Pacific Ponderings
Discerning Divinity
In the traditional Christian calendar, Christmas is followed by Epiphany, which falls on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas (hence, the twelve days of Christmas). Epiphany commemorates the recognition by the Wise Men that the baby is the promised Messiah, the Son of God. His birth fulfills prophecy that "the Lord Omnipotent ... , who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay" (Mosiah 3:5).
In Praise of Praising
As I write this, it is Thanksgiving morning. I just put the turkey in the oven. The rolls are molded, the house cleaned, the table set. Family and friends will arrive in a few hours. Then we will observe a family Thanksgiving tradition as each person takes candy corn from a dish and recounts this year’s blessings. After we will feast together, on love as well as lunch.
Put a Difference Between the Holy and Profane
“...they have put no difference between the holy and profane...and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them" (Ezek. 22:26).
Why Weepest Thou?
Yesterday we buried my mother-in-law, Barbara Winder, a great and noble woman. Today, Sunday, I woke up with two scriptural phrases running through my mind: “Why weepest thou?” and “Thou shalt live together in love.”
Standing By
Recently Billy Bush expressed regret for engaging in a now infamous conversation with Donald Trump in which Trump bragged about groping women while Bush laughed at and went along with the crude talk. Bush now says, “I wish I had changed the topic on the bus. But I didn’t have the strength of character to do it. I was an insecure person, a bit of a pleaser, wanting celebrities to like me and fit in.” He went on to reveal that when to his deer chagrin the tape of this vulgar conversation was made public, his 15-year-old daughter said, “Why were you laughing at the things that [Trump] was saying on that bus, Dad? They weren’t funny.”
If A Job Is Worth Doing ...
Last week as I was quickly mopping the kitchen floor before some visitors arrived, I began arguing in my head, as I often have, against the familiar maxim “If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well.” Many of us grew up with this saying. It was drummed into us by well-meaning and hard-working parents and grandparents trying to instill in us a strong work ethic and to help us take pride in our work. I honor and applaud the intent behind their advice. But for those who struggle against perfectionism, this is an adage from the dark side. It can invite paralysis and procrastination.
“Cristo é o Sabão!”
The first time I returned to Brazil after my mission, I saw some graffiti that caught my attention. I have thought about it often over the years, including this Easter weekend as I witnessed the baptism of three granddaughters. Scrawled on the wall of a building were the words “Cristo é o sabão!”—meaning “Christ is the soap.”
Red Grapefruit and Half-Life of Learning
Eating red grapefruit for breakfast this morning made me think about the half-life of learning. The grapefruit reminded me of a science project that I did for my high school chemistry class 50 years ago. I set about to determine the pH values of red vs. yellow grapefruit. It was a trivial project. Nonetheless, I still remember it a half-century later, which is far from trivial.