The Man Who Would Not Dance

            There was once a man, who claimed to follow Jesus, who served under Adolph Hitler. He survived the defeat of the Second World War. Years afterward, a Christian writer asked him to reflect upon his experiences.

            One was a memory he held with great pride: during the Hitler years a dance was held one evening, and the believer’s commandant ordered him to go. The disciple of Jesus refused; he believed that dancing was wrong. He risked punishment—even death—rather than go against his convictions on dancing.

            At the same time, this individual who claimed to follow Christ, assisted Hitler in his effort to eliminate the Jews. That’s right, the man who would dare sacrifice his life rather than attend a dance, was part of the Holocaust.

            Now folks, I’m not a fan of dances, but I think someone had his priorities out of whack.

Story source: A PECULIAR PEOPLE—Rodney Clapp

Swindlers!

            Nobody likes to be cheated. Cornelius Vanderbilt once wrote a letter to some of his business rivals expressing his outrage and retribution:

           

            Gentlemen:

            You have undertaken to cheat me. I will not sue you, for law takes too long. I will ruin you.

            Sincerely yours,

            Cornelius Vanderbilt

            Ever felt like that? God’s word continually proclaims the need for ethics in business and work. Here’s an example: Proverbs 11:1… 1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.

Source: Edmund Fuller

Gyroscopes

           The 1960s were a time of great turmoil in the U. S., especially on college campuses. William Manchester, in his book THE GLORY AND THE DREAM, described the students coming out of America’s universities in the sixties in this way, "The upshot was that millions of pupils approached the age of awareness equipped with marvelous radar but no gyroscopes." They were receiving many college degrees; however, Manchester wondered if, without being taught values, these students were receiving an education.

            I appreciate Manchester’s imagery—students of any age, who are not taught values, are receiving radar but no gyroscopes.

            How are we doing these days?

The Bidding Parrot

A gentleman goes to an estate sale and notices one of the items for sale is a large parrot. He's always wanted a talking bird, so when it comes up for bid he offers $50. The bidding proceeds hot and heavy, with someone always bidding ten dollars more than he, until the parrot is finally sold to him for $1,500.

When he goes to get the bird, he asks the auctioneer, "Can the bird talk?"

The auctioneer replied, "Who do you think was bidding against you?"

In business, ethics are always appreciated.

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight (Prov. 11:1). ESV