When things just don’t add up.  When total agreement seems unachievable.  When being of one mind is a fleeting fancy.  These are the times that try men’s souls.

But Thomas Paine wasn’t looking for reconciliation when he penned those words.  Five months after the Declaration of Independence, facing the onslaught of British forces at Baltimore, Paine refused to believe that God would abandon their cause and give them over to those who would enslave them.  Two days later, on Christmas Day, George Washington would take his troops back across the Delaware to certain victory.  But this was not reconciliation.

Reconciliation tops the news these days as Congress attempts to force vote the passage of healthcare reform in order to avoid gridlock.  However, this only results in half of the country being happy (?); political partisanship will still keep unrest stirred up.

The word reconciliation comes from Latin, meaning “to make good again.”  For something to be reconciled, it must have first to have gone wrong.  True reconciliation doesn’t just require agreement. Even acknowledged forgiveness is not enough.  Hurts can’t just be forgiven; they must be healed.

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What if … the world really is 4.5 billion years old and has been populated by humans for 6.5 million years? Does that mean that God doesn’t exist?

What if … Jesus isn’t really the son of God?  What if he was just a man who may, or may not, have had a special relationship with an unseen Being?

What if … the Bible isn’t the certified, authentic word of God?  What if it’s just a collection of writings by men whose minds wandered beyond the cosmos?  Is there any hope for us?

What if … some of us got the plan of salvation wrong and end up in fiery eternal torment?  Just because we didn’t say the magic words or believe the right stuff?

What if … it turns out that doctrine isn’t important and God just wanted us all to get along and help one another?

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Another snow day.  I live in the foothills of northeast Tennessee.  Unlike the snow-slammed northeastern states and parts of the country that are used to big winters, we practically close down when a handful of flakes team up and stick to the road.  So I’m not complaining.  I don’t have to go to work, and the snow is beautiful.

There’s something about the white, clean-looking appearance of snow.  When it falls gently and begins to muffle the sounds of city life, a peaceful scene soon emerges.  One of my daughters used to live in a state that had a lot of litter and a lot of snow.  (I won’t name the state; I don’t want to make Sarah Palin mad.)  The great thing about the snow was that it covered up the litter, making the landscape look clean.

Religious preachers and teachers throughout the ages have used the snow analogy to address man’s sin and the promise of cleansing.  “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)  They add in the paradox of Jesus’ blood being the cleansing agent.

I suspect that the teaching is much like the snow in real life.  It covers, giving the appearance of clean, but underneath remains the mud, dirt and litter.  Even though we’re “washed in the blood,” we continue to sin.  We don’t need our sins covered; we need to be rid of them.

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The title is clever.  The tune is catchy.  And it annoys my grandson whenever I sing it repeatedly.  I stop whenever I get the expected response from him, that being, “Ah-h-h-h-h!”

The animal kingdom may have their own language with grunts and growls, but I’m guessing that it doesn’t come close to the human language.  Maybe because we exhibit more emotion and determination. Domesticated animals respond to voice commands because of conditioning and rewards.  We never have a discussion with them regarding their behavior; if so, it would be all one-sided.

My native tongue, English, is replete with innuendos and double-entendres, making if difficult to understand the true intent, let alone try to form a response.  Words are powerful.  Consider the children’s rhyme:

Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But words will never hurt me.

Not true.  Words spoken or written can generate a number of feelings inside of us.  I’ll be the first to admit that in my own life I am often affected by words sent my way.  I must check myself quickly in order not to respond in haste.  I also notice how many times I have misunderstood comments.  On many an occasion I find later that they were not directed toward me, were not meant in the way that I took them, or were certainly not worth me being worked up about.

My wife says I’m a ponderer, and she’s right.  When I receive a negative comment or response from someone, I can mull it over for hours, or even days, before I’m willing to let it go.  On the other hand I can receive a kind remark from someone I don’t generally care for, and it’s as if they were never unkind to me.  Someone that I am confident is an untruthful person can so embellish a statement that I am eager and willing to consider that they are being honest with me.  Along with being a ponderer, I seem to be a responder-er.

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Matthew 10:7  The kingdom of heaven is near.

Mark 1:15  The kingdom of God is near.

A friend and I were recently discussing where we are in relation to our walk with Christ and our relationship with God.  We know we live in this world, which is made up of kingdoms.  They may be run by dictators, presidents, congresses or parliaments, but it is a kingdom nonetheless.  Like it or not, we are subjects of them.

Jesus introduced the concept of a new kingdom, or at least a different kingdom.  The gospel writer Matthew exclusively quoted Jesus as saying the kingdom of heaven, while the other gospels refer to the kingdom of God.  Jesus prayed to God, “your kingdom come, your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10)  He once told the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)  The kingdom of God was inside the Pharisees? Really?  Look it up. When questioned by Pontius Pilate, Jesus responded with, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  (John 18:36)

So, do we have a kingdom here, a kingdom there (heaven), or a kingdom everywhere?

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