Extraordinary

It all started with a poor couple giving birth to a poor baby in the dirty straw of a stable. It smelled like a barn that night and it was cold, but the stars were glorious. He grew up to make all of us rich who say Yes to Him with our lives.

It started in the Middle East among the poor and grew as a movement among the poor. Before the story reaches its conclusion, it's going back to the Middle East and the eyes of the world will be on what's happening. Fire and blood and Jerusalem. The still point of the turning world is going to stand up from His throne. He's coming back with angel armies and will hold a feast after he deals with His enemies.

People get ready.

Peace in the Hood

We have a rumble in the jungle in our house almost every day. Our four year old is pushing back the boundaries to establish himself in the way all youngens do at his age, right on the heels of our six year old, and they irritate our older children at least once before supper.

Our teenagers meanwhile have their own intraturf battles going on which at times look like cat fights in the making. These things are part of growing up but remind me of the turf wars and relational disruption which have been features of the extended Christian community in our neighborhood ever since we moved here. At times it has been hard not to conclude that believers behave worse in relationships than non-Christians.

In looking up a verse on "peace" last night, my concordance laid out a boatload of NT references that kept me thinking and praying for a while. God of peace. Pursue peace. Perfect peace. Jesus is even the prince of this amazing commodity called Peace. It must be pretty important. It reminds me to guard my heart from resentments and any sense of injustice. Peace and resentment mix like oil and water.