Shade Tree Wisdom 9/7/11

          So, the walking was wonderful, cool, a slight breeze, and I am glad it was only very slight because that will help contain those fires raging in our State. Many homes already destroyed, acres the size of Connecticut burned. So having no wind is surely helpful to give the fire fighters some respite from their labor. Maybe they can get a handle on fires and contain them.

          But there is another fire raging that is fueled by anger, ill-conceived thought, even outright hate. The fire of a tongue out of control. So I read again Luther on the eighth commandment which he describes in his Large Catechism.

          He says one of the treasures indispensible to us is our honor and good name, for it is not possible to live honorably among men in public disgrace or contempt.

          What leads me to read that section again is the climate we seem to be in here in the United States. A climate where hate and thoughtless comments flow freely, and no one seems to bother any longer to “Put the best construction on everything”. Simply put, that is the advice of Dr. Luther.

          And it is advice as Christians we ought to follow regularly. Let’s not get caught up in the fervor of election speech. Let us be honest in our dealing. Let us speak truth with one another. Let us be what St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5,9.12 “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. . .Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”

          So let us say and live always to give God the glory.

GPD 9/7/11