Winning Words 4/24/13
“Let a good man do good deeds with the same zeal that the evil man does bad ones.”  (The Belzer Rabbi)  The younger of the Boston terrorists was called “an angel” by his father.  True angels try to make this world a better place, to help, rather than hurt.  John Newton, composer of Amazing Grace, was a slave trader before he changed his life’s direction.  It’s truly “amazing” what a God-directed person can do.    ;-)  Jack.

 FROM WALMART REV:  My mind jumps to, actually, similar words from Christ, but to the vast majority of us who are simmering in the middle of the two:  “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Rev. 3:15-17). Perhaps that why we have some over-zealous "radicals" and "terrorist" on both sides of the spectrum, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked to the Truth? 0:-/++++JACK:  Most of us shy away from being labeled, "a radical."  I'm moved by the hymn  which says, "Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side."  Not to choose is to choose.

 FROM THE LIP:  Someday we can have a great discussion regarding morality.  Piaget, a biologist turned to analyzing child development, wrote about objective and subjective development of morality.  The main question is:  Why do people "do the right thing"?====JACK:  It's the old problem of trying to compare apples and oranges.  While we're at it, let's include a discussion on values.

 FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  the boston bombers believe(d) they were "god directed." ====JACK:  "God" is in the mind of the beholder.  I don't believe that they were God directed.  BTW, I just finished reading a good book by Rob Bell, "What We Talk About When We Talk About God."  Perhaps your library has it.  Or half.com has it for under ten bucks.

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  As we saw from the news coverage, there were a LOT more good deed doers than evil on the day of the attack.  People are generally good when they are tested.  The Holy Spirit works us all for the good.====JACK:  There's an old proverb, "The truth will out."  It's sometimes said, "The good will out," meaning that good eventually overcomes evil.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  IF WE COULD ONLY CATCH THE "ANGELS" BEFORE THEY  BECOME BAD, WHAT A BRIGHT WORLD IT WOULD BE! IT SEEMS SOME YOUNG ONES JUST NEVER HAVE MUCH OF A CHANCE TO TURN OUT WELL.  THIS BOY WAS NOT BORN EVIL, BUT HIS SITUATION  ALLOWED EVIL TO OVERCOME HIS GOOD SIDE.  HOW SAD FOR ALL OF US WHEN THIS HAPPENS!!====JACK:  In the beginning, each of us is "conceived and born (into a sinful world)."  Nurturing is so important!  As the tree is bent.... 

  FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  The good man had better do it with more zeal or it's a standoff. ====JACK:  As a member of the Optimist Club, I believe that there is more good than evil in the world.

 ROM JM IN MICHIGAN:  You need to know what I have recently learned by reading "Bury the Chains" by Adam Hochschild about the abolition of slavery in the British Empire:  John Newton, though he stopped slave trading as his occupation, did not speak out against slavery for over 30 years afterward but continued to be supportive of the "institution". He did experience a conversion experience after a great storm at sea but, unfortunately little known, he did not turn against slavery at that time.  He preached thousands of sermons, wrote well over 200 hymns, but all the while he continued to happily socialize with old ship captain buddies and invested much of his savings with his former employer (as a ship's captain), and owed his position as curate of Olney to the Earl of Dartmouth, a slavery supporter.  He even preached a sermon more than 25 years after leaving the slave trade about the sins of Great Britain, but slavery was not mentioned in this list.
Yes, God's grace is amazing, and He is patient!!!====JACK:  I suppose you're going to tell there's no Santa Claus, either.

 FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  My take on this is "g00d" is in the eye of the beholder, If you are of a family that values obedience to familial traditions and faith..."good" becomes evaluated in terms of how you follow the familial traditions and beliefs, An "angel" in our Christian (eyes of the beholders) may have different qualities than those of other beliefs. How do we effect a change to our beliefs and/or they to ours? It's a conflict for both arenas, as I see it.. Who's winning?====JACK:  Whose god is God?  I'll repeat what I earlier wrote to FACEBOOK LIZ...  I just finished reading a good book by Rob Bell, "What We Talk About When We Talk About God."  Perhaps your library has it.  Or half.com has it for under ten bucks.  You can Google a review.