10 Thoughts Worth Sharing
10 Thoughts Worth Sharing
Wisdom from Dans, Unfakeable Fruits, and More
1. Wisdom From Dan
Every now and then I have a conversation with someone that I wish was recorded. I had one with my friend Dan M. last week. Here’s a snapshot:
You can’t let suffering go to waste. Learn the lesson it teaches.
When you’re feeling like isolating yourself lean into community.
Dan’s running a triathlon this weekend!
2. Wisdom From Another Dan
Me and another Dan were discussing mental health and how the church is engaging the problem, I got his permission to share this insight:
Our culture and community is a form of soil, and right now we are living in a soil of man made hierarchies (racism and classicism), consumerism, materialism, etc. Christians are living in it whether they are aware or not (and i think most are not). This soil is producing in us "bad fruit" of depression and anxiety, etc. Clinical counseling is addressing the bad fruit (and there is need and value for that), but I think we need to be aware of how structural realities of our society are shaping our soil, and learn and practice what it looks like to re-constitute our soil. I think much of the modern church approach is just a different form of addressing the bad fruit, but not the soil. — Dan C.
3. Lieutenant Dan
My meetings with the Dans brought one of the best Dans to mind:
4. Which body part would you say biblical writers compared to the throat?
Answer: The neck or throat!
5. Short Stories
I’ve been working on a short story… I’m afraid to release it because it’s bad, really bad. But I guess you have to be bad at new things before you can get good. I’ll release it this month… maybe on Halloween when scary things come out.
6. Nature and the Kingdom of God
My friend Tom recently went hunting. He remarked on how wonderful it was to just sit in a tree, waiting quietly and enjoying God’s creation. This reminded me of something I heard a professor say:
“Nature is one of the few places we can visibly see the kingdom of God. This is why people flock to mountains, beaches, lakes, etc, and feel a sense of profound connectedness there. Because there they experience the undisturbed work of God.”
7. The Blessing of Children
Every now and then I look at my kids and marvel. They are so great. As any parent knows, raising kids can be challenging, but we are grateful for them. And I bless God for them. Here’s a picture of 2 of mine dressed up as me and our youth director during a Fall festival event.
8. This Scripture Has Been on My Mind
“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
I shall be making a podcast episode on it next week. Fleshly lusts means a lot more than what we think. The expanded understanding might reveal that a lot of people are unknowingly waging war against themselves.
9. The Unfakeable Fruit of the Spirit
Self-control has been called the fruit of the Spirit that cannot be faked. As Halloween season comes around I’m going to need the real thing! I will not stuff myself with Almond Joys, or gummy bears! No sir! I don’t want Reese Cups!
10. A Timely Quote
In any free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty — all are responsible. — Abraham Joshua Heschel
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