How to Stop a Thief

            Have you heard this one before? When they want to punish a thief, the Eskimos will take him before the community, and subject him to laughter. Supposedly, this action holds theft in check.

            This may be apocryphal (I spent some time this morning trying to validate this information, and while I found it referenced in several places, I was not able to validate it to my satisfaction), but I believe the reason this story is told so much is because it strikes a chord within all of us.

            We do not like to be laughed at. This fear drives many people.

            I heard one speaker talk about our fear of laughter. He used teenagers as an example. How many times do teenagers make decisions based upon their fear of their friends laughing at them? Furthermore, how many times the adults do the same thing?

            More than ever, I am reminded of what the author of Hebrews emphasizes: the voice we must listen to is God's. The audience we must play to is God.

            To do so takes great courage, but it is a essential for Christlikeness—and for healthy living.

Courage and the Tooth

            Rick Ezell tells a story of a woman and her husband who interrupted a vacation to see a dentist. “I want a tooth pulled, and I don't want Novocain because I'm in a big hurry,” the wife said. “Just extract the tooth as quickly as possible, and we will be on our way.”

            The dentist was very impressed. “You're certainly a courageous woman,” he said. “Which tooth is it?”

            The wife turned her husband and said, “Show him your tooth, dear.”

            It is easy to be courageous when it comes to another person’s tooth. It is much more difficult when it is one’s own.

            God never calls us to be courageous vicariously. Courage, for God, is always personal.

            “Be strong and courageous…” (Josh. 1:6a.)

            

“I am here to Fight, not to Run”

           Courage is a constant admonition of scripture. Thinking about that, I am reminded of the Athenian soldier, who was lame in one foot. The other soldiers laughed at him until he told them, “I am here to fight, not to run.”

Eamon de Varla

            Eamon de Varla was a dominant political figure in twentieth century Ireland. Among other achievements, he served as the president of the Republic of Ireland.

            Legend has it that he was once arrested in the town of Ennis during the middle of a political speech. He was set free one year later—and immediately returned to the spot where he was arrested. He began to speak again, “As I was saying when I was interrupted—.”

            I appreciate the symbolism of courage in that humorous story. God repeatedly tells his people in scripture to “be strong and courageous.” Perhaps, we Christians need to pick up more conversations where we were interrupted.