Ecclesiastes 12:10

  You probably heard the adage ‘ Don’t judge someone till you’ve walked a mile in their shoes ’. The idea is that when we place ourselves in someone else situation it might change our perceptive on how we think about them. The Bible encourages this for us but it goes even farther; it asks us too put ourselves in their stocks. Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. Hebrews 13:3   The text of Hebrews here says for us to put ourselves in the state of prisoners. That might be hard to do. It is easier for us to think of a prisoner as someone who is getting the fate they deserve. That might be the case. Of course in this time frame, the folks in prison could have done nothing more wrong than being a Christian. Still the temptation is to shy away from in that state rather than put yourself in their place.   It doesn’t just happen to people in literal prisons it happens to ...

  From 1918 till 1920, about 75 million people died on the flu. The epidemic was a global one but the disease was known by a regional moniker, the Spanish flu. It didn’t start there nor was Spain hit particularly harder than any other nation, so why did it get the name?   The reason was World War 1. The combatants in WWI didn't report on how badly the flu had hit their nations. Not wanting their enemies to know how sick they were nor did they want their own people, they instead censored the reports. Spain neutral in the conflict had no reason to hide the truth, so it looked as if it was being hit harder than the rest. So it became known as “Spanish Flu”.       Often times those that are authentic in their behavior are relegated as oddballs. For example, those that confess their sin are looked down on when in truth there are many of those setting in silent judgment there that have the same if not worse sins. People that admit to faults are seen as we...

  There is an old saying about not hanging your dirty laundry in public. What it means it’s unwise to take your grievances to a public forum. It’s a habit however, that with the rise of social media has become all too common. This phrase doesn’t have a biblical basis but the meaning sure does.   In 1 st Corinthians 6, Paul is outraged that the church has allowed it personal disputes among its members to spill into pagan courts. Paul’s flabbergasted that they don’t find a brother arbitrate the matter rather than go to unbelievers. He says it better to be wronged than bring reproach to the church. Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 1 st Corinthians 6:7      It might not be in a court of law but the court of public opinion we take our grievances. Still, the same principles apply. People will have differences and disagreement over things...

  You’ve seen it of the buttons of an ATM, or an elevator panel. Those raised dots in different patterns that can be read by visually impaired people. What is it called?   Barbier.   What? That’s not it. But it’s probably should have been.   You see the inventor of this method was a man named Captain Charles Barbier. It was an ingenious military invention he called Night Writing used so soldiers could read orders in the dark without having to light a lamp and give away their position.    Eventually, Barbier introduced his concept to the blind. A thirteen-year-old boy at the Royal Institute for the Blind was one of the first to learn the new system. He was excited by the opportunities it offered but thought it might be too complex. So he offered Barbier some ideas on how to simplify and improve it. Barbier did not welcome his suggestions.  He was incensed that a mere boy could imagine he had something to offer and stalked out o...

  All men should be treated fairly under the law. Or is there room for leeway for the right person under certain circumstances?   Consider the following:   It’s a summer evening.   A police officer patrolling at the corner of a busy street in a major metropolitan area. Then a vehicle goes zooming by way to fast to be safe. The officer pulls him over. The case is easy, right? Speeding while endangering others. Definitely a ticket, and good stern warning from the officer.   But what if I told you the driver was a military veteran? But so was the policeman? What if the diver was a high ranking military officer and the officer was just a rookie?   What if the cop was a black man and the driver white? What if I told you it was the early 70’s?   The early 1870’s? What if the policeman didn’t at first recognize the driver but a soon as he came face to face he sees he was a man of great importance? Like the president of the United States?  ...