The title of the article this week goes around on the internet/facebook every week or so. Last week they had a picture of the comic actor Robin Williams. Williams was a fine actor, and was loved by talk show hosts. He was a great interview. He committed suicide a few years ago. You just do not know what a person is having to deal with in their lives. We should not rush to judgment with anyone. We should be compassionate to everyone.
In the last two years, I have been in judgment of the policies and character of Donald Trump. I find his bullying nature to be counter-productive to being a good citizen. His policies on trade agreements with the world, and his attitude towards other countries is not helpful. His attitude in relation to women has a history of harassment .
But, what personal battle is Mr. Trump going through, that often does not allow him to be understanding , compassionate or patient with people ? Mr Trump has gone bankrupt six times . I would think that kind of history would have an affect on your self-confidence. Mr Trump was helped by his father to get into the real estate market in New York. Depending on how you read the financial numbers, Mr Trump has not done as well as expected .
I do not want to deconstruct the personality of Mr. Trump, but we are all dealing with some stuff out of our past. The Apostle Paul, the early church teacher, preacher and leader, killed some Christians before he became a believer in Jesus Christ. That would have shaped who he was as a leader of this movement. Some Christians would never trust him in the church. How did he deal with criticism from those people. Read his second letter to the church at Corinth, to see how he deals with people who are disappointed in him.
In the church where I grew up, we were one of the poorer families . I felt it at times, but for the most part I did not think about. How has that affected me as a person in the way that I relate to people on the margins , and to the people who are wealthy ? We are the sum of all of our experiences that we have in life. I am not sure what it all adds up to in my life. I am still looking for the sum total, and then something happens in my life, and I have to rearrange the totals.
Paul wrote many letters to early churches. We have quite a few of them in the New Testament . At the end of most of these , he tries to sum up the letter by telling the communities should be about in their activities . In the letter to the people of Philippi ( in Greece today ) he tells them to, “ .. Let your gentleness be evident to all … do not be anxious about anything …and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds…
Let your hearts be guided and guarded by God. You never know what your neighbor, your friend or your foe might be dealing with in their lives. You know what your are dealing with everyday.
Shalom and strength,
Fred Redekop
Ponder Anew 