Plugging Into Life Giving Light

We have had a ton of rain so far this summer. For a guy who is sun starved like me, this is a major issue. I have seasonal affective disorder that hits really hard from November through April. I take 10,000 units of Vitamin D to counter this malady. Normally I go off Vitamin D from late April through October, but with all of the gloom in June I almost went back on it. So it has been so nice to actually have days of straight sunshine for the past week. I took a break while riding my bike to just soak in the sunshine that my body really craved.

It is not surprising that one of the I AM statements that Jesus used is the light of the world. He said "He who follows me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life" (John 8:12). I don't think the light of life was referring to man-made fluorescent light which didn't exist at the time of Christ, but of the natural rays of the sun. It gives life-giving sustenance. Just as the body craves it, so the natural person craves the spiritual light and absence it, we seek substitutes.

I just finished a documentary on Antarctica. Four months of the year, there is virtually no light. The 700 people each year who "winter" in Antarctica are a special kind of people. But the sun skirts around the horizon in August and the wintering inhabitants literally soak it in for its brief period. I find if I am absence from the light of Christ too long, I become moody and depressed just like how I feel in the long winters. I desperately need that life giving light to counter the darkness of my soul.
 

Thoughts On My Friend George

George Cull was ushered into the presence of the Lord Jesus last Monday night. George was 84 and had a number of physical issues related to his heart primarily so this was not a surprise. In fact George had a defibrillator that would shock his heart every time that his heart would stop. There were several times where George actually died and was shocked back to life.

I spent two years with George most every week as part of our CLC group. George was our elder statesman. In fact, the age range of our CLC was part of its dynamic. We had men in their twenties on up to George. There were many things that made George unique. First, George came to know Christ late in life - around 71. That is so unusual and it goes to show that it is never too late. Secondly, George was a man of compassion in service. George had a heart especially for those who gave their life in martyrdom for the cause of Christ. George reminded us not to forget those through his service with Voice of the Martyrs. George was always available to counsel those who were struggling. George and Sandy made their beautiful home (and pool) available as a tool of ministry. I remember vividly George leading our CLC group on the subject of servant leadership. George demonstrated by foot washing. I had never seen this physically illustrated and it was powerful in its reminder. Thankfully, I snapped a picture.
 

I had breakfast with George several weeks ago and got to see him about a week before his death at his house. George as always was positive. George was just a guy you felt good being around. He had this way about him that effused love and grace. He was sharp - very sharp so you could not run around him intellectually. With one exception however - he was hard of hearing and you had to remind yourself sometimes to turn up the volume.

I am reminded how diverse God's church is and that diversity is what makes it work. That is one of the benefits of CLC is this diversity of men. I will miss George greatly and am privileged to have known him. I am so grateful to God for putting him in my life and look forward to reuniting with him. 

First Impression Bias

A number of weeks ago, our company was exhibiting at a trade show. A man of large stature approached our booth as well as a very short woman both from the same organization. Now in the world of trade shows, you have to determine fairly quickly who is a potential buyer and who are what we affectionately call "lookie-loos".  You want to especially spend your time with those that can actually buy something. I ASSUMED the man of large stature was the decision maker and the woman of short stature was his assistant or someone of less importance so I spent most of my time addressing him. At the end of our demonstration, he referred to the woman of short stature as his "bosses boss". We were joking about it afterwords as we seemingly were all caught in bias. I even jokingly told my co-worker Debbie (also my spouse so I can get away with this statement) that I thought I would ask the woman of short stature to get coffee for us.

Malcom Gladwell wrote a book "Blink" that describes the kind of rapid judgment calls we make. It is called "thin-slicing". It is a necessary part of the human decision making process. As a business owner, I have to make snap judgments all the time, usually every day. But it is very dangerous when we apply it to human beings who have been uniquely made in the image of God. Stature is very misleading. Saul, the failed king of Israel was a tall man of great stature. David, God's man was "ruddy" which almost means kind of effeminate looking. Paul apparently was not a man of great stature. The apostles for the most part were men you would not pick as your football team.

My judgment call was incorrectly based on stature only and obviously an incorrect one. I think what I need and what most of us needs is a more discerning heart when it comes to people. Thin slicing is not a bad thing - we have to be able to make sound decisions on minimal information. But when it comes to people, we need to be more contemplative. We need to see them through the God lens. Each is unique and who they are in God's eyes and their potential is not always obvious. In the business context, had I looked past my sexist-height bias, I would have seen that more clearly.