iou8 to be known for love. If they wish this distinction, it’s certainly not the kind of compassion and concern about which the Bible speaks in a love for one’s neighbor. Unfortunately, there’s little of that to be found either. News papers carried a little item about two women who lived next door to each other, and yet, they had no real com munication. In fact the one sent the other a strongly-worded note concern ing the two-foot easement between their homes. This seemed to be a source of contention. Police were called when the latest letter came out, and report ers got the incident. It seems that the storm of protest centered around how the one neighbor trimmed her poin- settia • plants which were near the line. Police shared the missive with the press which, after a lengthy discussion of proper method, concluded with the statement, “Love thy neighbor as thy self! Pulling together we can accom plish many things, whereas if we don’t, somebody’s going to get hurt.” To be sure, it’s only human nature to want ■our own rights. Just let anyone intrude on those rights and he’ll be made to pay! So stormy do our lives become on issues which don’t involve any spiritual principles at all! The Bible tells us, that in honor we a/re to prefer one an other, that we are to look not every man on his own things, but every man on the spiritual needs of others, shar ing the concern of heart, knowing that we must redeem the time for the days are evil. POSSIBLE EXCUSES This is the time of year when hosts of people become vitally interested in baseball. They merely think of them selves as fans, although I have an idea that if they got that excited about the things of the Lord, they’d be known rather as fanatics. Do you suppose there’s any parallel between attending ■ church and going to a baseball game? Do you suppose any of these familiar excuses for not going to worship serv ices would fit if we tried to put them It's better to be great in your little ness than to be little in your greatness.
in a framework of going to see a base ball game? Let’s try it. A man might say, “Although I attended some games this season, not many people bothered to speak to me. Certainly I considered myself a good baseball fan, still none of the players or even the managers have ever called on me personally. Somehow, I get the distinct impression that they’re only after my money. Of course, the officials often made deci sions without even bothering to ask me. What’s more, I didn’t agree with them 100% either. And do you know what, I have a sneaking suspicion there are a lot of hypocrites in the ball park. Why, they seem more interested in hot dogs and drinks than in the game, it self ! Then, as I get to thinking about it, they surely could have had better music than I heard before and after the game, as well as between innings. This is why I’ve made my big decision, I’m going to buy a book about baseball. All I need to do then is to stay at home and read it for myself. That cer tainly will suffice. If by chance I do go again, it’s my philosophy that it doesn’t make any difference how the players carry on, or even whether they play baseball, just as long as they are sin cere. Looking over the whole picture, I could easily say that certainly I con sider myself just as good a baseball fan as those who do go regularly to the games.” Quite interesting to hear those all- too familiar church excuses! I serious ly doubt that we’ll ever hear them in this light. Scripture exhorts us, “Let us not hold aloof from our church meet ings, as some do. Let us do all we can to help one another’s faith, and this the more earnestly as we see the Final Day drawing ever nearer” (Heb. 10: 25, Phillips). Those who would build high must re main low. * No one plans to fail, an individual just fails to plan. * * » Trials are the raw materials out of which God weaves His miracles. * *
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