Back to Basics

While at Starbucks for my usual venti drip and Sunday Times this morning, I was struck by a quote on the front page referring to President Obama's trip to Africa: "I didn't see anything fresh or new . . .It was the same things about good-governance and responsibility that we've been hearing since the 1980s". Words from Kenyan columnist Barrack Muluka. Upon reading this, I immediately thought of the preacher who ended up giving the exact same sermon for like 23 weeks in a row, each time realizing that his congregation had still not internalized the message. Perhaps Mr. Muluka does not understand that until ANY nation or continent can figure out the basic issues--like responsibility and good-governance--there will continue to be much turmoil.

We've heard messages so many times, we figure "yeah, that's outdated--heard it a thousand times--let's move on to something fresh and new and innovative". I'm guilty of that line of thinking--my guess is we all are at times. We reach for the "self help" books on the shelf at Barnes and Noble, hoping that the new young author has figured things out this time.
When all along, life really comes down to some very simple, age-old truths--that will never change!

If a family--or a city, state or country--spends more than it earns--it will begin compounding debt . . .

If we eat more calories than we burn, we will continue to gain weight . . .

If I want to be respected by those around me, perhaps I should start by respecting them . . .

And you have to love Jesus. Well, you don't have to--but seeing as how He gave His life for us . . .but really, you have to love how He would just cut right to the heart of things--the basics. Today, we have so much "static" and stuff--new technology throwing itself at us constantly--it is becoming much more difficult to see through all the mess and realize "ok, what is it that I really need to know and do?" In His day, it was the Pharisees and the Sadducees--the religious rulers--who would always be trying to "trip him up" with their rhetoric and questioning.

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Wow. And people complain about the Bible being confusing, hard to understand. Love God, and love people. Period. Talk about basic--how much more simple can it get? Please understand here, though, that I fully realize the difference between the words simple and easy. Just because Jesus' words might be simple to understand, those two commandments are anything but easy to carry out. And yet, this illustrates all the more our need to spend some time on first base before trying to run to second.

Life doesn't have to be complicated. We allow it to be. Can't say that I know any Amish people--but I'm thinking they might be on to something . . .