Our Daily Bread

I was surprised to come home from work and find out that I was a violator. That morning, I had put out some wood I no longer could use, expecting it to be picked up with my garbage.

The article in Newsweek magazine called it “the ultimate reunion.” Was it to be a gathering of war veterans? Perhaps a banquet in honor of our country’s living ex-presidents? No, it was nothing of the kind—just a rumor that the surviving members of the popular music group the Beatles and Yoko Ono, widow of deceased Beatle John Lennon, were “thinking of doing something together again.”

Certain names from the past can elicit a variety of responses. The mention of Hitler, for example, brings feelings of contempt. On the other hand, a great historical figure like Churchill brings a positive response. Even within the circle of our own acquaintances, we remember some individuals with thankfulness, while we think negatively of others whose lives were spent in selfish pursuits.

It was dawn, and I was painfully aware of being only a few weeks into widowhood. After another restless night, I felt too weary to pray for myself. “Lord,” I sighed, “I need someone to pray for me right now.”

As Adam and Eve faced temptation for the first time, many things were true of them that are not true of us. They lived in a perfect environment and uncorrupted society. No family influence could be blamed for their choice to do what is wrong.

My granddaughter Bree loved the circus, but she was afraid of the tiger. She had no reason to be, however, because the huge old cat had been tamed and was caged. It was hopelessly overweight, and I suspect it no longer had any teeth. Along with its lion friends, the striped beauty went through its routine in meek subjection.

Imagine waking up some morning, walking into your living room, and finding a huge man you had never seen before sleeping on your couch. That’s what happened to a Michigan pastor and his wife. In fact, it was the pastor’s wife who discovered the slumbering hulk.

Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus said, “I am coming quickly.” Since then, some have wrongly tried to predict when He will return. Others have scoffed. Was Jesus wrong? Did something happen that He didn’t foresee?

The Computer Ethics Institute has proposed 10 commandments for computer users. The laws include:

The well-known evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould wrote, “A crab is not lower or less complex than a human being in any meaningful way.” But would Mr. Gould carry out his theory to its logical conclusion? I doubt it. It’s likely that he’d think nothing of dining at a fine restaurant and enjoy eating crabmeat. But I’m sure he would be appalled if the same menu offered a dinner of grilled human flesh served with French fries.