Chef's Special: All you can eat Answers Only with a side of Don't Ask
Why are questions so threatening to most Christians? What is it about questions that caused Arius to be excommunicated and banished from the church and Rome? Why did those who worked hard to answer questions by translating the Bible into common languages pay with their lives and dignity as they were burned alive in front of their wives and children? What is it about questions, that they give some Christians the mindset that they are justified in being defensive and offensive in the name of Jesus?
Why is it that I, as an Evangelical, Protestant Christian, often feel an urge to silence the questioner?
What am I afraid of?
Am I actually afraid of questions or am I really afraid of the possibility that I have been giving the wrong answers?
And, what if I have been giving the right answers? Will learning this make me more open to questions?
Past generations have fostered such an anti-intellectual attitude among Evangelical Protestants that we have literally become an all- you-can-eat “answers only” movement, with a side of “Don’t ask.”
Rob Bell’s book Velvet Elvis has a chapter that he titled “Questions.” In that chapter he says,
“Questions, no matter how shocking or blasphemous or arrogant or ignorant or raw, are rooted in humility; a humility that understands that I am not God and there is more to know. Questions bring freedom. Freedom that I don’t have to be God and I don’t have to pretend that I have it all figured out. I can let God be God. In the book of Genesis, God tells Abraham what he is going to do with Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham fires back, ‘Will not the Ruler of the earth do right?’ Abraham thinks God is in the wrong and the proposed action is not in line with who God is, and Abraham questions him about it…Maybe that is who God is looking for – people who don’t just sit there and mindlessly accept whatever comes their way.”
Bell also points out that one of Jesus’ final questions is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
I was created to ask questions. And I am permitted to ask anything I desire to know.
God, where are you?
God, why are you?
Jesus, are you God?
God, are you one or three in one?
Is the Bible preserved for me or am I responsible for keeping the translators accountable?
If I am responsible for preserving your Ways and Words, have I done a good job or a poor job?
If I discover that I am responsible for preserving your Word and I have done a poor job, can I fix it or do I assume that it is the way you wanted it?
Are your ways and wonders safe for me to put to a vote i.e., the Council of Nicaea, the Council of Chalcedon?
When I vote on the issues of You, is the final count, the final answer?
Can I even know all of the answers or fully know any answer?
What am I right about and wrong about?
Something for the church to acknowledge and remember is the emphasis that the Western mind places on answers. It is a completely opposite emphasis of the Eastern mind, which is to bask in the mystery.
When I as a Westerners don't have the answers, I feel unfinished or inadequate. An Easterner, like the Jews of Jesus' day would watch as a good man was mistreated, while an evil man was rewarded and say, "Wow! God is really mysterious." The Westerner would say, "What kind of God allows that?"
So, I ask again, why am I so afraid of questions?
I think the answer is that I think I am responsible to have all the answers, even if I have to vote for them.
Some things I don't know.
Some things I won't know.
Some things I think I know, but don't really.
Some things I think I don't know, but really do.
Some things I will know.
Some things I will never know.
Some things I will remember I knew.
Some things that I knew I have forgotten.
And...it's okay.
“The Christian faith is mysterious to the core. It is about things and beings that ultimately can’t be put into words. Language fails. And if we do definitively put God into words, we have at that very moment made God something God is not.” --Rob Bell
Forever questioning the God who allows me to do so,
Johnny
35 comments:
I feel as though alot of this entry was directed at previous comments I have made, but I have to say I completely agree with you. I believe in asking questions, I believe in striving for answers, I believe in constantly learning and searching. The thing I don't like is when someone stands by something and is made to feel like they are ignorant for not wavering in what they already believe to be true. I don't know everything, and I constantly want to learn and better myself to be a disciple for Christ, but I think intellect without spirit takes the diety out of God and just makes him a project that can be disected.
I don't believe that the answer "Something's just can't be explained" is a good enough answer but I think God is much more ellaborate, amazing and powerful then we give him credit for. We have taken the power from God and given it to people with alot of letters behind their names.
To think tat one can completely deceifer God is to put oneself on a pedistel with Him.
I believe in learning and not being afraid of any question...especially if that question comes from an unbeliever but I also think we should rejoice in the answers we have found from seeking and not continuously beat a dead horse.
It's like if I were to ask my husband every day, "Jay, are you allergic to kiwi fruit?" when I know this answer because I've seen him swell up from the effects of the kiwi...for me to ask that question over and over is pointless, but for someone who doesn't know Jay to ask him about his allergies would be absolutly appropriate because they have not experienced seeing him swell...bad analogy? Probably, but I think we should rejoice in what we already know about God because we already know God. Now I'm rambling...to sum up I'll say this.
Is it wrong to ask questions? No.
Is it wrong to have a concrete, non-fluff answer and stick by it unwaveringly? No...and that's where I fall when it comes to some of the questions that have been brought up. No fear here, just un-ignorant certainty
Questions are good if in the end the build up the foundation to our faith. Some of this is always going to be mystery but I have to believe there are some things we must rest upon as true. Christ being God is one of those things.
Kathy,
You would be amazed to know how many people have called and/or emailed me because of Flock’s Diner blogs. These teachings are not directed at any one person or ten people.
I'm even in communication with some folks at IHQ in England, because we are working to get them published. They are in the editing phase as I write.
Please don't read into anything I am writing as personal. I am genuinely and honestly not reacting to any individual responses.
Though some of your comments may be in line with the millions of Christians that feel and think the same way, I really am no more responding to you than I am the overly-thin person in church during a message on eating healthy and not starving yourself.
In fact, if anything, your comments give me reason to study deeper and to work on my communication skills as not to offend readers. So, please don't stop standing up for your beliefs.
We are both children of God, with a great love for His son, Jesus, and the teaching that He gave us through His Spirit, His life, and His Word.
Thanks for your comments.
Your friend,
Johnny
Jason,
Thanks for your words.
In your opinion, for those who don't believe that Jesus is God, but continue to follow His teachings for entering the Kingdom, live for God, and love his or her neighbor, should they discontinue their life of following and serving God in Jesus' name?
Or, in your opinion, is it possible that by obeying the Word of God and living what Jesus taught, that a person could continue to please God by faithful obedience and by honoring God through worship and praise.
Is obeying Jesus teaching and living according to the Word of God futile unless a person believes that Jesus is God?
Johnny
How can Jesus be the son of God without being God? are the two not divinley intwined?
First of all, I changed the blog to speak in first person, that way the tone will be more reflective upon me. I’m hoping to get rid of the accusatory undertone, that I honestly did not mean to give.
Are we not sons of God? And did Jesus not pray that we would be one with him as he is one with the Father?
If Jesus prayed that we would be one with each other and one with him as he is one with the Father, then are we to be Jesus (John 17:20-26)?
I mean, if Jesus said that he wants us to be one with him and each other "just like" he is one with the Father, does that mean that his being one with the Father means that he is God?
Or does being one with the Father have a different meaning, such as being of the same mind, goals, and mission?
Grace,
Johnny
I did not find your tone to to be accusatory. Did not jesus refer to himself as lord?
John the baptist said to prepare the way for the Lord make straight paths for him. Matthew 3:3 in context he is most certanily refering to jesus.
Isaih 7:14 also clearley refers to the virgin birth and it is prophecy fulfilled that Jesus would be called immanuel witch means God with us.
I will admit that these questions are forcing me to dig deeper into Gods word. Thank you for that.
I always read that passage about being 'one with the father' as being 'in relationship with' kind of like when people get married and they 'become one.' Husband and wife do not literally morph into one being, but they become united in relationship that is unlike any other....so I feel it is with Jesus...we do not become equal to, we sustain a relationship with him so that we may strive to be like Him in holiness.
Paul refers to Jesus as being God in his writings in Romans.
Johnny smells good. This is a topic that is not up for debate.
-Kathy
Jason,
You are Awesome! I am so glad that you are offering some info, instead of handing out opinions.
There are a couple of important discussion points in your last comment that I want to touch on, but I will wait to see if anyone else responds.
Kathy,
I am with you on the unity passage. I think that too many people proof text John 17:21 by only using the "Father, just as you are in me and I am in you" portion to use as a way of saying that the Son and the Father are the same.
I don't believe that Jesus is trying to say that here. I think what he is talking about is his purpose and mission for the Father's will to be done.
Also, thanks for the complement, Kathy.
Back to Jason:
When Jesus says that there will be those who come to him and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name...and I will say, 'I never knew you.'" it's important to recognize the double use of the word "Lord." Any time a Semitic speaking people, like the Jews speaking Hebrew, said a name twice, it means "friend" or "one whom I know very well." In Genesis God says to Moses, by the burning bush, "Moses, Moses." And there are other examples.
What Jesus is saying is, "You claim to know me well, but that's not what I am looking for from my disciples. I am concerned more with whether or not you did my Father's will."
Grace and peace,
Johnny
It is refreshing to learn that both, study and good deeds, are required for the people of God. Though neither will bring about the grace of God, they are both actions that mark a disciple of Jesus. Matthew 26:31-40 points out that Jesus expects "action" from those who claim to be members of His Kingdom.
The importance of study and physical application of God's Word for God’s people is illustrated in this ancient Jewish story told in Babylon and Persia beginning about 500 years before Christ:
“Study and proper conduct are known as “The Two Kinds of Toil.” It is said of the one who chooses to toil only in proper conduct (doing God’s will, without knowing God’s Word) finds proper conduct takes its toll on him. Of this sort of man, Scripture says, ‘Man is born for toil’ (Job 5:7). With what may he be compared? With a leather bag filled with water: once the water is poured out and gone, nothing is left in the leather bag.
On the other hand, to him who chooses to toil in matters of Torah applies the verse “for the soul that labors in Torah (Knowing and living out the Word), Torah labors for him” (Proverbs 16:26). With what may this sort of man be compared? With a threshold upon which all step; with a plank over which all pass; with a tree into whose shade all come; with a lamp which provides light for the eyes of many.”–Brad H. Young, Jesus and His Jewish Parables, pgs. 96-97.
Both study and action are very important for the children of God-The Kingdom of Heaven (The community of God).
Forever learning and living,
Johnny
I found this blog via Google, as I was preparing a note to my Men's Bible Study explaining that I was leaving the group.
When I read this message, I felt as if I would have written it - if I could write so well!
I am an asker of questions, and that has upset several in the group, who consider me "disruptive."
I believe a key concept for believers is that faith "is a belief which cannot be proven." And thus faith - the core belief of one's religion - is not open to critique or rational analysis
But, I believe, when one posits "the Bible says this or that" then one is entering the realm of the dialetic and questions and reasoning become not only acceptable but necessary.
A year ago I learned (from a interviewee on NPR's 'Speaking of Faith') that "we have to be prepared to change our minds if we are pursuing truth."
I find it easy to suggest that to others, and hardest to pronounce when I'm looking in my mirror.
"Your mileage may vary"
Namaste
Walker,
Thanks for writing.
One truth that I have stumbled upon, which has allowed me to understand my relationship with Jesus better is the fact that faith is an action.
Faith is the "evidence (visible outcome)" of things not seen. When we "do" the will of God, as opposed to "believe in" the will of God, we have faith.
Though we have given faith a new definition to mean something that we "know," faith to Jesus was something that we "live."
Thanks again for your comments.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
Dear all,
I would appreciate it if you would read the comment from Weaver X in the previous article "Is the Bible the Only Word of God," and read my comments that follow. They are among the last three comments.
I believe that Weaver X revealed something that I and, I believe, all of us can benefit from in the area of the development of our purposes in these dialogues.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
how do these new teachings that we are being exposed to redefine "salvation" as we know it? can we be sure of our eternal security? if salvation is works based how much do we have to do before we are accepted into heaven?
AND if Mary had a little lamb, how do we really know that it's fleece was white as snow?!?!?!? Could Mary have been making this up to brag about he ewe!?!?!
Sorry, just providing some comedic relief while in the midst of learning alot. BYE!
Jason,
Please allow me to break up your comments and answer them according to subject.
These teachings are pre-Roman teachings. They are far from new.
Salvation is defined one way—the blood of Jesus and the Grace of God.
Eternal Security is a phrase that is not found in Scripture, yet the idea of it comes from a lack of understanding that eternity begins now, not after death. Jesus is the door to the Kingdom of Heaven, not death, good works, or doctrinal beliefs.
As Cory pointed out, that is his belief. I would add that the expression of that belief could probably be better defined as an “affirmed-by-works salvation,” which is to agree with Paul and Peter to say that we are not saved by works, but we show our salvation by our works. Faith (actions) is the evidence of our faith, not the way to salvation.
Being accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven is a matter of teaching and living the will of God. Jesus called his people (his disciples) the “Kingdom (Community) of Heaven (God).
To be accepted into heaven, we worship no other God but God and follow Christ by doing what He taught us. At that moment we have entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Heaven is now and in the future. When we heal the sick, feed the hungry, visit the widow and the prisoner, give to the poor and teach God’s Word, we have entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus will return to rule over the Kingdom, until then, Peter was given the Keys (authority to teach) the Kingdom of Heaven (the followers of Christ) and he passed on those keys to those who were called to lead after him, until this very day, when the teachers and leaders of the Kingdom have been given the responsibility (The Keys to the Kingdom).
I’ll email you an article that will give you further insights on this.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
Johnny,
Just got back from Bible Conference . . . sorry to miss out on so much discussion . . . This is good stuff!
I'll dive in on the next one . . .
Blessings,
Bret
if you had to write a set of docterine that people could base their faith around what would it sound like?
I really don't think I'd have doctrines per se'. Maybe, I'd call them "Life Purposes."
I would have three Life Purposes:
1. Love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself.
2. Preserve God's Word in your mind and in your heart.
3. Be a "Living Word" by imitating Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
Thanks Bret,
I was actually wondering what happened to you.
Thanks for keeping up on this stuff.
Good to hear from you.
Johnny
Hey Johnny,
In working with kids, I have found myself driven to bring them beyond what I knew at their age. Like, being comfortable with asking questions. When I was a teenager, I asked myself a lot of questions about God but never seemed to ask anybody else. I'm encouraged to know that people are asking questions. Philip Yancey wrote a book called 'Disappointment with God' where he discusses questions no one dares to ask. Veggie Tales has a video called 'Where's God When I'm Scared?' From the deep theological mind of someone like Yancey to the innocent thoughts of a child, I think we all need to ask questions upon questions to be at peace.
When Ainsley came to stay with us she was afraid to sleep by herself because there may be something in the closet. We would open the doors and show her there was nothing there, but yet she still had to ask every night before she went to sleep. She knew the 'truth' but still questioned. There was no 100% guarantee from me that there would be nothing in the closet. There could have been a mouse in there that I didn't know about, or a spider. But I believed there was nothing in there and so did she but she still had to ask to put her mind at rest.
I think that questions are our small-minded way of being at peace with who God is and what He's doing. When we find an answer that allows us to be at peace we are able to trust. Even if the answer we're given is "trust me."
Kristy,
There is rarely a time that I push the comments button on my blog, that I don’t have my heart beat a little heavier for fear that someone is going to be angry or offensive.
You know me, and you know that Johnny has a side to him that wants to please people. Though I fight that, I am more concerned with people having the opportunity to ask tough questions without being ignored. That comes with a price.
I say that to say to you, "Thanks for the gentle comments and for being such a great support, and for giving such a great illustration to back up your point.”
For others who may read this response to Kristy’s comments, please don’t assume that you have to be nice all the time—but you do have to be respectful, and so do I.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
Admittedly, Johnny, I haven't been keeping up with all of your blogs. They one's I have read are very informative and enlightening and I love you for posting them . . . but as Jesus referenced, I have the attention span of a mustard seed . . . that was it right.
I loved the concept of questions as I read about it in Velvet Elvis, and even before that when you gave me that CD. I don't know if it was that experience or a deepening apathy that has lead me not to care.
What I mean is I feel as though I am the other extreme that, essentially, I don't care if I have questions. The troublesome part is that it does not motivate me to look deeper or to learn more but rather I just allow the questions to go unanswered and I don't even think about them.
From Velvet Elvis . . . What if Jesus had an earthly father?
My answer . . . agreed . . . no big deal. Jesus still set the standard by which I should live.
I'm not sure . . . I really do relate to the Rabbi philosophy in that sense . . . ask many questions . . . questions are great . . . I just don't follow through.
I guess I'm saying, I'm OK with the mystery.
Thanks for the blogs!
Des
Des, that is incredibly comforting to me. I find that I've been walking around for the past few days in the exact state that you're talking about.
I was initially very involved with this discussion but have backed off from sheer exhaustion.
Jason has been challenged and perplexed about this blog, and even though I have been re-evaluating and re-affirming what I believe, I have been ok with living out what I already know without digging deeper...and I felt really guilty about that. I guess it's nice to know that someone is swimming in the same pool of easy-going-ness as I am.
Digging is not for the faint of heart.
The most awesome thing I've discovered is how real Jesus is and how great of a teacher he is.
The more I learn about his time and culture, the more I realize how much of a genius our Savior is. Even those who don't accept that he is the Messiah agree that he is the greatest teacher ever.
Too bad they stop short by believing that he was simply a teacher.
Thanks for commenting Des and Kathy.
Johnny
Dear readers,
Thanks for the high level of scrutiny to which you read these articles. You have given me some wonderful energy with which to study deeper and solidify my understandings of the subjects.
Due to your desire to understand, I have revised the article, "Is the Bible the Only Word of God" multiple times for clarity.
Should any of you decide to use that article in teaching, please be sure to read it over again in order to keep the facts straight.
Another bit of advice would be to purchase a few books that I've listed by David Bivins, Brad H. Young, Ron Moseley, and David Stern.
Thank you again for the interaction.
Please continue to study and use the rich, historical information that is coming available daily. God continues to add more and more mystery, as He also provides new insights into the life and world of His son, Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
Having just found this blog, I’ve been reveling in the various subjects discussed and the discussion themselves.
A subject often touched on (in these blogs and generally) is the difference between the “Eastern” way of looking at things and the “Western” (Greek derived) way.
My understanding is that the Western mind tends to focus on words, definitions, logic, and the “dialectic” to derive meaning.
I am very much a word person myself, with a drive to trying to be logical, and I love the dialectic as an approach to understanding.
But in my youth and as a young man, I strove to find and receive God strictly through words and logic and dialectic and got nowhere. It was not until my heart and soul were opened that I was able to truly receive God.
I have learned a great deal from the discussion in these blogs, and feel blessed.
And I offer up one question I have, for which I doubt there is a specific answer:
At what point do we lay aside trying to intellectually understand the words and sentences and passages in the Bible and enter into listening to the poetry, receiving the mystery, of the passages?
For example: I know in my heart that I’m not to read Mark 9 43-47 literally (and I see with my eyes that no Christians read it literally.) I understand it as a poetic device to communicate the effects of sins and the importance of striving to avoid it.
That of course, is an easy one.
But how does one find the balance between the Logos (“reason that in ancient Greek philosophy is the controlling principle in the universe”) and the (if you will) the Mythos (“a pattern of beliefs expressing often symbolically the characteristic or prevalent attitudes in a group or culture”) of the Bible.
Or, put another way, When we refer to “God’s word” as it came from an Eastern mind set, to what extent to we bring our Greek derived understanding of the significance of “the word” to bear?
Namaste
Hi Namaste,
Hopefully I understand you correctly. Please allow me to rephrase your words, just in case I'm not.
I believe what you are asking is, "How do we Western-minding, 21st Century, Christians apply an ancient, Eastern-cultured writing and teaching to our world?" And, how important is it that we do that?
I think that ultimately what is being revealed here is that God’s Word is really very practical. The Westerner takes "spiritualizing the Scriptures” to a whole new level.
Are they important to our spiritual lives? Absolutely! And they are very useful for everyday life.
As I've said in the past, the Word of God is a tool for putting us in a right relationship with one another. The Messiah puts us in a right relationship with God.
The Scriptures are written to help us live "now," as children of God, under the guidance of Jesus, to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven now and forever.
To answer your question, if I understand correctly, knowing how to apply the Scriptures to our practical lives is very important; that is what we learn from understanding the world in which Jesus lived.
Please don't forget to check out www.followtherabbi.com. Click on "articles," and then scroll down to "Rabbi and Talmidim." This will tell you what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus. There are other great articles as well.
If you can afford it, download some of Ray Vander Laan's teachings. They are $10 per teaching and worth every dollar. Start with Jesus the Jewish Rabbi, and then purchase "Jesus the Master Teacher." They are awesome.
There are also other great teachings available for downloading on that website by other notable teachers.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
I was headed more in the direction of asking about the extent to which we can/should read the Bible literally.
Christ clearly and distinctly tells us to pluck out an eye, and cut off a hand or foot if they lead us to sin.
Not a parable; not a suggestion, but as straight and simple a declarative directive as is the Great Commission.
And yet no one suggests that passage should be read literally.
We all choose to read it "poetically," figuratively.
My understanding is that the "Eastern mind" does not place the same emphasis, (fixation?) on "the word."
The Western mind tends to venerate "the Word."
The question I raise is 'how do we reconcile applying "western" thought processes to an "eastern" theology?'
At what point does our tendency to read literally lead us astray?
BTW, I used "Namaste" as a greeting - it is a eastern (primarily Hindu) term meaning something like:
# I salute the Light of God in you.
or
# I recognize that within each of us is a place where Divinity dwells, and when we are in that place, we are One.
Namaste
Walker
Re Ray Vander Laan:
I have watched most of his DVDs of a tour of the Holy Land.
Very informed and informative, but I think he has a tendency to jump to conclusions in some of the faith lessons he derives from the historical perspective he discusses
One that springs to mind is where he discusses 2 "nations" wiped out because of many of them following a different God and participating in pagan ceremonies. In his discussion, he draws parallels to today's world and if not explicitly, at least implicitly he directs his faith lesson to the modern world.
His faith lesson is to the effect that when a "nation" goes bad, God wipes out the whole nation, not just the "guilty" among them.
In reaching that conclusion I think he overlooks God's willingness to negotiate with Abraham and spare Sodom if a ceratin number of righteous were found.
As well as several of Christ's parables such as the one wondering sheep of the flock of one hundred.
Unfortunately, perhaps, for me, when I see such obvious over-reaching of a conclusion in one instance, I tend to be skeptical of other conclusions reached by the same person.
I think we all tend focus on one set of facts and derive conclusions from them which confirm our existing ideas, while overlooking other facts and passages which point in a different direction.
(E.g., those who believe the Genesis creation story is literally true overlook the apparently simple fact that Genesis 2 gives a different creation story and order of creation than does Genesis 1!)
"If you are going to pursue truth, you have to be prepared to change your mind."
Namaste
Walker
Hey Walker,
I love the quote at the end of your comment. Good stuff.
About the subject of taking the Bible literally, I think we can take it more literally when we understand it literally and clearly.
For instance, the subject of cutting off a part of the body that has sinned comes from a well-known Hebrew idiom of Jesus' time and it has the same meaning as our English idiom, "nip it in the bud." So to take the phrase literally, with the idea that it literally means, "Stop before it gets really big" is not a problem. I can easily take that literally, though it is a figure of speech. Most of what we don't understand is a matter of Hebrew idiomatic language that some readers confuse as either completely literal language or completely figurative language having no true applicability beyond its spiritual point.
I agree with your skepticism in the area of simply taking someone's word like Ray Vander Laan. On the other hand, let's not forget his expertise and experience in the studies of ancient text, customs, and places. As T.C. Scott said, “The books you read and the people you hang with will determine who you are five years from now.” He’s probably done incredible amounts of study and research, as well as been to the places and experienced the ancient cultures of what he is teaching. Should you and I walk down the road that he has traveled, we’d very likely know and believe the same things that Ray believes.
As I’ve said before, we also live in a day when questioning the experts is popular. So, be careful not to be too critical, until you’ve worked just as diligently on your view as the one who holds the view that you doubt.
His point about God wiping out a nation is a true point. And, you are right, God has promised to save a remnant. The question is… Do we have someone standing in the gap for America who is righteous enough to question God's intent the way Abraham did?” Where is our “friend of God?”
Also, it's good to remember that "void and without form" in Hebrew means "chaotic." Maybe God's way of wiping us out is to leave us "void and without form."
It's something to think about.
Thanks again for caring about God's Word and His will enough to seek the truth...even if it means 'you have to be prepared to change your mind.'
I'm really glad that you shared that quote. Is it yours or from another author’s?
Grace and peace,
Johnny
The quote is not mine:
"If you are going to pursue truth, you have to be prepared to change your mind."
I heard it on NPR's 'Speaking of Faith' several months ago; probably last fall (2005).
When I heard it, several people sprang to mind who I felt could benefit from hearing it repeated.
I smugly drove on, and then happended to catch my reflection in the rear view mirror, and I realizied who belonged at the top of that list!
Namaste
Walker
Mr. Walker,
You are on a great path for being incredibly useful to God. I would love to have been able to have half the ability to ask the questions that you are asking as a very young man.
Keep it up.
Grace,
Johnny
Johhny:
>>as a very young man.
Ah, bless you! I win a lot of teddy bears at Cedar Point at the Guess Your Age booth, but most of my class mates are grandparents now ... I got married late and my oldest is 18.
Let's just say that I was pretty close to getting my driver's license when the Beach Boys did "Little Deuce Coupe!"{G}
But I still believe "middle age" is a couple of years past where I happen to be. (Notwithstanding the evidence to the contrary!)
Namaste
Walker
(BTW, plus, I still look over my shoulder when someone says "Mr Walker" {G})
Hey Walker,
My mistake. I have been emailing all day and confused you with Mr. Profile.
It's amazing that I haven't made a lot more of those mistakes.
Grace and peace,
Johnny
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