Alice, a friend and teaching colleague of mine, took time at the start of each day to write on the chalkboard a thought-provoking quote for the students to ponder. I’d like to think that some of these seed thoughts landed on fertile ground and made a difference in the lives of students. Recently, someone at Ashland University placed this thought in large print in a place where you linger as you wait for the traffic light: “HOW WILL YOU MAKE TODAY COUNT?” These words remind us that “having a good day” involves some effort on our part.
Song writers and other artists plant thoughts in our minds and hearts. Some of them are positive; others are not. John Lennon, a gifted writer and part of the group called “The Beatles” wrote a song entitled, “Imagine.” In the ideal world that he imagines there would be no heaven, no hell, no religion. In response to Lennon’s thoughts, I’ve penned words that I think, show the result of such free thinking. I’ve called it “Try to Imagine.” In this upside down world in which we live, we see what happens where there is no moral compass, no lodestar to guide. As Christians we are part of this world, but our calling is to be light, to break the power of darkness.
If there were no law of gravity, or a world without morality,
Where self-pleasing law replaces God’s timeless law,
Where they try to tell you that right is wrong,
That you ought to be singing a different song
That says, “What’s right for you is not relevant to me.”
Some children don’t go to Sunday school where they could learn to live by the Golden Rule.
Why don’t we concede that it’s time we seek a higher law?
Look around, what do we see in this land once known for liberty,
Where the focus seems to be not on others, but on me?
Why is violence now the norm with our lives threatened by the storm?
We cower in fear before those who harm.
There’s an answer to what we see; He’s the One who can set us free!
Come to Jesus and find comfort, joy, and peace of mind.
Jesus knows your every need; He also sees what others need,
And calls us from our life of greed, challenging us to live our creed,
Demonstrating what we believe.
Lord, forgive our foolish ways; we need your grace from day to day.
In your love we will abide; you’re our Morning Star and Guide.
Words and Music by Ron Sprunger (December, 2016)
A world where people live in peace isn’t ushered in by wishful thinking and the removal of God’s moral compass. It will come as we, God’s chosen people, repent and seek forgiveness for our foolish ways. We are called to be light, to follow Him. In watching a recent sporting event on TV, the viewing audience was bombarded by violence-filled previews of upcoming movies? It’s time to starve the cravings for that which corrupts. Someone very wise said, “What we feed grows, and what we starve dies.”
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