Learning by Discovery

We all have our ways of learning. Some learn visually, some through listening, some through doing. 

And teachers have their own styles, too. Some use props, some give demonstrations, some use straight lecture, some show videos, some generate discussions. I love teaching, and I always like to generate discussions whenever possible.

But there are other ways to think about learning. Some learn the easy way, some the hard way. I know a lot of people who have to experience things the hard way. I'll never forget the first time I experienced hydroplaning. It was spring break 1983 and I was driving a friend's car on the open interstate in Florida. Of course it was raining. I had heard all about this thing called hydroplaning, but frankly I did not believe in it. How could something as heavy as a car be held off the road by a puddle of water? It didn't make sense. And I drove like it didn't make sense. The other two guys in the car were asleep, and I was making good time. I was probably going about 60 mph when I felt the car slip. Adrenaline washed through my veins and I quickly let off the gas. The car cooperated perfectly, and we kept on moving. At a more cautious speed. I don't think those guys ever knew there was a potential problem. And ever since then, I have been a believer in hydroplaning. That's what I mean about learning the hard way. It could have been disastrous.

Three cheers for learning the hard way, especially if it doesn't kill you and your friends.

But here's the point: You learn at a deeper level when you work for something. We call it the school of hard knocks or the voice of experience. 

And this is how we learn from the Bible. The biblical authors want their readers to learn through discovery. Think about the teaching of Jesus. So much of his teaching reads like riddles. He wants the listener to wrestle with the questions. Rather than just telling us the answers, he wants us to work for it. Notice how often Jesus answered questions with questions. He led people to think about themselves. He wanted them to experience discovery.

The Bible seems to leave out important details all over the place. Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 give two different accounts of creation. Which one is right? If they are both right, how can we reconcile these stories? Then in Genesis 4 we have the story of Cain and Abel. God liked Abel's sacrifice, but not Cain's. Why not? The story doesn't say. We have to think about it and wrestle with it.

As Westerners, we like to read the Bible "like you read the newspaper." But that's not how the Bible was written. God wants us to learn by discovery. He wants us to wrestle. He wants us to use our imaginations. He wants us to develop character and a heart like his. That takes a long time and lots of wrestling. 

Three more cheers for discovering.

Driven Legacy

I took down a piece of history this week. Behind my childhood home we built a "treehouse." It was not actually built on trees, but we always called it the treehouse. Up top it was a fort, the perfect place for sleepovers and daytime shenanigans. Underneath, it was a workshop and tool shed.

I have so many memories in that place. I played with neighborhood friends there, plotting, scheming, and watching the world from up high. When I had sleepovers there, we would often wander the neighborhood, dodging headlights and sneaking around. 

In the workshop, I put my creativity into action. I would spend hours alone there, taking parts of abandoned toys and making new creations. I loved working with electricity, hooking batteries up to electric motors and lights.

This building was constructed circa 1969. My dad, an engineer, envisioned this combination structure, and made it a reality. I probably helped as much as a 7-year-old could. The exterior of the treehouse was cedar shakes, and to this day I love the smell of cedar sawdust.

After Dad passed away in 2001, the treehouse did not get the loving upkeep it needed to survive. Mom didn't need that space, and I was the only one who ever went in there. A few years ago I salvaged all the treasures that remained.

When the roof deteriorated, the rest of the building became unsound. Buzzards found it to be quite hospitable for their purposes. I chased them out many times, but they just couldn't resist returning. 

Finally the time came to bid the place goodbye. After years of rot, I was surprised how much the treehouse resisted my crowbar. I gained even more respect for Dad's engineering. The four creosote posts on the corners were still mostly sound. I found layers of plywood, tarpaper, and linoleum under the timeless cedar shell. 

Pulling those old nails made me think about Dad driving them, one by one. By hand. No nail guns back then. There were big, 4" nails, small roofing tacks, and trim nails. It felt poignant to pull the nails he had driven. His sweat created such a special place for his family, especially me. His love filled that place.

It had served its purpose. It was time to move on. I'll be making some more projects with the salvaged lumber. Even with the treehouse gone, its legacy will endure. I want to carry on my dad's legacy of backyard building, solid engineering, and loving family. That's a lot to live up to.

Suicide Drone?

Sadly, three U.S. troops were killed over the weekend in a remote area of Jordan when a drone exploded over their military base. 

I heard a report on the radio describing it as a "suicide drone." Hmm. I understand that this was a weapon designed to self-destruct, that it was guided as a drone. But the reporter should not have given it that description.

The gaff makes me imagine the possibility of some AI destroying itself. If that ever happens, should we intervene to prevent it?

Lessons from Farming

I've been a farmer for over 10 years now. It has been a gradual transition for me, I'm spending more time on the farm every year. So I should be learning something about this ancient art called farming.

Unhealthy soil invites erosion.

It takes a long time to restore soil health.

For most crops, you only get one chance per year.

Farmers really need friends.

Farming keeps you at God's mercy.

Something is always trying to get your chickens and their eggs.

Kudzu does not stop erosion.

Kudzu does not really stop at all.

Green pastures speak peace.

All or Nothing

Yes, I have managed to write a blog every day in 2024. For some reason I found it difficult to write blogs last year. I had some good ideas, but never took the time to put words together. I think that I wanted my blogs to be fully persuasive and carefully thought out. I wanted lots of hits, and wanted to address topics that people care about. So, last year I went for (almost) nothing in terms of published writing. 

This year, I'm less concerned about getting lots of hits. I'm going for consistency in writing. It is a discipline for me. Hardly anybody is reading my posts, but oddly, I'm OK with that. 

I'm partly inspired by my daughter, Stephanie Meter, who confesses that she works through her thoughts with her keyboard. Check out her blog here https://stephaniebaileymeter.blogspot.com/. She starts a blog not knowing where it will go. I'm writing every day, kind of wondering where that will take me.

Don't worry, I'll let you know.

These chickens are working closer to "nothing" than "all," in terms of laying eggs... 

Rethinking the Death Penalty

I have something figured out, and then it doesn't make sense any more. Years ago I was a believer in the death penalty. It was clearly spelled out in the Old Testament. Anyone who causes blood to be shed, that person's blood should also be shed. It's all there in the Bible.

But you can get into trouble when you start thinking about what the Bible says. There are all kinds of nuances of meaning. You have to compare stories and situations in the Bible, and consider the laws and commands. Then you have to look at all of that in light of Jesus. Things that seem so straight forward and obvious at first, well, they are a lot more complicated when you consider what the Bible is actually communicating.

That's something I have been working on in recent years. I have taken to heart the idea that the Bible is meditation literature. What scripture says at face value is only part of the picture. Many of the stories and commands in scripture have to be held in tension. The truth is in the tension.

With capital punishment, the straight forward teaching in the Old Testament must be held in tension with the words of Jesus. One time the religious people brought to him a woman caught in adultery. They quoted the scripture that said she should be stoned. But Jesus would not sanction the death penalty for her. He made the point that we all have sinned. And he cautioned her to leave her life of sin. He granted her life.

Jesus is about life. When someone is executed, we take away from them the opportunity to turn away from sin. We all need new chances. 

I no longer support the death penalty.

Mystery

I was talking to a friend today about Jesus. She could not believe that Jesus was perfectly sinless. "He was a man, so of course he wasn't perfect," she declared. 

This is just common sense. People are sinful. Nobody's perfect. We all make mistakes. I invited my friend to acknowledge the mystery of the person of Jesus. It is the most bizarre thing to claim that any person was ever perfect.

But orthodox Christian faith has always declared that Jesus was indeed fully human and completely sinless. We can't wrap our minds around that. Some have worked and worked to explain it. But maybe God doesn't want us to explain it. Maybe God wants us to sit in the mystery of it, and ponder it. Here we have two different qualities that cannot both be true. And yet they are.

Life is full of so many mysteries. Pondering them may help us cope with life.

More sports

In high school, I did not really care about my school's sports teams. I did not go to many football or basketball games. I did watch ACC basketball and mostly NFL football on TV.

When I was accepted at Wake Forest for college, someone said, "Oh, they're gonna make a Demon Deacon out of you." Hmm. Well, based on my school spirit in high school, that seemed unlikely.

But the suite of guys I lived with changed all of that. They were into all the major sports big time. And I joined in the excitement with enthusiasm. In fact we all went to the very last Big Four Tournament in 1980. It was one of the most thrilling sports events I have ever experienced. It certainly helped that our Demon Deacons came away the champions!

I don't think I missed one conference basketball game my whole time in college. I don't think I missed any football games. I was a big fan.

But I did notice during college that my weekend could be ruined by a bad football game. We should have won. It was that close. That was a bad call. If only we hadn't fumbled. It was a moral victory. 

Even then, I saw that it is beyond silly to let a game put me in a bad mood. And I have been pondering my emotional connection with sports ever since. I'm still learning how to handle my emotions in connection with sport.

Sports point

What is the purpose of sports? With all the NFL playoff games and the ACC basketball games now, it feels like sports are really important. Maybe it's just because I'm watching these games.

It does seem remarkable that so much attention goes to watch (mostly) men running into each other and jumping over each other. The rules of the game make it interesting, but there is really no point the exhibition. Yes, there will be winners and losers, but all the significance associated with these games is manufactured. 

Of course for all of us spectators, it is pure entertainment. We love watching this stuff. And it would not be near as much fun without the manufactured significance. Sometimes I think we lose sight of the actual importance of the games. 

Maybe we don't want to think too deeply about all this, or we might just check out. Then what would we talk about at the water cooler at work?

Huh?

I'm gonna show how out of touch I am. I see lots of TV commercials, and I have no idea what they are advertising. Of course, it is always young people making the sales pitch. And they are talking about, well, I just don't know. I keep waiting for the punchline or the hook, and then the commercial is over. I couldn't buy the product if I wanted to. 

My wife and I remind each other that we are not the target audience. And when I finally figure out the product, I realize that I don't want it  anyway. It makes me feel like maybe the world has passed me by. But then I don't really mind. In some ways, I'm happy to dig deeper into the simpler things in life.

And I get my kids to help me book an Air BnB. 

Sponsored by someone who wants your money

Watching football means watching commercials. The Super Bowl proves that point. Of course, there are commercials on virtually all TV programs. It makes sense (at least to us Americans) for sponsors to pay for programming. And it further makes sense that the sponsors would want my money in return.

In this world, we swim in an ocean of advertising. Everywhere we watch, listen, drive, walk, scroll, everywhere we find messages from people who want our money. It makes me feel a little jaded and guarded. My default attitude is No. I'm not gonna spend money on that, whatever it is.

The relentless world of advertising makes me seek out times and places where I can get away from it all. I can sit on the porch or walk in the woods. I can remember that the Lord is not trying to extract something from me. He just wants to enjoy my presence. That's worth more than all the money.

Show me the money

In our culture, almost everything revolves around money. Most goals in life have financial components: save for a down payment, pay for college, get a job, save for retirement, give gifts. 

When I studied economics in college, I learned one primary principle--the free market will lead people to maximize financial gain. A piece of real estate will be used for greatest profit. An athlete will tend to follow the highest paycheck. Actually any professional will tend to take the highest paying job. 

When someone wins the lottery, we imagine that all their problems are solved. Having more than enough money equals the good life. For many people, the best thing they could imagine is being materially rich.

Whether it is talent or capital or land or raw materials, we expect people to use it for profit. It just makes sense to us. That's how our society is wired. 

But what if profit were not the highest value? What else is there? Caring for others? Meeting needs? Sharing love? 

Not every culture values stuff the way we do. I think we have a lot to learn.

Where's the snow?

I wish it would snow here. I saw about 10 snowflakes last night, after noticing the weather app indicated flurries. What? After staring under the backyard floodlight, I finally saw some flakes. Meanwhile, the rest of the country seems to be buried in snow.

Stokesdale is part of the Piedmont Triad, just southeast of the mountains and foothills. This location has some great weather advantages. The Appalachian Mountains seem to shield us from harsh conditions.

The past few years have brought extreme weather to so much of North America--floods, heatwaves, tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes. I have noticed destructive weather all around this area, while we have it comparatively easy.

I am most grateful that weather has not wreaked havoc for us. I'm not complaining.

But I do wish we could see a good, recreational snow, say, 6 inches. I would like to sled and build a snowman, hike on a pristine white blanket, and see the tracks where wildlife has gone before me. 

Yes, I'm even willing to shovel my driveway. Maybe yours too, if you live close by.

Vow of Obscurity

Podcaster Skye Jethani recently asked his guest if aspiring pastors should take a vow of obscurity. Monks and nuns make vows of poverty, so that pursuit of riches will not corrupt their pursuit of God. Today the quest for fame can be just as corrupting.

Young adults who inherit vast riches typically lack the maturity to handle those riches wisely. They invest poorly, spend indiscriminately, and consider power to be their birthright. The blessing of wealth can become a curse. No wonder some wealthy people stipulate in their wills that the heirs must be older than 18 to have full access to the inheritance.

Fame can also corrupt judgment and morals. But a will cannot limit the acquisition of fame. Indeed, through the wonders of the internet, virtually anyone can become famous. And those who seek fame often attain some measure of it. Fame obviously distorts one's sense of importance and can easily lead to unwise decisions.

When a pastor intentionally seeks fame, he/she can justify sneaky means of achieving it. Because, of course, the pastor intends to use that fame to spread the gospel. The gospel is preached, but corners are cut, people are mistreated, and rules are bent. Too often the weight of fame crushes the preacher of the gospel. When it all becomes public, the testimony of the Church is harmed. This famous person misused funds, was a sexual predator, or emotionally abused others. 

Maybe the maturity that develops in obscurity is a better demonstration of the power of the gospel.

The World on Foot

We have a hard time understanding old writings. Our minds don't work in the categories of ancient people. Consider the category of transportation.

Most people for most of history considered walking as the primary mode of transportation. Some animals were available to ride or drive, and boats could carry people over bodies of water. But most transportation was by foot.

Imagine stepping out of your front door when the only means of movement was walking. That hill looks steeper. It takes lots of effort and planning to get to a store. It might take half a day to pick up some food. Traveling more than about 10 miles would be out of the question. The world looks much bigger, and your own world becomes much smaller. 

Survival depends on having the necessities of life close at hand. You grow your own food. You really know your neighbors. You feel the threat of the elements. Life is more fragile. But life is also simpler. Being closer to the edge of survival makes you ponder the more profound realities of life.

That mindset is so far from ours in the 21st century. When we try to understand the world of the Bible, we just don't get it. It takes some effort and imagination to think like a first century person. But the scripture comes to life when we begin to see the world like they did.

Dictate

Today I tried something new. I have been noticing the big "Dictate" button at the top of my Microsoft Word. I thought, huh, I wonder if it really works. 

And now I know. It does. It mostly recognized my speech, and I didn't even have to turn off my Southern accent. The only word it really messed up was Mayodan, and I can hardly blame it for that. It gave me "maidan," which I never knew was a word. Maidan is a Persian word meaning, public square or open space. 

But other than that, the Dictate feature might be a big help to me. It can write as fast as I can speak, which is not all that fast. 

Next thing you know, they will have something that will think for me. Oh, wait. Isn't that what AI is?

[Writers note: This entire blog was written without the assistance of any form of artificial intelligence. Unless you count that annoying guess-the-next-word feature. Dang. Am I really thinking for myself...?]

For Wordplay

I enjoy playing with words. I like to put words together and see how they are related.

Consider the two words "give" and "get." These words are clearly opposites, at least in some sense. You give something, and somebody gets something. 

You can give directions, give a donation, give a darn, give thanks, give up, give help, give time. When you give something, you are releasing it, sharing it, parting with it.

Then there's get. You get ahead, get a chance, get excited, get up, get out, get down, get help, get to work, get around, get hired, get rich, get serious, get sick. When you get something, you obtain it, acquire it, come to possess it.

Now, you can take both of these words and add the prefix "for." We have for-give and for-get. Although these words are often used together, I have never thought of them as opposites.

Let's try using synonyms for the words give and get, to see if we gain any insights. 

Give: For-release, for-share, for-part with. You get the idea of letting go, even letting go ahead of time. Or maybe letting go with purpose. It is giving with meaning. If forgiving is releasing someone from payment or guilt, then that makes a lot of sense.

Get: For-obtain, for-acquire, for-possess. Here we get the idea of obtaining with some agenda or purpose. How about getting ahead of time? But for-getting, to me, also has the notion of releasing. Could it be that for-getting is getting an empty mind, getting a new start, getting them ahead of time?

When I forgive, I need to remember that I'm giving something to someone. When I forget, I need to "remember" that I'm receiving a mind free from unhelpful distraction.

Of course, there is that other kind of forgetting, that feels like a loss, no obtaining or acquiring. 

We could just forget this wordplay. Forgive me for trying.

MLK and Real Power

As we celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we need to notice his commitment to a different kind of resistance. He called for non-violence as a means of fighting violent oppression. Common sense says that this will never work. But King's goal was not defeating the oppressors. His goal was reconciliation with the oppressors. 

He emphasized that oppression hurts the oppressor as well as the oppressed. The status quo in the 1960s was harming the soul of the majority culture. It was hurting everyone. 

King spoke prophetically, calling out churches and Christians who turned a blind eye to injustice and systems of oppression. He knew that everyone would benefit when all people were treated fairly. He called for his followers to have an attitude of love toward those who sought to harm and silence them. The fight depended upon hearts steeped in faith and non-violence.

Where did King get these revolutionary ideas? Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, describes a way of living that defies common sense. Through history too few people have tried to put these teachings into practice. King realized that Mahatma Gandhi had employed Jesus's principles in the fight for freedom in India. Although Gandhi was not a Christian, he saw the truth behind Jesus's methods. Like Gandhi, King sought to help the oppressors have a change of heart. When this happens, everyone wins.

That's the big surprise. When humans live like Jesus described, everyone wins. This is what Jesus called the "kingdom of God."

Wonder Bears

I recently met two residents in my own home. They have been there for nearly 15 years. I had just never noticed. 

My sister Susan made this quilt for Dad when he retired in 1994. We got the quilt sometime after Dad passed away in 2001. It has been hanging in our stairway since we moved into this house in 2009. In all that time, I had never noticed the two (or two and a half) teddy bears peering out of the windows. 

I don't know why, but one day recently I took time to notice the squares of this work of art. I was so surprised to see these delightful creatures keeping watch over every trip up and down these stairs. They have seen untold dozens of people making probably thousands of trips from floor to floor. They have seen kids in a hurry, beverages spilled, furniture maneuvered, decorations hauled, wall scratched.

I wonder how much wonder and beauty I have been missing. It takes effort to pay attention. I have to get out of my head and take in the world around me. It also takes time. Hurry doesn't have time for wonder or awe. 

There is more to life than production. Life has so much texture, beauty, and meaning.

If I tune in, I can probably find more teddy bears with more stories to tell.

Living another way

The way everybody lives life is mostly wrong. There is a better way to live. It is costly, difficult, and sometimes bizarre. Through this way of life, God brings his kingdom to earth. This is the way of life described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. 

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus's first address to the crowd lays out a whole new mindset for life. It clearly defies common sense. Love your enemies? Give an oppressor more than he demands? Be more righteous than the most holy people we know? 

This year the Bible Project, with its podcasts and videos, is slowly working through this sermon. The sermon, found in Matthew 5-7, is the marching orders for Jesus followers, a reality that I have somehow missed for most of my life. If this way of living is that important, then we ought to dig deeply into its meaning, and work sincerely to put it into practice. I want to do that this year.

Here's one bit of insight I have already gained. Jesus tells the crowd that they need to be even more righteous than the most religious people of the day. That seems discouraging and impossible, even to us today.

But I think we misunderstand "righteousness." We think it means meticulous rule keeping, never making a false move. But righteousness actually means being in right relationship. If you look at Jesus's teaching in Matthew 5:17-48, he talks about interpersonal relationships. He gives all kinds of examples, about dealing with anger, lust, adultery, oaths. All these lessons point to humility and caring about others. It is a selfless mode of living. And it feels like it is impossible. But when we do live this way, it changes us, it changes those we encounter, and it ultimately will change the world. That's what Jesus is after.

Wars and more wars

This evening the US and Great Britain joined forces to destroy Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen. The stakes keep getting higher as tensions grow around the world. 

The conflict in Ukraine brought full scale war to Europe for the first time since World War II. The Hamas attack on Israel unleashed pent up tensions in the Middle East. Meanwhile the US relationship with China has become heated over the sovereignty of Taiwan. And who knows what is happening in North Korea?

All these hot and cold wars show that human conflict is far from resolved. Unfortunately political tensions within countries are also worsening. America is the most polarized it has ever been since the Civil War. Countries in Europe and South America have severe political divides as well.

The tensions within countries can spill over to tensions among these countries. Hot-headed politicians love to start wars, to show their strength. And nothing unites a country like war. The 21st century has gotten off to a scary start.

And this election year promises far too much division and hatred at home.

Is it really practical to love your enemies, like Jesus said?

Thirst and Hunger

People were intrigued by Jesus. He offered what people really wanted.

To the woman at the well (John 4), Jesus said:

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Oh yeah, that's what she wanted. "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water!" 

After he fed the 5000, (John 6) a crowd followed Jesus to hear him say:

...For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

The crowd was hungry. "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."

Jesus provides what we are most hungry and thirsty for. He's speaking of something more satisfying than physical water and bread. He urges us all to come to him to find real life. And people really want it. I know I do.

Of mouse and man

This world has more beautiful mysteries than we could ever imagine. I read today about a mouse who straightens up his owner/master's shed. When the lights go out, this mouse actually puts items away in the workshop. Read the article and see the video here.

It looks like Cinderella's mice might be a real thing!

This story inspires me not to be too cynical. There are hopeful surprises in nature and people. We do well to keep our eyes open and find the good and beautiful. Who knows how many glorious works of service have not yet been caught on camera?

I want to marvel. I need to be in awe. I need to look for the inspiring.

The call you want to get

We all have a list of people we could call in the middle of the night. At least I hope you have a few folks who could help you out in an emergency, no matter what time it is.

But we also need some people we can call with good news. If you get a new job, have a new baby, get a book published, have a relationship restored--you want to celebrate with somebody.

Maybe we believe the lie that our friends don't really care that much about us. They might help us when we need them, but do they really care about the good stuff? 

I bet you can think of a long list of people from whom you would delight to hear good news. That means you are on other people's list, too. They want to celebrate your good news.

Nothing is more lonely than having good news all by yourself. So, let's share the good news with friends. And when you are on the receiving end, be glad for two things: your friend's good news, and that a friend wants to count on you!

A Better Death Culture

We experienced a new kind of loss in 2023. My mother-in-law passed away in November; she had lived with us for 4 1/2 years. This is the first time I (or Lisa) have lost a member of our own household. 

We especially miss Mary in small, unexpected ways, like not seeing her in her favorite chair, or not ordering her dish for takeout. The holidays felt a little emptier without her presence. 

In her last few weeks, we also were blessed with the ministry of Hospice. A friend urged us to enlist their help, and WOW, what a help they were! Hospice ministers to the whole family. They lovingly serve the patient, listening to every concern and monitoring all the medical things. They also listen to the caregivers and answer every question. They deal with the medical, the practical, and the emotional elements of care.

Hospice also cared for Lisa's dad when he passed away last spring near Wilmington. They cared for him and us at their residential facility, and allowed us to make sweet memories in his last days.

These recent experiences have led me to ponder our American death culture. We are not good at dealing with death. Our culture spends so much energy pretending that people don't usually die. Our healthcare industry keeps people alive at all costs.

Years ago I heard a financial advisor lament that so many clients make plans, saying, "If anything happens to me..." "What do they mean if?" he wondered. People don't want to acknowledge that they will die.

Today a member of our church worship team suggested (in conversation) that we have celebrations of life for deathly ill people. They can attend their own funerals and hear the kind words of friends and family. When the person finally dies, the burial can be done quickly and simply.

What would a better culture of death look like?

• More conversations with loved ones about end-of-life plans
• Less healthcare emphasis on extending life with heroic measures
• More honor to the elderly in film and media
• Less stigma for talking about death in everyday conversations 
• More encouragement to reflect on a life well lived

Talking about death doesn't have to be morbid. We can make it uplifting, even encouraging. 

People do usually die. In fact, people always die. We need to learn to live with that.

Bring on the snow

I do love snow. Maybe it brings back memories of school being cancelled. Maybe our few years in Texas and South Georgia made me long for throwing snowballs. 

I do have childhood memories of deep snow and epic sledding. When our children were small, we had some good snows. One time we had a big bon fire, so we could easily warm up without dripping on the kitchen floor.

So we missed an opportunity this morning for some winter weather. Now I'm glad we did not get any ice. That's no fun for anybody. But we could use some snow.

Here in the South, life pretty much shuts down in the snow. People don't know how to drive on slick roads, so most people just hunker down. It's refreshing to take an unexpected break.

Snow brings a deep calm on the world. The dialed-back demands allow us to take a leisurely walk outside. That's when you notice the quiet. You can see the birds flitting around. You can take in the beauty of snow-covered trees and roof lines. Sometimes you see neighbors and have a chance for an actual conversation.

I'm sure I would feel differently about snow if we had weeks on end of shoveling and and sliding. But I dearly love the change of pace that snow days bring. We need a change of pace. 

Bring on the snow!

Digging my algorithm

I'm digging my algorithm, but I'm a little unsettled about that. 

I don't spend too much time scrolling through my Facebook feed. But when I do, I find some interesting stuff. Here's what "they" have figured out about me.

I like seeing creative gadgets. Creative, time saving inventions keep showing up. I never buy them, but they are fun to see. I had never even heard of a digital sundial until I saw it on my feed today.

I like woodworking, so I get Reels showing all kinds of wood projects. ("Oh, I could do that!")

I like astronomy and science things. So now Neil DeGrasse Tyson keeps showing up, telling me all manner weird empirical facts.

I like music and guitar stuff. So I learn about the 12-note musical scale and the relationships of pitch frequencies. So cool! I never knew all this...

Now I'm seeing amazing toys that would be perfect for my grandchildren.

But here's what bothers me.

• How do they know all this about me?
• They are working very hard to keep me scrolling through this endless feed. And I'm impressed at how they are triangulating on my interests.
• "They" are probably just some AI. 
• I don't want to be controlled by whoever "they" are.

All this makes me very suspicious of social media, and I hope I can keep it at arm's length.

On an unrelated note, please ignore that fact that you may have encountered this blog on social media.

Love Above and Beyond

Some months ago I noticed a special encounter in the parking lot of LOT 2540 in Mayodan, a salvage ministry, providing food to the needy and fellowship to entire community.

As I drove through the parking lot, I saw two people hugging, and it caught my attention. One of the folks I know well, an older woman who serves faithfully in LOT's programs. The other was a middle-aged man whom I did not recognize. I wondered how they knew each other--church, LOT, family? Hugs are not uncommon among friends at LOT, but I was delighted to see such encouragement shared, especially between two folks who did not appear to have much in common.

I could not readily identify a reason for the joyful exchange.

That got me to thinking. There are some people that we are expected to love: family, close friends, work associates, etc. Teachers are expected to love students. Pastors are expected to love church members. Parents love children and children their parents.

There are certain people we are just expected to love. Of course. We take that for granted.

But when love extends beyond those expected relationships, it is worth noting. A cafeteria worker encourages a shy student. A store clerk gives extra assistance to a young mother with crying children. A mail deliverer puts a fragile package on the front porch. A tall shopper reaches the top shelf for another customer. A professional offers services at no charge to a struggling neighbor.

This is the spirit of love that Jesus calls his followers to share. We are to express God's love to others, especially those we are not expected to love. In fact, Jesus even says that we are to love our enemies. Now that's radical.

Share the love.

Inspiration in Oppression

We have a problem with our history. The United States began with a revolution, as patriots rebelled against the British. The Declaration of Independence enumerates the grievances that led Americans to take up arms. When things got so bad, we fought back.

The problem is that Americans today may believe that violence is the solution to our current political struggles. As we approach election season, our country is likely to be more polarized. As we saw three years ago, some are willing to resort to violence when they believe the system isn't working. When the system did not work in 1776, Americans took up arms.

Right now, many Americans believe there are such problems with our election process that an election could be stolen. Some are busily sowing seeds of doubt about our polling systems, so that when the "wrong" candidate wins, they can cry foul. 

But Jesus told his followers to love their enemies. He said to turn the other cheek. He responded to hatred with love, and followed his own principles to his death. In his execution, Jesus won his victory. Then he rose from the dead. Death itself could not stop him.

Where will Americans find their inspiration this election year? 

"Meta-Membering"

Twice in Luke 2, we learn that Mary "treasured" in her heart the events of her young family. As the mother of Jesus, she had some unusual encounters. From visiting shepherds and magi, to prophetic words spoken over her newborn, Mary's motherhood brought unique experiences. She held onto these memories, pondering them.

We all know about remembering. We recall aspects of an experience and put them together in our minds. We take the "members" of the event and assemble them mentally. Thus we re-member. 

But we can also take separate events and put them together, finding meaning in the flow of our lives. This is more than remembering specific times. It is meditating on the trajectory of life and seeking to understand our stories. It takes remembering to a higher level, seeking to see God's involvement and direction in our lives. We could call this "meta-membering." 

You need to make time for this kind of reflecting. It won't happen in the rush of daily life. But if we will stop to look at life and listen to God's insights (through prayer), we might experience the richness of life that God intends.

"What do you want?"

Jesus's first words in the Gospel of John are, "What do you want?" 

This is where Jesus begins with his new disciples. Rather than declaring his identity, Jesus begins with a question. To us, it almost sounds rude.

This is a great place to start a new year. Imagine Jesus asking you this question. What do you want? 

Or ask yourself, What do I want?

Maybe you want something for your headache, or a big delicious hamburger for lunch. Maybe you want a new job or clean bill of health. Maybe you want a repaired relationship or just a big hug.

What you want in the moment is different from what you are ultimately seeking. Will the things you seek in the moment lead you toward your ultimate desires?

It's a good place to start 2024. Consider what you want, and open up the door to your inner thoughts. Take it a step further and consider your motives. 

Maybe, like those disciples, you might want to follow Jesus. (John 1:37-39)

These bricks were delivered to a village outside of 
Kampala, Uganda to build a kitchen. They got what
they wanted.