ruminations::illuminations

have you ever been listening to words and words and words, and then all of the sudden some of those words stand out? almost as if some of those words should wander around in your heart a little bit longer than they were intended to? this has been happening to me a bunch lately- here are 3 big ones that I can think of:

I was watching a basketball game on TNT this week, and the star player of some team tried to make the game winning shot at the last second, but failed. several of his teammates were open, but he didn’t pass it to them, even though we was heavily guarded. after the game, one of my favorite basketball analysts, Kenny-the-jet, made this observation:

“you don’t always need to make the shot, but you always need to make the play.”

those words just hovered in my mind for a moment- I’m not a basketball player, but I can still take that advice. I don’t need to get all the glory, but I am responsible for the success of my team. sometimes success means that I don’t get the glory. I’m probably not done considering this one; or the next one:

my friends chris works at Disneyland. he recently got a big award and promotion. he was at a party with all sorts of long-term and influential Disneyland writers, producers and imagineers. he asked one of the most seasoned and wise employees for a word of advice and she said,

“be nice to everyone. because you never know if someone will become your boss, or if you will become theirs.”

there are no little people. there is no one that you can get away with being rude to. and on the other side, being kind and respectful and interested and helpful always helps everyone win in the long run.

and from the ancient writings:
I have been reading Leviticus lately (and if you read my blogs often, you can see how slowly I’m making my way though the bible!) and there are all sorts of specific laws about mildew, diseases, and other bodily functions that cause people to be unclean. and then at the beginning on Leviticus 18, God says:

“I am the LORD your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.”

its like, “you came out of a culture, but don’t be like them- and you’re going into a culture, but don’t be like them either. be in-between cultures. be you. be who I have made you.”
we talk all the time about being relevant to culture, and there is this sense that we need to emulate the culture to reach the people in it; but in this passage, God says no.
there is this sense that who we are is lame, and who we reach is cool, but God commands, "be you. be like Me."