You don’t have to have a 3 digit IQ to see that those two do not go together. But that is what my neighbor was doing . . . drinking his favorite beverage (one of my favorites too) and wielding an axe as he was chopping firewood! I was ready to rush out and stop him from bleeding to death at any moment, assuming I could recall my EMT skills 20 years after the last class I had attended, but thankfully the need never arose because eventually he became more interested in the beverage than the axe. Whew!
It was sorta morbid watching him do this. Waiting as it were, for the axe to glance off one of those knotty pieces of oak and whack a huge cavern into his leg or chop his foot off. I struggled between hoping the axe was dull one moment, to hoping it was sharp the next. There were advantages and disadvantages to both perspectives. (Ok Ok I said it was morbid) And yes I thought about going out there and drinking a cold one with him, but I was afraid that we might both get a piece of the axe if I did that, (yes I am a coward when an axe is involved), or that the CMA might give me grief over some silly thing like that (the beer not the axe damage). Finally I could not stand to watch anymore and had to go back to parsing Greek verbs from the book of James.
The entire experience was just a great illustration of how I sometimes live my life . . . mixing spirituality and sin . . . what a dangerous combustible blend . . . . . and it made me think of a few other incompatible combinations . . . like:
Sin and a Godly life.
Love and lust
Concern and selfishness
Godliness and self-addiction
Evangelism and denominational distinctives
God’s work and my agenda
A love of money and a love for the Kingdom
Spirituality and living by my feelings
One could ask, “well is that all?” and my answer would be, I think I need a lifetime just to get these eight right.
It was sorta morbid watching him do this. Waiting as it were, for the axe to glance off one of those knotty pieces of oak and whack a huge cavern into his leg or chop his foot off. I struggled between hoping the axe was dull one moment, to hoping it was sharp the next. There were advantages and disadvantages to both perspectives. (Ok Ok I said it was morbid) And yes I thought about going out there and drinking a cold one with him, but I was afraid that we might both get a piece of the axe if I did that, (yes I am a coward when an axe is involved), or that the CMA might give me grief over some silly thing like that (the beer not the axe damage). Finally I could not stand to watch anymore and had to go back to parsing Greek verbs from the book of James.
The entire experience was just a great illustration of how I sometimes live my life . . . mixing spirituality and sin . . . what a dangerous combustible blend . . . . . and it made me think of a few other incompatible combinations . . . like:
Sin and a Godly life.
Love and lust
Concern and selfishness
Godliness and self-addiction
Evangelism and denominational distinctives
God’s work and my agenda
A love of money and a love for the Kingdom
Spirituality and living by my feelings
One could ask, “well is that all?” and my answer would be, I think I need a lifetime just to get these eight right.
4 comments:
This made me think of a dilemma I am currently facing-do I invite my friends in Celebrate Recovery, many of whom are recovering alcoholics, to a champagne reception of an art show opening I'm a part of?? Talk about path diversions-what would James say to this? Pass the soda and crackers?? I suppose when all is said and done, love finds the right road.
Speaking of beer...
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/
2006/09/eat_drink_and_b.html
Yo Steiners!! Great thorught provoking article. Thanks for the head's up. Blessings, D
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