Have you ever heard a really bad story told by a four year old? Some of them are very cute, just adorable, but they all tend to have the same theme, a tale completely devoid of context, lacking all meaning, and having no punchline.
A four year old’s story sounds much like, “A priest and rabbi walk into a bar. The end.” Then we all laugh because that’s the funniest thing ever, even if it is a tale totally lacking all structure and form.
Lately it seems to me as if much the world’s tale is being written by a four year old! I’m desperately trying to find some structure, meaning, and context to things that are just nutty and off the wall. That’s the story of my life really, but it seems as if the chaotic and nutty is now devoid of form and dominating our immediate neighborhood.
So the Seattle mayor, City Council, Police Chief, and probably the state Governor too, are pretty much all anti-cop and whole heartedly pro-protests and even perhaps, pro-rioters. It’s been this way for a long time, too. WTO, May Day Riots, you name it, it’s been our thing for as long as these guys have been in power. Apparently the cops at the East precinct in Seattle had enough, because they just boarded up the cop shop windows with plywood, sprayed the building down with fire retardant, and went home.
A bit amusing, a bunch of protesters then determined that it was their job to, “occupy and dominate the building” to make sure it doesn’t get burned down by “outliers and radicals,” which would in turn make them look bad. So there ya go, a bunch of protestors and rioters suddenly policing the neighborhood, forced to protect and serve, to try to maintain the peace. One honest fellow spoke the truth, “I don’t know what we’re doing, why we’re here, or where we’re going with this. We’re awaiting direction.” I had to laugh, that guy’s heart is in a good place, but he is just such a NPC, a non player character in a story being written by a four year old.
I took a hike one day and got stalked by a coyote. It doesn’t take much to intimidate me and this guy was slinky, fearless, down low like a predator. He got about ten feet away and I have no idea what possessed me, but I turned around slowly and said, “Would you like to talk about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?” That poor critter jumped about 3 feet in the air and yelped. I yelped too, and he took off so fast all I could hear was the rustle in the leaves. I actually felt bad for scaring him.
Many people are like that, too! Many Christians, even. Pastors, too. We often want to talk about Anything But Jesus. Often the cure for what ails us becomes Anything But Jesus. The cure for what ails us is counseling, therapy, mental health services, better politicians, legal reform, social justice, defunding cops, access to medical care, housing, more education, a better job, self help books, a better marriage…..
Don’t get me wrong, some of those things can be useful tools, but without the Gospel first, without Jesus, we lose our ability to love people properly. Our story begins to crumble and fold, it becomes devoid of form and substance, as if it were a tale being told by a four year old. Our lives lose their context and meaning, they become devoid of that structure that gives us purpose, and we become much like that protestor, full of enthusiasm, having a good heart, but really just a non player character in a story being written by a four year old, anxiously awaiting direction.
Preach the Gospel, over and over and over again. Jesus fixes everything. Indeed, He is the only One who ever has! Don’t be like that coyote and shy away from talking about Jesus.
And for crying out, don’t be a NPC. God gave you a brain for a reason.
Sadly, so many people are using worldly resources to TRY to resolve issues that are of a spiritual nature.
You’re right…It is only when a person receives Jesus Christ as their Savior, that they can be put into the right mindset to promote and create positive change.
Satan is the author of confusion, and he’s sitting back laughing at all of the division he has created: Black vs White, Republicans vs Democrats, different church denominations arguing with each other.
Jesus, please help us all. Open our eyes, Lord, Save souls, and heal the land.
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Amen, I’ll second your prayer, in the majestic name of Jesus. Open our eyes, Lord, save souls, and heal the land.
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Protestors unsure what to do with a police precinct they are occupying because the cops just up and left…. send me more stuff this four year old is writing, cause this is objectively hilarious. I love it.
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It is hilarious, sometimes! I mean, come on people! Besides, laughter is the best medicine. 😊
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Definitely.
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Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time.
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Macbeth’s speech after the death of Lady Macbeth indicates that Shakespeare had the same thought. Life makes no sense. While he includes humor so the audience doesn’t identify with Macbeth and can withdraw itself to observers, it is clear that life has utterly overwhelmed Macbeth and we follow his descent into madness. But when you’re neck-deep in the action, it’s hard to get a disinterested perspective. You either adopt Macbeth’s philosophy and become suicidal, or you laugh until your sides hurt.
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LOL! Well done. That is a most appropriate quote for the times. I love your conclusion, too, “You either adopt Macbeth’s philosophy and become suicidal, or you laugh until your sides hurt.” 🙂
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Time seems to change nothing. Love you IB. Keep speaking the truth.
Ecclesiastes 4:1-16
“Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
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Thank you for your kindness, Kathy. I really take a lot of comfort from Ecclesiastes. It reminds me that there really is nothing new under the sun, that nothing surprises God and that He is still sovereign. All our craziness, all our lawlessness is really just striving after the wind, or trying to clutch oil in your right hand. We tend to take ourselves way too seriously, to over estimate the significance of our foolishness. Since we are foolish quite a lot, this is really good news.
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