Just picked up this book from the CEO of World Vision , Richard Stearns. I know this book is going to haunt me in a good way. I have just briefly skimmed the quotes he has included and here are a few.
"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it." "Well, why don't you ask Him?"
"Because I am afraid He would ask me the same question."
-Anonymous
"A holy life will produce the deepest impression.
Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine."
-D.L. Moody
"Endeavor to live so that when you die, even the undertaker will be sorry."
-Anonymous
Hey Mark, if you've read through this more or entirely, it'd be great to get a follow up entry.
On the quotes, I can figure that I would answer God's question with a follow up question to clarify my point. One answer I have as to why all these things happen is the first point of people that common sense Christians will agree with and that is that people are flawed. The concept of Total Depravity without the grace extended by God which we are to extend to others.
Another is that God has consistantly allowed trials in the Bible, even to himself as God the Son. My question here to the reader is: How beautiful is the picture if it only has warm colors, or no colors? Are not the bare times when we don't get to taste the good stuff possibly there so that when we get the good stuff it means more and the goodness tastes so much sweeter?
All we can really do is to do what we can within out life's context. Are we not supposed to be God's representatives on Earth?
On D.L. Moody's quote, lighthouses do command quite a presence so much that the ships have to get out the their way. I would like to modify this thought to make life like a box of chocolates, if you've had enough of them, you know what you've got. You also know that if you could only have it for a day, you have two choices. You can either try and eat it all and get sick, or you can share what you have been given and everyone benefits.
Jesus would probably be a good cook. He would understand that to hold things together and cook some good stuff, more often that not, you have to crack some eggs. As the scripture says about the light which we have, let it shine unto others and let others see it. Bottom line, where's your heart at, because Billy Graham tooted someone's horn for years, just not his own. Instead he played to the tune of Jesus.
On the quote about death, I hope that no one wastes their time wishing that I was still alive. If I've done things right, people will focus on the living who are dead in their living and the focus won't be on this dead man walking whose by will eventually have to be disposed of (hopefully cheaply so the money can be put to some good use with people who are still alive), rather, let the focus be on the dead man of Good Friday who conquered death.
I look forward to learning what this guy means by "A Hole In Our Gospel."
Posted by: Alexander Wilhelmsen | April 09, 2009 at 11:27 PM