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Choices

It was in the Spring, 1967. I was a high school sophomore. The afternoon was already hot, even for April in Alabama. Football practice consisted of push ups, sit ups, running until your gut hurt, then Coach came out and ran us through drills, hollered, cussed and pushed a few of us around a bit.

It was one of the most brutal afternoons of my life.

I was drenched in sweat by the time my ride home showed up. I was nauseous and swimmy-headed. I got home and headed straight for the fridge where I guzzled all the cold water left in the jug. Mom hailed me on my way down the hall, “Red Davis called, and he wants to know if you are interested in a job”. Red Davis was our neighbor and he ran his own business out of his basement. It involved packaging out-of-date comic books into plastic bags so he could re-sell them. It may sound hokey but it was a lucrative business and the profits were impressive. I had worked for him now and then and I knew he paid well.

I walked over to Mr. Davis’ house, agreed to his pay scale and working schedule and I never returned to football try outs again. In a matter of months I had enough saved to buy a 61 Chevy Impala. I opened a savings account and made regular deposits. I would not wear the purple and white of the Minor High School Fighting Tigers in the Fall.

To this day in my late 50’s I have regretted having made that choice.

Now don’t get me wrong. I loved that candy-apple-red 61 Chevy Impala. My heart still races when I catch a glimpse of one of those babies at a car show. I can still hear the sound of those glass-pack mufflers and remember the tunes coming out of that A.M. radio.

But I could have played ball. Sure, it was a mediocre team in those years, but I have regretted the choice I made.

What I learned in 67 is a lesson I’ve encountered several times since. When you choose one thing, you often eliminate another thing.

Life is all about choices.

In this new year there will be a thing or two coming your way. There will be choices to be made. I’m sorry to burst the bubble...

but you can’t do it all. You can’t have it all.

One choice doesn’t necessarily eliminate all other choices but it most certainly will eliminate something.

No rocket science here. Just a reminder. Think about your choices, their benefits, their consequences and implications.

A postscript:

I said I regretted not making the choice to play high school football. Four years ago I had spinal fusion surgery to correct a congenital abnormality in the vertebrae in my neck. It was a condition I never knew I had. My neurosurgeon told me this type of spinal condition would have made me extremely vulnerable to a life ending or paralyzing accident should I have been subjected to sudden or extreme blunt force to the upper spinal region. (Like a football injury.)

I end with this footnote: Choices come with consequences. Most of the time we see the immediate ones and evaluate a choice as being a good one or a bad one. Life has a way of showing us that our perspective is severely limited and only partially accurate. So relax. Make the best choice you can with the resources at hand.

Trust the Heavenly Father. Walk humbly. And be prepared to be blessed with the surprising goodness of God.

Big Black Christmas Box

There’s a battle brewing in the frozen tundra of Green Bay Wisconsin but it has nothing to do with football or Lambeau or Favre.

On the overhang of the entry to City Hall is a display of the manger scene. When someone protested loud enough about the Christian symbolism and church/state concerns, they were allowed to place a Wiccan symbol alongside it. Within hours, a vandal climbed up and removed and destroyed the Wiccan symbol. As you can imagine, a firestorm was ignited and continues at City Hall about what, if any, displays should adorn civic property during the Christmas holiday season.

Good honest, passionate people have had their say in some extended public forums. A few have come off a little nutty but this is America and people get their say. I like that.

As I ponder over this situation, I find myself bewildered as to what I favor as the outcome. On one hand, I am a Christian and I find it a matter of concern that Christian symbols and icons have been increasingly removed from the public square. On the other hand I am asking what real benefit there is to having a nativity scene on display at all. I mean really...... what real spiritual benefit is being realized by these displays?

When people pass the scene of babe in manger….Joseph…. Mary…animals…wise men…what do they think? Is there a thought about what all this means? How much of a faith statement is this?

I really don’t want to be an old Scrooge here……but really….do these displays bring about anything worthwhile? Maybe it’s a subliminal thing. Maybe there is a sub-conscious thing going on that makes them worthwhile. Now I confess I don't know everything. If there's some guy out there named Herb, who says he came to believe in the Messiah's claims after viewing a manger scene on civic property, then I will issue an apology.

What I really suspect is that these displays are only effective if those who observe them, bring some meaning to them. If we don’t gaze upon the manger and think of the incarnation of God and our own redemption etc. , is there truly any worthwhile experience going on? I mean…..if we don’t bring anything to the equation, is there any loss to having the nativity scene removed?

So here’s my solution. Let’s place an empty box…..a BIG BLACK BOX in the public squares of America. When people pass by, they must each individually bring their own meaning to the icon. In these postmodern times this should really work out well.

For a Christian, they can think of the nativity scene or any other Christian scene they choose. A Wiccan can envision their own symbol. Jews, Muslims, Buddhists….everyone can bring to the equation (the big black box) whatever meaning they desire. Oh yeah….and the secularists….atheists….agnostics can look at the empty box and be satisfied that they’ve finally achieved their goal. Nothing…..absolutely nothing. What could be better?

OK…..so I’m only half serious about this being an answer to anything. I don’t warm up to the idea of big black boxes any more than you.

But I am entirely serious about this one thing.....

As Christians we must realize that our faith is more about the expression of faith in real life than in icons and displays. We get all bent out of shape when someone wants to remove a display but bottom line:

We can display Christ in our attitudes and lives any time and few will complain.

Display a giving attitude toward a needy person, hungry person, an orphan, a poor widow……with no strings attached and you will garner few protests. Do good, kind things to people as dispensers of God’s grace. (1 Peter 4:10) I’m not saying that Christian works will never bring on criticism, but as of now at least, in America, you can give and serve and love others without a lot of protest.

Keep in mind that Jesus (John 13:35) says that everyone will know we are disciples of His if we will just love one another.

So put Him on display. Right now in this season and at every turn. Put Him on display in the public square, the town hall, the public school, the courthouse, on the street, in the city, in the country.

Let Jesus be seen........ in you.

Merry Christmas
from me
&
Linus