Wednesday, March 11
Jeremiah 18:18-20. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word…
| I remember some
adult long ago telling me: “John, you hear what you want to hear.” How often and when
does this old habit get reinforced? Often when I come home from work one of my children will say, “Dad, last night you said we would….” I’ve noticed that children do a wonderful job of holding adults accountable. I’ve also noticed that adults can use the same tactic to destroy another. This is most notable in the world of politics. Tune your radio dial to the conservative or liberal talk radio show of your choice – listen to the number of times the host will use the words of an enemy in an attempt to trap and destroy. It reminds us that danger does not lie in the difference of ideas, but rather how those ideas are acted upon. To me there is no difference between the likes of Al Franken and Rush Limbaugh – they both are committed to the same goal (to carefully note every word and destroy the opposition). God has provided us with two very powerful tools to overcome these individuals – compassion and partnership. When used together, in selfless ways, the ability to stay committed to the message and effect change will win out in the end. - John Uselman, Vice President for Institutional Advancement |