Hard Core

Good morning on this Friday! Great things are coming, and a little enthusiasm in the devotional will not go amiss. Today is the 30th anniversary of the Grenada landing, or Operation Urgent Fury to those of us recalling the wonderful heat of the southern waters. To conduct an actual invasion from the sea is a Marine Corps specialty. For that we got to walk around with an invisible suit of 'hard-core' armor on for a while. But that's nothing. In this week's Julesburg paper is an ad to rent a 33 bedroom, 1.5 bath house. Now that's hard-core. For the sake of those anticipating a wait of just short of forever to use the potty, I sincerely pray that is a misprint. I wonder if the landlord would be so kind as to permit a few of Scottie's Potties out back?

In our Christian walk we may run into what might be called the hard-core Christian. This is one who very much resembles the legal experts of Jesus' time, those scribes and Pharisees. The approach of this follower of Jesus usually begins with something like, "You gotta..." They also love to quote the thou-shalt-not's from the King James. This Christian is the self-appointed sergeant-at-arms of the Christian sphere. No rule is too niggling; no latitude is given, he or she knows exactly what you should be doing (or thou shalt not be doing) for the cause of Christ. This is not the loving advice of the brother or sister in Christ, that we all need from time to time, but the stern command of the self-promoted general of the Christian army going about his duty as overseer of his/her flock of doctrinal slaves.

We don't much like those people, and imagine how the one searching for relief from sin must feel. How welcoming would a good smack upside the head with a stone copy of the Ten Commandments feel at your moment of greatest need? Right, the good news should employ those gifts of the Spirit that we are given: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and so on. A new Christian babe can be easily shattered on the rocks of legalism. Let us make them welcome with our gifts.

And a great big Friday-sized dose of God's love to you on this day!
Bucky