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According to Life magazine, Mohammed Ali had a lot to say about himself before his 1971 boxing bout to be held on the world stage. His formidable oppenent was Smokin’ Joe Frazier. The bravado by Ali was over-the-top.
Ali effuses, “There seems to be some confusion. We’re gonna clear this confusion up on March 8. We’re gonna decide once and for all who is king! There’s not a man alive who can whup me.”
Ali accents his point with an impressive flurry of punches into the air. His shadow boxing gives reporters a reason to go through a flurry of note-taking for their next story. The showmanship only accelerates.
“I’m too smart.” Ali motions with a tap to his head.
“I’m too pretty.” He lifts his chin and displays his profile. His fierce smile is a combination of a taunt and charm.
“I AM the greatest. I AM the king. I should be a postage stamp. That’s the only way I could get licked!”
The braggadocio spirit of this very gifted athlete was tarnished by his puffed up attitude. His words ended up hollow. Frazier, afterall, defeated Ali.
A prideful overconfident spirit is difficult to silence. People who talk about their future as if it is history are presumptuous. The future is uncertain. Human life is described by James as a mere mist, a vanishing vapor.
Instead, wise living is a genuine expression of dependence on God for an uncertain tomorrow. A righteous life humbly acknowledges the condition that it is the Lord who determines the coming days. James advises Christians to invoke the condition “If it is the Lord’s will” as a precondition of what-is-to-come.
There is a modest trust in gaining permission from the Lord for any upcoming plans. The unknown is not a fearful hope but a certain dependence on accepting whatever God brings our way. What we do is not as important as why we do it. Our reason for living is His will not our own.
Independence and a boastful spirit is the only other alternative. This choice is evil. It leaves God out of the picture.
Knowing these two life options puts us all in a place of responsibility. We must choose. If we know the good way to live then we must choose it. If we know what is right and do not do it, then for us it is sin.
James 4.13-17
photo credit: Google image
It’s been six months since my last dental check-up. A tickler on my calendar signals that it’s time to expect a call from my friendly dentist. He has been my ivory care-giver for a decade and I have ever confidence in him.
When I settled into the examination chair, though, I chuckled a bit. The Cosby monologue of his dentist visit plays through my mind. Sure it is an exaggeration. That’s what makes it so funny. The fact that it is true as well makes it even funnier.
There were a few moments that I had to myself while waiting for the good dentist to appear. Of course the Mr. Bean episode of his visit to the dentist played out in my mind too. His silent humor of extreme goofiness can’t lead to anything but raucous laughter.
In came my dentist with a cheery greeting. We talked about the Lions and the Tigers and the Pistons. Before I knew what hit me my right side of my face was numb. It felt all puffy like I had just gotten slugged in the face by the playground bully.
When my dentist asked me a question or two, I tried to answer. Concentrating on my years of training in elocution I spoke as clearly as I could. But, everything that I said sounded like a string of muddy blubbering of toddler slobbering over Cheerios.
That must have been the sign that my dentist was waiting to detect. I know that because that’s when he picked up his drill. The sound of a dental drill pierces the air and seizes the human soul like no other audio equal.
In the days of my youth I learned to grip the arm rests tightly. My eyes would shut tight and a tear or two would squeeze out. All the pain of years past still have a muscle-memory in my adult years.
Today a chip on one of my upper teeth was being repaired. A gold plated titanium rod was inserted to give the filling the strength it needed to last for years to come.
Once the work was done, I filled out some paperwork. I smiled at the office staff. It was just a half smile on the left side.
Maybe the glistening in my eyes was enough evoke their smiles. As I walked out the door, I realized that their smiles probably was hidden laughter. I was drooling on myself.
photo credit: Google image
It’s been eighteen regular season games since the Detroit Lions have won an NFL game. That’s a long time. Hoping for a win since 2007 only to be repeatedly disappointed has been tough on all Detroit fans.
We tried every method for personal relief. We cheered each other on with ”wait-until-next-week”. That latter encouragement turned into “wait-until-next-season.”
Some of our more aggressive fans complained about the GM. Others blamed the quarterback. There was no end to the blame-game or the grumbling.
A few fans did the brown-paper-bag-over-the-head routine. It all eroded into telling jokes about the Lions. Some of those jokes were even funny.
I heard many arm-chair-quarterbacks analyze the situation. The solutions were as varied as there are people who like football multiplied times 5. Yes, as often as fans changed their mind about their problem-solving options the tossing to and fro of answers made us all dizzy.
When it comes right down to it, the best solution for a team that is on a long long losing streak is very simple. It doesn’t matter how much or how little a person knows football, the solution remains obvious. Winning is the best elixir for losing.
The fans of Detroit did not get to enjoy the game on television. Since stadium seats were not sold-out, the broadcast company “blacked-out” the game. We couldn’t even listen to it on the radio.
Instead, for those of us whose schedules prevent watching the game in person, we had to resign ourselves to an occasional flash on our TV screens of scores around the league. We watched carefully. Whenever the scores of the Detroit vs D.C. game came up we couldn’t believe our eyes.
The Lions were leading. The score was close. Yet, the changes on the score board kept us in the right column, the “W” column.
Few of us dared to believe until the final gun was fired. The monkey on the back of all Detroit fans had growing bigger and bigger. To put an end to that stigma was a delight with smiles all around.
Winning is a sweet ending to a long hard road of successive losses. Good people were cast aside in the wake in the process. Who can calculate the bitter separations in the history of this franchise? But, for now the cheer of winning has superceded all for at least a week.
photo credit: Google image
War is ugly. It is never glorious, nor grand, nor splendid. Atrocities, mayhem, hatred, wickedness and evil are better descriptions of war.
Sometimes war is necessary. When others invade, hurt or kill others and threaten to do the same, it is justifiable to defend ourselves. But, the right or justifiable war is no less ugly.
Based on a true story the movie Defiance speaks to these issues very effectively. It is action-packed, heart-stirring and deeply inspiring. Simple farmers are transformed into the limelight of heroism by the circumstances of war.
The Bielski brothers escape into the forests after their families are brutally murdered by Hitler’s advancing army of thugs. Grieving, terrified yet resolute, they are forced to shift their lifestyle of peace to desperate survival and finally to determined resistence. Living by their wits and innovation they carve out an impressive community deep in the forests that they know so well from their boyhood adventures.
Steadily they come across other Jewish refugees and enfold them into their ragtag community. Feeding them all and organizing a camp that can fend off the dangers of winter as well as the Nazis occupies their every waking moment. Disease, injuries and human selfishness are the internal battles. Bullets, bombs and artillery are their external threats.
God’s people are blessed with a resiliency that defies human understanding. Outmanned, outgunned and outsupplied this little band of survivors are held together by their faith, their devotion to something more than the eye can see and motivated by the resolve of one who stepped forward to lead them.
Family values and bonds glue these people together. Honor preserves the humanity of these refugees from becoming animals. That temptation to sink into becoming the worst of humanity is a temptation with hunger, disease and being hunted by their enemies.
In their valiant struggle they fight back not only with bullets but with life. They still love, sacrifice for others, and hope for redemption. Flashes of mercy, grace and faith emerge just at the right time during their two year long ordeal.
In one critical confrontation of selfishness that threatened to tear the community apart a very ill Tuvia acts decisively. He eliminates the violent troublemaker. It is the defining moment for the camp. Such a crisis saved hundreds of lives from imploding. Yet, it was far beyond the scope of how he was raised as a boy of deep faith. This movie will move you.
photo credit: Google image
On my long commute to my office I enjoy the progressive transformation of the landscape. The foliage is changing into its Autumn grandeur. I can see the beginnings while imagining the climax.
For now the woods are still green. But change is in the air. The shift can be felt even though the science doesn’t always match the experience.
But, on my commute there is one tree that is trying to get a jump on the others. It stands alone on the interchange between M-14 and M-23 just on the northern outskirts of Ann Arbor. It has turned from its green coat to one that is about a third deep red.
It reminds me of Hiro on the TV hit show Heroes. When he jumps time he shuts his eyes tightly, clenches his fists, holds his breath, and waits for the change. This little tree on my commutes looks like it is doing the same thing.
To get a jump on the color change it is grimacing and trying to squeeze out the last of its chlorophyll just to be the first to display itself in full color. But, this change for this early-bird tree is more like the curtain of a great show rising slowly. It’s part of the anticipation.
That’s how the show begins every year. It starts off slowly. With a backdrop of solid green, a few patches of color emerge. If you’re not looking they appear for days before you notice.
Then, each passing day brings out a different shade. Soon occasional patches turn into great strokes of a painters brush. Heavenly sweeps of splendor deck the terrain.
The sun adds its stunning highlights. Leaves multiply the variety of their shades. If lighting is everything for a photographer, then it is also true of the show of color every Autumn.
Our great Creator pulls back the curtain quickly at the end. On display are the grand hills where paint is no longer just a dab here or a stroke there. Now, it is a pouring out of endless color, lit up and glowing with the daily sun.
Texture is added with just a touch of wind. The rustling adds the life dimension of sound. Leaves fly away with the wind and spread the color through the sky and carpet the ground. God’s stunning show is free of charge and great seats are available for all.
photo credit: Bruce Fong Photography
When did you hear the story of Tommy Hilfiger, the international clothes designer, making a racist comment on the Oprah Winfrey Show? This story has a number of variations. Hilfiger declares that if he had known that certain ethnic groups would be buying his clothing designs then he would never had designed them.
It’s a juicy story. People have been shoked by the presumptions in their mind. Famous people shouldn’t be behaving like that. Some have even told me to boycott Hilfiger clothes because of this story.
The problem with this furor is that the story is false. At the time Hilfiger has never been on the Oprah show. He has since been a guest of Oprah in order to attempt bringing an end the rumor. But, it has persisted for years.
Attempts to kill the fabrication has cost enormous amounts of money for both celebrities but especially Hilfiger. There has been no relief. The gossip on this matter has taken on a life of its own. For some reason people who hear the story accept it and pass the story on assuming that it is true. The ugly habit of “slander” keeps on hurting.
While the world practices slander without remorse, that is not an option for Christians. James teaches us that slander is the same as judging others. Buried in the intent of the slanderer is the attitude that they are better than others (“perfect according to the law”).
God alone is the Judge of others. James asks a penetrating question, “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” The temptation is great but it should be avoided by all who are living a righteous life.
Have you been guilty of slander? When we speak against someone so that our words cause those who hear us to diminish their opinion about the one whom we are disrepecting, we are guilty of slander. If our language judges another in an unfavorable light our guilt is established.
I have tried to encourage many who have been the victims of vicious language. Outlandish accusations cut deep into a person’s soul. Mounting a defense is futile because the gossip if filled with logical fallacies, factual inaccuracies, massive speculation, assumption and prejudice.
Are you a Christian? Are you in pursuit of righteousness? Then determine not slander another. Don’t be a busybody. Don’t be nosey. Careless talk fueled by a self-righteous attitude hurts people’s lives.
James 4:11-12
photo credit: Google image
Fall is my favorite time of the year. It is the season when everything begins.
School classrooms fill up with eager students. They have new school supplies that they are looking forward to using. Old friends smile and new friends introduce themselves.
Motivated teachers look forward to jumping into their craft. Their curriculum is orderly and the school calendar is carefully planned. They smile from the inside out as their new students gather in front of them.
Marching band is under way. They got a jump on the school year with their first rehearsals held in the heat of the summer. By now everyone knows their assignments and the dates for their key shows are highlighted on their calendar.
Football season begins. Armchair quarterbacks scream with excitement with the first kick-off. Good friends feast at their first tailgate party of the year.
Pastors preach fervent sermons to begin the Fall season. Now, that their flocks are gathering after a summer of travel, it’s time to grow the congregation. The church calendar has kick-off activities that bring guests and the faithful to fellowship deeply.
But, while all these human activities are fun, there is something more that builds inside of each of us. Our anticipation of an Autumn Spectacular is a favorite. It is God’s display of color to signal the end of summer and the beginning of the coming winter.
Hardwood trees shed their green foliage. Thousands and thousands of acres of deciduous trees smirk at their evergreen cousins and say “Good-night.” Then, in a matter of weeks the entire landscape bursts forth with splendor.
The land is urgently calling for the trees to sweep over the region and splash the woods with reds, oranges and yellows. With breath-taking changes, God orchestrates His creation to show-off His creative palate with flair.
Country roads lined with arching trees serve as a tunnel of grandeur. When the sun peaks out from cloudy skies, streams of light flood through the canopy of leaves. The colors are enhanced as if someone turned on a switch.
My long daily commute is putting me in the mood to watch this transformation take place. Locals are giving me tips on how to take in the spectacular scenery in Michigan. In eager anticipation I am waiting with all my fellow Michiganders to witness one of the greatest shows on the earth…and it’s free.
photo credit: Bruce Fong photography
Yvonne showed me the invitation that came in the mail. Our long time friends invited us to their first gathering of the Fall season. It was a ho down!
This gathering of caring adults are from our home church. They have embraced us with a devotion that is forever my definition of Christian affection at its best. When I was first invited to consider teaching them my contact told me that the class is very loving and not judgmental. This was a prophetic compliment.
Over time their devotion has been a guaranteed smile-maker in my life. Not only have they received the teachings that I have brought from the Bible but they have received my wife and me with enthusiasm. Even though I have moved on to other responsibilities they keep inviting us to return for special events.
My response to Yvonne when she asked if I wanted to go was without hesitation. “Sure! They love us. Let’s go.” Our attitude toward this amazing group of friends is revitalizing.
We all showed up in our Western attire. That was fun. Western boots, bandanas, jeans, cowboy hats, six shooters, vests and a tin star were all part of the ambiance of the old West.
The laughter was endless. Hilarious skits and campfire songs added to the festive evening. Recitations had us in stitches.
Add to that a delicious meal and the evening was perfect. Home made potatoe salad, fried chicken, pulled pork and baked beans made the evening unfold as a sure fire Western cook out. All we needed was the open sky and a chuck wagon to transport us to the prairies of Montana.
In a random selection of “volunteers” from each table twelve people went forward for the evening. Each one was given a number. We all assumed that they were the door prize winners. Instead, they each were presented with an apron to wear for the evening. They won the privilege of being the table servers!
Most of us shy-ones still in the audience blushed at the hysterical apron designs. While most of us would have sheepishly donned that costume a few of our outgoing colleagues unabashedly sauntered about quite happy for the attention. We all laughed even more.
God’s people having fun is a great way to spend an evening. Enjoying the privilege of being loved by them was a treat. That’s blessing at a treasured level. Yee haw!
photo credit: Google image
There’s a lot to learn when you take on a new position. Names and faces are most important. Details of stories and linking them with the right people is important.
Then there are procedural issues. Payroll, benefits, and other paper work are necessary. Keys, passwords, and meeting dates are all important to make sure tha I was oriented correctly.
One procedure that gave me a little concern was the building alarm system. It’s second nature to the staff who have been around a long time. They know the numbers and the step-by-step actions to arm or disarm the security system.
In addition there is the responsibility to call the security company if there is a false alarm or an incident. I thought that I was safe. If I could just not be the first one there or the last one to leave I’d be fine.
That lasted all of about two weeks. This morning I was the first one to the church building. Hmmm…I could sit in my truck and wait for someone else to show up. That seemed like a royal waste of time.
Emboldened by my determination to a long-standing diligent work ethic, I marched right up to the front door of the building. I unlocked the it. Once I opened the door I heard the alarm timer clicking.
I only had minutes to disarm the alarm. My bold spirit disappeared. I punched in the code. Then, I followed the directions on the LED monitor. But, the clicking of the timer did NOT shut off.
Quickly, I reread my instructions. I was sure that I had done everything correctly. But, it was too late.
The pulsating beat of the siren was loud. It was painfully loud. Oh, great, now I was up a creek without the proverbial paddle.
I pulled out my cell phone and called the security company. They wanted me to reenter the code into the key pad according to their directions. But, I couldn’t hear their instructions because the alarm was too loud.
The best sight of all was Brian driving up into our parking lot. He had a big grin on his face when he saw that no burglar had broken into the church. It wa just he new guy who had NOT figured out how to turn off the alarm. I wouldn’t be surprised if God was enjoying a humorous start to His day too.
photo credit: Google image
My drive to Winona Lake was a long one. Susie, my office assistant, printed out a map and pertinent contact information for me. Her efficient, cheerful, helpful spirit is wonderful.
I settled into the cockpit of my Chevy Avalanche pickup truck otherwise affectionately known as Bubba. Then, I programmed my destination into my GPS. Next, I looked up and saw the foreboding dark grey clouds that I would be driving towards for the balance of the day.
Once on the freeway the torrents of rain let loose. It must have been similar to Noah’s deluge. Bursts of rain slowed my travel and made me wonder if I needed a boat.
Then, the weather calmed down. The rolling countryside of Indiana farmlands welcomed my journey. Soon the Grace College welcomed me.
A good night’s rest and I was up early reviewing my materials for my lecture and chapel sermon. Both events were something that I was looking forward to delivering. All prayed-up I joined my hosts for the day’s events. In the lecture hall I set up with my PowerPoint presentation.
As the students filed in I smiled. Many of the girls were put together well, smiling and talking enthusiastically with their girlfriends. Several of the boys came in looking bewildered.
They looked as if they had just rolled out of bed. Most who were at this early morning class filled with intrigue and eager minds. When we started the students were attentive. I chuckled quietly at the 1or 2 who were sound asleep. The one redeeming fact was that they fell asleep before I even began my lecture.
Then, at the question and answer time, I was impressed with every student who fielded an inquiry. They were articulate, thoughtful and engaging. I loved their inquisitive spirit.
Next, I was ushered into the chapel. There 700 students gathered for an amazing service. The worship team was enthusiastic and sincere in their leadership. I was blessed.
After I was introduced, the students followed my presentation with excellent attention and receptivity. They were tracking with me all of the way. It was their complete silence at poignant moments that was as telling as their laughter during humorous moments.
Those who attended the sessions were expressive. Many were reflective. Yet, others asked for further thoughts. All of them made me very glad that I had been given the privilege to engage them all. Thank you, Grace College!
photo credit: Google image
