“If you could stand in someone else’s shoes, would you treat them differently?” (Whitney Hess) This season baseball player Ian Kinsler suggested that one of the umpires get a new occupation. Disagreements like that are nothing new…but one of the commentaries after the incident suggested that it would be good if players and umpires could benefit by standing in the other person’s shoes. At home, at school, at work, in politics…good advice for all. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: Sometimes we need to stand in our own shoes and see how imperfect we are....====JACK: In the old Augustana Lutheran Church Worship Service, the Confession of Sins began, "We poor miserable sinners, conceived and born in sin, with all our heart confess unto Thee.." Are you ready to go back to that?====JOHN: Something like that might be a good anecdote to today's feel good ism.....the only sin spoken of now is our failure to follow ELCA social teaching! We do need to know more of what Reinhold Niebuhr knew about original sin resting beneath our social attitudes and the distinction between moral man and immoral society.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Or just be kind to everyone====JACK: I seem to recall from my childhood..."Jack, just be nice to your sister."
FROM INDY GENIE: Perfect....I'm dealing with a "touchy" situation this morning and this is perfect for me to think about. Thanks:)====JACK: Sometimes "touchy" situations take care of themselves, if left alone. BUT, most of the time they don't...so, if putting yourself in other shoes (even if they're tight and pinch), then do it.
FROM JB IN OLV: This brings to mind a lesson I learned many years ago. While our daughters were young I did my work for our business out of a home office so that I could be at home with our children. The year before our eldest graduated from high school we added a second building on our property that had an office in it for me. After it was finished I worked from there rather than from home. All the years that I was at home I could not understand why when Bill was going to be late-he did not phone and give me some idea of what was going on...even though he had told me to go ahead and eat dinner with the girls whenever it was ready, I still tried to wait so we could all eat together. This was a point of contention in our household. Once I started working at the shop and saw what happens when customers bring in problems late in the day and need their vehicle to get to work in the morning I begin to understand. No matter how well we think we understand another person's job-we don't until we are in their shoes/or have a front row seat to what is really going on.====JACK: The phone call might have happened if he had been standing in your shoes. But it was what it was and it is what it is. It's always good to learn from the past.
FROM COPPER COUNTRY PASTOR: Warm greetings from 8 in. of snow covered Calumet. I’m supply preaching Sunday. In addition to asking folks who have been the saints in their lives who have grown them to the richness of the Gospel I’m going to ask them this 2nd question: Rev. 7 Describes the ultimate future in heaven. Not just 144,000 but people from every tribe, nation, and language.
With that awareness will St. Peter ask you at the gate, “Do you really want in? This is Jesus house of many mansions. Jesus has a very blended family. You’re going to rub shoulders with Jesus’ family of native Americans, blacks, Asians. You’ll be with Jews who believe, Muslims who believe, Buddhists who believe. You’ll be standing with folks who don’t dress like you, eat the same food, talk the same way or worship the same way. Haven’t You’ve been throwing rocks at these folks much of your life? ……. been insulting them numerous times during your life..... making fun of them on the playground...........avoiding them during your days? Do you really want to live with Jesus in His home? If so, might you need a reformation in your life while you are still alive down here on planet earth?”====JACK: In heaven, do you really want to associate with a bunch of (Swedes or Finns or Norwegians) sinners? During the time when we observe the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we might well remember what Luther said. "When I get top heaven three things will surprise me. I will miss seeing some people that I expected to see there. I will see some people I never expected to see there...and most surprising of all...that I am there." That's what grace is all about.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I wonder how many would actually want to stand in our President’s shoes with what he faces everyday...or any President?====JACK: I'm pretty sure that if I were standing in his shoes, I would certainly do some things differently...and quickly. But, I'm not. ====JUDY: I just pray for him.
FROM SA: At risk of being emotional, or 'sappy' as Dad used to say, I
aspire to your 'shoes'. God's Peace, Wisdom, and Strength be with us. ====JACK: You couldn't go far wrong, when facing certain "right or wrong" situations by asking, WWWD?
FROM BB: Absolutely; both standing and walking in those shoes. Have you ever heard of the (Sarah’s circle charity – I think) event where men walk a mile in high heels – stilettos as a way to highlight the disparate treatment receive vis a vis violence?====JACK: Sarah's Circle Walk is a great idea, but I don't think that I'll be signing up for the February walk. I would like to see a video, if one becomes available. I remember, as a child, walking in my father's shoes, pretending that I was a grown-up.
FROM LBP: Funny. My mind went to treating the shoes differently. Would I give more care to them because they belong to someone else? Now there is a different take on it. Going to think on that a bit ====JACK: Here's another idea. Why not polish your husbands shoes without telling him...and see if he notices. Or...have your children walk in your shoes...and then talk to them about putting themselves in the place of other people.====LBP: The kids LOVE to play in mommy’s shoes... and to play mommy, well sometimes...
FROM BLAZING OAKS: There's no doubt in the world that walking in another's shoes would create much understanding;, and more tolerance! Husbands and wives should probablyl do that occasionally! :-) I know some shoes I would NOT want to walk in, that of being a woman in many parts of the world!! So blessed in America...Good WW to remind us to THINK before we CRITICIZE~!====JACK: The quote question..."Would you treat them differently?" Obviously...
FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL: we are just now home from 8 days in the deep South visiting almost all of the important Civil Rights sites of the 1960s across 4 states and talking with 16 of those "foot soldiers" who were in the Movement. many beaten, spit on, imprisoned, and even survivors of bombings! it was an amazing week in sooo many ways!====JACK: You were too young to walk in their shoes...then. But, you have found a way to walk in them...now.====SP: so true! just to put a finer point on it, many of them actually had no shoes. but your point is well taken.
FROM BB: Absolutely; both standing and walking in those shoes. Have you ever heard of the (Sarah’s circle charity – I think) event where men walk a mile in high heels – stilettos as a way to highlight the disparate treatment receive vis a vis violence?====JACK: Sarah's Circle Walk is a great idea, but I don't think that I'll be signing up for the February walk. I would like to see a video, if one becomes available. I remember, as a child, walking in my father's shoes, pretending that I was a grown-up.
FROM LBP: Funny. My mind went to treating the shoes differently. Would I give more care to them because they belong to someone else? Now there is a different take on it. Going to think on that a bit ====JACK: Here's another idea. Why not polish your husbands shoes without telling him...and see if he notices. Or...have your children walk in your shoes...and then talk to them about putting themselves in the place of other people.====LBP: The kids LOVE to play in mommy’s shoes... and to play mommy, well sometimes...
FROM BLAZING OAKS: There's no doubt in the world that walking in another's shoes would create much understanding;, and more tolerance! Husbands and wives should probablyl do that occasionally! :-) I know some shoes I would NOT want to walk in, that of being a woman in many parts of the world!! So blessed in America...Good WW to remind us to THINK before we CRITICIZE~!====JACK: The quote question..."Would you treat them differently?" Obviously...
FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL: we are just now home from 8 days in the deep South visiting almost all of the important Civil Rights sites of the 1960s across 4 states and talking with 16 of those "foot soldiers" who were in the Movement. many beaten, spit on, imprisoned, and even survivors of bombings! it was an amazing week in sooo many ways!====JACK: You were too young to walk in their shoes...then. But, you have found a way to walk in them...now.====SP: so true! just to put a finer point on it, many of them actually had no shoes. but your point is well taken.
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