Ecclesiastes 12:10

  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?  ...

  Some of the best preachers I have known have been fired.  Some of the worst continue to get great job after great job.  Some of the hardest working people never get promoted or are given a raise and continually worry about their job security. Some of the laziest get extra benefits, more pay and never fear they’ll get let go.  Some people never prepare or plan and yet everything works out for them, others do everything the right way, scrimp and save yet it the end it all falls apart. Some folks blow through opportunity after opportunity and yet still get another chance; while others never even get a bite at the apple.   It just doesn’t seem fair!   Life is hardly ever fair. It seems to take more than it gives. Rewards those that that don’t deserve, punishes those that do. Good people suffer. Wicked people prosper. Life seems more about luck than logic, favoritism more than faithfulness, chance more than choice   Life may be unfair bu...

  It might just be the most shocking verse in the Bible. It is certainly one people don’t embroider on a throw pillow or sticker on the wall. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock. Psalms 137:9   It’s violent overtone toward children. A prayer to God to harm others.  It’s gleeful delight in the worse happening to an enemy. Should such a bitter outburst belong in the Bible?   To understand its place and inclusion, we need to examine the whole psalm. The 137 th Psalm is the song of a people forced into captivity. Those ripped from their homes. Poets forced to sing songs about a homeland that now lies in ruins. To their captors they are just entertainment, but to the captives they are just pain.   That is why they are lashing out. How can such a wicked people win? How can evil dominate? “God” they cry, “ do something !”   Pain doesn’t talk with reason. Agony does not come as a measure re...

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you If you decide to answer questions now, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you know and understand your rights as I have explained them to you?   I’m sure you heard this all before, hopefully not directly. It has been a staple of every cop shop and movie for the last thirty-five years.  It’s known as the Miranda warning after the court case that established that suspect under arrest must be informed of their right.   The case involved Ernesto Miranda who confessed to kidnapping, rape, and armed robbery. His attorney took the case to the Supreme Court and was able to have the case overturned since he was not informed of his right to remain silent or to an attorney. He didn’t escape justice however. The...

Crazy hypothetical: Witness Protection* You have just witnessed a major crime. The authorities want to put you in witness protection. These are your options.     #1. You can go by yourself and be absolutely guaranteed that everyone you care about including yourself will be safe. The person that committed the crime will most likely be convicted. You however will never be able to talk, see, and have contact with anyone or anything from your old life again. You must change everything that can that can connect you to your old life.          #2. You can go with your family. You and your family will be 90% likely to survive. Any friends or associates you leave behind will have a 75% chance of survival. The person that committed the crime has a 50/50 chance of being convicted. You will be able to live with your family but never be able to talk, see, and have contact with anyone or anything from your old life again. You must change everything t...