The Pursuit Of Pleasure
The United States Declaration of Independence says that one of our unalienable rights is "the pursuit of happiness." I think we would all agree that pleasure, the agreeable reaction of our senses to some stimulus, is a king-size ingredient of happiness. Most people spend much of their leisure time pursuing pleasure in the hope of finding happiness.
The Most Influential
Many of us own a copy of the Bible. Some of us may have many copies in different versions and even different languages. This ancient book, written originally in Hebrew and Greek, with small portions in Aramaic, is still "the most influential book in history" according to a 1996 survey of United States citizens.
Waiting
In the 1940s, Samuel Beckett wrote a play called Waiting for Godot, which is now regarded as a classic. Two men stand on an empty stage, hands in their pockets, staring at each other. All they do is stand and stare. There is no action, no plot, they just stand there waiting for Godot to come.
Living For God
The practice of some believers in Ireland centuries ago can help us in our spiritual journey today. They wanted to be aware of God's presence in every activity of life. For example, they would say this prayer when they woke up in the morning: "Thanks to Thee, O God, that I have risen today to the rising of this life itself."
Building On The Bible
What can be done to improve society? An MTV political correspondent had this unexpected but praiseworthy suggestion: "No matter how secular our culture becomes, it will remain drenched in the Bible. Since we will be haunted by the Bible even if we don't know it, doesn't it make sense to read it?"
Worshiping Nature's God
Consider the ad that appeared in the June 1998 issue of Outside magazine. Under the picture of three fishermen is the following text: "The waters are their church. The rocks are their pulpit. And they worship a 20-pound steelhead that moves in mysterious ways."
A 'Must Read' Book
Shortly after the novel Gone With The Wind had been published, a young woman sat beside a history professor at a dinner. Trying to make conversation, she asked him if he had read it. "No," the professor answered. The woman admonished, "You'd better hurry up. It's been out 6 weeks." Then the professor inquired, "Have you read Dante's Divine Comedy?" "No," the woman said. The professor responded, "You'd better hurry up. It's been out 600 years."
Who Deserves The Credit?
Historian Stephen E. Ambrose believes that heroes made the United States "the best and greatest country that ever was." He attributes its greatness to presidents like Washington and Jefferson and to explorers like Lewis and Clark. Ambrose wrote, "God had nothing to do with it. It was people that made it."
Profit And Loss
Publisher Frank Doubleday had a one-of-a-kind book that was bound in red, Russian leather. He called it the Book Of The Law And The Profits. Unlike the portions of the Bible that we call the Law and the Prophets, Doubleday's book was an account of his business dealings and his financial profits. According to author George Doran, the red book contained Doubleday's morning prayers and evening vespers. In other words, it seemed that he worshiped money.
