Get In The Game

I was listening to someone talking about watching the U.S. Open golf tournament the other day. They said they wouldn't miss watching it for the world. Really? The world? When I have watched golf tournaments in the past I usually last 5 minutes before either a.) turning the channel or b.) falling asleep.

Watching golf tournaments has got to be one of the most boring things a person can do. In my opinion. It's right up there with watching paint dry and watching grass grow. I'm sure there are plenty of people who enjoy watching golf. I'm just not one of them. Personally, I would rather play a game than watch it.

Have you ever played golf? I think most people who watch sports on television either can't play the sport well and have given up or have actually tried it, found it challenging, and appreciate watching someone who can play it well. Until and unless a person actually gets in the game they can't truly appreciate what it's like to play it well.

A person's faith can become like watching sports. If we just sit in the church pews on Sunday and don't get into the game, church can become quite boring and meaningless.

When my wife and I were watching our kids play tee-ball & Little League it wasn't uncommon to hear a coach shout to an inattentive player, "Get In The Game, kid!" Even when we're on the field it is possible to not be "in the game."

Just look at how many people are in the stands watching other people play a game. There are WAY more people sitting in the stands and the pews, when they themselves should be getting into the game.

I listened with great sadness Saturday as someone told me that a food pantry distribution site in a neighboring community that was closing. Why?  Did they run out of food? No. They had enough food. That wasn't the problem. The reason the food pantry was closing was . . . they didn't have enough volunteers. Nobody to distribute the food. Are you kidding me? People are now going hungry because not enough people are getting into the game of serving others.

We have been so blessed in this country. But too often we just take and take without giving back. Let's change that. We are a nation of people who has traditionally participated in things. Usually we find our selves participating in wars. But we also participate in other ways.

After the recent mass shooting in Orlando, people lined up on the streets to donate blood. A long line on a hot day is not a FUN place to be but people got into the game in Orlando. They weren't the only ones either.

Chick-fil-A opened their doors . . . on a Sunday. They never open on Sunday. Chick-fil-A is a faith-based organization, "remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy." Yet they opened their doors on a Sunday. Why? Were they looking to make money off of a sad situation? No.

Chick-fil-A opened their doors to serve others in need. They actually lost money that day. How? They GAVE AWAY their food. Why? They got into the game. We should do the same in the communities where WE live.

"9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:9-21

There are many good people in this world. But too often we chose the easy path in life. We chose to sit and watch the world go by.

"35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping." - Mark 13:35-36

Chick-fil-A News Story - Fox 10 News

Liberty and Justice . . . For All?

When I was in grade school we always said the Pledge of Allegiance every day before classes began. We ALWAYS said it. We never thought anything about it being "offensive to Muslims or atheists." The reason we never thought anything about it was because we WERE "one nation, under God."

We Americans have had our disagreements, even when we were "under God" but this news story I saw the other night deserved today's "You have got to be kidding!" award. It made me wonder about the "liberty and justice" . . . for ALL.

The state of Indiana just passed a law stating you couldn't decide to get an abortion based on race, sex or disability. We as a nation already have anti-discrimination laws on the books. They are good common sense laws. They state that we can't refuse service or housing or jobs to anyone on the basis of their race, sex or physical or emotional disability. Indiana isn't doing something outside of the norm or outrageous. Yet there are some people who think this law is interfering with a woman's right to "health" - to get an abortion.

That's just crazy. In my opinion it is incredibly discriminatory for a woman to say, "I want an abortion because my baby is a boy. I REALLY want a girl. So let's get rid of the boy." How is that different than, "I really don't want white people in my apartment building so let's just refuse to rent them to any blacks."

There are laws against that sort of behavior and rightly so. Yet Planned Parenthood, well known for selling baby parts across the country is suing Indiana so that women can choose what kind of babies they can keep . . . or kill.

What kind of world do we live in where people can chose to kill a living thing because they want to? Was the Orlando shooting any different than what I just described? It too is an example of a willing choice that someone made because they didn't want someone else in THEIR life. It is no different! This world is filled with narcissistic, self focused egotistical people. Jesus preached against that kind of thinking. Perhaps we should take time to listen to his teachings. This is from one of His disciples.

"4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

We are called to love one another. Even the inconvenient ones in our lives. We must love and pray for those at Planned Parenthood. We must pray for the victims of the Orlando shooting. We must love and pray for young women making decisions that are also literally life and death. May we ALL have the wisdom to choose life. May we ALL choose love. May we ALL choose liberty and justice . . . for all.

ACLU, Planned Parenthood Sue State of Indiana