Delete

ByHal Hammons

I had the opportunity to counsel a “friend” through the process of deleting a Facebook post — a process I am downright evangelistic about, by the way; I know of no other “skill” so easily acquired, so desperately needful, and so seldom practiced.  It’s basically a matter of clicking things that look like they would like to be clicked, looking for the word “delete,” then clicking that.

Her post was vulgar.  She claims to be a Christian.  I assumed she would not want to be associated with such things, and she confirmed that.  But (she claimed) she couldn’t find the item on her wall.  I explained how to find it in as much detail as I could manage without being overtly insulting.  No luck.  This went on for more than an hour — during which, by the way, she posted ten more times. Literally.

I have some theories.  One, she has no idea how Facebook works.  Two, she was just stringing me along.  Three, I need to manage my time better.  I think at least two of them are accurate.

My point was, and is, Christians should be absolutely obsessive about the way we come across.  We must walk carefully (Ephesians 5:19) when we wear His name.  Plugs for environmentally sound burial options and escape rooms can wait.  We have souls to save.  And we will have a hard time if we are, consciously or unconsciously, part of the problem.  Beam first.  Motes later. 

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Monopoly

ByHal Hammons

A study commissioned by Hasbro revealed that fully 68 percent of Monopoly players have never read the rules.  I believe it.  Like most people, I learned Monopoly by listening to an experienced player explain the rules.  As a result, I have always played some bits of the game wrongly.  Free Parking, for instance.  It does nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

Piano

ByHal Hammons

What does two hours of “worship piano” sound like?  I had to know.  After all, the all-knowing YouTube seems to have thought I would like it.

       And I did, I guess.  I love piano music.  Very relaxing, very melodic.  As good, at least, as the rain forest noises that accompany my typical Sunday afternoon nap.

I wouldn’t call it “worship,” though.  If you want to argue the piano player was “worshiping” during the performance, we can have that discussion another time.  But I certainly wasn’t worshiping.  I was listening.

Fellowship

ByHal Hammons

Galatians 6:6 reads, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.”  Most of my life I have heard brethren try to cram money into the “good things” category — a questionable association at best, if you ask me.  The better application, and the one more consistent with the letter as a whole, is that we share a bond of fellowship with our teachers.  We owe it to them to display, in words and actions impossible to misunderstand, the debt of gratitude we owe them for ministering to our spirits.

Praying for Parkland, and For Us All

Praying for Parkland, and For Us All

ByHal Hammons

Without trying to take sides in the gun vs. anti-gun argument, allow me to cautiously make the following observations: one, a gun tragedy is guaranteed to bring people out of the woodwork, quoting outrageously misleading statistics and claiming that all gun advocates are essentially guilty of murder; two, gun advocates will try to “put things into perspective” by saying the problem isn’t actually as gigantic as it is made out to be, and essentially come off like jerks who think a dozen or so dead children is not that big a deal. In short, everyone still believes what they already believed, they’re just louder about it. 

I find facts a lot less argumentative than rhetoric, so let’s look at some facts.

Growth

ByHal Hammons

We have been inordinately blessed with rain in recent days.  As a result, my lawn is greener and lusher than it ever has been.  The grass is not exactly “high as an elephant’s eye,” but it might create some visibility issues for the neighborhood possums.

So, of course, it is time to cut it.  Well past time, in fact. 

Serious

ByHal Hammons

Emily Ratajkowski, well known body-paint model and social commentator, complained recently that she doesn’t get “serious” roles in Hollywood.  (I have trouble assigning the word “serious” to anything related to Hollywood, but that’s another article.)