Lunatic, Liar or Lord?
In C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy enters another world, Narnia, through a wardrobe, and tells her siblings about it. They disbelieve her, of course. A wise old professor adjudicates the argument by asking Peter, Lucy's older brother, whether Lucy is a liar. Peter is confident she is not; he knows her too well. Well, then, is she insane? It is obvious from her behavior that she is not. Then there is only one possibility left, concludes the professor: Lucy must be telling the truth.
This scene parallels the position we find ourselves in when we evaluate the claims of Christ. At first, we're inclined to disbelieve Him. But before we write Him off, we must take into account His character. Can we call Him a liar? Can we call Him a lunatic? Surely He was neither. What, then, are we left with? The only answer that fits is the answer He gave us.
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
How To Can The Gossip
China's ambassador to Zambia, Yang Youming, is attempting to stop a terrible rumor. What's the misinformation that has the ambassador so concerned? According to Adam Taylor with the Washington Post, it's that, "China was taking dead bodies, marinating them, putting them in cans and then selling them in African supermarkets."
Adam Taylor reports:
Some reports quoted people who allegedly worked in Chinese meat factories as saying that the practice had begun because China had run out of space to bury their dead or that Beijing reserved its good, nonhuman meat for more powerful countries.
Of course, the rumors are false. In fact, the photographs posted online of this "human flesh" were taken from a 2012 marketing stunt for the video-game Resident Evil 6.
Have you ever found yourself questioning whether a wild sounding rumor might be true? Why do the Zambian’s believe they're being served human flesh? Turns out, there was a violation of trust that took place long before the rumors began to fly. The Zambian’s mistrusted the Chinese because they had a reputation of allowing dangerous working conditions on their projects, which led to an explosion at a factory in 2005, killing more than 50 Zambian workers.
There is no sure way to avoid becoming a victim of unfair gossip, but maintaining a good reputation will help. When we have a good reputation, it undermines the credibility of any falsehoods that might arise.
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us" (1 Peter 2:12)
Major Bambi
Donnie Dunagan is a pretty tough guy. Pictured below, you see him as a tough-nosed, highly decorated career marine. But Donnie had a secret. Something he did't want anyone, not even his wife, to know. As a young boy, Donnie was a child actor and was hand picked by Walt Disney to be the voice of the lead character in the 1942 classic, Bambi.
That's right, Commander Donnie Dunagan is Bambi, the sweet, frail, innocent, unsure of himself fawn. Not exactly the image a commander in the Marines wants to portray. So he kept it a secret throughout his career, only admitting it after he was outed by a superior officer. And once the word was out, Donnie made an amazing discovery. He was't laughed at and ridiculed as much as he was loved.
"I have some holes in my body that God did't put there" Donnie mused. "I got shot through my left knee. Got an award or two for saving lives over time. But I think I could have been appointed as the aide-de camp in the White House, it would't make any difference — it's Bambi that's so dear to people."
Behind all of the bravado, we all have something to hide. All of us, even the toughest, has fears and insecurities that we do't want others to see. So we hide our weaknesses, our frailties, sure that we could only be despised for them.
Do't wait your whole life before you discover that it is just as important to be honest and transparent about your weakness as your are about your strengths. For it is only then that others will find in you someone with whom they can relate.
Such humility not only draws us closers to people, it draws us closer to God.
"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).