Job’s friends have a Res Ipsa Loquitor view of suffering. Res ipsa loquitor is Latin for “the thing speaks for itself.” This is a lawyer’s argument to prove negligence when traditional evidence may be lacking. For example, if an X-ray reveals a pair of forceps left inside a patient following surgery, the mere presence ofContinue reading “There Are Exceptions to the Principle of Sowing and Reaping. Job 21:13.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Jelly Roll and Jeremiah. Jeremiah 11:14.
Image from 20 the Countdown Magazine. The people of Israel made God angry many times: by doubting him, by worshipping idols, by questioning the leadership of Moses, by having too little faith to enter the Promised Land, and more. God reacted to their disobedience in many different ways: with mercy, grace, silence, punishments that wereContinue reading “Jelly Roll and Jeremiah. Jeremiah 11:14.”
The Weeping Prophet Curses His Birthday, but Maintains Hope.
Dear Diary, Every day is hard now. I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a nice meal and a few laughs. It’s all so serious all the time. God continues to give me messages of doom and destruction. Honestly, no one even knows my name anymore. They just say, “Here comes the weeping prophet.”Continue reading “The Weeping Prophet Curses His Birthday, but Maintains Hope.”
Gratitude Will Make You Happy; Comparison Will Make You Unhappy. Jeremiah 45:3-5.
Some lives are harder than others. They just are. Nothing is “fair” and things do not even out. Most of us today live in an age of antibiotics and vaccines for childhood diseases. We have clean drinking water, pasteurized milk, and more food than we can eat. Many parents will never bury a child. ThoseContinue reading “Gratitude Will Make You Happy; Comparison Will Make You Unhappy. Jeremiah 45:3-5.”
Don’t Make Your Job Complicated—Obedience is Simple. Jeremiah 22:3.
What is your job description? Some are clearly defined: ride the back of the trash truck and empty trash cans into the truck at each stop. Others are loosely defined: be my personal assistant, show up at 8 every morning and do whatever I ask until I send you home. What is the job descriptionContinue reading “Don’t Make Your Job Complicated—Obedience is Simple. Jeremiah 22:3.”
How to Respond to Scandals in the Church. Jeremiah 48:10.
I was the best man in Joe’s sham wedding. The wedding was Joe’s way of hiding his interest in children. I eventually found out about his past convictions in Tennessee, and when he later wound up in prison, I was pleased, having gained knowledge of a great deal of fraudulent acts and crime for whichContinue reading “How to Respond to Scandals in the Church. Jeremiah 48:10.”
Are You Jealous or Envious? Zephaniah 1:4.
Envy and jealousy are not the same thing. Do you know the difference? I like to think in terms of first, second, and third person. Envy is a situation in which the first person wants what the second person has—and the third person plays no part. Envy requires only two persons, where jealousy requires three.Continue reading “Are You Jealous or Envious? Zephaniah 1:4.”
Do You Live in the Kingdom of NO? Nahum 3:8-10.
Small children love to say ‘no.’ They are quick to discover agency and autonomy. They don’t know the big words, of course, but they understand the ideas: I don’t have to do what Mommy says. I can choose to do what I want. Even toddlers will assert themselves by saying No to everything. My cousinContinue reading “Do You Live in the Kingdom of NO? Nahum 3:8-10.”
Be NUMBER ONE! … at Prayer. 2 Chronicles 35:3.
Image: New York City’s famous Chess Tables in Washington Square Park–one of many pastimes available to the recently retired. We raise children under constant talk of college and career: You need to read more so you can get into a good college. You need to practice your lacrosse so you can get a scholarship. YouContinue reading “Be NUMBER ONE! … at Prayer. 2 Chronicles 35:3.”
When Clergy Become Abusers. Jeremiah 5:26-29.
Image. (I have not read this book, but I like the cover.) Eighty-eight-year-old Pope Francis died this morning and rather than the customary few days of kindness in the press, only hours after the man’s death critics are shouting that he did too little to address the clergy sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic church. MembersContinue reading “When Clergy Become Abusers. Jeremiah 5:26-29.”
Household Words: 