II Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 contain so few verses. Yet, they have inspired me to write about death, the Christian life as an athletic competition, and the impact of tribalism on the Christian community that might lead us to say, “I cannot Christian today.”
II Timothy 4:6-8 has the theme of presenting Paul as a model. Given the connections with Philippians, I am uncertain why some scholars think that this verse is not suitable to Paul as an author. These verses are the true conclusion of the letter. Here is the author's final tribute to Paul. Paul's own life becomes the organizational framework upon which the author builds this closing section of exhortations to Timothy. As I read this passage, it has a sobering, almost melancholy feel. If you have lived life well and in the service of a noble purpose, it would not be easy to see its end near. Yet, he faces its end with calm and confidence. He will compare discipleship with sports and athletic competition. As athletic competition includes a prize (World Series championship, super bowl, and so on), faithful discipleship includes the “prize” of eternal life with God. The hope of this life with God empowers Paul to endure hardship and suffering. In verses 9-15, it gets him through times when friends desert him. In verses 16-18, this hope is for all those who engage in discipleship. Some people who started well did not end well. They deserted Paul, but even then, Paul prays for them. Some remained with him, of course. Most importantly, the Lord stood with him. Psalm 22 provides many of the images we find in these final verses.
While Timothy is to occupy his future with faithful service as a minister, the foreboding nature of Paul’s future is unmistakable when he writes 6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation (σπένδομαι). Today a libation is a cheerful euphemism for alcoholic drinks. In the ancient world, a libation, or drink offering, was a common ritual in Greek piety and cult. It entailed the pouring out of a liquid, usually wine, onto the ground or an altar at some solemn point in a ceremony, whether private (e.g., a dinner party) or public (e.g., the ratification of a treaty). Paul uses the same image in Philippians 2:17 (“even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith ...”). If we can say our life is a libation in the sense of the ancient culture, we would say that death is our final and greatest act of praise to God. Further, the time of my departure (ἀναλύσεώς) or death. In fact, a further influence of Philippians on this verse is in the reference to the imminent “departure” of Paul, which may echo the use of the cognate verb ἀναλύώ in Philippians 1:23 to describe Paul’s desire “to depart and be with Christ.” The time of his departure has come. Timothy can expect to share in the final glory if he endures until the end. Having offered his advice and directives to Timothy, the author finally turns to the task of bidding farewell. The circumspect quality of the author’s letter reaches a crescendo as he contrasts Timothy’s future with that of Paul. There is a calm and confidence in the face of a martyr-like death reminiscent of Jesus in the gospel of John 12:23, 13:1. Paul casts his impending death in sacrificial terms.
The author knew that a life worth living is one spent in serving and giving of our lives to something greater than is the self. With whatever time we have on this earth, have we lived for something that is worth pouring out our lives in sacrifice. We will die. Will we die well? Will we live in such a way that we prepare ourselves for eternal life with God? If we answer these questions, we are starting a process of simplifying and focusing our lives. A danger for all of us is to fritter away our lives by details. Henry David Thoreau's well-known commentary on a disciplined life deserves revisiting here:
"Our life is frittered away by detail .... Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million, count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumbnail .... Simplify, simplify, simplify! Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion .... Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life?"
Thoreau also observed that most people “lead lives of quiet desperation."
I have much discomfort reflecting upon death. If you do not want exposure to that discomfort, you will not read any further.
In doing some reflection on the theological theme of eschatology, I came across an article by Karl Rahner, a Roman Catholic theologian. He says that freedom is the power to decide what is to be final and definitive in our lives. How will we approach our end? He reminds us that we are dying all our lives. Every moment of life is a stage on the way to this final goal. Life is a process of dying. Death is the ultimate point in this life-long process. Dying takes place throughout life. Death is the completion of the process. We can approach that end desperately clinging to finite things and thus with anxiety. We can also approach that end with faith and hope as we free ourselves for the hand of God.[1] Such a reminder of death as release into the hands of God reminds us that any reflection on death leads us to reflect upon eternity. The beauty and hope of life with God should motivate us to live properly our lives in the presence of God today. Plato said such a hope is worth the risk. It becomes a noble risk because of the virtues the belief stimulates.[2] The Christian hope, of course, has its basis in the resurrection of Jesus into a new form of life with God after his death, and he was the “first fruit” of the resurrection.
Most pastors must reflect upon death on a regular basis. We officiate at funerals and walk with people through the loss of one they love. We do so in the context of Christian hope.
Hold that thought of release into the hands of God for a moment.
I discussed with a colleague of his health issues. He is young. He had a disease in which the doctor said that 10% of the people live longer than five years. He is in the second year of that that prediction. As I move toward retirement age, I think more about the finitude of my time.
Certain times in the church invite such reflections. For me, the time from around Halloween to the end of the year make me a bit pensive. All Saints’ Day, for example, is a reminder that we are all terminal. We will die, and sooner than later being a possibility. Tomorrow is not a guarantee. This thought sounds morbid. Such thoughts can lead us into sin.
Then set
The wine and dice, and let him perish who
Doth care about to-morrow. Death your ear
Demands and says, 'I come, so live to-day.'"[3]
Also:
Death whispers in my ear
Live now, for I am coming.
Also:
Death twitches in my ear
“Live” he says, “I am coming.”
Our approach could be to approach life in a cavalier way. Since we will die, as the saying goes, eat, drink, and be merry. Of course, most people think of our lives as meaningful and as making a positive contribution to the lives of others. We want to enjoy life, of course, but most of think we are here for something more than that.
Thus, let us think about death in an unusual way. It would not be healthy to obsess about this. It would also not be healthy to avoid the question or pretend it is not there. I am suggesting that we might benefit from thinking more about death -- our own death. It could help us to stop wasting time with foolish stuff, help us to focus attention on meaningful activities and help us to derive more enjoyment in our lives.
Buddhist monks in Thailand contemplate corpses at various stages of decay. I suppose that could be a place to start. You might not want to do that, but you could start by looking at some pictures of corpses. The idea, of course, is to reflect on the finite character of your life.
Arthur C. Brooks of the New York Times writes,
"Years ago on a visit to Thailand, I was surprised to learn that Buddhist monks often contemplate the photos of corpses in various stages of decay. The Buddha himself recommended corpse meditation. 'This body, too,' students were taught to say about their own bodies, 'such is its nature, such is its future, such its unavoidable fate.'"
Meditating on one's own death, in other words, is a way of realigning our focus from momentary desires to big-picture life goals. You take the "Last Year" test. This exercise is not one about which to obsess. However, a few prayerful and meditative moments with this question could help one sort out what is important to us.
If this were your last year to live, would you really watch so much television, play so many video games, play so much golf, spend so much time at the club -- waste so much time? I find nothing intrinsically wrong with these things, of course. Would you --
read more books or fewer books?
spend more time or less time with friends?
spend more time or less time with family?
go shopping more frequently or less frequently?
take more walks or fewer walks?
volunteer more or less?
attend worship services more often or less often?
eat more chocolate and ice cream or less chocolate and ice cream?
For most of us, it is the immediate and the transitory that tend to trump the long-term and the meaningful. In another study on how Americans use their time, researchers learned that the average American adult tends to watch TV four times longer than "socializing and communicating," and 20 times longer than engaging in "spiritual and religious activities." We would rather spend our time clicking through someone else's life than living our own, and that does not count the hours we spend surfing the vast wasteland of the Internet where much of our time goes to die! The misalignment between our channel/site-surfing lifestyles and our desire for a more meaningful life causes a lot of regret, knowing that we spend too much time on low-value activities. We easily allow the urgent and trivial to overwhelm us, putting on the back burner the non-urgent but important. It can also lead us into a feeling of being physically present in one place while being mentally present in another.
This is when contemplating death can help us. Remembering that we are going to die causes us to focus on the scarcity of the time we have left and strengthen our resolve to use it wisely.
To put it another way, what if you took the "Last Year" test and lived your life right now as if you knew that this was your last year to live? Would the activities you do today or tomorrow pass the "Last Year" test? Would you turn off the TV and spend more time with your family? Would you stop playing Candy Crush on your phone and pick up your Bible or spend some time journaling instead? Would you go outside and enjoy the cool snap of the autumn air and the crunch of fallen leaves or watch another episode of The Real Housewives of New York?
Truth is, most of us do not know if this is our last year. Some have had that knowledge, however, and the way that they chose to use their time should be helpful to us as we seek to live more full, meaningful, and significant lives.
I measure my life in family
who speak through tears,
who serve me meals on a wicker tray,
who pray and love and float.
I measure my life in pine siskens
who entertain me in feeders outside my window,
and Gus, the schnauzer,
who curls next to me in bed.
I measure my life in friends
who do not know my sins,
who hug my shrunken body,
who break open my heart with words.
I measure my life in cancer
that has taught me how to measure my life.[4]
Your last year on this earth should give pause to reflect upon the course of life.
People who are dying sometimes feel as if they are helpless or diminished in the eyes of others. But we will all die. How one dies can be a powerful life lesson. Words offered to those who will live on can be a blessing, helpful and healing. Facing our final moments with courage permits a grace unequaled in more everyday settings. As the great medieval poet, Shmuel Hanagid (Samuel the Prince) put it:
Take heart in time of sorrow,
Though you face death’s door.
The candle flares before it dies,
And wounded lions roar.[5]
Yet, as I referenced at the beginning of this little reflection, to view the end of that year as release into the hands of God for eternity can help us to move beyond the morbid obsession and approach that end with faith, hope, and love.
7 I have fought the good fight, (καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι) a wrestling or boxing match, a race of any kind, a gladiatorial contest. I have finished (τετέλεκα) the long-distance race (δρόμον). We find the use of two athletic metaphors to describe Paul’s faithful adherence to his missionary efforts. The image of faith given in these verses is an image borrowed from the world of athletic competition. The comparison of challenging aspects in life to athletic competition was a common trope among Greco-Roman philosophers and rhetoricians, but in this particular case the metaphor was more likely inspired by 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, where Paul likens his work for the gospel to an athlete in training for a competition. Paul refers to a race in which, while all runners compete, only one wins the prize. He urges his readers to run in such a way as to win it. Further, athletes exercise self-control in all things in their lives to win a perishable wreath. He reminds them that what they will win is an imperishable wreath. Thus, he does not run aimlessly. He does not by beating the air. Rather, he will even punish his body, making his body a slave. His reason is that after proclaiming to others, God would disqualify him from the competition. I have kept (τετήρηκα, close in meaning to the Hebrew “shomer,” to keep, to watch over, to preserve) the faith (πίστιν see I Timothy 1:18, 6:12) could be on analogy with the athletes promise to keep the rules. It could be shorthand for the entire contents of Christian teaching (see I Timothy 4:1) or Paul's own careful preservation of right doctrine. Alternatively, it could be more of an expression of loyalty and fealty than of theology (e.g., having "kept faith"). Paul reminds us that God faith is something God calls upon to keep. Faith is a gift that we have received. We do did not make it, but we have made it our own. Therefore, it requires some care and tending. The gardener knows that plants require different at various stages in their life cycle. Planting, fertilizing, weeding, and harvesting are all part of the task of the gardener. We are the gardener of our faith. Since we change over the course of our lives, the gift of faith will express itself differently in the various stages of life. Paul has faithfully executed the mission God gave to him and is handing on this same ministry to Timothy. These images may derive from the arena. Though Paul’s frame of mind is certainly ominous, he is not without hope. Paul’s death wonderfully completes his life. The author did not believe Paul had "kept the faith" without the constant presence and protection of God. Indeed, if God had not already filled Paul to overflowing with the spirit of faith and love, there would be nothing left in him to "pour out as a libation." The personal focus of this message to Timothy has led some to read this epistle as the author offering a last will and testament of Paul to his dear companion. 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown (στέφανος) of righteousness (δικαιοσύνης), the recognition of a righteous life. The athletic imagery spills over into this verse, where the “crown of righteousness” becomes the prize with God will reward Paul. Paul declares that he has endured the rigors of a life of faith (pouring himself out like a libation offering of wine or water), and expects reward for his faithfulness, just as an athlete who has trained for and endured arduous physical competition hopes to win the contest and receive the aware of the crown of victory. Like a runner, or a boxer, who competes at the top of his sport at the cost of physical pain and fatigue, one can have satisfaction once the event is over, despite the personal cost of competition. The crown that awaits Paul, however, is not the laurel or flowered crowns awarded to the winners of Greco-Roman stadium competitions. His is a crown of righteousness, which one can read as a crown, composed of righteousness, or a crown awarded for outstanding righteousness. He refers to the crown, which the Lord, the righteous judge, Christ being the best judge of righteousness. will give me on that day, (also found in 1:12, 18, but compare I Corinthians 9:25). The author has used a shorthand way of referring to what in other places the New Testament refers to as “the day of the Lord” (e.g., II Peter 3:10), “the day of Jesus Christ” (e.g., Philippians 1:6), or “the day of judgment” (e.g., I John 4:17). In each of these cases, he refers to the return of Jesus and the accompanying judgment of humanity. One can find the background of this idea in the Old Testament prophetic tradition (especially in Isaiah, Joel and Zephaniah) of a coming day on which God would judge either the nations, or Israel, or both. Early Christianity collapsed the expected Parousia of Jesus into this prophetic “day of the Lord” and thus emerged the belief that Jesus’ return would entail a comprehensive judgment. We can understand this notion of an epiphany of the presence (Parousia) of Christ in the context of the multiplicity of biblical ideas of revelation, which in this case means the apocalyptic understanding of revelation as a frame of reference for the New Testament statements about revelation.[6] He finally stresses that the award he refers to is not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Others can have the same wreath. Included in the hope for this crown are all those who await the return of Christ.
If the Christian life is like an athletic contest, how do we know if we participated in the contest successfully. We fail. Yet we need to consider that we have not so much failed but found paths that will not work for us in our discipleship. Every wrong attempt discarded becomes another step forward. True failures in life are those who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Think of it this way. You develop an idea to the point where it seems almost impossible. You become discouraged precisely at the point when you need the courage to move forward.[7] We may need to think of failure as approximation of success or even as success rounded down.[8] In fact, it may well be that if we focus upon success, we have already failed. It may well be that we need to focus upon becoming persons of value, and success would be the byproduct.[9] It may well be that success comes to persons who are too busy living out their vocation, mission, or purpose in life to intentionally look for success.[10]
I was at Anytime Fitness in 2014, preparing for a run in the Indianapolis Mini-marathon. They have a stepper there, and I was stepping away. One of the workers told me she had entered a race in Indianapolis that year, not going horizontal, but going vertical, up one of the high-rise buildings in downtown Indy. I was quite amazed. She said she loved it. At that point, it was the “in” thing with some. I had not really heard of it. My age checks me from doing something silly with my body. However, my mind still can easily excite when it comes to such matters. I have been exercising since I was around 18, and I have not stopped. I do not intend to stop until I must do so. It has become something I enjoy so much. The mini-marathon is plenty for me. Running a full marathon is not on my bucket list. 13.1 miles is plenty for me. I have also adjusted my exercise to the recognition of the hazards of running. The body, especially the joints, can take quite beating. I have not had such issues yet, but I do not want to do so. Thus, I do not run 20-25 miles a week anymore. At 67, I am happy with six miles a week. I walk more. I use various stretches, yoga, and weight routines.
One article[11] a few years ago said that some marathon runners were shifting to running up the stairs of tall buildings. One reason is the importance of cross training. You strengthen a different set of muscles as you train for different sports. You can make yourself better in one sport by training in another. Welcome to the sport of professional stair climbing.
Kristin Frey (b. 1984) was in 2016 at 32-year-old environmental scientist who turned to stair climbing (also known as tower running) after qualifying for the Boston Marathon 10 times and running a bunch of others. She turned to vertical racing after a friend encouraged her to try it, and she became hooked on running up the stairs instead of pounding the pavement. Kristin is now the best female U.S. athlete in the sport and ran a groundbreaking 24-hour endurance event in Jacksonville where she and three fellow climbers repeatedly scrambled up the Bank of America Tower's 42 floors. By the time they finished, they had logged 123,480 steps and 5,880 floors -- the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest two and a half times. She has run up most of the tall buildings in the United States, including the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Empire State Building. Most of us would consider running up 5,880 floors to be insane. After all, that is what elevators are for, right? Indeed, Kristin says that the recovery time for running all those stairs, mostly two at a time, is longer than that of a marathon.
"Sometimes I'll feel sick for two or three days afterwards. A few times, I've tasted blood near the top of a race, and I've seen spots in some races when I was just five floors from the top. Once I pass the timing mat, I usually fall and will crawl out of other people's way, trying to catch my breath. I've stumbled when my legs are Jello-y but have never fallen. And I've gotten blisters on my hands from grabbing the rails, so I bought football gloves that protect the skin."
You thought that walking those three floors up to your office was tough. Point is, running vertical can be tough, but it is also a great way for all of us to achieve good health, a sense of satisfaction and a stronger desire to keep moving. It can help us keep going in the race of life. The American Lung Association has more than doubled its number of stair-climbing races in the past five years; from 25 to 57 (many American stair climbs benefit some sort of lung or respiratory disease). The ALA wants to promote stair climbing not just for these athletes but for the rest of us as well. The health benefits from doing some vertical walking are many:
- It requires less time to achieve the same workout intensity. For example, if you run 30 minutes a day, you could achieve the same benefit from running stairs for 15 minutes.
- It is a total body workout, involving the legs (obviously) and the arms since the exercise encourages grabbing the handrails.
- It requires no special equipment. Anyone can walk, jog or run stairs anywhere from your office building to the library to your church. Even a few steps a day can make a difference. You do not need to taste your own blood!
Paul refers to the analogy between sports and faith, especially in II Timothy 4 and I Corinthians 9. To be in sports is to suffer and struggle to attain a goal. It requires training, dedication, and commitment. It requires giving your life and time to it. Pondering what it takes to be good in a sport can teach us about living our faith, if we let it.
In II Timothy 4:16-18, if Paul had seemed overly self-reliant in verses 6-8, he now returns to the theme of God's unwavering strength and his unswerving dependence. The vocabulary Paul uses in verses 16-18 suggests that he had in mind the poetry and power of Psalm 22 as he reflected on both his experiences of suffering and of his deliverance by the Lord's strength. Psalm 22 likewise speaks of desertion (22:1), deliverance (22:4), salvation (22:5), God's presence (22:11) and even the threat of the lion's mouth (22:13). The author offers a sad admission. 16 At my first defense, referring to the first hearing (rather like a modern-day arraignment) that Roman authorities held to determine if there were enough grounds for a trial. A background for this reference may lie in Acts 25 and 28. Those who favor Rome as the location for Paul's imprisonment while writing the Pastorals could say that the "first defense" to which the apostle refers is his defense to Festus and Agrippa while in prison in Caesarea, prior to returning to Rome under house arrest to make his appeal to the emperor (Acts 25). Once in Rome (Acts 28), he repeats his earlier defense of his work and authorities allow him to continue, becoming the way God rescued him from the Roman lion's mouth. Both II Timothy 4 and Acts 28 also point out that the Gentiles were the intended beneficiaries of Paul's teaching, providing further connection between this letter and the events described in Acts 28. As he was at court, it seemed as if he was preaching to all the gentiles. The speech spared him from death. The author makes a sad admission regarding his first defense: no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! The recitation of that prior situation partially explains this letter’s morose disposition. Paul, like Christ who pardons his persecutors from the cross, pardons those who deserted him in his hour of need. No Christians in Rome defended him in court, yet, he forgives. 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message (κήρυγμα) might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. However, Paul does not allow the unpleasant circumstances surrounding his “first defense” to control his basic outlook as he nears the end of his own life. He does not allow himself to spiral down into an unproductive abyss of bitterness and self-pity. By rehearsing this story for Timothy, Paul is assuring his son in the faith that he, too, will have the required resources to complete the ministry he has received. For, even though human associates abandoned Paul, the Lord provided him with the resources he needed so he could faithfully carry out the ministry entrusted to him. So I was rescued from the Roman lion’s mouth (στόματος), a metaphorical reference, given Paul’s status as a Roman citizen; it was typically slaves and war captives who were in danger of exposure to wild beasts in the arena. By rehearsing this story for Timothy, Paul is assuring his son in the faith that he, too, will have the required resources to complete the ministry he has received. For, even though human associates abandoned Paul, the Lord provided him with the resources he needed so he could faithfully carry out the ministry entrusted to him. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil (πονηροῦ) attack (ἔργου) and save me for his heavenly kingdom. It is not clear how this seemingly hopeful assertion squares with the statements about his impending death in 4:6-8. Paul confidently asserts that the divine hand that has rescued him from his enemies up to this point will continue to keep him safe. That this "safety" is not necessarily a state of physical security is evident in Paul's clear expectation of martyrdom. The safe passage he expects and eagerly anticipates is into the "heavenly kingdom" that awaits him in the future. Thus, rather than proffering some nauseating, fairy-tale version of the gospel, he presents to Timothy a realistic picture of a faithful minister’s life in God’s kingdom. He, like all believers, will suffer. Nevertheless, God will rescue and save him just as he did his own Son.
To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. The doxology is like Galatians 1:5, “to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” What have we fought for? In other words, what positions have we taken and by whose side have we stood?What have we achieved? What have we preserved? What values and timeless principles have we kept and entrusted to the next generation? Paul was able to look back and say, “to him be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
No one came to the support of Paul. Everyone deserted him. I wonder if Paul for at least a little while wondered if he should just abandon it all.
I have seen the meme several times and on assorted items in Dunedin, FL, “I can’t adult today.” It brings a smile. I have had moments when the responsibility of being adult was of no interest to me. I just want to have some fun while putting adulthood on pause for at least a while.
I cannot imagine Paul saying, “I cannot Christian today.” However, I do wonder if he had that temptation. He knew some Christians caused dissension, warning his congregations to keep away from them (Romans 16:17-18). In this passage, no one in Rome came to his defense. Yet, Paul has no problem identifying himself with Christ and with the people of God.
A blogger, pastor, and writer stated that he cannot Christian today, for he has seen the church be toxic and painful to so many. He did not want to wade through bad theology and predatory behavior that seemed focused upon excluding, wounding, and doing harm. He did not want to sift through the malice and bitterness masquerading as Christianity to try finding what he might discover that is worth keeping. He clearly wanted to see more Christianity that demonstrated the love of Jesus in life. He also wondered if Christianity was helpful anymore. This person highlights a deep problem in the Christianity (maybe Christianities) we find in America. Christianity mirrors the tribalism of our culture. The issue here is our attitude toward those in a different tribe. We will naturally gravitate toward those who think and live like us. Yet, the question is whether we can see the underlying fellowship with Christ and therefore with the people of God. Sadly, the blogger, pastor, and writer found his identification with his tribe so deep that Christians who identified with another tribe became an obstacle, primarily because his perspective concerning them was as hateful as he accused them of being. Progressive and conservative tribe alike have figured out ways to make their tribe biblical and proclaiming that Jesus is in their corner, denying such privilege to the other. Political ideology is so dominating that it becomes the primary identification of the tribe. Whatever position we take on immigration policy, a border wall, same-sex marriage, presidential politics, Supreme Court nominations, abortion, welfare or legalization of marijuana, some Christians will immediately call into question our relationship with Jesus Christ. When this happens, some might say, “Well, if this is what it means to be a Christian, I want no part of it.” Alternatively, they might simply say, “I’m done. I can’t Christian today.” When we say this, of course, we immediately become one of the partisans we despise. The other has become enemy and evil rather than simply one with whom one disagrees and share many common desires.
We can take a clue from something the resurrected Jesus said during a breakfast conversation with Peter on the shores of Galilee. It is the last recorded interaction we have between Jesus and Peter. After Jesus renewed his call to Peter to serve him, Peter looked at another disciple and asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus replied, “If it is my will that he remains until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” (John 21:22). In other words, “What is that to you that some do not interpret Christianity as you do? I am talking to you, not to them. You follow me!”
We have no shortage of people within their tribe thinking they are speaking and acting prophetically against the other tribe. We could use more prophets within the tribes who are pointing out the shortcomings of their own tribe. People who think they are prophets are legion. We have competing schools of prophets shouting back and forth at each other in the public square. I find it hard to miss them. The people of God are hearing plenty of rebuking, standing against, and warnings. We have that part covered. So, it would be better to shut our mouths and open our hands to be the hands of Christ reaching out to a fallen world. Christ calls us to be people who say, “I can follow Jesus today. I can Christian today.” We may not need more squabbling Christians in the world, but we need more of Christ in the world, and that is up to us, with God’s help.
[1] Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, Volume VII, 287-91.
[2] Plato, Phaedo 107c-115a, especially 114c-115a.
[3] Virgil, “Copa” one of the “minor poems.”
[4] --Ken Brewer, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2006, from a poem, "The Measure," cited by Dennis Lythgoe, "Utah poet writes at a fever pitch," Deseret Morning News, December 18, 2005.
[5] —Rabbi David Wolpe, “A lesson before dying,” timesofisrael.com. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
[6] (Pannenberg 1998, 1991), Volume 1, 209.
[7] Thomas Edison on success and failure:
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.
[8] Ryan North, in his comic strip about talking dinosaurs who — in one strip on Pi Day, March 14 — talks about success and failure. One doesn’t like to talk about failure, but speaks instead of “approximations of success” and redefines failure as “success rounded down.” See qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=955.
[9] “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.” —Albert Einstein.
[10] “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” —Henry David Thoreau.
[11] Goldman, Leslie. "Kristin Frey on fast climb to the top."
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