Have two goals: wisdom—that is, knowing and doing right—and common sense. Don’t let them slip away,                                                                                                                                        Proverbs 3:21 (Living Bible)

I was recently reading about Abraham Wald, a Jewish scientist from Hungary who had been  expelled from Nazi Europe in World War II. As we have seen often, when political thinking gets involved in science, foolish decisions are often made. Indeed, Wald played a part in helping to defeat Nazi Germany with his mathematical prowess and brilliant logic. The irony, played out more than once in World War II, is that brilliant scientists expelled from Nazi Germany because of their Jewish heritage, helped to defeat that same evil power.

Wald was tasked to solve the problem of finding the most vulnerable parts of Allied bombers so that more armor could be added to protect planes and crews. The placement of armor had to be strategic, since armor was heavy, and planes needed to be as light as possible.

Wald was given access to information about where returning bombers had sustained the most enemy damage during their bombing runs. He saw where most of the damage occurred, and he surprisingly suggested that armor be placed mostly in the areas where the most damage had not been sustained.  

He explained that they were studying planes whose damage, while at times extensive, had allowed them to return safely. The planes which were hit in the areas other than these spots had not been able to return home. The concept he formulated was “survivorship bias”, meaning that all factors needed to be included in the analysis, not just the damage to the surviving aircraft. The planes that had not survived also needed to be in the equation.

I found the solution to be fascinating, and at the same time, almost obvious- an idea that we might easily overlook. We often have unknown biases when we study problems. Wald had the insight and logic to utilize this concept to save many bomber crews.

What appears to be clear to us, can also be missed because of hidden bias. Information that we do not consider might be the most important things in the equation.

Prayer: Thank you for the gifts that you give to us, especially the ones we do not see, Amen

Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.                                                                                                                                            Romans 12:4-5

On our trip to Italy a few years ago, we visited the beautiful cities of Florence, Siena, and Rome. Each one of those ancient cities is saturated with art, done by some of the most brilliant artists the world has ever produced.

The Piazza del Campo in Siena is a huge area, and it is the home of a famous horse race, the Palio di Siena, which pits each of the seventeen contrade (neighborhoods, but more than that really) of the city against one another. Actually, there is a lottery to pick ten of the seventeen contrade to participate in the race. Each contrade has its own flag, its own traditions, and there is a great rivalry about the race.  It is run twice each summer, coinciding with feast days which honor the Madonna of Provenzanzo, and the feast of the Assumption of Mary. The event has been going on annually for a shade over four centuries, so there has been time to build up some rivalry.

While we were in the area near the Piazza one day, we heard loud singing. It was joyful and hearty. I had to check it out. Upon turning a corner in a small alley (there are only thousands of them in Siena it seems), I saw a group of young men standing on tables, drinking wine straight from the bottle, and celebrating some type of event. Maybe it was a bachelor party, or maybe a college fraternity. Maybe they were simply celebrating that it was Tuesday- who knows. The point was that they were exuberant in their expression. Besides that, they sang in unison, on tune, and at the top of their lungs.

I loved it.

The free expression of emotion seems to be an enduring trait in Italy. Uninhibited singing, expressive hand gestures, a gusto for life. Those are some of the things I appreciated on our trip. The art was spectacular, the ancient Roman technology was unsurpassed, but the people were just fascinating.

Traveling gives us perspective on other cultures. We learn to appreciate differences, and celebrate those differences. That sounds like a good idea, whether we travel five thousand miles, or five blocks.  

Prayer: Lord you have made us in your image, yet so different in expressions of it. Help us to appreciate the differences, Amen

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.             Psalm 139:14

If you are reading this blog, and you obviously are, you are a miracle. Just by being born, you overcame, by no effort of your own, staggering odds that were stacked against your existence. According to research cited in Atlantic magazine, “each human female has about 300,000 eggs during the fertile period of her life. Each male ejaculation has about 300 million sperm. Thus, each conception contains about a hundred thousand billion different possible combinations of DNA”. The fact that you were conceived indicates that you are a statistical miracle. You and I are unique, and incredibly favored. Actually, we are lucky to be alive.

So, miracles are both rare and incredibly common. How is that for a paradox?! Indeed, existence on this earth is an amazing phenomenon. Assuming, as I do, that the plan for life that God has set forth is not just random chance, we are indeed, fearfully and wonderfully made. We are made for a purpose.

I read a quote that states “Gratitude without action is empty” (Alan Lightman, in the Atlantic article cited above). I like this quote. It means that having been given the incredible gift of life, we are bound to make it meaningful.

So, my dear readers, you are one in more than a million! How are you going to display your gratitude for such a gift?

Prayer: Lord, what an amazing gift of life that you have given to us. Help us to redeem it wisely, Amen  

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend                                                                                     Proverbs 27:17

I saw a client recently, and I gave her a homework challenge which she said would be difficult. As we discussed the homework, she agreed that it was something that needed to happen at some point. The question was not IF the behavior would need to be tried out, it was a matter of WHEN. She agreed that this was true, and we laughed as she said, “I know you are right, but this is going to be difficult for me!”

I then said to her, “Well, you know my job is not to make you comfortable, my job is to help you heal and grow.”  She agreed, and we further discussed the homework options. She will do them, and she will do them when she is ready. I felt that I needed to challenge her with the reality of the situation. I told her that sometimes counselors deliberately “turn up the heat” to be the reality checks they need. Like anything else, I reminded her, what we put off, we usually have to pay with interest!

This client has grown a lot, and she agreed that she was reluctant to start counseling because it was an unknown process and therefore was a bit intimidating. Yet, just a few months into counseling, she is surprising herself with healthy behaviors, and a “voice” that she did not have before.

So, like I said, my job is often not to make people comfortable where they are, but to challenge them to do things they did not think possible.

I have a pretty cool job.

Prayer: Lord, help us to challenge one another for good, Amen

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?                                                            Matthew 6:26

As I sit writing this blog entry, I am listening to the songs of birds. That is a pleasant experience all by itself. It is even more encouraging that, while I listen to those birds, my blood pressure is likely a bit lower, my cortisol levels have dropped, and my mood is just that much better. How do I know that? Well, it is a personal experience, but it is also backed by several studies, which show the beneficial effect of listening to birds’ songs.

Yes, walking in nature, listening to birds’ songs, is a significant way to elevate mood, lower anxiety, and promote a sense of well-being. The walking in the sunlight part is just added benefit in keeping blood sugar levels in check, enhancing blood flow, and strengthening lung capacity.

As regular readers know, I am prescriptive to my clients about regular exercise. Now we add the benefit of walking outdoors and listening to the sounds of bird songs, which has been clinically proven to have beneficial effects on mental health.

So, even if you are not physically able to do the walk, try to be in a place where you can hear the birds sing.

It is good for body and soul.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us healing in so many places in your Creation, Amen.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born, I set you apart…                                                                                                       Jeremiah 1:5

There is a saying that goes – “fish don’t know that they are in water”. Well, that is true for several reasons, one being that fish are not sentient. But the impact of this saying can also be true for human beings. We are living in a life, a type of environment, that is all that we know. Indeed, we can take for granted the most important and incredible gift that one could possibly have. We are alive!

The gift of life is so precious that we often do not stop to think of how amazingly blessed we are. Yes, that life can be difficult, sometimes very difficult. Yet what an amazing opportunity we have had, and continue to have, in this world.

Just a quick pause to lift up gratitude for the very fact of life is good for our very soul.

Prayer: Lord, we are thankful for the amazing gift of life that you have given to us, Amen

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me                                                                                                        Psalm 23:4

I recently spoke with a client about the need for stepping forth in faith in order to overcome fears. I used the example from the Indiana Jones movie– In Search of the Holy Grail. You may remember the scene. Indiana Jones comes to a deep gorge which he must cross in order to get to the Holy Grail. He is almost to the end of his arduous search, but he must cross the gorge, and there is no obvious way across. He knows, however, that the instructions say that he must take a step before the bridge appears. What a leap of faith was required!

As we know, when he took that fateful step, the bridge did appear, and he was able to cross to find the grail. How often do we find in life that we need to take that frightening first step in order to see the way out of our situation. It is extremely hard, and we are often turned away by fear. But, the reward can be great for taking that step.

Prayer: Lord, help us when we need to take that first hard step, Amen

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me                                                                                                        Psalm 23:4

I recently spoke with a client about the need for stepping forth in faith in order to overcome fears. I used the example from the Indiana Jones movie– In Search of the Holy Grail. You may remember the scene. Indiana Jones comes to a deep gorge which he must cross in order to get to the Holy Grail. He is almost to the end of his arduous search, but he must cross the gorge, and there is no obvious way across. He knows, however, that the instructions say that he must take a step before the bridge appears. What a leap of faith was required!

As we know, when he took that fateful step, the bridge did appear, and he was able to cross to find the grail. How often do we find in life that we need to take that frightening first step in order to see the way out of our situation. It is extremely hard, and we are often turned away by fear. But, the reward can be great for taking that step.

Prayer: Lord, help us when we need to take that first hard step, Amen

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ…                                                                                                 Ephesians 4:15

In his sermon yesterday, our pastor, Dennis Miller, cited the story of John Adams when he took on the unenviable task of defending the British soldiers charged in the killings of the 1770 “Boston Massacre.” Adams, a founding father of the American Revolution, took this on not because he wanted to. He took it on to further the cause of justice.

Of course, feelings were very high against the British government and the soldiers stationed in Boston to “keep the peace”. When those soldiers ended up firing into a crowd of protestors, the gunfire killed five people and wounded eight others. Adams volunteered to defend those soldiers in a court of law, in the face of withering criticism and even death threats. Adams valued justice, and he also wanted to instill into the nascent rebellion a sense that law, fairly applied, would guide the principles of those yearning to be free of British rule.

John Adams displayed remarkable courage. He stood up for principles over popularity. Christians are called upon to display such virtue by speaking the truth in love even if it does not meet with popular approval. That, of course, was part of Pastor Miller’s timely message.

We long for such courage these days.

Prayer: Lord, help us to show courage in our actions and words, Amen.

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 8:5-12

Time after time in the Bible, we see Jesus doing things that confounded his followers. Even his coming to Earth confounded people. Seeing the world from upside down is sometimes the best way to look at it. What do I mean by that?

We look at things through the eyes of logic and reason (mostly) and we have certain expectations of the world. The Jewish followers of Jesus expected that he came to save the Jews from an evil world (the Roman overlords), and to cast out those who were not rigid followers of the Jewish Laws set forth generations prior. All those who were not followers of Yahweh were to be avoided. Those religions were inferior and threatening to the religion of the True God.

Jesus confounded that thinking by giving examples of non-Jews who put rigid religious behaviors to shame. The Good Samaritan is a prime example. The Woman at the Well is another. The story from the passage cited above talks about the faith of a Centurion is another one of many.

Many religious people do much the same as the Jews did and try to make a relationship with God formulaic. Maybe having a formula helps us to feel better somehow, but rigid adherence to formulas isn’t the way that we can reach to God. He has already reached to us (another paradox) with Jesus, whose life was an example of loving those around him.

My point is that just when we think we have figured out a religious method and approach to God, he confounds us again. He says in so many words (if I may be so presumptuous as to put my words in God’s mouth!)

 “You all are overthinking this, folks. Love me by loving one another. Because I have forgiven you, and paid a high price to do so, forgive one another. Quit trying to reduce me to formulas- just go about loving one another and it will please me.”

Prayer: Lord, I trust in the simple approach to you and not tying you to formulas. Thank you for your love for us, Amen