Paul Harvey tells the story of a twelve year old boy named Addie, who was asked by his older sister to stay for a party that she was giving, to which some of her school friends were coming. Addie stayed, but he found himself bored with the games of the older kids.
Finally, one of the older boys casually mentioned to him that he had learned the manual of arms—an army drill which involves the twirling of a rifle with crisp precision. The only problem was they needed a gun. Then Addie remembered that his dad had a .22 rifle. Quickly, he ran to fetch it. After a demonstration by the "military expert", Addie decided he wanted to give it a try.
What followed remained locked in the mind of Addie until the day he died. The eyewitness accounts varied. Some said that after the older boy showed Addie the manual of arms, Addie tried to duplicate his actions. Others said that he was trying to put the rifle away, while one person swore that Addie "took the gun from the older boy...pointed it at one of the girls... and pulled the trigger."
However it occurred, the gun was loaded and in Addie's hands when it was fired. The resulting gunshot killed a young girl named Ruth Merwin.
In the years that followed, this incident was never mentioned by Addie. He went on to have an outstanding career in public service, serving as governor of his home state, and twice being nominated for the presidency of the United States. And there are those who say that had he run against anybody besides a certified world hero (Dwight Eisenhower), he would have won.
Interestingly enough, there are many historians who feel that he would have been a better president. At any rate, despite his success, Adlai Stevenson astounded his contemporaries by retaining a sense of humility in spite of being in a field known for ego. Many times when he received honors, Stevenson would receive them reluctantly, saying, "I should have preferred to hear those words uttered for a stronger, a wiser, and a better man than myself."
It strikes me as one looks at the career of Adlai Stevenson in light of this tragedy that a major reason he was so humble, and a major reason that he had such an outstanding sense of duty to his fellow man, was that he was responsible for the death of another human being. It may have been an accident, but it was HIS accident.
You almost get the feeling that at some point in his life, he sat down and said to himself, "Okay, I am responsible for Ruth's death. So what do I do? Do I kill myself, or do I just give up and die? No, I can't do that. That wouldn't help anyone. Instead, I am going to devote my life to public service..." Of course that is only speculation, but perhaps it is accurate speculation.
According to Paul, as Jesus' ambassador, as Jesus' representative, I have taken Jesus' place. I am now Jesus' body here on earth (as a member of His church, I am part of the “body of Christ”).
While I live, I am to continue His mission. The world can no longer see Jesus, they can only see me; therefore, I have the duty to live my life like He would have lived it. This may sound like a heavy responsibility, but after all, Jesus is my Lord, and I am His servant.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Kid Who Did Not Want to Play the Trombone
Farmersville High School in Farmersville, Texas, assigned their band director, Stanley Walker, the task of monitoring a study hall period. He did. One of his students was a young man named Charles Watson. Charles graduated, moved to California, and became known as “Tex.” He joined the infamous “Family” of Charles Manson and is now serving a life sentence for murder.
Shortly after Stanley Walker monitored Charles Watson in study hall, he accepted a job as the Band Director at a high school near Linden, Texas. While there, one of his students told him, “Mr. Walker, I think I am going to quit the band. I don’t like playing the trombone.”
Walker replied, “Well, Don, why don’t you play the drums?”
Don did. Later, playing the drums, Don Henley became a founding member of the Hall of Fame rock group, The Eagles.
Obviously, Stanley Walker and other teachers at Farmersville High School attempted to influence Charles Watson to do something more positive in life than join a cult and commit murder. Unfortunately, sometimes, people like Charles Watson reject the message. Others times, people can be influenced to make a seemingly minor decision that ends up producing a major positive impact—such as the case with Don Henley.
Jesus called for his disciples to be salt and light. We infiltrate our culture, allow God to work through us, and accept the results with a faithful trust in God’s Kingdom work.*
* Thanks, Jamie Whitley, for sharing this story from the life of your family’s long-time friend—Stanley Walker.
Shortly after Stanley Walker monitored Charles Watson in study hall, he accepted a job as the Band Director at a high school near Linden, Texas. While there, one of his students told him, “Mr. Walker, I think I am going to quit the band. I don’t like playing the trombone.”
Walker replied, “Well, Don, why don’t you play the drums?”
Don did. Later, playing the drums, Don Henley became a founding member of the Hall of Fame rock group, The Eagles.
Obviously, Stanley Walker and other teachers at Farmersville High School attempted to influence Charles Watson to do something more positive in life than join a cult and commit murder. Unfortunately, sometimes, people like Charles Watson reject the message. Others times, people can be influenced to make a seemingly minor decision that ends up producing a major positive impact—such as the case with Don Henley.
Jesus called for his disciples to be salt and light. We infiltrate our culture, allow God to work through us, and accept the results with a faithful trust in God’s Kingdom work.*
* Thanks, Jamie Whitley, for sharing this story from the life of your family’s long-time friend—Stanley Walker.
Friday, February 5, 2010
When There is Nothing Left to Shock
I got a good laugh when I read several years ago in NEWSWEEK that at a Nudist colony in France, a frustrated fifteen year old girl donned a bikini at the beach. The reason?-"When I'm nude, the boys don't look at me!"
The poor girl reflects a problem that is starting to be addressed in our culture in the U.S.—what does a permissive society do when it runs out of shock value? Our society hasn't quite reached the point of being a nudist colony, although in some cases we are getting close.
Jesus words two thousand years ago ring louder than ever today, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
The poor girl reflects a problem that is starting to be addressed in our culture in the U.S.—what does a permissive society do when it runs out of shock value? Our society hasn't quite reached the point of being a nudist colony, although in some cases we are getting close.
Jesus words two thousand years ago ring louder than ever today, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Average Shoplifter
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9.)
The people of today are not perfect, but neither were they in the 1950s, in spite of how some might remember. William Manchester, in his masterful, historical work entitled THE GLORY AND THE DREAM, wrote of a 1957 study undertaken in a typical Illinois community. Shoplifting had increased dramatically in the 1950s, despite the dramatic economic upturn of the decade. To understand why, the police department researched their records to discover who the typical shoplifter was.
They expected to discover it would be a person of poverty, perhaps from a bad background. Instead, the standard shoplifter was a housewife, married to an upwardly mobile junior executive making $8000 a year (almost $60,000 in today’s dollars.) She was active in her church and PTA, a member of a bridge club. She had $50 (almost $400 in today’s money) to spend—per week.
The people of today are not perfect, but neither were they in the 1950s, in spite of how some might remember. William Manchester, in his masterful, historical work entitled THE GLORY AND THE DREAM, wrote of a 1957 study undertaken in a typical Illinois community. Shoplifting had increased dramatically in the 1950s, despite the dramatic economic upturn of the decade. To understand why, the police department researched their records to discover who the typical shoplifter was.
They expected to discover it would be a person of poverty, perhaps from a bad background. Instead, the standard shoplifter was a housewife, married to an upwardly mobile junior executive making $8000 a year (almost $60,000 in today’s dollars.) She was active in her church and PTA, a member of a bridge club. She had $50 (almost $400 in today’s money) to spend—per week.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The First Postmodern Marriage
Do you remember the first postmodern marriage? It occurred in 2003. Jennifer Hoes, in the Netherlands, married—herself. She served as both bride and groom. (Now that had to be hard!)
At the time, she was quoted in the German magazine DER SPIEGEL as saying, "We live in a 'Me' society. Hence it is logical that one promises to be faithful to oneself."
One thing about it, Jennifer Hoes did not hold anything back when it came to her reception. It cost $22,000. I thought one reporter at the time had a good line “… what if she ceases to like herself—will divorce be an option, and which Hoes will get the car?"
I think Jennifer’s little quote speaks volumes about the world we live in:
“We live in a ‘Me’ society.”
At the time, she was quoted in the German magazine DER SPIEGEL as saying, "We live in a 'Me' society. Hence it is logical that one promises to be faithful to oneself."
One thing about it, Jennifer Hoes did not hold anything back when it came to her reception. It cost $22,000. I thought one reporter at the time had a good line “… what if she ceases to like herself—will divorce be an option, and which Hoes will get the car?"
I think Jennifer’s little quote speaks volumes about the world we live in:
“We live in a ‘Me’ society.”
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sunday School for Atheists
I’ve often wandered what atheists do on Sunday mornings. Well, according to a story in TIME magazine I read a couple of years ago, apparently more and more are taking their children to Sunday school.
"When you have kids, you start to notice that your co-workers or friends have church groups to help teach their kids values and to be able to lean on," the magazine quoted Julie Willey as saying. Consequently, she and her husband, both atheists, would weekly take their four children to the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, California, for what they called atheist Sunday school.
The Willey’s are not alone in their quest for non-religious training. Other communities of non-faith have sprung up in locations as diverse as Phoenix, Albuquerque, N.M., and Portland, Oregon. Moreover, more and more secular camps are opening up for children of atheists.
Bri Kneisley was one parent, who sent her son to a camp saying, "He's a child of atheist parents, and he's not the only one in the world." She became aware that she needed to teach her son her secular values after the child of one of her neighbors began to show her son the Bible. "[My son] was quite certain this guy was right and was telling him this amazing truth that I had never shared." So Kneisley made the decision to be proactive in sharing her faith.
More and more atheistic parents are coming to grips with a truth that fewer and fewer Christian parents recognize: the importance of parents actively sharing their faith with their children. They are taking pages out of the church’s playbook to assist them in their mission. Maybe that is one reason why their numbers are growing, while Christian numbers (some studies show that 18 out of 20 children of evangelical Christians grow up to leave the faith) are shrinking.
"When you have kids, you start to notice that your co-workers or friends have church groups to help teach their kids values and to be able to lean on," the magazine quoted Julie Willey as saying. Consequently, she and her husband, both atheists, would weekly take their four children to the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, California, for what they called atheist Sunday school.
The Willey’s are not alone in their quest for non-religious training. Other communities of non-faith have sprung up in locations as diverse as Phoenix, Albuquerque, N.M., and Portland, Oregon. Moreover, more and more secular camps are opening up for children of atheists.
Bri Kneisley was one parent, who sent her son to a camp saying, "He's a child of atheist parents, and he's not the only one in the world." She became aware that she needed to teach her son her secular values after the child of one of her neighbors began to show her son the Bible. "[My son] was quite certain this guy was right and was telling him this amazing truth that I had never shared." So Kneisley made the decision to be proactive in sharing her faith.
More and more atheistic parents are coming to grips with a truth that fewer and fewer Christian parents recognize: the importance of parents actively sharing their faith with their children. They are taking pages out of the church’s playbook to assist them in their mission. Maybe that is one reason why their numbers are growing, while Christian numbers (some studies show that 18 out of 20 children of evangelical Christians grow up to leave the faith) are shrinking.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Like a Father
Frank Leahy is a name forgotten by most today. He coached the Notre Dame Football team during the forties and early fifties. He won four national championships with Notre Dame. Throughout the 50s, 60s, and early 70s, he was generally considered the second greatest coach of all time next to the legendary Knute Rockne. Unfortunately, he was not considered by his family to be a great father.
In his authorized and official biography on Leahy, Wells Trombley tells of a sad moment immediately after Leahy's death. Before I share that moment with you, let me brief you on the context.
Although, Leahy was portrayed by the press as being a model father, the reality was he neglected his wife and children. Leahy, who died in the early 70s, battled various diseases before they took his life. Trombley, who accompanied Leahy much of the time during the final months, observed the battle Leahy's wife and children faced mediating grief and bitterness. It is in this context in the aftermath of Leahy’s death, his biographer observed a sad encounter.
A person who had worked under Frank Leahy, whose life had been directly touched by Leahy, approached famous man’s widow and said, "Mrs. Leahy, I'm going to miss the coach so much. We had a very special relationship. He was just like a father to me."
Leahy's widow wearily replied, "That's very nice. I just wish he had been just like a father to some of his children."
In his authorized and official biography on Leahy, Wells Trombley tells of a sad moment immediately after Leahy's death. Before I share that moment with you, let me brief you on the context.
Although, Leahy was portrayed by the press as being a model father, the reality was he neglected his wife and children. Leahy, who died in the early 70s, battled various diseases before they took his life. Trombley, who accompanied Leahy much of the time during the final months, observed the battle Leahy's wife and children faced mediating grief and bitterness. It is in this context in the aftermath of Leahy’s death, his biographer observed a sad encounter.
A person who had worked under Frank Leahy, whose life had been directly touched by Leahy, approached famous man’s widow and said, "Mrs. Leahy, I'm going to miss the coach so much. We had a very special relationship. He was just like a father to me."
Leahy's widow wearily replied, "That's very nice. I just wish he had been just like a father to some of his children."
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