Sep6 Written by:E-Zine Admin
9/6/2008 7:52 PM
Issue 12, Sep 2008
The air this morning is kind of fresh, not ‘heavy’ or humid enough to notice. The paper, however, is full of Olympic Games news. The US Girls softball team, that had won some 22 games in a row going back several Olympics,, lost to Japan and had to settle for silver. A US relay team dropped a baton, and Laura Wilkerson, gold medal diver from other games, came in ninth in her specialty in the finals, her final appearance in these games.
Oh, yes, the Olympics committee is investigating the age of one Chinese gymnast rumored to be 14, not the required 16 years old.
And here is a news item reporting that the library of Grafton, Wisconsin had issued a citation to an overdue book patron who failed to respond to letters or phone calls. She was arrested, handcuffed, put in a police cruiser, and booked for violating the ‘overdue library materials’ ordinance'. She paid a fine, charges were dropped and she was released. Better check your library books today.
Well, you say, so what? Who cares? That’s just it. There are folks who really don’t care about such matters as I've mentioned, because they are not involved in any way. It doesn’t matter to them who won or lost or what fine some woman paid. Their emotions aren’t involved. So they simply do not care. They can be casual about it all. Nothing can touch them. Living that way seems easier.
But is it? Would you rather go to a dentist for instance, who is careless with his hygiene, doesn’t really care if he hurts with a drill before the medicine takes effect and brushes aside any concerns about the future care of your teeth? No, you go to the one whose office is spotless, records are in order, hands washed, who knows what he did at your last visit and what to watch for this time. You want the one who cares.
When I served as a pastor, young couples preparing for marriage would often ask for 1 Corinthians 13 as one of the Scripture readings during the wedding service. I liked that because this gave me an opportunity to really look with them at verses 4-7:
“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.”
Look at what the Apostle says, among other things: “doesn't keep score of the sins of others.” The one who does that is the one who cares, not about oneself, but about the other. This is the Christ-life, the model established by our Lord when He poured out His life for us all. He or she who really cares and loves will always show such concern. This is how the Christian lives his or her life, a life guided by the Spirit of Christ. When we follow God’s will and guidance, we also become emotionally involved, we care. That is a far better way.
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Copyright © 2008 Reclaiming Our Heritage
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