Last Wednesday night was a late night for many living in and around Houston. Why? Because the Astros were in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the 56th season of Major League Baseball in Houston, there’s no need for the Astros or their fans to shrug their shoulders, drop their heads and mutter, “Wait till next year.”
With the final out of the game, my wife and I jumped for joy over the victory. Being baseball fans, we have done the same in 1988 as the Dodgers beat the Oakland A’s on a Kirk Gibson home run, and in 1990 as the Cincinnati Reds topped the Oakland A’s.
We’ve also endured the crushing loss of the Texas Rangers (our favorite baseball team) to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 World Series. They had three chances to win it all and failed. It was agonizing for us. It is still a bad memory.
In the exhilaration of victory and the agony of defeat, what does it all mean in the greater scheme of things? In actuality, not much.
There will be another baseball season in 2018 and another World Series. Hopefully there will also be an Astros victory, but life, with all of its good and evil continues on.
For example, a large number of victims of the Hurricane Harvey flooding continue to struggle with getting their lives back in order. As stated in the previous paragraph, good and evil continue on relentlessly.
Baseball is entertainment and while it offers us the joy of a victory at times, we still have to get up, go to work, and deal with everyday life. Most importantly, as Christians, we must never allow entertainment or temporary things to divert us from the ultimate purpose for which we have been given life by our Creator.
Is watching a baseball game wrong in God’s sight? Watching the World Series is not a bad thing as long as we keep our priorities straight. Paul tells us what is important in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The World Series is something that we can see in this visible world and it is temporary. We must keep this in mind as we go through life as Christians.
We realize that there are things that are of far greater value than a ball game. In fact, the things that really matter are eternal.
While the 2017 World Series clash between Houston and LA was quite the exciting drama, it is still something temporary and of far less value than eternity.
Where must we focus? “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)
As we observe the Sabbath, we might consider where our minds are set.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Showing posts with label Houston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Houston. Show all posts
Friday, November 3, 2017
Friday, September 1, 2017
And When He Saw Him, He Had Compassion
As one looks at Houston on Friday, September 1, 2017, it is a remarkably different condition compared to the previous Friday. Since Hurricane Harvey came our way trillions of gallons of water have fallen upon Houston and areas east of Houston.
We see on our televisions the vast destruction of flooded homes and people suffering in despair as they cope with the loss of all they own.
Clearly, Houston is down. What is heartening is that people in the community and surrounding communities have risen to the occasion to help those who are down at this time. The attitude of sacrifice and service is heartening to all of us.
At the same time, we have the opposite example of taking advantage of the situation for personal gain or to kick those who are down. As you think of those involved in looting or running scams, those involved in these actions have come to have a predatory nature. They see people forced from their homes by the flooding as an opportunity to take advantage of their plight. Instead of seeing their neighbor in a downtrodden condition and in need of help, they see them as easy prey.
Not only do we see some looting taking place, but we also have those who make truly insensitive statements. One such statement was made on the cover of the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo. The cover reads “God Exists! He Drowned All the Neo-Nazis of Texas.” The words accompany an
illustration showing swastika flags and arms raised in a Nazi salute -- all submerged in water, the New York Post reports. Instead of compassionate words, those at the magazine have chosen to kick those who are down.
While we see looting and scamming and harsh words, we also see people who are putting on display that they care for their fellow men and women. They are serving, sacrificing, and giving because they saw their neighbor in need.
Christ explained for us the model we are to follow in Luke 10:30-36. In this teaching about who constitutes a neighbor, Christ begins his story with the heartless thieves assaulting a traveler and leaving him wounded along the road. We then have a priest and a Levite who see the wounded man and ignore his plight. It is the Samaritan who sees the helpless condition of the injured man and intervenes to help.
We know this as the story of the Good Samaritan and it is an example for us. What was the motivation of the Samaritan? The answer is found in Luke 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was. w”
This is a quality that we must develop as we grow to the maturity of Jesus Christ. It was a fundamental quality displayed by Jesus Christ throughout his ministry, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
The tragedy that has unfolded with Hurricane Harvey is not over. The needs of those who have suffered loss will be around for a while. As Good Samaritans, when we see a need in our community, we have the opportunity to show compassion to those in need. Our helping those in need can be a group effort by the local congregation, but it can also be individual displays of compassion and service to those in our community.
A good Sabbath to everyone,
Gary Smith
We see on our televisions the vast destruction of flooded homes and people suffering in despair as they cope with the loss of all they own.
Clearly, Houston is down. What is heartening is that people in the community and surrounding communities have risen to the occasion to help those who are down at this time. The attitude of sacrifice and service is heartening to all of us.
At the same time, we have the opposite example of taking advantage of the situation for personal gain or to kick those who are down. As you think of those involved in looting or running scams, those involved in these actions have come to have a predatory nature. They see people forced from their homes by the flooding as an opportunity to take advantage of their plight. Instead of seeing their neighbor in a downtrodden condition and in need of help, they see them as easy prey.
Not only do we see some looting taking place, but we also have those who make truly insensitive statements. One such statement was made on the cover of the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo. The cover reads “God Exists! He Drowned All the Neo-Nazis of Texas.” The words accompany an
illustration showing swastika flags and arms raised in a Nazi salute -- all submerged in water, the New York Post reports. Instead of compassionate words, those at the magazine have chosen to kick those who are down.
While we see looting and scamming and harsh words, we also see people who are putting on display that they care for their fellow men and women. They are serving, sacrificing, and giving because they saw their neighbor in need.
Christ explained for us the model we are to follow in Luke 10:30-36. In this teaching about who constitutes a neighbor, Christ begins his story with the heartless thieves assaulting a traveler and leaving him wounded along the road. We then have a priest and a Levite who see the wounded man and ignore his plight. It is the Samaritan who sees the helpless condition of the injured man and intervenes to help.
We know this as the story of the Good Samaritan and it is an example for us. What was the motivation of the Samaritan? The answer is found in Luke 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was. w”
This is a quality that we must develop as we grow to the maturity of Jesus Christ. It was a fundamental quality displayed by Jesus Christ throughout his ministry, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
The tragedy that has unfolded with Hurricane Harvey is not over. The needs of those who have suffered loss will be around for a while. As Good Samaritans, when we see a need in our community, we have the opportunity to show compassion to those in need. Our helping those in need can be a group effort by the local congregation, but it can also be individual displays of compassion and service to those in our community.
A good Sabbath to everyone,
Gary Smith
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