightly, but continually, always warning. Similarly, Christians are to preach Christ continually, in word and in deed. Christians are to teach about destructive ways and shine a light on the path of righteousness, forgiveness and salvation. The Christian’s light beams brightly with the truths found in God’s Word.

Boss or Leader?

    Well, as crazy as the political arena is going to get, I pray you get out and vote no matter what. Everyone eligible to vote is old enough to make some sort of half-way intelligible decision in their own mind as to who can represent them best. I think that could be some of the problem we Americans have let our politicians get away with for too long a period of time. Most of those whom we place in office seem to forget they are there to represent us, not dictate to us. Are our elected officials leaders or bosses? Which do you want; a leader or another boss? A boss drives; a leader coaches. A boss depends on authority; a leader, goodwill. A boss says “I”; a leader says “we”. A boss fixes blame for a problem; a leader fixes the problem. A boss “knows how” it is done; a leader “shows” how to do it. A boss says “GO!”; a leader says “Let’s go”. A boss uses people; a leader develops people. A boss sees today; a leader looks at tomorrow. A boss commands; a leader asks. A boss never has enough time; a leader makes time. A boss is always concerned with “things”; a leader is concerned with people. A boss lets his people know where he stands; a leader lets his people know where to stand. A boss works hard to produce; a leader works hard to help his people produce. A boss takes all the credit; a leader gives credit to all. Look at those who are in office at the moment and examine the track record of the candidates, then decide for your self.
    Here are some plus’s and minus’s you might want to think about as you travel down your road to forever. The most destructive habit …worry; The greatest joy …giving; The greatest loss …loss of self-respect; The most satisfying work …helping others; The ugliest personality trait …selfishness; The most endangered species …our youth; The greatest “Shot in the arm” …encouragement; The greatest problem to overcome …fear; The most effective sleeping pill …peace of mind; The most crippling failure disease …excuses; The most powerful force in life …love; The most dangerous pariah (I had to consult Webster also) …a gossiper; The world’s most incredible computer …the brain; The worst thing to be without …hope; The deadliest weapon …the tongue; The most power-filled words …I can; The greatest asset …faith; The most worthless emotion …self-pity; The most beautiful attire …a smile; The most prized possession …integrity; The most powerful channel of communication …prayer; The most contagious spirit …enthusiasm. We might all rehearse this list often.
    [1 Timothy 2: 14-26] John the baptizer said of Jesus, “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (Mark 1:7). Jesus said of John, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John…” (Luke 7:28). Both were leaders and exhibited the traits of a leader, neither had ambitions of self worth. Both looked to tomorrow and both encouraged those who followed them in the ways of God. Some say they can’t follow in the footsteps of Jesus because God asks for too much. Jesus was asked about the commandments of God and which was the greatest. “Love you God with all your heart, soul and mind’, this is the greatest. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). Can everyone attain these two goals in their life? With encouragement and love, we can. Jesus says answered prayer will be the greater reward (John 15:9-17).