Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Comic Relationships
* Scripture: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Proverbs 16:18,19, NKJV

Ah, Memories! there is nothing quite like dipping down deep into the memory bin, stirring them up a bit, watching them swirl around, and grabbing onto one or two for a trip down memory lane. I did a little stirring recently when I ran across an internet web site about comic strips - Don Markstein's Toonopedia™ Home Page. Talk about traveling back in time!
Many of the strips from the days of my youth were represented. I especially enjoyed “Out Our Way,” by J. R. Williams. It opened a new world for me, because he drew upon his experiences working in a factory, with cowboys on the range, and typical family situations. There was “Our Boarding House, “ with the ever pompous Major Hoople and his long-suffering but efficient wife, Martha. Some, like “Smokey Stover,” were pure foolishness, but the made-up words fascinated me, like “Foo’ and Notary Sojack.”
I have had a deep interest in the comic strip technique that goes beyond the quick bit of life or humor. All the essential elements of art, writing, film and video presentation all represented, and distilled to a potent essence. I used comic panels to illustrate the techniques of picture composition, movement of the story line, and compression of time in teaching television production.
I still use selected strips in teaching Bible studies. My maternal grandfather had no use for the comics, considering them to be a bunch of rubbish. Never-the-less, I find that they can be used effectively in making a point, or fleshing out an illustration.
Keep in mind that they do not have to be Biblical (although sometimes they may be, the occasional “B.C.,” or “Peanuts,” for example.) An illustration presenting what ‘IS NOT’ can be just as effective as what ‘IS’ if used properly.
Take relationships; that is what the Bible is all about, after all. Our relationships to God, and to each other - God’s creation.
I got to thinking about the characters in the “Bringing Up Father” strip, created by George McManus, about a poor Irish laborer named Jiggs, who doesn't understand why his ascension to wealth means he can't hang out with his friends, and his nagging, social-climbing wife, Maggie. Nouvea riche! Off with the old life, forward to the new, upward mobility into society. At least as far as Maggie is concerned. Art, voice lessons, fashion. Putting on airs.
Jiggs? He prefers his old friends, and corned beef and cabbage at Dinty Moore’s. The artist drew Maggie with a most critical expression on her face where Jigg’s indiscretions were concerned.
Relationships! Between husband and wife, within the family, to friends, both former and future. A place in the social order. Values, laying up treasures. Pride and humility. The higher and lower seats.
Got any ideas yet?
August 7, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Images
* Scripture: Jesus said, “They (scribes and Pharisees) do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best places in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market places. . . Mt. 23:5-7a NIV (Read Matthew. Ch. 23)

Imagine two painting hanging on the wall. Both are still lifes, showing flowers in numerous, vivid colors. Standing at normal viewing distance, little can be discerned to distinguish one from the other. At close range, however, someone who is familiar with the finer techniques of painting would see that the brush strokes, the blending and choice of the colors suggest that one painting was done by a skilled artist.
Now let’s focus our examination on the other painting. At close range, even the most casual observer can see that it has been done by the “paint by numbers” technique. The basic outlines of a design are printed on a board or canvas, with numbers that identify a color from a chart. Sort of like an advanced coloring book where a child fills in between the lines. It may be a fun way for an amateur artist to create a painting, and the design may be quite elaborate, but not something that a skilled artist is apt to do.
Given a preference, I’m sure most of us would prefer to be the skilled master artist, creating an image without restraining lines on a blank canvas, rather than filling in a fixed design all laid out for us. We would like to be able to do that with our lives, as well - freely choosing a personality and lifestyle and living it the way we want to. But paintings are not the only things created by the “paint by numbers” method.
We all model our lifestyles according to the social standards and mores about us. We “fill in the spaces” to create an image of who we are, consistent with behavioral patterns of the society in which we live. This may be a good thing if we are trying to model our life on God’s design, and not by the world’s design.
Think for a moment of the many ways people try to impress others by creating a worldly social image, especially as a status symbol. We are cudgeled constantly by advertising to develop a certain persona by adopting (and purchasing, of course) clothing, houses, automobiles, and appliances. The food we eat, the businesses we frequent, and our choice of leisure activities are taken as indicators of our worth and social standing. We are wont to emulate the rich and famous, and enjoy the elements of “The Good Life.”
My thought is this - adopting something because it is the “IN” thing is much like selecting colors from a chart and painting them into pre-established lines. Further, it is like being given a design and then forced to paint it according to someone else’s whim. Wearing an ‘Out‘ style, purchasing the ‘wrong’ product, or following the ‘dated’ trend is like getting caught painting outside the lines, or using the wrong color. Comfort, safety, health and moral issues are not necessarily considerations of the “whim” crowd, however.
Now, is religion exempt? By no means! Consider Jesus’ comments concerning the Pharisees. “Blind guides - Hypocrites”, Jesus called them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others.
Keep in mind Jesus’ words in verse 12: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Model your life on God’s design, and not by the world’s design.
March 6, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Images
* Scripture: Jesus said, “They (scribes and Pharisees) do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best places in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market places. . . Mt. 23:5-7a NIV (Read Matthew. Ch. 23)

Imagine two painting hanging on the wall. Both are still lifes, showing flowers in numerous, vivid colors. Standing at normal viewing distance, little can be discerned to distinguish one from the other. At close range, however, someone who is familiar with the finer techniques of painting would see that the brush strokes, the blending and choice of the colors suggest that one painting was done by a skilled artist.
Now let’s focus our examination on the other painting. At close range, even the most casual observer can see that it has been done by the “paint by numbers” technique. The basic outlines of a design are printed on a board or canvas, with numbers that identify a color from a chart. Sort of like an advanced coloring book where a child fills in between the lines. It may be a fun way for an amateur artist to create a painting, and the design may be quite elaborate, but not something that a skilled artist is apt to do.
Given a preference, I’m sure most of us would prefer to be the skilled master artist, creating an image without restraining lines on a blank canvas, rather than filling in a fixed design all laid out for us. We would like to be able to do that with our lives, as well - freely choosing a personality and lifestyle and living it the way we want to. But paintings are not the only things created by the “paint by numbers” method.
We all model our lifestyles according to the social standards and mores about us. We “fill in the spaces” to create an image of who we are, consistent with behavioral patterns of the society in which we live. This may be a good thing if we are trying to model our life on God’s design, and not by the world’s design.
Think for a moment of the many ways people try to impress others by creating a worldly social image, especially as a status symbol. We are cudgeled constantly by advertising to develop a certain persona by adopting (and purchasing, of course) clothing, houses, automobiles, and appliances. The food we eat, the businesses we frequent, and our choice of leisure activities are taken as indicators of our worth and social standing. We are wont to emulate the rich and famous, and enjoy the elements of “The Good Life.”
My thought is this - adopting something because it is the “IN” thing is much like selecting colors from a chart and painting them into pre-established lines. Further, it is like being given a design and then forced to paint it according to someone else’s whim. Wearing an ‘Out‘ style, purchasing the ‘wrong’ product, or following the ‘dated’ trend is like getting caught painting outside the lines, or using the wrong color. Comfort, safety, health and moral issues are not necessarily considerations of the “whim” crowd, however.
Now, is religion exempt? By no means! Consider Jesus’ comments concerning the Pharisees. “Blind guides - Hypocrites”, Jesus called them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others.
Keep in mind Jesus’ words in verse 12: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Model your life on God’s design, and not by the world’s design.
March 6, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Jesus said, “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” Mark 7:21-22 NIV
Oh wad some power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion.
--Robert Burns

It is said that Scotch poet, Robert Burns, wrote about “seeing ourselves as others see us,” after watching a louse crawl up the back of a lady sitting in front of him in church. She was decked out in the latest fashion, including a large hat with a feather plume in it. Quite proud of her appearance, no doubt!
Puffed-up pride has been around as long as there have been people. Cain’s pride got him in trouble, and so on through history. Proverbs 16:18 notes that “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
We need to have a certain amount of pride in ourselves, but of a humble sort, rather than haughty pride. A Greek axiom was “Know Thyself.” We need to be knowledgeable of our capabilities, but also our limitations. One of the most destructive traps is the pride that prevents us from admitting that we are wrong, or that we don’t know the answer.
As “Bobbie” Burns observed, “It would from many a blunder free us, and foolish notion.”
One comedy routine went something like this:
1st: “Only fools are positive!”
2nd: “Are you sure of that?”
1st: “Positive!”
Daniel observed that King Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory because his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride. (Daniel 5:20)
Jesus included pride (arrogance) as one of the things that makes a man unclean. From within, out of men’s hearts, come evils that make a person ‘unclean’. (Mark 7:21-22)
January 7, 2001

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5 b,NKJV)
It is not often that you enter a ‘skyscraper’ building from the top, and go down. Yet, I have done just that! The Pan Am Building in New York City, finished in 1963, was at that time the largest commercial office building in the world. And it had the novel feature of offering helicopter service between New York’s major airports to a heliport on the roof of the building. I experienced the thrill of flying over the city, looking down upon the roofs, and watching as we proceeded to land on the top of that skyscraper.
One of the “Superman” movies used the same scenario, but I am glad to relate that we didn’t need the ‘Man of Steel’ on my landing.
The building was later sold to Metropolitan Life Insurance, and helicopter flights were discontinued.
I have also ascended the Empire State Building, in New York City, and the Sears Tower in Chicago - by more conventional means. Though each building once ranked among the tallest buildings in the world, newer construction dwarfs even these majestic towers.
While it might seem appropriate to make some reference here to a more ancient “heaven reaching” tower, (that of Babel in Genesis 11,) I think that the reasoning for these modern towers has little to do with partaking of the power and glory of God, and more to do with making money. Lots of money!
As tall, as gigantic as these skyscrapers may be, there are two basic principles that make their construction possible. First - the taller the building, the deeper the foundation. Second - the buildings are designed to be flexible. They sway with a strong wind, and are engineered to withstand earthquakes. The well engineered building can stand with integrity; When the testing comes, they stand.
Humility is not something that you generally associate with a skyscraper. Something that seems to stand so tall and proud would not seem to be related to modest pretensions or dimensions, one of the definitions of humble. In fact, many of the definitions for ‘humble’ or ‘humility’ suggest low social, administrative, or political rank. But I also find elements more in line with the humility espoused in the Bible: self-effacing, unassertive; unpresuming, modest, unassuming. Humility, in my view, is not an indicator of shallowness, rather, the taller the building, the deeper the foundation.
So, too, personal humility is deeply rooted in moral and spiritual bedrock. Humility in God flexes when the winds of controversy swirl. The true leader does not “lord it over” others, is not mean or vindictive. They are not puffed up, nor ostentatious. The shallow roots of popular opinion will not hold when truth and justice come forth, but God will give grace to the humble.
We read of the destruction of poorly designed, shoddily built, inflexible buildings with inadequate foundations, often hastily built and boldly promoted to the monetary benefit of the owner. Are they then proud of the calamity and ruin for which they are responsible?
Lives and careers, also, collapse when the testing comes. Selfish ambition and conceit are counter to true humility.
God will give grace to the humble who are rooted deeply in moral and spiritual values. “Christ humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death.” (Philippians 2:8)