Great Solomon, son of David, was a patron to artists because he was wise and rich. Serving his wisdom ennobled the man blessed enough to serve him. Wicked Jezebel was a king’s daughter, but her wealth corrupted those who honored her for her power. Christian culture is one that honors the patron: the noble man, blessed by wealth, who gives out of his virtue. To that patron, the rest of us can render service and honor. We do not honor... Read more
Want to spot an evil place? Find an organization where the “king” is always in place, but the “inferiors” change out quickly. You can be sure that slippery, slanderous, sneaks are whispering lies. There are “tricksy” souls intent on protecting or enriching themselves by slandering others. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings has the good king Theoden nearly unmanned by the discouraging whispers of Grima Wormtongue. This is bad, but not the worst that the tricky soul can do. God help... Read more
Being in love is on defense. If you are in love, you are aware that everyone that wishes to be in love and is not will be sad and those who are “out of love” will think you a liar or soon to be disillusioned. In fact, if you do not note the cynicism and admit the good chance of coming disappointment, nobody will listen at all except those who have given up on reason in the hope that this... Read more
We lost our television in odd circumstances. Daniel and I liked going to church and generally made no trouble going, but this Sunday night was The Wizard of Oz. There was no streaming in those benighted days, no ability to pop in a Blu-ray. If you missed a show, you missed it. I saw the Star Wars Christmas Special once so I can assure you that even then you could not unsee what you had seen. In any case, we wanted to... Read more
Nothing is dumber than giving up morals for one victory, because victory is never forever. Ask King John. Disney had Prince John right when they made him a lion sucking his thumb on the throne in their animated Robin Hood. John had a lion-hearted brother and by comparison was not much to the Crusader, minstrel, and hero. When Prince John finally became King John, he went from weakness to weakness to the point that nobody has taken the name “John” as... Read more
Some movies make me stop and watch them, even if I have seen them, maybe especially because I have seen them. One of those movies is The Natural with Robert Redford and Glenn Close. You could teach quite a few seminars on this Shakespearean comedy, it’s that profound, but it revolves around one truth: Nobody is good enough without someone else. There is no “natural.” Great gifts are not uncommon. There is, somewhere in the United States, a farm boy who can... Read more
There have been times in my life when what was best for me, obvious to everyone else, was not what I wanted: not at all. What about this? Plato argued that people always want to be happy, but that we do not always know what will make us happy. Being good will make us happy, but we mistake what happiness is and what will make us happy. Aristotle built on this insight by pointing out that some people cannot do what... Read more
A sure way to spot a dysfunctional church, business, or organization is to look for kingmakers or would be kingmakers. The kingmaker is the man who makes the man: the person not out front, but who has the ‘real power.’ The kingmaker is the member of the elder board who thinks he really runs the church. “Pastors may come and go, but my family is forever.” Contradict the opinions of the kingmaker and your head will eventually roll. The kingmaker... Read more
Discouragement is always clever, but hope is always wise. Why? We live in God’s cosmos and God is in His Heaven. This does not mean all is right with the world in the sense that everything is good. We could make a long list of things that are not good in the world without even touching American politics! Citizens of this God blessed Republic who think this year is the worst should consider the rest of the world: where are... Read more
We need more than piety in leadership. We need strength, competence, and piety. The combination of the three qualities is rare enough that most of us settle in our churches, businesses, and in government. In some religious organizations, saying the “leader meant well” is good enough to justify an inability to do what must be done. Good intentions or noble rhetoric are important, but had best come with achievement. If Moses says: “We are going to the Promised Land,” he may... Read more
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