Vintage Dilbert
June 21, 2003

One of the most interesting Americans who lived in the 19th century was a man by the name of Russell Herman Conwell. He was born in 1843 and lived until 1925. He was a lawyer for about fifteen years until he became a clergyman.

One day, a young man went to him and told him he wanted a college education but couldn’t swing it financially. Dr. Conwell decided, at that moment, what his aim in life was, besides being a man of the cloth – that is. He decided to build a university for unfortunate, but deserving, students.

He did have a challenge however. He would need a few million dollars to build the university. For Dr. Conwell, and anyone with real purpose in life, nothing could stand in the way of his goal.

Several years before this incident, Dr. Conwell was tremendously intrigued by…

The problem isn’t guns.

Or abortion

Or gay marriage

Or divorce

Or terrorists

Or democrats

Or republicans

Or global warming

It isn’t the education system

Or affordable health care

Or Facebook and Twitter

It’s a heart problem.

Hearts that refuse to share, care, give and open.

Hearts that would rather blame and name than accept and forgive.

Selfish hearts whose vocabulary seems to repeat a single word over and over: Mine.

Too simplistic, this notion the problem is in our hearts?

“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” 1 John 521

Forgive us, O God.

Forgive your people who have let pride, selfishness, hate and greed take your place in our hearts.

Forgive our motives that are marked by political jargon and self-advancement.

Forgive our church talk that sounds like ‘we’re in and everyone else is out’. 

Forgive our complacency.

‘I’ve…

I weep, grieve, and pray for AME Church and the citizens of Charleston.

I donated to the church to help pay for their upcoming arrangements. Please consider donating, too.

— J.S.

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” is one of those quirky philosophical thoughts that raise questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality.  Its basis is in Eastern philosophy, but has been adopted by Westerners who try to answer it by delving into the concepts of observation, compression, rarefaction, quantum theory and the nature of reality.  Personally, I don’t give two hoots.  It’s just that sometimes our scientific generation can get lost in the minutia of trying to explain everything in terms of what man can understand.

Science came into its own in the 1700’s, and though some of the great names were Christians (such as Isaac Newton), the overall effect of science was to cast doubt on the Bible.  The universe functioned by laws and had gone back for millions upon millions of years and would…

He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle…… Matthew 12:20

Sometimes we need a reality check.   Sometimes we fall for our own propaganda.  Sometimes we just need to sit at the feet of Jesus long enough, still enough, to cease striving to live up to our own warped image of ourself.   Sometimes, no often, we need to give ourselves permission to admit we don’t have it all together and quite probably never will.  And then we need to understand, in our deepest places, that’s actually OK. 

God is profoundly attracted to brokenness.

 Awakening

I saw You cup your hands

Around a fading flame

And gently breathe it back to life

And crown it with your name

I heard You whisper love songs

Of promises unbroken

And sing upon that fragile flame

‘Till its fire was awoken

I saw You hold a dying reed

Bent low upon its knees

And blow upon its crippled heart