Tag: love
Why are you still yelling?!
“Why are you running around yelling at everyone, instead of figuring out how to earn the right to whisper to them?” – Seth Godin
Wow! Chew on that quote today!
Continue reading Why are you still yelling?!
A second chance for the KKK
The American Civil Rights struggle can teach us a lot about love and forgiveness — especially that of loving our enemies.
“The black freedom struggle is the best example of bringing together the quest for unarmed truth and unconditional love in the face of American Terrorism for 400 years. Instead of a Black al-Qaeda you get Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther.” – Dr Cornel West
Of all the inspiring stories that have come from the Civil Rights struggle in America – one of the most powerful ones I’ve heard is the story of Rev. Wade Watts.
Continue reading A second chance for the KKK
Peace is not merely a distant goal
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.
Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder.
Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth.
Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate.
Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that…
We will not build a peaceful world by following a negative path. It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war but the positive affirmation of peace. We must see that peace represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody, that is far superior to the dis-chords of war.
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
– Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, I’m reminded of the speech President Bush didn’t give on Oct. 1, 2001.
The speech was written by Brian McLaren as an illustration on the different path America could have chosen in a post 9/11 world (the above quote from Martin Luther King was included in the speech).
I encourage you to read it the entire speech. To chew on it and consider how different the last 10 years might have been had the speech been given.
May God bless the entire world.
Lighten your burden
Shane Hipps shares in the latest Mars Hill podcast…
When his grandmother was in her 70s and her husband was in his 90s she had done all she could to care for him at home, but eventually it was to difficult. So they moved him to a nursing facility near by. Shane’s grandmother had never had a drivers license, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her.
So every morning she would get up and walk 2.5 miles to the nursing home to sit by her husband’s side. There wasn’t much she could do, but she would sit with him and be present.
Every night when visiting hours were over, she would walk 2.5 miles home.
Each day (seven days a week) walking five miles – for two years.
When asked what it was like she said, “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life but it was my joy to be with him and I would have done it as many years as God would have let me.”
There was a levity to her burden because of love.
A change of heart (part 3)
Years have now passed and the men who once sat gathered around the shade tree have grown old.
While they were once young, vibrant and full of life, the years have had their toil on them and they start to see the twilight of their lives.
Several of them have written accounts of their time with the teacher.
The tax collector did and was certain to include the story of that day under the shade tree.
The fisherman has spent the last 40 years or so travelling and building communities around the teachings of their teacher. He’s had very little time to write.
None of the men had any clue as to what the future would hold when they first followed the teacher. They had no clue that within three short years he would be captured by the religious authorities, be accused of heresy and sentenced to execution by the Roman authorities.
They were certain he was ready to lead them to a revolution to overtake their oppressors.
Continue reading A change of heart (part 3)