Dead people don’t eat

ByHal Hammons

Mark 5:25-43 tells the story of how Jesus healed the daughter of the leader of the synagogue, a man named Jairus.  The people had already pronounced her dead by the time Jesus arrived, but that did not stop the Lord.  He told her to rise up, and she did.  The text describes the people as being “completely astonished” — a reaction that astonishes none of us.  We would be astonished as well.

The healing itself is remarkable on its own, of course.  However, I have always found it interesting that Jesus asked specifically that she be given something to eat immediately afterward.

Comments

ByHal Hammons

I awoke one day and was suddenly bombarded by notifications about how I can make money by downloading an app and simply refusing to text while driving.  My stink-o-meter went off immediately.  Nobody gets paid for not  doing something.  It’s got to be a scam.

I made a comment to that effect on Facebook and was quickly reminded of one of the reasons I post such things so infrequently.

Faith healing (the real kind)

Faith healing (the real kind)

ByHal Hammons

So-called faith healers insist that the faith of the one being healed is essential for the success of the healing.  The Bible does not support that assertion.  In fact, Luke 9:38-42 indicates that it is the healer’s faith, not the faith of the one healed, that is essential.  The disciples did not have sufficient faith to cast out the demon; the faith of the demoniac and/or his father is not discussed.

Introverted

ByHal Hammons

People don’t believe me when I talk about how introverted I am.  Truth be told, I would just as soon hole up alone with a good book or game on most evenings.  I genuinely enjoy seven-hour car rides by myself.

 That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy socializing.  I absolutely do.  But when I am with someone, I feel responsible for their entertainment as well as my own. 

Complicated

ByHal Hammons

When a friend’s Facebook profile has “It’s complicated” in the “relationships” space, that’s bad news.  Granted, being single can be complicated.  So can being married.  But in this context, “complicated” means something that the friend in question is hesitant to try to qualify with a simple word.

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.

“Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as though she has laid an asteroid.”

ByHal Hammons

There are those who accomplish great things.  And then there are those who have neither the grit, nor the talent, nor the patience to do so and yet wish to receive the same amount of credit.  I try to associate with the first group as much as possible, hoping some skill and/or wisdom may somehow rub off.  I try to avoid the second group entirely — but since their number seems to be growing every day, and since they all appear to be on social media, I am growing frustrated.

Appearance

ByHal Hammons

I think I’ve finally figured out what bugs me about selfies on social media.  It’s that attention is being drawn, almost exclusively, to the outward appearance.  Sometimes it’s our accomplishments, sometime it’s our misfortune, sometimes it’s our surroundings.  But usually it’s just our looks.  A new haircut, a cute expression — worse yet, the infamous “Which do you like better?” post, which literally begs for audience participation.  All of this is a 21st Century way of saying, “Look at me!  Look at me!”