Today’s Readings: Psalm 101; Genesis 27:1-29; Matthew 28:11-20; Acts 14:1-7; Psalm 98
Ever since I was a child, folks have commented about my optimistic nature. I noticed, however, that after commenting on my up-beat nature many folks would immediately follow it up by saying, “Wait until he gets older and see how the world works. Then his attitude will change.” As I start my 42nd year on the planet, thankfully I’m still waiting for that change to occur. While my optimistic nature has yet to change, a seismic shift has occurred below the surface of my life that has gone undetected by some. That shift has to do with the source of my optimism. You see as a young person, my optimism was grounded in the belief that we human beings could solve any problem if we would just put our minds to it. “If only we could elect the right people,” I would observe, “THEN we would have responsible policies in place that would solve all of our problems.” Or when confronted with blatant expressions of bias, I would think to myself, “If only we could educate people, then all forms of prejudice would disappear.” I had an extremely lengthy list of “If onlys…” Over time, however, I began to realize that human efforts alone weren’t enough to remedy the problems we face. I’ve lived long enough to see both political parties control the executive and legislative branches of government and yet the problems continued. I’ve also lived long enough to see some of the best educated folks perpetuate one of the most insidious (and yet lesser recognized) forms of isms such as classism. Just as I was reaching the point where most optimistic individuals come face to face with stark realities that cause them to abandon hope and embrace cynicism, I got in touch with a new perspective that restored my sense of optimism. In fact, it didn’t just restore my sense of hope – it increased it. And what perspective was that? Well, it was the perspective put forward by the psalmist in today’s second psalm. As Psalm 98 culminates, the psalmist cries out: “A tribute to God when God comes; when God comes to set the earth right. God will straighten out the whole world. God will put the world right, and everyone in it” (Psalm 98:9 – The Message). Those words reminded me that the source of my optimism really lies not in MY efforts or MY commitments; the undying source of my optimism is none other than God. The next time you start to find yourself feeling defeated - defeated by the gas prices, defeated by the newspaper headlines, defeated by the stack of bills sitting on your table – remember the words of the psalmist. Those words will remind you just who is capable of “straightening out the whole world” – just who “will put the world right, and everyone in it.” If you keep your eyes on those words from the psalmist, then I can guarantee that you’ll join me in the camp of the eternal optimists. Til next time…
Ever since I was a child, folks have commented about my optimistic nature. I noticed, however, that after commenting on my up-beat nature many folks would immediately follow it up by saying, “Wait until he gets older and see how the world works. Then his attitude will change.” As I start my 42nd year on the planet, thankfully I’m still waiting for that change to occur. While my optimistic nature has yet to change, a seismic shift has occurred below the surface of my life that has gone undetected by some. That shift has to do with the source of my optimism. You see as a young person, my optimism was grounded in the belief that we human beings could solve any problem if we would just put our minds to it. “If only we could elect the right people,” I would observe, “THEN we would have responsible policies in place that would solve all of our problems.” Or when confronted with blatant expressions of bias, I would think to myself, “If only we could educate people, then all forms of prejudice would disappear.” I had an extremely lengthy list of “If onlys…” Over time, however, I began to realize that human efforts alone weren’t enough to remedy the problems we face. I’ve lived long enough to see both political parties control the executive and legislative branches of government and yet the problems continued. I’ve also lived long enough to see some of the best educated folks perpetuate one of the most insidious (and yet lesser recognized) forms of isms such as classism. Just as I was reaching the point where most optimistic individuals come face to face with stark realities that cause them to abandon hope and embrace cynicism, I got in touch with a new perspective that restored my sense of optimism. In fact, it didn’t just restore my sense of hope – it increased it. And what perspective was that? Well, it was the perspective put forward by the psalmist in today’s second psalm. As Psalm 98 culminates, the psalmist cries out: “A tribute to God when God comes; when God comes to set the earth right. God will straighten out the whole world. God will put the world right, and everyone in it” (Psalm 98:9 – The Message). Those words reminded me that the source of my optimism really lies not in MY efforts or MY commitments; the undying source of my optimism is none other than God. The next time you start to find yourself feeling defeated - defeated by the gas prices, defeated by the newspaper headlines, defeated by the stack of bills sitting on your table – remember the words of the psalmist. Those words will remind you just who is capable of “straightening out the whole world” – just who “will put the world right, and everyone in it.” If you keep your eyes on those words from the psalmist, then I can guarantee that you’ll join me in the camp of the eternal optimists. Til next time…
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