File under "I" for "I Told You So"

More than one way to be wrong

I find it incredibly frustrating that many conservative Christians feel justified in stomping on the feelings of others in their zeal for moral justice while many liberal Christians feel justified in stomping on the feelings of others in their zeal for social justice. Isn't kindness a moral virtue? Can we ever expect human beings to treat each other justly if those who are supposedly leading the way can't even be decent to each other?

A person won't change because a self-righteous person condemned his or her behavior. They will change, however, if they are lovingly led to a knowledge of the truth - that morality matters, that justice matters, that people matter. Loving God and loving our neighbor aren't nice sentiments that we should try to hang on to as we "do the real work of building God's kingdom" (pompous tone intended). They are the only means by which we can serve God and through which we can foster a moral and just society.

Patently Obvious Thoughts for the Day

You can't guide others where you haven't been and you can't lead them where you aren't willing to go.

Two implications of this:

1. If I want to be the spiritual leader of my family, I can't just point the way. "Hey, you kids go on up out of Egypt to the promised land. Pop's gonna stay here and hang out". I have to go on ahead, away from the safety of being in the group, and face the risks of loneliness and isolation that come with breaking new ground and being misunderstood.

2. I can't be so arrogant as to think that a) I will be the "expert" in everything, since my wife will be ahead of me in some regards as will my kids as they reach an age where they begin to have experiences I never did, or b)God hasn't already been there. He is the true Leader, and my job is to follow and help my family do the same.

iPad 2010 = Newton 1993

'Nuff said.