For a couple of days now, there has been a Peter Piper Pizza game token sitting on the counter next to the sink in the community men’s room here at work. It’s not something you can easily miss. Nevertheless, no one has taken it. In my mind, there are four reasons why not:
1. People generally don’t want to pick up anything in the bathroom, even when it’s right next to the sink and, thus,easy to clean.
2. Nobody yet has thought they were likely to go to Peter Piper in the near future, either because they don’t have kids or because they’d just as likely misplace it as wind up using it.
3. Realizing it doesn’t belong to them means people don’t want to take it because it feels a bit like stealing from our informal little 5th floor community.
4. Taking something of such little value under these circumstances is an admission of low socio-economic status. Not taking it is worth more in pride points than taking it is worth in monetary value.
For my own part, I didn’t take it, either. I’m just an observer who writes about stuff. But I think it would be interesting to see what might happen to something of greater value.
The audacity of secure children.
The other day, I made French Toast for the boys for breakfast just the way they like it: butter, jelly, and a layer of powdered sugar to top it all off.
When I was back in the kitchen for a moment, Spencer exclaimed from the living room, “Ethan spilled his powdered sugar everywhere!” Rushing to the scene of the incompetence, I discovered the white plague on the table and on the carpet, evidence that Ethan had done something catastrophically clumsy, since I had been the one to put the plate safely on the table in the first place. After scolding him mildly for making a mess, I went to get the vacuum cleaner and a wet paper towel, irritated.
While I was doing this, I suddenly heard Ethan say, “Daddy, I need more powdered sugar for my French Toast.” The audacity of this request even while I was still occupied in cleaning up his mess stunned me. But then I realized what it really meant. That’s how generous he believes his daddy is. And sure enough, after I was done cleaning it up, I got him some more. French Toast needs powdered sugar, you know.
When I was back in the kitchen for a moment, Spencer exclaimed from the living room, “Ethan spilled his powdered sugar everywhere!” Rushing to the scene of the incompetence, I discovered the white plague on the table and on the carpet, evidence that Ethan had done something catastrophically clumsy, since I had been the one to put the plate safely on the table in the first place. After scolding him mildly for making a mess, I went to get the vacuum cleaner and a wet paper towel, irritated.
While I was doing this, I suddenly heard Ethan say, “Daddy, I need more powdered sugar for my French Toast.” The audacity of this request even while I was still occupied in cleaning up his mess stunned me. But then I realized what it really meant. That’s how generous he believes his daddy is. And sure enough, after I was done cleaning it up, I got him some more. French Toast needs powdered sugar, you know.
What does legalism look like?
A few weeks ago, Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson dropped a game-winning touchdown pass and went on Twitter to say, “I praise you 24/7!!!!!! And this how you do me!!!!! You expect me to learn from this?? How???!!! Ill never forget this!! Ever!!!” (sic)
I think any of us can understand the frustration someone might feel at such a moment of personal failure. But this outburst has the hidden gift of honesty. In such an unguarded moment, Johnson showed that he doesn’t really know the Gospel. Oh, he may be able to repeat the basic facts of it, but it hasn’t really penetrated to his being yet.
This Tweet shows that he considers his good behavior as “extra credit” to bribe God into giving him the things he wants in his life. In contrast, the Gospel teaches that God gives us things on the basis of His Character, not our behavior. Any obedience is just a meager response to His majestic gift, and whatever He allows in our lives is a pittance compared to the true joy and wealth of merely knowing we are accepted by Him.
I think any of us can understand the frustration someone might feel at such a moment of personal failure. But this outburst has the hidden gift of honesty. In such an unguarded moment, Johnson showed that he doesn’t really know the Gospel. Oh, he may be able to repeat the basic facts of it, but it hasn’t really penetrated to his being yet.
This Tweet shows that he considers his good behavior as “extra credit” to bribe God into giving him the things he wants in his life. In contrast, the Gospel teaches that God gives us things on the basis of His Character, not our behavior. Any obedience is just a meager response to His majestic gift, and whatever He allows in our lives is a pittance compared to the true joy and wealth of merely knowing we are accepted by Him.
Christmas and weirdos.
Christmas has a funny way of bringing out people’s inner weirdo; you know, people with some conceptual axe to grind about Christmas. And much of the time, their favorite Bible verse is, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”
Unfortunately, this verse doesn’t mean that anyone without every last little bit of insight you have is going to perish for the lack thereof. But sometimes these folks seem to think that the more obscure the idea is, the more necessary it is to being in right standing with God. So they nurture it and even start judging people by whether they accept it, creating a kind of crank Gnosticism, adding it to the Gospel, which is always the preface to full-blown cultish thinking.
But the true Gospel encourages us to fellowship even with people who reject what we believe, including that Gospel. So, the simplest test of any doctrine is whether holding it leads us to a sense of love, joy, and peace which others admit to us having, especially whenever we’re discussing our pet views.
Unfortunately, this verse doesn’t mean that anyone without every last little bit of insight you have is going to perish for the lack thereof. But sometimes these folks seem to think that the more obscure the idea is, the more necessary it is to being in right standing with God. So they nurture it and even start judging people by whether they accept it, creating a kind of crank Gnosticism, adding it to the Gospel, which is always the preface to full-blown cultish thinking.
But the true Gospel encourages us to fellowship even with people who reject what we believe, including that Gospel. So, the simplest test of any doctrine is whether holding it leads us to a sense of love, joy, and peace which others admit to us having, especially whenever we’re discussing our pet views.
Is ethics a blessing?
Some people view ethics as a set of restrictions or burdens. Others see it as a source of blessings. The latter group sometimes speak of the value of an orderly society, the cultivation of personal character, or even pleasing God. But one thing you don’t normally hear people mention is the benefit ethics gives us in making decisions.
For instance, if I’m in a store and I desire a DVD, stealing it would mean getting it for the lowest possible price. But ethics tells me I can’t do that. When I’m out somewhere and a beautiful woman asks me to get a drink with her, I might be very interested. But ethics tells me I have a wife already. And if I’m trying to decide whether to take my car to the mechanic today or tomorrow since I’m running late already, ethics reminds me that I told them I was bringing it today.
The funny thing about not living by ethics is that life is much more complicated, being so full of open or uncertain scenarios. One blessing of ethics, then, is that so many situations are already solved properly for us.
For instance, if I’m in a store and I desire a DVD, stealing it would mean getting it for the lowest possible price. But ethics tells me I can’t do that. When I’m out somewhere and a beautiful woman asks me to get a drink with her, I might be very interested. But ethics tells me I have a wife already. And if I’m trying to decide whether to take my car to the mechanic today or tomorrow since I’m running late already, ethics reminds me that I told them I was bringing it today.
The funny thing about not living by ethics is that life is much more complicated, being so full of open or uncertain scenarios. One blessing of ethics, then, is that so many situations are already solved properly for us.
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