Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com

* A Broad Brush
* Scripture: "And Nathanael said to (Philip,) 'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'" John 1:46, NKJV

There is something satisfying about painting a wall. A large, broad area, where the paint goes on quickly, all one color, with sweeping, swift strokes. A large roller applicator works well, as does a paint pad, or even a broad brush. No need to fidget around with small details; just paint away!
Paintings, too, can start with a simple background, quickly applied, using one of the broader brushes from the artist's stock of supplies. The picture itself requires a more deliberate and detailed technique to bring out the fullness of the painting.
You could efficiently paint a lot of walls, prepare a lot of canvases, making them all look alike, with no visible distinctive or individual characteristics. Sweepingly general in scope.
Not so when it comes to filling in fine detail, the kind of work that takes time and patience, but requires a much smaller brush to bring out the fulness of the design.
We can also make a sweepingly general appraisal of people that is referred to as "painting with a broad brush." Just like painting a broad, flat wall all in one color, stereotyping leaves out the individuality of people or ideas.
Nathanael used the 'broad brush' technique when he was invited to meet Jesus. Philip said, "We have found Him of whom Moses wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45)
Nathanael's reply leaves no doubt as to his opinions of the people of Nazareth in Galilee!
In contrast, Jesus knew many facts about Nathanael, and commented on his individual character - "An Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael was convinced that something good could indeed come out of Nazareth, but only after he saw and heard the finer details that pictured The Son of God!
A broad brush is a handy tool for painting walls, but let's call it what is is when we "paint someone with a broad brush." We might call it stereotyping, profiling, or just plain prejudice, but it seems to me that it is a form of false witness. What do you think? Check out Deuteronomy 5:20. Since your Bible is open, take a moment to read the first twenty-one verses of Chapter 5. Good things are worth reading over and over.
Take a tip from Philip; tell someone about Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth. The One who died, and rose again for everyone's sins.
Come and see!
April 16, 2006

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

Scripture: Acts 17:1-34 ; Paul In Athens; Luke 18:9-14, Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Balancing acts have been a favorite form of entertainment for hundreds of years. We marvel at tight rope walkers and jugglers who perform feats that we wouldn’t dare attempt. Yet each of us perform remarkable balancing acts every day of our lives.
We all want to be different from everyone else - but not too different! We want to be an individual in thought, word, and deed, not to mention dress and ornamentation. However, we also want to belong, to be part of some group. “Birds of a feather” and all that. So we try to balance between being an individual (different from other persons) and yet seek out others who strongly resemble ourselves.
Not surprisingly, all people are remarkably alike. The Bible affirms that all people came from one couple - Adam and Eve - created by God. We should, therefore, feel a special bond and relationship both to God and all other people.
Paul proclaimed that “We are his (God’s) offspring.” (Acts 17:28b) The men of Athens spent a lot of time talking about and listening to the latest ideas. They were religious, as Paul noted from looking at their objects of worship - statues, idols, and altars. However, God is not like their ‘gods’ of gold or silver or stone. He is a living God, not an idea crafted by men, nor does He ‘live’ in temples. “God did this,” Paul said, “So that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.” (vs 27)
So we are all part of a group, a family, of God’s Children, However, no two people who have ever been, or ever will be, are exactly alike! Even identical twins have individual fingerprints. Another way of identifying each of us is to scan the retina of the eye. According to news reports about better ways to screen passengers at airports, some countries, such as Israel, currently use eye scans, which can not be faked. Why is this needed? Because some people chose to do harm to others because, strangely, one way to show that we are part of The Group is by making others to not be a part of The Group.
Jesus told the parable of two men who went to the Temple to pray (Lk. 18:9-14) The Pharisee looked down on everyone else, stressed his individuality, and “thanked” God that ‘he’ was not like other people. The tax collector, however, humbled himself before God, and petitioned to be accepted into God’s family.
We are an individual; God made us so. We are also part of God’s family (group). What more could we want? Anything else is just an added burden.
October 28, 2001

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31a, NKJV

Solicitude, an attitude of attentive care and protectiveness; could aptly be defined as that time between when you hand your child the keys to the car, and when you hear the door safely close upon his or her return.
There are a lot of mixed emotions involved with the parenting of a child at any age, but it is especially difficult to watch without emotion as they step out into the wide, wide world on their own. There is pride in this moment, of course, on realizing what they have accomplished in their few years, but tempered by both the fact that this is one more step closer toward leaving the nest, and that there are many dangers and trials awaiting “out there.”
Each person, even as a child, is an individual, and though we do our best as a parent, we do not have total control over their thoughts or actions, nor should we. It is far better to lead them with lines of love than to bind them with chains of compulsion. The scriptures are filled with such admonitions, including the “Love” chapter of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13. Paul also counseled the church at Ephesus concerning love within the family, between husbands and wives, and between parents and children. (Ephesians 5:22-6:4)
Jesus summed up the Commandments, Laws and Prophets with these words: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31, NKJV)
All that about love having been said, perhaps we need to step back a little and look at children as ‘neighbors.’ Read again Jesus’ words. We “own” neither our neighbors nor our children. As full-fledged individuals, neither are extensions of ourselves. True, we have a special responsibility to, and relationship with, our offspring, but they are not possessions to be used at our whim, nor as avenues to vicariously attain goals that perhaps eluded us. I have witnessed examples where parents forced children into activities the children did not desire, have read too many stories of abused children, and observed cases where people probably treated their neighbors better than they did their own children.
What do we wish for ourselves? Certainly, we wish to love and to be loved, to be safe from harm, and the freedom to express ourselves as an individual.
While Jesus especially showed concern for little children, he expanded the “neighborhood” in the parable of The Good Samaritan . (Luke 10:25-37) And Jesus replied, “Go and do likewise”
February 6. 2005