Hard Words

 

 

“Elise,” our four year old’s brother said urgently.  “What do you call animals that lions catch and eat.”

For the last three weeks, our home has been deluged with coloring pages of lions and tigers.  Elise loves to color (some might call it scribble) and the only thing she wants to color are pictures of big cats.  Other girls might like princess pictures or things like that, but Elise has moved from an obsession with dinosaurs onto tigers.

Elise began to think.  You could see on her face that she was trying to remember if she learned about this in preschool.  “Come on, Elise,” Elliot said.  “What do you call animals that lions eat?”

At this point, something clicked in Elise’s brain.  “You call them MEAT!”  She said and shrieked with laughter.

“No,” Elliot said.  “They are prey.”

Elise was not listening to her brother at all.  “They’re meat!  They’re meat!”  She chortled as she colored a coloring page with a tiger on it a luminescent shade of green.

Lions are supposedly the kings of the jungle.  Whether or not the other animals view them as such, they have been named animal royalty by humans.

(Lions are not particularly royal, neither do they live in the jungle – they live on the savanna.)

In a way, I suppose it doesn’t really matter if you call antelopes prey or meat, the ones that are caught by lions do not enjoy their fate.  A cow on the table is steak or beef, but the name doesn’t change the life changing event that brings them to the dinner plate.

It seems as though humans are good at giving things names that soften the impact of their actions.  Pastors have moral failings rather than immoral, sinful behavior.    People don’t tell the whole truth rather than indulge in lies.

The problem is that as long as we are not honest with ourselves about the significance of our behavior, we will never have victory over it.  In Romans 12:3, Paul told the Roman Christians, “I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” (NLT)

Honesty about the severity of our sin and the impact it has had on those around us is the beginning of a new path that leads way from euphemisms and towards conquering that sin.  That is the most important thing of all.

The Real Cure

 

 

“What do you have there?”  I asked my four-year old daughter.  She seemed to be carrying a magazine that looked suspiciously like one of my medical journals.

“It is a doctor’s magazine!”  She told me proudly.

“Interesting,” I said.  “Are you learning lots of things about being a good doctor?”

“Yes,” she said with confidence.  She flipped the magazine open and stopped at a page which had pictures of people with skin disorders that seemed to have waited too long to seek medical attention.

“What are those pictures of?”  I questioned my daughter.

“These people have TERRIBLE rashes!”  She told me definitively.  I could see that my daughter, precocious as she is, has a future in the medical field.  Maybe she could even start work soon to help me out in my office.

“Do you think they need a special cream to help them get better?”

“Oh, no!”  She shook her head.  These people were too far gone for cream to help them out.  “They don’t need cream.  They need a doctor!”

I found this interchange with my young daughter quite amusing.  At the same time, there is some truth to what she said.  I see people in my office every day who thought that what they needed was not a doctor, it was a particular home remedy.  The Googled their symptoms and tried all of the things that Chat GPT recommended – twice – before finally knuckling under and coming to see me for some other treatments.

It seems that Jesus understood this for He said, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Mark 2:17)

In this case, He was speaking of people living holy, righteous lives.  Perhaps there was a little bit of a dig at the religious people of His day.  The Pharisees believed that they were “all that.”  They needed no help because they were completely righteous.

The reality is that all of us – even the best – need Jesus’ help.  We cannot truly overcome sin, questionable motivations, and bad attitudes without His help.  And yet, we struggle along, putting the same, unhelpful creams on the rashes of our soul.

What we really needed the whole time is not Dr. Chat GPT, or a special spiritual salve.  What we needed was a specialist capable of diagnosing our heart condition.  What we needed most was a Savior.

Higher than a House!

 

“Elise, what animal can jump higher than a house?”  Elise’s dad was asking her a really hard question.

Elise thought and thought.  “I think that Mr. Dinosaur can jump higher than a house!”  She told me with confidence.  (Mr. Dinosaur is a small stuffed T. Rex that hangs out with Elise at bedtime.)

Elise’s sister, Victoria, was listening in on this conversation and she decided to put in her two cents.  “No, Elise,” she said.  “Any animal can jump higher than a house, because a house can’t jump!”

“Well,” I said, trying to encourage both of my daughters.  “Elise is right that a dinosaur can probably jump higher than a house (that is, if there were any dinosaurs still around to jump), but Victoria you are right that houses don’t jump.”

I began thinking about this riddle and I realized that it isn’t totally accurate.  I suppose that any animal can jump as high as a house, but some animals simply don’t jump.  Elephants, Hippos, Rhinos, and Sloths do not jump at all, therefore they can’t jump higher than a house – they, like a house, don’t jump.

Somehow from there, my mind went to the famous theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking.  Stephen Hawking couldn’t jump higher than a house, although to turn things around a little bit, a house couldn’t jump higher than Stephen Hawking either.  I’m not sure who should feel worse about this comparison, the house or Stephen Hawking.

(I know Mr. Hawking is no longer with us, but it still is an interesting theoretical thing to contemplate.)

Then, what about Baba Yaga’s house?  Since it stands on chicken legs, surely it cannot only walk around, but jump!  Suddenly, my amazing riddle to stump my four-year-old daughter disappeared in a cloud of mythological dust.

Some of us, quite simply are over thinkers.  We analyze things to death – even children’s riddles that are simply designed to amuse and not bemuse the hearers.  The problem, of course, is that overthinking can lead to anxiety and distress.

Psalms 94:19 says, “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”  (NLT)

There isn’t really any solution for doubt and anxiety better than relying on God and feeling His comforting arms supporting us.  For, doubts do dismay and anxieties destroy peace, but God’s love reaches past all of them to give wholeness. 

He even grants peace to those of us who can’t decide who really can jump higher than a house.

Changing Things Up

 

 

“How are things going?”  I asked the older gentleman sitting across from me.

“Terrible,” he replied.  “I just don’t feel good most days.  I’m tired and out of sorts and none of my doctors can figure out what is going on with me.”

I looked up. I was one of his doctors and I could tell he was feeling frustrated.

It had been three months since Al had been in last and these were the same sorts of things he had been talking about the previous time he was in.  “Have you started using your CPAP machine yet?”  I asked him.

“No,” he said.  “I can’t use that thing.  It gives me claustrophobia.  I tried it once a year ago and I could tell right away it was a no go for me.”

“I think it would help,” I said.  “You definitely have sleep apnea.  How about smoking.  Have you cut back or quit that?”

“No,” Al said slowly.  “I haven’t really made much headway there either.”

We went over a couple of other things that I had suggested the last time he was in the office, and it turned out that he had implemented zero of them.  “I guess I’m not a very good patient, am I?”  He asked, ruefully.

“You’re a normal patient,” I said.  “Most of us struggle to do things we know we should, but I’ll keep bringing them up and hopefully as time goes by you will begin to feel better.  I know you won’t feel 17 again, but I think you could feel quite a bit better than you do right now.”

There is a famous quote (misattributed to Albert Einstein) that says, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Even as we come to the beginning of 2024, it bears asking the question, “How was 2023 for you?” 

This is not a question about financial valuation or wonderful trips.  The question is how is your relationship with God and your family today, January of 2024, compared to those same relationships a year ago?

Hopefully, you can say that they have improved over the last year, but most of us will admit that they could be better.  The question then is very simple: “What are you going to do differently next year to make sure that these things improve?”

The point is that if you do the same things in 2024 that you did in 2023, you should expect the same results.  If you spend limited time in prayer, limited time with your wife (or husband), and continue to be highly critical of your family members, there is no reason to believe that your relationships with the most important people in your world will do anything other than stagnate.

In Ephesians 4:22-24 Paul said, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

I pray that as we head into the new year, we would make wise decisions about the most important things in our lives – our relationships with God and the people around us.  If we reach January 1^st of 2025 and our bank accounts are full and overflowing and our relationships are bankrupt, that will be a disaster.  Far better to make different (better) decisions than in the past, for that is the only way that we will see the results we really want.

Inaccurate Lyrics

 

 Lo, it came to pass that a group from my church passed into yonder community round about Long Island, Virginia and sang goodly carols for a brief time the other evening.  For the space of an hour and a half or nigh on two hours, we traversed the rural roads and made a joyous if not always beautiful sound.

The older people who listened to our singing seemed duly impressed, although certainly our next stop is NOT Carnegie Hall.

As we lifted our voices, I thought upon the words of the carols.  It striketh me that many of the songs that are sung at this time are clearly not based upon reality.  There never was a magic hat that wakened a snowman from his icy stupor, nor was there a man dressed in scarlet who requested a caribou like animal to pull his sleigh because of its oddly colored nose.  In point of fact, I am not totally certain that there is a man dressed in red who lives with elves at the North Pole.

(Somehow, our group neglected all mention of the Klaus, reindeer, and snowmen in our songs.)

The hymns that speak of Christ’s birth are also full of mythology as well, as many are quick to point out.  There is no certainty that our Savior was born at night, that no crying He made, or that there were three magi.  There is nothing that tells us that Jesus was even born “In the bleak midwinter.”  Certainly, snow was not piled "snow on snow" -- at least not in the Judean hillside or the shepherds would not have been abiding in the fields.

I wonder if those who pick apart the song lyrics of Christmas carols have boring day jobs or if they are simply very literal minded individuals who despise poetry. 

It seemeth to me that far more important than the exact accuracy of the lyrics is the reality of Christ’s birth and of the joy that should bring to the lives of those who have come to know Him. 

What songs like Away in a Manger, In the Bleak Midwinter, and Silent Night lack in accuracy, they make up in pure an adulterated joy for the knowledge that though we did not deserve it, God came down to earth to love and minister to us.  For, this baby, born into a poor, common Jewish family, would grow up to save all who believe on His name.

Truly, this is what I feel when I hear Christmas carols.  This too, is what the people of Long Island felt too when we sang for them one chilly December night in Virginia.

Screen Time?

 

“I want your phone!”  The little girl wailed to her mother.  “I want your phone!”

I wondered if the girl needed to call a “lifeline” for a quiz answer or if she simply wanted to check up on the latest war news from the Middle East.  Maybe she had some stocks she needed to sell before the price dropped any more.  Since she looked like she was around three years old, I guessed that neither one of these speculations was accurate.

As the girl continued to make noise, her mother seemed to get increasingly uncomfortable.  “Alright, Josie,” she said at last.  “Here you go.”

Josie took the phone and expertly navigated the password screen and launched You Tube.  It was clear that this wasn’t her first rodeo – probably not her second or third either.

As usual, I began to analyze the scene in front of me.  The younger generation has a significantly different relationship with technology than I have.  My first computer was an Apple II Plus computer that came from a yard sale.  It had 48 kilobytes of memory and line graphics.  It was anything but addictive and playing Oregon Trail and text adventures on it was more frustrating than inspiring.  It certainly wasn't something I carried with me in the car or on my travels.

For kids, though, it is all fun and games, it entertains them when they are sitting in boring waiting rooms and seems to have no downside (other than running down the battery on their mom’s phone).

At the same time, excessive screen time isn’t healthy for kids.  I have recently read the book, “The Coddling of the American Mind” and while it isn’t the focus of the book, the authors make the point that too much screen time is unhealthy for kids.  In point of fact, the Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero screen time for children under two years of age, under one hour per day for children two to twelve years old, and less than two hours a day for teenagers and adults (yes, adults should not spend more than two hours a day starting at screens).

I wonder if the reason that adults have so much difficulty controlling their kids’ screen time is because they are uncontrolled themselves.  Adults should be limiting their time looking at screens to two hours a day or less and yet, the average adult in the United States spends slightly more than seven hours a day looking at screens.  That time is divided up between a number of different things, but 80 percent is spent watching movies, television, and online videos.  18 Average Screen Time Statistics [2023]: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much? - Zippia

The Apostle Paul told the Colossian church, “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” (Col. 3:21)  I can think of little more discouraging than for parents to expect children to do things that parents are unwilling to do themselves.

In many ways I feel like an old man yelling at clouds.  Time has moved on.  Technology is here to stay.  We drive horseless carriages around at breakneck speed and have wrist communicators.  We have more computing power in our pocket than the NASA had in its whole operation when it launched the first Apollo spacecraft.

This doesn’t stop this technology from being dangerous, both to us and our children.  More than that, history is clear that what we do in moderation our children will do to excess and what we do to excess, our children will max out.  Screens are addictive and omnipresent.  They need to be controlled or they will rule both in our lives and those of our children – even if they are only three years old.

Odd Things to be Thankful For

 

“Honey,” my beautiful wife told me.  “I have some bad news.”

My tendency towards catastrophizing kicked into overdrive.  “Is there something wrong with one of the children?”  I asked.  “Did you have an accident?”

“No, nothing like that,” Elaine reassured me.

“Then what?”  I was out of catastrophes that my mind could think of, although given another minute or two, I think I could have come up with more farfetched disasters.

“Well, as I was getting into the minivan, the door handle came off in my hand,” Elaine said.  “Now, you have to get someone to open the door for you from the inside – or you can go around to the passenger’s side and open it yourself.”

“Oh,” I said.  “Well, at least that is fixable.”

It is fixable, but it will take several days for the part to come in.  In the meantime, it is a struggle to get into the driver’s side of our van – and even more of struggle to drive if you don’t.

On the bright side of things, it is much harder for thieves to break into our van.  In fact, no one has stolen our van, nor anything out of it since this occurrence.

(I’m guessing that when thieves see our van, they run screaming in the other direction.  But I digress.)

I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

For whatever reason, our human tendency is not to appreciate the things that we have.  Health is something that many take for granted until such time as they are forced to wander into my office due to illness.

I trust that we can learn to value the things we have before we no longer have them.  Counting blessings is an important step to experiencing a happier life. 

I can say for certain that I have never been as thankful for a door handle on a vehicle as when my wife demonstrated her mighty strength by tearing ours off.

Detoxifying Tea!

 

“This tea is terrible!”  I said in a distressed voice to my wife.

“What tea is that?”  Elaine asked in a mild manner.

“This Sleepytime Detox tea,” I replied, still somewhat disgruntled.  “I’ve had Sleepytime Tea before and it was fine, although I guess I'm resistant to its effects because I never get sleepy after drinking it -- maybe that is my super power.  Anyway, it must be the detox part that I’m not dealing well with.  Have you tried it?”

“Sure,” she said.  “It was fine.  I’ve had it many times.”

“Not the Detox version,” I said.

“Yes,” she said firmly.  “I had the Detox version and I liked it fine.”

“I think the problem is that I have too many toxins in my system,” I said, a little defensively.  “My body is revolting at the idea of all of my toxins getting pulled out all at once.  They should have probably used this tea at Chernobyl -- it's just too strong for me.  And where are all these toxins going, may I ask?  Where are all my toxins going to go?”

“Don’t be so melodramatic,” Elaine said.  “You’ll be fine.  It probably isn’t doing anything anyway.  You just don’t like the taste.”

“I need someone to re-toxify me!”  I wailed.  “I’m just feeling too healthy!”

It is funny how people react to healthy diets and activities.  There are people who are firmly convinced that if they put something in their mouth and it tastes good, they should immediately spit it out as it must be bad for them.

Proverbs 13:15, 16 says, “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.  Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.”

Eating healthy foods is hard to do – at least when you first begin to do it, but in the long run, it is far easier than the alternative.  In the same way, following the path that God has set for us in His word is far easier than the path of sin, even if it looks harder.

The issue is not simply what the path asks of us, it is the consequences of taking that path.  You can choose your path, but you cannot choose where that path takes you.

A path of processed foods and overeating may seem easier.  In the long run, those who choose healthy eating patterns will be glad that they chose that path -- even if they missed an occasional dessert along the way.

It is far better to choose a little harder path that leads to good consequences – even if that path happens to be paved with bags of Sleepytime Detox tea. 

Throwing Pumpkins

 

 

“Mr. Dinosaur wants to kick these pumpkins!”  My four-year old daughter, Elise, held a stuffed T. Rex and made motions as though he was kicking the pumpkins.  Then, she proceeded to kick some medium sized pumpkins herself.

“Good job, Mr. Dinosaur!”  She said, congratulating the submissive prehistoric creature.  Certainly dinosaurs playing soccer is a bit unusual, but then again, in the Waldron house, almost anything can happen.

“Tell Mr. Dinosaur to be careful,” Elise’s dad told her.  “He might hurt his foot if he kicks the pumpkin too hard.”  Elise proceeded to ignore the wise advise of her father.

“Now, Mr. Dinosaur, let’s pick up the pumpkin!”  Elise told her stuffed friend.  So saying, she picked up the pumpkin.  “Now, throw it, Mr. Dinosaur!”

The pumpkin was big enough it didn’t fly very far, but it made a distinct thudding sound as it hit the living room floor.

“I think that’s enough,” Elise’s dad told her.  “I don’t think you or Mr. Dinosaur should be throwing pumpkins.”

“Why not?”  Elise asked.  “Mr. Dinosaur thinks this is a lot of fun.”

“Because the pumpkin will split and make a big mess.”

Elise’s lower lip quivered.  “Dad,” she said dramatically.  “You are not pleasing God!”

Unfortunately for her, Elise’s father remained unmoved.  “Sorry,” he told her.  “You may have received a divine revelation, but for some reason I haven’t gotten the same message.”

Now, Elise’s father and I are very well acquainted and I agree with him completely.  Elise was simply trying to do her very best to leverage the highest power she had knowledge of to help her get her own way.  It is understandable if a four-year old tries to do this, but there are plenty of older people, who should know better, who do the same thing.

A lot of people have not learned this lesson.  I see many people putting their own words in the mouth of the Almighty and it seems to me that this is one of the most dangerous things that we can do. 

It is not simply the idea of us prophesying about future events that do not happen – although I have seen plenty of people do that over the last several years.  When we speak any words that are contrary to revealed Scripture, we are not speaking a divine revelation.

The Apostle Paul said, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”  (II Timothy 4:3,4)

The world around us doesn’t really want to hear the messages of God.  As Chesterton said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried.”  God does not call us to lives of ease.  He calls for us to give up all in pursuit of Him.  The abundant life is not a life of wealth, but of abundant love, joy, and peace.  On the other hand, the path to being an influencer is to avoid telling people of the trials and tribulations that wait for those who follow the path of Jesus.

I pray that we might listen to the true voice of God and not the silken voice of teachers whose main goals are to get us to like them and to send them money.  More than that, I hope we never put our own words in the mouth of God, even for a purpose as silly as trying to get your dad to let you throw pumpkins in the living room.

Shopping With Your Doctor

 

 

I was sitting at the table of our church’s bake sale stand.  Mounds of sugar-filled delicacies surrounded me. Clearly, the Mennonite ladies' ovens had been working overtime in the last week.

A lady walked up and began to study the pies.  “Is this chocolate chess pie?”  She asked, holding up a pie.

I carefully read the label on the pie.  It said, 'Chocolate Chess Pie' on it.  “Yes, I believe it is,” I said.

She looked up, surprised.  “Oh, hi, Dr. Waldron.  I didn’t know I’d see you here.”

She put the pie down in an almost guilty way.  I smiled reassuringly.  “I’m just trying to help out the best I can,” I told her.

“I suppose everything is healthy?”  She asked.

“Doctor Recommended!”  I said, laughing in response.

Through the morning, I saw people who were patients at our office in Brookneal.  All seemed surprised to see me and a little sheepish at their dietary choices.  Some even explained to me how they were buying these sweets for their “unhealthy” spouse who was too much of a slug to leave the house on a fine October morning.

About mid-morning, I wondered if it wasn’t the wisest thing to have me selling baked goods. I probably should have been at the Vitamins, carrots, and celery table (that we didn't have). 

How many people would take their doctors grocery shopping with them?  How would their grocery purchases look different if they had him studying every package of fish sticks or oreo cookies that they dropped into their cart?

As a child, I learned the verses, “They eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open unto their cry.  The face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”  (Psalms 34:11,12)

There is Someone who is watching all of our actions and listening to all of our words.  This is true, even in times when we feel like we are totally alone.

God is always watching us, even when don't think about it.  The challenge is to always behave in such a way that it doesn’t matter who sees us.  For those who buy groceries as though their doctor was sitting in their shopping cart watching their every purchase are probably the healthiest folks in the grocery store.

Life Alert

 

“Dr. Waldron, it was the worst feeling in the world!”  The elderly man told me. 

“I can imagine,” I said. 

“I don’t even know what I tripped on.  I think I must have gotten my feet tangled up underneath me and I went down on the ground.  I didn’t hear a snap, but all I knew was that immediately there was a horrible pain in my left hip!” 

“That’s terrible,” I said.  I knew generally what had happened, but the hospital historical documents had been a little scanty on the details.  “Were you by yourself?” 

“That’s the worst of it, Doctor,” Hugh told me.  “Elsie was there, but you know how bad her dementia is.  I might as well have been by myself.  She knew something was wrong, but she couldn’t seem to figure out what to do to help.  I kept telling her, ‘Call 911 Elsie!’ and she kept saying, ‘What’s the number?  What’s the number?’” 

“Finally, I figured out that I wasn’t going to get any help from her and so I dragged myself across the floor to where my cell phone was sitting on top of a dresser and I pulled myself up and was able to call for help.  Fortunately, they came pretty quick and took me to the hospital.  I never want to go through that again!” 

This, of course, is why medical alert companies have sold so many bracelets and necklaces.  I have read that there around 17 million devices sold that promise to alert someone if you have fallen and cannot get up. 

Psalm 145:14 says, “The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.”

None of us wants to fall.  The famous quote is that it isn't the fall that hurts you, it is the sudden stop, but regardless of the cause of the pain, as we get older, neither falls, sudden stops, or their aftermath are fun to experience.  

Of course, not at all falls are physical.  Some are of a deeper variety and yet even there, God has promised to forgive and heal and to restore.  We may be bowed down with pain, but He will raise us up, if we only let Him.

It is such a blessing to serve a God who knows our weakness and listens to our cries when we are hurting.  It is encouraging to realize that even on days with more gravity, He will continue to help us up.  He is even better than a life alert bracelet, for He is always there -- even when the bracelet is on the counter and we are on the floor.

Baby Shark Concerto?!

 

“Baby Shark!!” My four-year-old daughter shouted, banging the piano keys like a deaf Beethoven figuring out the main melody of his 9th Symphony.  She wasn't particularly tuneful, but her harmony did keep time with her words.  “doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo.  Baby Shark!!”

“Daddy Shark!!” boomed in the second verse with even more vibration of the piano strings.  Elise was wringing every bit of emotion this song had out of it.

“Grandpa Shark!!!!”  Followed by the requisite doo-doos and clashing of keys.  I wasn’t sure if the piano would survive.  I was sure my ears wouldn’t make it.

“It’s the end…  It’s the end…  IT’S THE END!!!”  The last note was a shriek that would have made the fat lady at the opera wish she could hit notes like that, if she had just heard it. Then the sound slowly died away.

“Sounded like Baby Shark,” I said nonchalantly to my son, Vincent.

“Yes,” he said.

“Do you like it?”  I asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.  “Probably not.”

“I have an idea,” I said.  “Maybe you could someday write a theme and variations on Baby Shark – or better yet – a Piano Concerto!  The Baby Shark Piano Concerto, people would come out to hear it just because of the name.

Vincent shook his head.  This did not sound like a good plan to him and frankly, it doesn’t really to me either.  There are melodies out there that are beautiful and haunting, but the tune of Baby Shark is simply haunting.  Expanding it out to a ten- or twenty-minute classical piece of music sounds like a disaster only surpassed by the volcanic eruption at Pompei.

It strikes me that there are some things that need to be brief.  Preachers and politicians are often fond of the sound of their own voice and say with ten words what could be said with two or three words.

Proverbs 10:19 contains the wise saying, “ In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: But he that refraineth his lips is wise.”  Quite simply, we are far more likely to get into trouble when we talk a whole lot than we sit and listen.

More than that, a little bit goes a long way.  This is true when it comes to words and speeches.  It is even true when it comes to the song Baby Shark, where a single verse is better than the whole song – even if it is played by a precocious four year old on a Baldwin Upright Piano.

Thoughts on Columbus Day

 

Columbus Day is in the rear view mirror.  I grew up believing that Columbus was a man who spoke truth to power and sailed confidently into the west knowing that he would find the land of Subway, McDonald’s, and Chipotle.  Fighting through hurricane force winds and dealing with the doubts of his men, he finally arrived at a retirement community in South Florida, where he gave all of the native American residents gold plated walkers and promised them, “I shall return!”

Or something like that.

The only problem is that most of we believe about Columbus is false and when you know the truth about this man, it is hard to celebrate a man whose only strength was his bull dog determination to pursue a false idea.

Even blind squirrels find nuts, but we don’t have a national holiday for “Blind Squirrel Day.”

Columbus Wasn’t that Great

There are many websites devoted to unpacking the terribleness of Mr. Columbus.  He wasn’t the only person of his era who believed the earth was round – everyone knew it was round – he was just clueless as to the dimensions of the earth, thinking that it was only 2,400 miles from the Canary Islands to Asia, rather than the more than 10,000 miles it actually was.  Lucky for him the Americas stood in his way or he would never have made it.

More than that, he journeyed not once, but four different times to the Americas over about 15 years of time and never figured out that he wasn’t in the Pacific Ocean – even though many people back in Spain were certain that he was nowhere near Asia. 

It is hard for me to sort out how many of the claims about Mr. Columbus are true.  What is certain is that he enslaved many of the native peoples, using some of them brutally to do hard work on the islands and sending others into slavery in Spain.  Thousands of them died under the lash and more died from illnesses like Small Pox that devastated the local populations.

After his third voyage, Christopher Columbus was removed as governor in the New World by King Ferdinand and was sent home in chains.  While he was eventually released from prison, it seems clear that he was not a good governor and was removed for a mixture of reasons, including the brutality with which he treated the Spanish colonists and general mismanagement.

In fact, for the next one hundred years, he was seldom mentioned in histories of the Age of Discovery.  America was named after a different man -- Amerigo Vespucci -- and Columbus faded into the background of history.

Why do we celebrate Columbus Day?

Honestly, I am not totally sure.  It is a bankers holiday, which means that most of us don’t even contemplate not going to work.  The only way I know that Columbus Day has been and gone is that there is less junk mail in my mail box than usual.  On the other hand, 26 states don’t have any sort of holiday on the second Monday in October and only 16 states still recognize this day as Columbus Day.

Those states that still celebrate this day are renaming this holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day.  So far, seventeen have done so, but I’m guessing that more will follow suit down the road.  I think this is totally reasonable – it isn’t as though Columbus discovered some scientific breakthrough – in point of fact, there were already people in the Americas for centuries before he ever showed up.

More than anything else, this day speaks to me of the danger of elevating individuals based on the stories that have been spun about them.  We want to believe that men like Columbus, Jefferson, and Washington were great men, that the United States was blessed by the Almighty from the beginning.

The problem is that these people were human and they were fallible.  Whether or not they deserve statues is beyond me (I don’t think Columbus does), but the issue that we have is that when we elevate humans to god-like status, we feel obligated to defend them, even to minimizing or refusing to admit their flaws.

I think it was just this sort of thing that the Apostle Paul was addressing when he told the Corinthians, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  (I Cor. 11:1)  Paul wanted no statues, he only wanted people to follow the true leader.

The only one that we should deify – the only one who is truly worthy of statues is Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who did not have feet of clay.  Everyone else – generals, athletes, and even preachers -- have flaws that show up under the magnifying glass (some with out it).