Lord, teach me. . . .

If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. –John F. Kennedy At an early age, children have an amazing gift. They see only beauty and friends, not divisions. Every color is beautiful; every person is worthy of a smile. Then at some point, they begin to have preferences. Adults ask questions: What’s your favorite color? (Mine is purple.) Favorite animal? (Elephants, with cats a close second.) Who’s your best friend? (I married him!) Before long, it’s obvious: if one is my favorite, there must be others that I don’t like. And before long, children have learned it’s okay to be mean to someone they don’t like, to make fun of them, bully them or even exclude them. And many times, the reasons they might give are really simply the reasons they’ve heard the adults in their lives use. The world has become a diminished place because many no longer value the differences among us. And that’s pretty sad. Imagine a rainbo...

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. –Fred Rogers The world has been pretty frightening lately, and I have noticed an odd phenomenon. When something awful happens, like the horrible inferno in London or the shootings in Virginia, instead of looking the other way, the media seem to lead us deeper into the fear and horror. Every lead story brings furrowed brows on the part of the news anchors; even the weather suddenly seems to carry little in the way of hope for tomorrow. Why do we insist on focusing our eyes on the negative? Why do we  incessantly  feed our fears? Friends, there is plenty of good news out there. Really. For instance, did you read about Gavel, the German shepherd puppy who was too nice to train as a police dog? So he got a different job: greeting visitors to the Governor’s Mansion in Queensland, Australia. True story! Or ho...

I want to be happy, but I won’t be happy till I make you happy, too! Life’s really worth living when we are mirth-giving. Why can’t I give some to you? –Irving Caesar & Vincent Youmas There’s a wonderful children’s book by Judith Viorst called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day . For the story’s hero, Alexander, nothing seems to be going right. His brothers ate the last of his favorite breakfast cereal. The shoe store doesn’t have the tennis shoes he wants in his size. He gets gum in his hair— everything just seems to be going wrong. He loudly announces that he is having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day! His mother, a very wise woman, helps Alexander begin to understand that some days are just like that. Even in Australia. Of course, that didn’t make Alexander’s shoes stay tied, or get the gum out of his hair, but it’s true. And the good news is, there’s another chance for a fresh start-- tomorrow. Been there, done that. Prob...

To love means loving the unlovable. . . . Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless. –Gilbert K. Chesterton It happens all the time, and just about everywhere. In the grocery store, in the park—even in church. And it’s not always a welcome sight; it can make one feel awkward, cynical— uncomfortable. The internet moniker for it is PDA , Public Displays of Affection. I’m not talking about holding hands, or a quick kiss in passing. I’m talking about young couples who can’t keep their hands off each other, who wrap themselves around each other like ivy on a tree trunk and lead the rest of us to mutter under our breath, Get a room, already! Most of us have been taught from an early age that such behavior is inappropriate; but somehow, when you’re young, and that “certain someone” comes into your life. . . . Ah, Love ! Wonderful, perfect Love. We want the world to know! So why is it, then, that as followers of Jesus who p...