Category: writing


Biking Across America: From Sea to Shining Sea

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December 14, 2011

In 2010, at age 49, Bruce Moore quit his job and spent three months cycling the TransAmerica Trail from Virginia to Oregon. Moore shared pictures, memories, and learning experiences from the trip with the group at the December meeting of King of Glory Lutheran Church’s GUSTO! program on Monday. Following corrective heart surgery in 2009 for a previously undiagnosed pediatric condition, Moore became determined to accomplish his three main goals. Having cycled in college, he wanted to bike across the country. He also wanted to write a book and start his own company.

After planning and preparing all winter, and training during the spring, Moore departed from  Yorktown, Virginia on May 8. As he told the audience, the journey took 93 days. Moore rode  4,105 miles, riding for 79 days with 14 days rest. While he traveled by himself, with his wife, Kristin, meeting him a few times along the way, he was rarely alone.

Moore shared pictures and stories of fellow cyclists with whom he had ridden, as well as good Samaritans along the route who welcomed the travelers, giving them water, treats, and shelter for the night. One woman has been serving water, lemonade, cookies, and shelter to cyclists on the TransAmerica Trail for many of its 35 years of existence. The trail was mapped out in 1976 for the Bicentennial. Six thousand riders made the trip that first year. About 500 cyclists make the trek each year, some eastward bound and others headed westward.

An entertaining speaker, Bruce Moore described being dive-bombed by a hawk, seeing nothing in either rearview mirror but a huge wing. He spoke of the lack of vegetables in rural areas. Of being welcomed by three churches along the way whose congregations had formed a ministry to welcome cyclists traveling along the trail. Of his habit of eating at local diners for social interaction and friendly smiles.

On August 8, after 4,105 miles, 42 nights camping, 42 nights in hotels, 6 nights in hostels, and 3 nights in churches, Moore met Kristin in Florence, Oregon. He dipped his front wheel in the Pacific Ocean, having dipped his rear wheel in the Atlantic three months earlier, completing the journey from sea to shining sea. Moore launched his own software company upon returning to Dallas. Counting the blog as a book, he accomplished all three goals. He is now working on other goals.

Bruce Moore’s cycling adventure also raised funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. His blog may be found here.

Peace be with you.

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The Dartboard Incident

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December 12, 2011

My family lived in Waco, Texas when I began attending elementary school. I had a friend whose family lived in one of the largest homes of anyone I have personally known. Although it might not seem as expansive now. While I do not remember his name (I’ll call him Rick) or how we became acquainted, I distinctly remember parts of the house and activities we were involved in. There were parts of the house I never saw.

There were small enclosed stairs at the back entrance – or one of the back entrances – that led to a small, seemingly hidden room on the second floor, and a larger room on the third floor. The smaller room was a reading room of sorts, and I think that the larger room was the entirety of the third floor. The only access to the rest of the house was through a short hall on the second floor leading from the stairs and reading room. The larger room had a large tv – for the time – an easy chair, a sofa, a coffee table, and little else I cared about noticing at the time.

Behind the easy chair was a cardboard box about 3’x3’x3′ that was always at least half full of candy of all sorts. When I spent the night at Rick’s house, we would wake up early and walk to what I think was one of the first 7-11s. Either way, it opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 11 p.m. If we were up before six, we would play in the large pile of dirt in the middle of the construction site next door to the convenience store.

At the store we would buy a bunch of candy, take it back to Rick’s house, and add it to the candy in the cardboard box. After a couple of visits, I discovered that Rick had rules for the box of candy. Regardless of how much candy I put in the box, I could only take out one piece at a time. And not whenever I wanted to. I did not contribute to the stash of candy after that.

On one such sleepover, the two of us were in the short hallway between the reading room and the door to the rest of the house – which was closed. On the back of the door was a dart board. Rick was being cruel for some reason and would not let me have a turn at throwing darts. Which was not how I had been taught to treat a guest.

I protested for what seemed to me like a good while. Certainly longer than I thought it should take to get my turn at darts. Exasperated, I stood in front of the dartboard with my hands out, telling him I would not move until he gave me the darts. I was not all that confident after Rick told me if I did not move he was going to throw a dart anyway. The interchange repeated several times. Until he threw the dart into the palm of my hand. I stood there with a dart sticking out of my palm, staring at him in disbelief, asking him why he would do that.

“You should have moved,” Rick said as he snickered and shrugged his shoulders.

My hand did not hurt until after I pulled the dart out. Then it stung considerably. I do not recall staying at Rick’s house after that. I may have, but if I did, it was never the same. The trust was no longer present. Granted, I might have continued protesting without standing in front of the dartboard, but that was having little effect. Then again, he could have been a kind host and let me take a turn. He also never apologized.

I was beginning to learn that not everyone lived – or tried to live – by the golden rule. Or by “loving thy neighbors as thyself” as the Bible says. I was also beginning to be the recipient of looks and remarks when I stuttered. I had often heard people say that I would grow out of my stuttering. Since that was beginning to look less and less likely, people were beginning to assume that something was wrong with me. I was certainly not normal. While I was used to snide remarks and looks, physical pain at the purposeful hand of another was something new. As to the dart situation, it was difficult to ascertain which hurt more – my pride or my hand.

Through the years, I have seen, and heard of, people making a sheer mockery of the golden rule. I have also learned how difficult the golden rule is to follow. I have long since forgiven Rick. I do not even remember his right name or the pain of the dart in my hand. Regardless of the difficulty, I keep trying to treat others as I want them to treat me. But I keep track of my own candy and I do not play darts anymore.

Peace be with you.

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The Future of Journalism

Filed under: Communications, Current events, writing — 1 Comment
November 22, 2011

Will journalism survive the digital age? If it does, what will it look like? Will it be profitable or subsidized? These were the questions discussed by the panel that included David Sedeno, editor of The Texas Catholic/El Catolico de Texas, Sam Hodges, managing editor of the United Methodist Reporter (UMR), and Jeff Weiss, reporter (and past religion writer) for the Dallas Morning News (DMN). The journalists were speaking to members of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) at their October meeting, held at Christ United Methodist Church, Farmers Branch.

Moderating the informal discussion was Cherrie Graham, Chapter President and advertising manager at UMR. “Looking at the first question, Will journalism survive? Well, it has to, it doesn’t have any other choice.” The question is not will it survive, but how will it survive?”

During his response to the question, David Sedeno discussed the elements for successful publications in today’s media environment. “Let’s not give up on printed product yet, in terms of niche [religion] publications. The four things I look at [for success of print publications] are content – not content as content, it has to be relevant. So the second thing is relevance. The third, obviously, is technology. You have to take a look at the capabilities you have to extend your reach. The third, and probably the most important one, is partnerships.” Sedeno went on to explore the avenues of partnership.

Media applications on tablets are partnerships, using advertising from both sources to affect the financial outcome. In 2001, DMN entered into a partnership with a website in Mexico that wanted their content to translate into Spanish. Which illustrates not only a partnership, but content that is relevant to readership. Sedeno added that while he does not think that paper products will come to an end, “tablets are certainly taking a big bite out of everything.” Tablets are portable and you can take them places you couldn’t take a laptop. In addition, the applications open up new avenues of revenue. But it all goes back to content that is relevant, and partnerships.

Jeff Weiss, “the only one [of the three panelists] still employed by the Dallas Morning News,” began by saying that when he woke up that morning, “it was cold and wet.” “I picked up my iPad…and opened the e-edition of DMN and it looks exactly like the print version. And that’s how I have increasingly read the newspaper. I’ve been comfortable with the title ‘content producer’ long before some of my colleagues were. Because that’s what I do – I generate content.” Addressing the religion communicators directly, Weiss stated that with fewer and fewer people and less and less money, mainstream media has a smaller and smaller stream of what they can cover. “Which makes what religion publications do so much more important to their target audiences and people who want to get the word out for them.”

In response to the question – how will journalism be paid for – Weiss stated that he does not know “where we (Dallas Morning News) will be in five years time.” The newspaper continually has less people and less content while asking people to pay more for it. “At a certain point, we can no longer be producing enough content that people will be willing to pay to read it.”

“Are we there yet?” Weiss asked. “I don’t think we are. Even in its diminished form the Dallas Morning News is still producing way more general content than anybody else in the area. And there is still an audience for that. And as a business proposition, we have more advertising dollars than anyone else in the area. So advertisers are going to be willing to pay for that as long as they see results.” While he is fairly certain that he could make a decent living writing for online publications and websites, he would not receive the benefits that he does with DMN.

“I think the larger truth, that David was speaking to, and Jeff, too, is the decline of mass media and an era of fragmentation,” said Sam Hodges. “It’s a wild frontier out there. And I think journalistically there are advantages to having fewer gate-keepers, and some real disadvantages. I think the question mark is the economic model. What underwrites professional journalism, the gathering of news, analysis, etc.?

The world is becoming flat and also fragmented at the same time. You can communicate instantly with anybody in the world and yet we all seem to be in our little villages at the same time. If you are passionately interested about [a particular subject] there is something on the web that will satisfy you. Journalism might be part of a bigger shift in American life that disadvantages the middle class.

Because, it seems to me, that we had an era where what went away were pension plans. What you got next were 401K plans, and then, suddenly, employers weren’t contributing to 401K plans anymore. And now I think phase three is that salaried, benefitted jobs, especially in journalism, are going to continue to decline. You’ll have people working as freelance writers or maybe on contract and they’re responsible for their own benefits and vacation pay.”

While the discussion was lively and informative, there were few clear answers. Religion and niche publications have a more secure future than mainstream media, but what form that future may take is still an unknown factor. The emphasis, however, will be on adjusting focus to attract succeeding generations in a changing world, such as The Texas Catholic’s Texas Catholic Football publication to engage the younger generation. As well as broadening the options available, like UMR, with advertising partners and printing services. But the future of journalism will still depend on what has kept it alive and vibrant for years. Content, relevance of that content, technology, and partnerships.

Peace be with you.

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The Future of Journalism – RCC D-FW Chapter Meeting

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October 20, 2011

September Meeting

The Future of Journalism will be the subject of the October  meeting of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), an interfaith organization. The presentation will be a panel discussion with panelists including Sam Hodges, managing editor of The United Methodist Reporter, David Sedeño, editor of the Texas Catholic / El Católico de Texas, and Jeff Weiss, long-time reporter and religion writer for the Dallas Morning News. Also invited is Jake Batsell, assistant professor for digital journalism at SMU. Providing additional input (although a schedule conflict precludes his attendance) is Ken Camp, managing editor of The Baptist Standard.

Questions to be considered include:

Will journalism will survive the digital age? If so, what will it look like or in what form?

How will journalism be paid for? Is it possible to make a profit or will it be a non-profit or subsidized “public good”?

Will the news be good? Why?

The meeting will be held at Christ United Methodist Church in Farmers Branch on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 12 – 1:30 p.m. The $15 fee will include lunch. Please email or call Deb Christian, RCC Secretary, at dchristian@umr.org, 214.630.6495 x147 by Monday, Oct. 24 to make reservations. Bring your own thoughts and answers to these timely, pertinent questions.

I will be the host for the meeting. The discussions are always lively and informative with timely, relevant topics. This particular topic is of major concern to communicators, journalists, and writers as we look forward to the future with technological advances, social media, blogs, news feeds, etc.

Peace be with you.

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To Your Health: Air and Water Quality in North Texas

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October 8, 2011

Which is safer, bottled water or tap water? Who or what causes over 85 percent of the lung-damaging ozone air pollution in the D/FW area? How is your “rain tax” used? What is the rain tax? Myron Knudson, Senior Policy Advisor of the Environmental Protection Agency, will answer these and other questions at King of Glory Lutheran on Monday, October 10 at 10 a.m. as part of the Gusto! event series. Coffee and conversation will be served at 9:45 a.m.

Knudson will discuss health and environmental conditions in the D/FW Metroplex relating to air and water quality. How can we trust that these life-giving essentials—air and water— will not harm us? Knudson is senior policy advisor to the EPA’s regional administrator. He is a 40-year veteran of the EPA, serving as director of the surveillance and analysis division, the water management division, and the Superfund division. He has held his present position since 2003. Before joining the EPA, he worked for the U.S. Public Health Service and the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration.

The Gusto! Series, presented by King of Glory Lutheran Church, began its 2011-2012 series on Wednesday, September 7th, at 2 p.m. by attending Theatre Three for a production of Wild Oats. The events continued on Monday, September 12th at 10 a.m. with Jac Alder, Executive Producer-Director of Theatre Three presenting 50 Years in the Round: Jac Alder and Theatre Three. GUSTO! programs are diverse and designed to stimulate intellectual growth and expand personal interactions in a Christian environment.

Although GUSTO!’s programs are directed primarily at mature adults and retired and semi-retired people, all are welcome to attend. Activities focus on intriguing topics that inspire learning, follow-up activities that explore special interests, and opportunities to share skills, talents and life experiences. GUSTO! meets regularly at the church on the second Monday of each month, September through May. Additional field trips, workshops and special events are offered at other times during the month. Guests are always welcome.

Peace be with you.

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Useless Until Useful

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October 3, 2011

There are a number of boxes, gadgets, and doohickies in our shed, closets, and drawers that we have kept because they “might be useful some day.” They just sit there waiting – hoping that someday they fulfill their purpose – useless until useful. I walked out into the backyard this morning and discovered that Cyndy found a use for a box I decided to hang on to a few days ago. The box had acquired a secondary purpose. Like the doohickey – or thing-of-a-jig – that becomes the perfect “tool” to complete an odd job around the house.

Once a “might be useful someday” object serves a purpose it is no longer possibly useful. It is indispensable. It can collect dust for years, but it will not be thrown away. On the premise that because it has been useful once – or twice as the case may be – it will inevitably be useful again. Even though that might not be the case.

I have found that for some people, and some Christians, the Bible is simply one of those things to have around because it might be useful some day. They take it to church on Sunday if they remember it. “After all, they have one in the pew.” Then they never actual open it. Why bother when the lay reader is reading it to them. And the preacher will remind them if their thoughts happen to drift.

But – sure enough – a time comes when their Bible becomes useful. Tragedy strikes family or friends. A job is lost, a relationship ends, or any one of any number of life-changing events occur. Then their Bible again has purpose. It eases their mind, softens their heart, soothes their soul, or simply provides comfort. Their Bible has become indispensable.

Unfortunately, there are too many Christians to whom the Bible is something waiting to be useful. They have not discovered the life-changing story of the Israelite’s history, the life and death on the cross of Jesus, or the forgiving grace of God. They have not felt their “heart strangely warmed” as John Wesley did. They have not had their souls cleansed with God’s grace.

With persecuted Christians around the world clamoring for Bibles and materials to continue their spiritual journey with Christ, it is sad that many Christians in our part of the world have a Bible that they never use. I have had a Bible – and have been a Christian – for as long as I can remember. Beginning with the pocket-size New Testament I received when I began attending Sunday school. I have always had a Bible at hand. Unfortunately though, there were times when I felt I was keeping it around “in case it was useful.”

When I finally felt the Lord’s nudging and again opened my Bible for study and prayer, I ceased to think of the Bible as being “potential useful.” It is a part of my day, my life, my profession, and our family life. I feel uncomfortable when too much time has passed since our last visit. The Bible, once thought of as potentially useful, has become indispensable.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 NRSV.

Peace be with you.

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“Step On a Crack, Break Your Mother’s Back”

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September 30, 2011

I was walking to our sons’ school with the youngest son’s football gear stuffed in my backpack. Cyndy was running errands after dropping them off at school. In the waking up atmosphere of sleepy-eyed confusion in which things can slip teenage minds, J.D. had forgotten his gear on the couch. Of course, he had to have it right away. It was a hot and fairly humid day. Which was not conducive to walking long distances on sidewalks with slight, intermittent, shade.

When I am walking, I watch the ground ahead of me – for several reasons. For one thing, I walk quickly which requires watching the terrain. And by watching the ground ahead of me, I am not constantly reminded of how far away my goal is at any given time. I have also found a large number of coins over the years (albeit mostly pennies).

I walk in long strides, setting up a quick rhythm. Inevitably, I set my stride with the aim of missing the cracks in the sidewalk. Lengthening my stride when the situation requires it. At some point the superstition of my youth slips through – bringing to mind the phrase we used to say.

“Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.”

Do I believe it? Not really. Do I avoid the cracks? You betcha – just to be on the safe side. And I will have you know that to this day my mother has not broken her back. A few other things maybe, but not her back. I will also have you know that I do not think my avoiding cracks had a thing to do with it.

Yet, as I was walking to my son’s school, I was avoiding the cracks. Mostly to set up a rhythm in my stride, but avoiding the cracks nonetheless. That got me to thinking – as walking is wont to do – about avoiding cracks and hedging bets.

As a general rule, I can set a rhythm or pace and move quickly along while still avoiding the cracks. As we as Christians can go about our life in the secular world, avoiding the larger, more obvious sins. But then I come across a section of sidewalk – or life – that has begun to show wear, causing a conundrum. There are so many cracks that even a hop-scotch afficionado would have trouble traversing the area.

So which cracks count in the break your mother’s back scenario? If it is a natural part of the sidewalk which was purposefully made that way, is that considered a crack? Is it just the cracks that have developed over time from wear and weather that count? Or do all cracks count, causing the situation to be crucially problematic?

In our Christian lives the question – considering the cracks as sins – is which sins to avoid. Which cracks are actually sins? And which cracks are part of the sidewalk as it was made? When we come to the section with too many cracks to avoid them all, which do we choose not to avoid?

We are human and cannot avoid all sin. And not all the cracks in life’s sidewalk are sins. Some cracks are merely faults in the sidewalk. Fortunately, “step on a crack, break your mother’s back” is just a game. Unfortunately, life is not a game. Even though it might seem that way at one time or another. Some of the cracks we try to cross in life are wider and deeper than we could have imagined.

When we reach those rough spots in life’s sidewalk, we wonder if we took the wrong path – if we are on the wrong sidewalk. We are unsure which cracks to avoid and which cracks are okay to step on. What false idols we have succumbed to and need to avoid, and what we should be embracing more than we are.

During those times of rough spots, when our paths reach too many cracks in the sidewalk and other obstacles, we need to recall what Paul said to the Corinthians. “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” Corinthians 10:13.

As we walk along life’s sidewalk, we need to put our faith in God, and trust the path we take. By the grace of God we make it to the end of the sidewalk.

 Peace be with you.

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Being Between Holes

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September 26, 2011

Occasionally, I begin to notice that I keep adjusting my belt. It is not due to a major shift in my weight. I weigh about the same as I did in high school – give or take five pounds at any given time. And I am way past high school. 

When I buy a belt, it fits snugly. Maybe right after my jeans have been washed, the belt might feel a little loose, but when my jeans work back out, it fits fine again. Inevitably, at some point in time, I begin to notice that I need to tighten up the belt a little. But sure enough, when I try to tighten it, I find that I cannot do so without discomfort. I find that I am once again in my personal twilight zone of being “between holes.”

When I bought the belt I had a two hole leeway. Both worked okay, but one a little better. Where did that leeway go? Okay, the belt is leather and leather will flex a bit after time – I get that. And jeans tighten and loosen – I get that, too. But the holes are the same distance apart they always were – within a fraction of an inch. And although I am at the age that my body is beginning to shift, it has not as yet affected my waist.

It is not a recent occurrence. The situation is the same with our son’s belts – when they wear them. Many times I have taken out my pocket knife and fashioned a new hole in a belt. But that is only a temporary solution and does not work for any thing resembling a formal event. And, unlike the original holes, it tends to grow, sometimes splitting the belt in the middle to the next original hole or simply splitting it in half.

Unfortunately, it is not a problem for which I think there will be an easy solution. But it did get me to thinking about the times in our lives when we find ourselves “between holes.” We receive life with all the right holes – with a two hole leeway. We keep going back and forth between one hole and another. Because we do not keep on a steady path, our faith stretches, the human factors flex, and we find we need another hole. Which we try to make ourselves. But the holes we make are inferior to the original holes and do not stand up to wear and tear.

The “between hole” theory can apply to our bodies, the planet, and our faith. We take what we are given, as perfect as it can be, and flex it, stretch it, use it, and abuse it until we suddenly find ourselves between holes. Then we think we can solve it on our own. We make another hole. But our solutions are only temporary and usually do not stand the test of time.

We need to work within the boundaries of what we were originally given. Stay within limits and follow the path we know we ought to and take care of what we have been given. We should listen to the Lord and demonstrate – toward others and our planet – a “love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.” 1st Timothy 1:5.  

Peace be with you.

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The Hen that was a Rooster

Filed under: Current events, Family, Theology, writing — 2 Comments
September 20, 2011

There is a rooster next door. Which would be insignificant if we lived in the country, but that is not the case. The family thought they were buying a third hen. I am not quite sure how that worked, but I have to assume it is possible. The rooster is apparently not so sure himself that he is, indeed, a rooster. His crowing has not been tremendously loud – though still annoying – but it is also not refined. He almost sounds hoarse.

I do not know whether it is attributed to his lack of experience or his cognitive insufficiency, but this rooster has no idea when he is supposed to crow. While he does crow in the morning, the crowing does not coincide with the rising of the sun. He is also prone to crow at any time of day, particularly if the hens are clucking. He began crowing about 11:30 the other night. Apparently, to this rooster, porch lights, airplane lights, or even lightning bugs resemble the sunrise to our neighboring rooster.

The rooster’s annoying crowing got me to thinking that we all go about our daily lives “crowing” about insensitive drivers, people who will not put their phones on vibrate during meetings or services, those who make us wait for no apparent reason, and the person who looks at us as if it is our fault when we know darn well it certainly is not. At the same time, we pray, and ask for God’s help to get us through some – ultimately at least – minuscule situation. A situation which must appear to God as relatively insignificant as those fleeting incidents that tick us off during the day.

All of us must admit that we know someone who constantly crows. About how good a Christian they are perhaps. About how they do not understand why people do not see things their way. And so on and so forth. Unfortunately, we must also admit that we do some crowing ourselves.

When it occurs to me – often in mid-sentence – that I am crowing on, shall we say, I try to quickly change course. After, that is, finishing the sentence that gave my mouth a bad taste. If I tarried too long over the line, my face goes flush with embarrassment. At least it feels like it does. I can recall times in which it was evident in the look on the listener’s face that I had indeed blushed. Their look also let me know that I had been caught crowing. Which made me want to become part of floor and slide away.

Maybe the rooster’s crowing irritates me because he reminds me how irritating I can be sometimes. Even though I’m not the only one he irritates with his incessant shouting. But when I am walking around the backyard complaining out loud about the people who bothered me throughout the day, I feel my face slowly become flushed. If I could see God’s face, I would see that knowing look. The look that makes me realize the only one I am fooling is myself. I am merely crowing needlessly. It then occurs to me that praying sincerely might be a good idea.

Peace be with you.

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A Hibachi, a Prank, and Silent Sin

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September 19, 2011

When I was a single father, and my daughter was at her grandparent’s house, I fixed a steak on the small hibachi on the front porch. It was a covered wooden porch but the roof was ten feet high and, like I say, it was a small hibachi. The steak I was cooking covered a majority of its surface area. When the steak was ready, I ate it along with the vegetables I had fixed, then put the dishes in the sink. All the while the front door was wide open.

I laid down on the couch, the left two feet of which faced the front door, and fell asleep watching television. At some point, I was awoken from a deep sleep to the foggy place in between deep sleep and fully awake. I heard a sound, some running steps, and doors slamming. I got on my feet, clawing through the fog, and headed for the open door. I watched the car pull away.

The hibachi was gone. Which was not a tragic loss – I had not paid much for it. But there had been burning coals and ashes in it! I looked around on the porch and over the side where I figured they would dump it. There were, however, no ashes to be found. Not even between the porch and the middle of the street. The two young men had just shoved a grill with a burning fire in their car.

As I stood there looking in the direction in which they had driven and shaking my head, I had a vision of these two guys driving around with steaks, looking for a grill to cook them on. In my mind I saw them driving to a park, pulling out the hibachi and blowing on the coals to cook their steaks. Why else would they take a cheap hibachi costing less than fifteen dollars – with a fire in it no less? It is doubtful they were looking for a grill for their family.

Most likely they were just stealing it for a prank. When they realized it had burning embers in it they did not have time to dump them out before escaping, as it were, in their car. But did they dare each other? Remember, I had the front door open and was laying on the couch facing the door (albeit asleep). What about the hibachi was worth taking the chances they took? Had I thought fast enough, and cared about the hibachi enough, I could have read the number on their license plate.

Thinking back on the occasion, the situation calls to mind those times when we commit sins and think that no one knows or we “got away with it.” Getting too much money in change from an inexperienced or overworked employee at the store, for example. Or being charged less than the actual price and keeping silent. Parking in a handicapped parking space when not at all disabled would be another example. There are many other examples.

We inwardly dare ourselves to not say anything, while at the same time we know it is morally wrong. We think no one notices. We tell ourselves that makes it “okay.” But God is standing on the front porch, shaking his head, watching as we walk or drive away – wondering why we think we have “gotten away” with anything.

Peace be with you.

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