Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Pick it Up!



I was following a car the other day when the driver threw garbage out the window. Hello! Now maybe I’m a little sensitive after having spent last Saturday morning picking garbage out of the ditch, but really, come on.  The last time I checked, littering was still considered rude and slightly obnoxious.  Not to mention illegal. And I’m pretty sure the guy in the car knew that when he threw his garbage out the window. So why did he do it? Perhaps it was poor potty training or maybe the environment he was brought up in.  Maybe his father was a rude litter bug and he is just following the example that was set for him.  Or he was brought up in a culture where littering was considered socially acceptable. 
No, he probably did it for the same reason we sometimes act like jerks when it comes to keeping God’s law, or not keeping God’s law.  He did it because he wanted to.  It was more convenient to toss the trash out the window than mess up his car.  And who really cares about how it affects others? Sometimes we take the same cavalier attitude toward sin and we shouldn’t.  There are rules against littering for a reason and God’s rules all have a reason as well.   Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Stupid is as Stupid Does



People seem divided about what happened last week in Toronto at the TFC game.  (For those of you who are as ignorant as I am, I’ll save you the google. TFC is a soccer team.)  You have probably read about or have seen the reports that went viral after fans yelled vulgar comments at television reporter Shauna Hunt. When Hunt confronted the fans, Shawn Simoes defended their actions with more vulgarities targeting the reporter.  The problem is that he did it in front of a camera, which goes to prove Billy Sunday was right when he said “Sin can be forgiven but stupid is forever.”
The clip quickly went viral and was seen by Simoes’ employer Hydro One and they fired him.  When Hunt asked Simoes on camera what his mother would think, Simoe replied that she’d find it funny.  Wonder if she thought her son losing his $106,000.00 a year job was funny?
Most people find Simoes’ actions offensive, but they are divided on whether or not he should be fired. 
I don’t think Hydro One fired him because of his words, they just figured he was too stupid to work for them.
I wonder what would happen if Jesus could fire Christians who behaved badly and represented Christianity poorly?

Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

The High Road



In a society that seems to be obsessed with violence, almost to the point of celebrating it, this was a refreshing story.  Kevin Vickers gave the convocation address at Mount Allison University this past week after being granted an honorary degree.  For those who have been living in a cave for the past seven months, Vickers was the Sergeant at Arms on Parliament Hill who shot and killed Michael Zehaf Bibeau in October of last year.  Vickers has been hailed as a hero around the world for his actions in stopping Zehaf Bibeau who had already murdered Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and was terrorizing the halls of the Parliament. 
Vickers, now Canada’s ambassador to Ireland, downplayed what happened that day by stating, “I bumped up against a moment in history.”  While others might have relished in their actions the former sergeant-at-arms called it “The loneliest moment of my life” and said that he remembered the gunman not for his evil, but for his innate human dignity. 
In the aftermath of that day, Vickers remembered “With my grandchildren in my arms, I said a prayer for Michael”.  Not what most would expect, but it sounds a lot like what Jesus expected of those who follow Him, at least according to Matthew 5:44.
Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.