It’s Kind of Like Television…

Over the past few days there’s been an attack on an online community of which I’m a member. It’s been a case of believers attacking other believers…or I guess I should say “believers with a label” attacking other believers who have an ongoing discussion about labels.

It’s kind of like television…there can be great programming, productions that are entertaining, informative and thought-provoking. And there can be horrid stuff that has little purpose other than to inflame and (attempt to) assure that someone’s marginal rantings are heard.

There’s a part of me that ‘gets it’, after all Calvin himself advocating the state-sponsored murder of people who didn’t agree with his theology which was sort of the zeitgeist of the day. It appears that the zeitgeist of our day is charactor assasination via internet. This is good, this is healthy, this serves a very perverted view of the cause of Christ.

A Father’s Hopes & Dreams…

I just watched the father of a twenty-something year-old client transfer his daughter from her wheelchair to his van seat. My thought was, “you can be proud of your daughter…”

How’s that?

How can you be proud of someone that cannot speak, cannot toilet themselves and can never give you grandchildren or care for you in your old age? When this father ages to the point of needing care his daughter will have long since been cared for by others. You can love a daughter so disabled, but how can you be proud of her?

Because of the the love and care she inspires in others. Because when she is present her needs bring out the best in people, because she can do virtually nothing for herself she reminds us that it isn’t what we do as humans that makes us valuable, it’s that we are.