9/15/10

The skinny

Art imitates life; a very old (and perhaps a bit overused) but very true statement. This little cartoon caught my attention for several reasons: Its cute, its funny, its modern, its true, its the future. In short, it is what is happening now. Communication is changing! I grew up with a transistor radio by my side and when I was 11 or 12, that was the cool thing to do. Today, High definition TV, Netflicks, Pandora, blogs, twitter, and e-mail have come into our lives. Wow, have things changed! Changed from what? Old ways of doing things, like writing with a paper and pencil or doing math WITHOUT A CALCULATOR. When I was thinking about this, the following came to mind.

2 Timothy 4:1-13 (WEB)
1) I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom:
2) preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.
3) For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;
4) and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside to fables.
5) But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.
6) For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.
7) I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.
8) From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.
9) Be diligent to come to me soon,
10) for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
11) Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
12) But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
13) Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.
(2 Timothy 4:1-13, WEB)

Paul didn't have long to be in this world and he knew it. Yet, his mind was focused not only on a review of some of the last things he had to do, but on the future. He thought of books and especially of parchments. What books, what parchments? Doesn't say, so I don't know. I do know that he used both the Greek bible (Septuagint) and the Hebrew Bible, so they may have been what he asked for, but this is speculation on my part. What matters is that he had a mind-set for learning, for thinking, for personal growth. If he were alive today, I wonder what HIS BLOG WOULD BE ABOUT? Maybe, Hebrews for heaven? Who knows, but I would like to read it, whatever it was called.

Its all in the funny papers??

This young man is doing what kids like to do: read the funnies. Perfectly natural thing for him to do and just an ordinary picture. Yet it does say something about him; he likes to read. From the intensity of his effort, I would say he REALLY LIKES TO READ! When I saw this picture, I asked myself, what makes us who we are? Is what we do the sum and substance of our identity? After a little thought, this passage from the book of Luke came to mind.

Luke 3:23-38 (WEB)
23) Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24) the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25) the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26) the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,
27) the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28) the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,
29) the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30) the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31) the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32) the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33) the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34) the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35) the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36) the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37) the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
38) the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
(Luke 3:23-38, WEB)

Where we come from is also important! This is why two genealogies of Jesus are found in the New Testament, one in Luke and one in Matthew. The people who have contributed to our genetic makeup have contributed to our life! We still have choices and will reap the consequences of our actions, yet knowing something about our ancestry will add another dimension to our self-understanding. Who is this boy? My grandson, Mike! If you don't know him, don't worry about it, by this time you know me and therefore you know something about him. One more thing, a few years ago he looked exactly like I did when I was young. Fortunately, he has overcome that obstacle and has become better looking now.