Broken. That’s what we are. Isn’t it obvious?
The way we communicate is broken—it doesn’t work. We approach every interaction from the place of already knowing exactly what we think, deeply convinced that what we think is the only way that is right and true and good. Why should we listen to each other when we already know the answer?
I’ve always had good rhythm.
I’m not bragging, I’m just saying.
When we’re talking about music, good rhythm is, in some ways, something that can be developed over time, something that be learned. In other ways, a good sense of rhythm is either something you have … or something you don’t.
Where is God?
This question has been asked again and again down through history.
Maybe God is in a certain place, like a temple or high on a mountain.
Maybe God is with a certain people, like the rich or those who look like us.
Maybe God is at a certain time, like 10am on Sunday.
Maybe God is where certain rituals are done or certain beliefs are held.
Like most of us, I watched the video of George Floyd’s death with increasing horror as it went on. But I can honestly say I wasn’t shocked. I was outraged, for sure. But I wasn’t shocked. Black people are simply treated differently in our country than white people are. And they have been for hundreds of years.
You’ve heard the story of Jonah, right? The guy who gets swallowed by a big fish because he ran from God.
But the point of the story is not the fish. Don’t get distracted by the fish.
The key to the story of Jonah is found at the end of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4.
Has someone ever hurt you?
Have you ever been betrayed?
forgotten?
rejected?
cheated on?
abused?
Maybe you could never live up to someone’s expectations,
and it made you feel like junk.
Some things in life seem backwards.
Little kids hate naps and they want to stay up late. When those kids grow up to be adults, they just want to take naps all the time and go to bed early.
You have to go to college so you can get a good-paying job. But you can’t afford to go to college unless you already have a good-paying job (or know someone else who does).