Destroyed Lives and the Power of Hope

The town of Joplin Missouri is already rebuilding after an EF5 tornado tore a wide path through the town on Sunday, May 22. With around a third of all homes and apartments gone, the task must seem impossible to many residents. Not only homes but also hundreds of places of work and businesses were swept away by the powerful storm. Family members were lost, and lives appear destroyed.

When destruction takes away life as we know it, rebuilding requires hope. We must believe that it is possible to erect new homes, lives, friendships, trust, or marriages. Without hope, we cannot persevere through the hard work necessary to rebuild.

The Need for Competence

Competence is a requirement for anyone who wants others to follow her. Far too often we watch in horror as someone botches the job for the entire group because of incompetence in leading them.

Does this sound familiar? If so I need your story. 

I recently watched Undercover Boss, a current reality series on television. Each week the bigwig of a large company goes undercover, working at entry-level jobs. I have seen them package goods for shipping, make sandwiches, run a PowerPoint for a college class, and lead dancing on a cruise ship. In every case the boss wasn’t particularly competent! 

American Idol and Our Freedom to Choose

Last night James Durbin, this year’s rocker, was eliminated from “American Idol,” and I was among his disappointed fans. Whether you watch the show or not, you are likely aware that the public votes on their favorites and eliminates a contestant each week until the last man/woman is standing. Despite James’ consistently amazing performances, his vocal range, and his emotional singing, three others will move on in hopes of winning this year’s prize.

The remaining singers are good but not great, engaging but not wowing. (And I do like Scotty, but he can’t touch James for showmanship.) In my view the AI audience has picked bland over exciting the past few seasons. The freedom to choose includes the risk of mistake, as we see in elections when voters fall for charisma over character and sound bites over issues. God allows us to choose, and that means he lets us make mistakes. 

The Way of the Cross

In observing reactions to the death of Osama Bin Laden this week, I am reminded that we Christians travel a different route from the world; we follow the way of the cross. That journey is generally misunderstood and unappreciated, even in the church. God asks us for a different response to events in our own lives and those in the news than the majority of people. We are called to follow Jesus to the cross and die to self, dispensing love for hatred, forgiveness for injury, and generosity for selfishness.

How are you and I doing at that? It’s not so easy when it involves someone like Bin Laden, who is so obviously undeserving. But we each have someone in our own lives who doesn’t deserve such treatment. Who is that person?