Thoughts from 2,000 years ago that speak to us in the aftermath of the Dallas tragedy:

John the Baptist, & Jesus Christ comment on our current situation:

I was already aware of the shootings that took place in Minnesota and Louisiana.  My son spoke eloquently about the mood of our nation.   Jesus we need you We need grace. We need wisdom. We need the gospel. All solutions fall short of the gospel." I hurt for the state of 2016 America. I hurt for the pressure to pick a side over complex social issues. I hurt for Alton Sterling and his family. I hurt for the officers and their families. I hurt that in 2016 we will judge all parties from both sides on a passerby's 40sec cellphone video. I say, "Amen!" to Chad's words.  After awaking to the news from Dallas I find them even more relevant. This is not the first time that some who are responsible to keep the law have failed to do so, or have enforced the law without respect for the people they should have been protecting.  I don't think I have to convince you that the Roman legionnaires assigned to serve in far off conquered lands sometimes did so with harshness and disregard for basic human dignity.  Perhaps some soldiers had been assigned to make sure that the crowds who thronged to hear John the Baptist didn't get out of hand, or maybe they, like so many others, were simply curious about this camel-hair clad prophet.  At any rate they approached the preacher of repentance.  "Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?”  (Luke 3:14). John's reply retains its relevance.  “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with yourwages.”  (Luke 3:14)  If any readers are police chaplains, John's three exhortations provide great material for men and women in Blue to consider.  For we civilians, especially those of us who live in lands where we have input in our government, this gives a fair description of what we should expect from those who keep the peace. In His best known sermon Jesus spoke to the conquered.  If a reporter had circulated through the crowd, assembled on a hill in Galilee, she/he would have had no problem identifying stories of abuse of power.  A photographer would have been able to snap grizzly pictures of backs that had been beaten, and of wounds needlessly inflicted by over-zealous Roman soldiers--those who paid no heed to John the Baptist's counsel.    Unlike preachers like me, Jesus knew precisely the situation of the people before Him; He knew, and cared, about the contents of their hearts.  When Jesus told the people, “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two."(Matthew 5:41)  He was referring to the right that Roman soldiers had to conscript civilians to carry their equipment.  The law said they could require you to carry their baggage for one mile.  Jesus said to go beyond the requirement into the realm of kindness.  Carry it the extra mile. Check back later at my blog .  I'll share some ideas about how to apply this.  In the mean time . . . It’s STTA.

Protecting Those Who Protect Us:

Something To Think About, Angels:

It is hard to think about the murder of the two policemen in Brooklyn New York without using words like "senseless," "heinous," or "barbaric."  When those who protect us and enforce the law are attacked, not for anything they have done, but for who they are, it is a sign of trouble in our culture.  When people chant atpublic demonstrations that they want "dead cops," "now!" it is an indication that the rot is not limited to one deranged gun-man. The reality is that we live in a fallen world, and those of us who populate it are flawed.  One of the truths that the Bible puts forth is that in this world it is necessary that there be those who enforce the law, and hold lawbreakers accountable. In Romans 13 we read,  “. . . whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed the authority will receive condemnation upon themselves. "For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;” (Romans 13:2–3, NASB95).  Keep in mind who the Holy Spirit used to pen those words.  Paul was converted Jewish Rabbi.  He would eventually find himself a prisoner of the Roman government--not for doing anything wrong, but for preaching the truth.  I don't think there is any doubt that Paul knew there were problems with the Roman authority.  He certainly knew that not all Roman soldiers and officials were pure of heart.  In the First Century, as well as the Twenty-first, there were/are bad cops, but both Paul, Peter, and Jesus make clear that the default condition ought to be one of respect for, and obedience to authority (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2:13-17, Luke 20:25).  This isn't all that the Bible says on the subject, but this is foundational.  Those of us who claim to speak for the Lord need to make sure that we clearly make this point.  Maybe I'm prejudiced but I like the Apostle Paul's rhetoric, "Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same."  (Romans 13:3)  It may not chant well, and it might be too long for a sign, but it is what we need to hear. It's Something To Think About. Here are some thoughts I shared shortly after the violence in Ferguson MO began.  While I admit I don't understand it all, I, nevertheless, reinforce that we need sound and strong law enforcement, and a society that supports it.